U.S. Probation Officer; Court Services

Position Overview

The U.S. Probation Office in the Eastern District of North Carolina is seeking qualified applicants for a full-time probation officer position. This position will be assigned to the Court Services Unit.

This position is being advertised at a grade CL 25
* and has promotional potential to a CL 28 ($71,583 - $116,394). Applications that are received by the initial cut-off date of July 31, 2026, will be given first consideration.
* Depending upon experience and qualifications

U.S. Probation Officers perform a variety of functions to assist in the administration of justice and promote community safety. Incumbents are assigned to either the Court Services Unit or Supervision Services Unit depending upon unit availability and candidate qualifications. In order to effectively manage assigned cases, all probation officers conduct fieldwork including but not limited to community, home, and employment visits with clients and collateral sources.

U.S. Probation Officers perform duties and responsibilities which include, but are not limited to, the following:

Court Services Unit (Presentence): The incumbent conducts investigations and prepares reports for the court with recommendations for sentencing of individuals convicted of federal offenses. The preparation of these reports requires interviewing offenders and their families, investigating the offense, prior record and financial status of the offender, and contacting law enforcement agencies, attorneys, victims of the crimes, schools, churches, and civic organizations.

An integral part of this process is the interpretation and application of the U.S. Sentencing Commission Guidelines and relevant case law. The incumbent testifies in court as to the basis for factual findings and guidelines applications, and serves as a resource to the court to facilitate proper imposition of sentence. Performs other duties as assigned.

Supervision Services Unit: The incumbent supervises defendants/offenders to maximize adherence to imposed conditions, reduce risk to the community, provide correctional treatment, and facilitate long-term positive changes in offenders. This is accomplished through personal contact with defendants/offenders in office and community settings. Officers provide risk-based supervision services consistent with district goals for evidence-based practices, complete and utilize risk assessment tools to determine offender risk, needs, and compliance, conduct pre-release planning and investigations, develop viable case plans, detect substance abuse through urine collection and other methods, and refer offenders to appropriate agencies to assist with education, employment training, cognitive-based programming and treatment.

Written reports of detected violations are prepared with appropriate court testimony and disposition recommendations. Performs other duties as assigned.

To qualify at the CL 25 level: A four-year degree from an accredited college or university in a field of academic study such as criminal justice, criminology, psychology, human relations, social work, accounting, education, business or public administration and one year of specialized, progressively responsible experience gained after the completion of a bachelor's degree, in criminal or financial investigations, report writing, probation, pretrial services, human services, parole, corrections, counseling, or work in substance abuse/addiction treatment.

Experience as a police, custodial, or security officer, other than any criminal investigative experience, does not qualify as specialized experience.

Educational Substitutions:
Completion of the requirements for a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and one of the following requirements may be substituted for one year of specialized experience:
1) An overall "B" grade point average equaling 2.90 or better;
2) Standing in the upper 1/3 of class;
3) A "B+" (3.5) average or better in the major field of study; or
4) Election to membership in Phi Beta Kappa or other acceptable national honor society. Completion of academic year of graduate work (30 semester or 45…