Clarification from the agency

This vacancy announcement is open to current employees of the federal judiciary (AO or U.S. Courts) nationwide. Non-LEOs are eligible to apply for this position.  The selectee of this position will be assigned an official duty station at a federal judiciary location (AO or U.S. Courts). Accordingly, pay will be set based on the locality area/official duty station assigned. This position is not a fully remote position, but is eligible for telework per AO policy.

The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts seeks a skilled and self-motivated Probation Administrator (Program Oversight Administrator) to join its team within the Department of Program Services, Probation and Pretrial Services Office (PPSO), Program Oversight and Support Division, Program Oversight Branch (POB).

This position reports to the POB Chief.

As a member of the PPSO team, the probation administrator provides national guidance and support to the system. This position is primarily responsible for conducting cyclical office and sentinel event reviews, responding to congressional inquiries, and coordinating special investigations as needed.

Specialized duties include, but are not limited to:

1. Providing national guidance and serving as an authority on national oversight, national probation and pretrial services policies and procedures, to include serving on policy-making working groups, facilitating focus groups, and serving as a point-of-contact for probation and pretrial services personnel.
2. Providing national guidance and serving as a team lead for probation and pretrial services offices reviews, including office review protocols compliance, demonstrating a knowledge of operational policies, procedures and evidence-based practices, identifying weaknesses and making recommendations to judges and court unit executives, and conducting appropriate follow-up.
3. Tracking and evaluating program data submitted by the offices reviewed, including trends on deficiencies and recommendations, referrals for and delivery of technical assistance and training, and the timeliness and comprehensiveness of action plans and status reports.
4. Evaluating individual cases for compliance review with national policies and procedures.
5. Developing and presenting guidance, coordinating and collaborating with staff in other areas to provide supportive training and assistance to the probation and pretrial services offices as it relates to specialized program areas and the implementation of evidence-informed supervision practices for both pretrial and post-conviction supervision.
6. Serving on PPSO policy-making groups, and applying knowledge related to pretrial services, presentence, and post-conviction supervision functions.
7. Responding to inquiries and correspondence from Congress, the Department of Justice, and the public.
8. Demonstrating the ability to communicate and collaborate with Court Unit Executives that fosters a successful learning environment.

1. Providing staff support for the Judicial Conference Committee on Criminal Law to implement the provision of legislation affecting the federal probation and pretrial services system.
2. Reviewing the work of probation and pretrial services offices including national oversight activities and the evaluation of high-profile cases.
3. Managing and resolving operational problems, responding to inquiries, and providing technical and administrative guidance.
4. Working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to identify problems, analyze information to determine accuracy and relevance, and determine accurate conclusions.
5. Using research, technology, and software applications to support operational efficiency, organizational workflows, and communication.
6. Participating in training to further professional knowledge, skills, and competencies.
7. Communicating effectively, both orally and in writing, including drafting memos and emails, and preparing presentations to provide regular updates on assigned activities and initiatives.

Conditions of employment

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

1. All information is subject to verification. Applicants are advised that false answers or omissions of information on application materials or inability to meet the following conditions may be grounds for non-selection, withdrawal of an offer of employment, or dismissal after being employed.
2. Selection for this position is contingent upon completion of OF-306, Declaration of Federal Employment during the pre-employment process and proof of U.S. citizenship for competitive status positions or conversion to a competitive status position with the AO. If non-citizens are considered for hire into a temporary or any other position with non-competitive status or when it is confirmed by the AO Human Resources Office there are no qualified U.S. citizens for a competitive status position (unless prohibited by a law or statue), non-citizens must provide proof of authorization to work in the U.S. and proof of entitlement to receive compensation. Additional information on the employment of non-citizens can be found at USAJOBS Help Center | Employment of non-citizens/. For a list of documents that may be used to provide proof of citizenship or authorization to work in the United States, please refer to Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification.
3. All new AO employees will be required to complete an FBI fingerprint-based national criminal database and records check and pass a public trust suitability check.
4. New employees to the AO will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights/responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.
5. All new AO employees are required to identify a financial institution for direct deposit of pay before appointment.
6. You will be required to serve a trial period if selected for a first-time appointment to the Federal government, transferring from another Federal agency, or serving as a first-time supervisor. Failure to successfully complete the trial period may result in termination of employment.
7. If appointed to a temporary position, management may have the discretion of converting the position to permanent depending upon funding and staffing allocation.

Qualifications

Applicants must have demonstrated experience as listed below. This requirement is according to the AO Classification, Compensation, and Recruitment Systems which include interpretive guidance and reference to the OPM Operating Manual for Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions.

Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience which is in or directly related to the line of work of this position. Specialized experience is demonstrated experience in each of the following:

1. Providing guidance and training on probation and pretrial services policies and procedures.
2. Conducting local or national oversight activities to evaluate individual cases for compliance with national policies and procedures, such as serving as an office review volunteer for cyclical reviews or performing district level self-assessment activities or sentinel event reviews.
3. Tracking and evaluating operational data to uncover trends, evaluate strengths and weaknesses, and inform targeted training or improvement strategies.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

We will review your resume and supporting documentation and compare this information to your responses on the occupational questionnaire to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for this job. If you meet the minimum qualifications for this job, we will evaluate your application package, to assess the quality, depth, and complexity of your accomplishments, experience, and education as they relate to the requirements listed in this vacancy announcement.

You should be aware that your ratings are subject to evaluation and verification. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your resume and/or narrative responses, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience. Failure to submit the mandatory narrative responses will result in not receiving full consideration and/or rating credit. Deliberate attempts to falsify information may be grounds for not selecting you, withdrawing an offer of employment, or dismissal after being employed.