Background Investigator Perm, in Albuquerque, NM

Business Unit: 21800

Background Investigator #, Full-Time, Perm, in Albuquerque, NM.

Opening Date: 02-06-2026 – Close Date: 02-20-2026
Target Pay Range: $29.374 per hour or $61,097.92 annually

Under general supervision of the Pretrial Services Supervisor, this position will work within the AOC Background Investigation and Public Safety Assessment Unit in Albuquerque, NM. This centralized unit provides critical background investigation reports and public safety assessment outcomes to courts statewide.

The Investigator will conduct thorough criminal background investigations of individuals arrested statewide and charged with criminal offenses prior to their initial hearing, arraignment, and/or detention hearing; respond to correspondence from detention centers and courts; update daily logs to track work progress; and act as an authorized designee making pre‑trial defendant release decisions based on program criteria. A $3 per hour shift differential is paid for hours worked between 6 p.m. and 7 a.m. Nights, weekends, holidays, and inclement weather days may be required.

• Interview offenders to obtain and verify necessary background information for a thorough criminal history investigation.
• Provide detailed reports to the court, including release recommendations.
• Assess offender’s threat level to self and others.
• Make release and bond recommendations based on criminal history.
• Defend release or program recommendations and address challenges to those recommendations.
• Prepare written reports with chronological criminal history, conditions of release, treatment referrals, and future recommendations.
• Attend court proceedings as necessary and present defendant profiles and release recommendations to the court.
• Provide release information to judges, involved parties, and community members.
• Compile and report statistical data.
• Communicate with District Attorneys and other government and court agencies.
• Participate in conferences, training, and community outreach or educational programs related to court programs.
• Complete detailed offender behavioral profiles by contacting references and verifying information about employment, home, work, and school status.
• Contact and interview victims.
• Document interactions with defendants in the case management system and maintain current case files.
• Perform scheduled and unannounced site visits (home, work, school, or other location) to obtain or verify background information.
• Serve as the Terminal Agency Coordinator (TAC) and ensure compliance with security requirements.
• Recognize patterns of drug, alcohol, and anger issues and recommend referrals to community treatment providers.
• Other duties as assigned.

The successful applicant should demonstrate knowledge of state statutes, rules, constitutional rights governing release and bail eligibility for defendants, third‑party releases, community safety concerns, recidivism, criminal behavior patterns and profiles, investigative techniques using national, state, and local investigative resources and interviewing procedures, New Mexico law, civil and criminal procedures and sentencing guidelines, court rules, policies, and procedures, misdemeanor and felony arraignment proceedings, bail and bond processes, court supervision programs, case management, legal terminology, substance abuse, mental health counseling and treatment, drug screening methods and equipment, mediation techniques, conflict resolution, NCIC (National Crime Information Center) procedures, and HIPAA.

Work is performed in an office or court setting. A valid driver’s license and travel may be required. The schedule may include nights, weekends, holidays, and overtime. Interaction with co‑workers, clients, the public, judges, and justices is expected.

This job description is illustrative only and is not a comprehensive listing of all functions performed.

• Medical/Dental/Vision/Rx, Short‑term and Long‑term Disability Insurance Programs, employee assistance program (EAP) ()
• State paid life insurance, supplemental and dependent life insurance
• Optional flexible spending accounts for…