United States Probation Officer Assistant (POA)- VA 25-06

The United States District Court 

for the Northern District of Iowa

Announces an Employment Opportunity at the

United States Probation & Pretrial Services Office

Position:  United States Probation Officer Assistant (POA)- VA 25-06

LOCATION:  Sioux City, Iowa 

United States Courthouse 

320 6th Street, Suite 200

Sioux City, Iowa 51101-1262

CLASSIFICATION LEVEL (CL): CL26

CL determination is based on satisfying the minimum qualifications within each classification level. 

SALARY RANGE:  $53,839-$87,482

The salary range listed here reflects the full pay scale spanning across all classification levels for this position. Starting salaries depend on education, skills, and experience. New incumbents may start in the developmental range of the lowest classification level (CL) and increase incrementally towards full performance and/or CL promotional advancements throughout their career. 

OPENING DATE: 09/22/2025                     

CLOSING DATE: Open until filled, per District need

Note: An applicant who applies after the dates listed or within the time period that the announcement is posted on https://www.ianp.uscourts.gov may be fully considered up to the time that the position(s) are filled.

The United States Probation Office, Northern District of Iowa, is accepting applications for a United States Probation Officer Assistant in the Sioux City, Iowa, Probation Office. The duties specified herein are intended to provide generalized examples of the major duties and responsibilities that may be performed by a U.S. Probation Officer Assistant and are largely summarized to include providing officer assistance and support of both an operational and/or administrative capacity (within any or multiple units, as assigned) generally related to officer investigation and/or supervision activities.  In such, tasks will be assigned based on district need and may be periodically adjusted throughout position tenure. 

POSITION SUMMARY:

• Greet visitors and clients in person or on the telephone, answering routine questions, responding to and processing over-the-counter inquiries, and mindfully directing visitors and callers to the appropriate person for additional assistance.
• With direction from probation officers or support staff, sets up case files and/or folders; prepares reports, orders, and other documents essential to all probation units (pretrial, presentence, and supervision).  Prepares letters, memoranda, recurring reports, and forms in accordance with policy and procedure.  Composes routine correspondence for officers. 
• Scans and uploads file documents as necessary.
• Performs data entry related to case related activity and sentencing information. Ensures quality of data entry.
• Receives, prioritizes, processes, and routes incoming and outgoing mail.
• Assists in basic administrative tasks (as assigned) such as: preparing data reports and collecting information; developing spreadsheets and PowerPoints; receiving and identifying property for dispersal or disposal; organizing and tracking office supplies; SharePoint upkeep; and general office assistance type tasks.
• Assists probation officers in the performance of pretrial and/or presentence investigations and/or supervision activities, such as: compiling and evaluating criminal histories/profiles; arranging, interviewing, prepping and/or writing various reports and legal documents; maintaining file information; conducting inquiries with collateral agencies; urine collection/sweat patch application; compiling, analyzing, and evaluating information gathered in the case planning process; assisting with general case related inquiries; etc. 
• Provides officers with verifiable and supportable documentation to assist in case related activities, including completion of probation and pretrial reports. May investigate employment/sources of income, lifestyle and associates to help verify, assess risk, and compliance factors.  May assist officers with preparation for Court hearings and testify as needed. 
• Assist probation officers in the maintenance of various programs related to: community service work, substance abuse, evidence-based practices, location monitoring, monetary fee oversight, and various other district projects or initiatives. Assist with district research projects to include data collection and organization.
• May supervise lower risk clients and coordinate office visits in addition to field-based home and collateral contacts.  With supervisory oversight, assists in the application of effective supervision strategies to evoke client change while focusing on supervisee condition compliance to best serve and protect the community. 
• Participate in the officer safety program as required.
• Participate in ongoing training and development with the goal of obtaining/maintaining advanced techniques related to the knowledge, skills, and abilities most effective to assigned tasks. 
• Performs related duties and all other duties as assigned.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS (for CL-26):

• Completion of bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in a field of academic study which provides evidence of the capacity to understand and apply the legal requirements and human relations skills involved in the position.
• Fluency in Spanish.
• Previous experience in community corrections and/or working knowledge of evidence-based practices as it relates to corrections. 
• Working knowledge of Excel, Word, and Apple products.
• A thorough knowledge of spelling, punctuation, and proper grammar usage.
• Excellent time management skills, accuracy, attention to detail, and ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Ability to organize work in fast paced, high volume office.

MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS 

The duties of U.S. Probation Officer Assistants require investigation and management of alleged criminal offenders or convicted offenders who may present physical danger to officers and to the public.  In the supervision, treatment, and control of these offenders, these duties could require moderate to arduous physical exercise, including prolonged periods of walking and standing, physical dexterity and coordination necessary for officer safety and use of self defense tactics.  On a daily basis, Officer Assistants may face unusual mental and physical stress because they are subject to danger and possible harm during frequent, direct contact with individuals who are suspected or convicted of committing federal offenses.  Because Officer Assistants must effectively deal with physical attacks, and are subject to moderate arduous physical exertion, applicants must be physically capable of effectively performing these duties and are subject to fitness for duty examinations.  Vision and hearing must also be adequate to perform the duties listed safely and effectively.  The medical requirements for law enforcement officer and officer assistant positions are available for public review on the UScourts.gov web site under Officer and Officer Assistant Medical Requirements | United States Courts (uscourts.gov)

MAXIMUM ENTRY AGE

This is classified as a federal law enforcement hazardous duty position. As such, you will be subject to mandatory retirement by the age of 57. Additionally, you will be eligible for retirement after 20 years of service (at the age of 50) or after 25 years of service (at any age).  Therefore, first-time appointees must not have reached their 37th birthday at the time of appointment.  Applicants age 37 or over who have previous law enforcement experience under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) and who have either a subsequent break in service or intervening service in a non-law enforcement position may have their previous law enforcement officer experience subtracted from their age to determine whether they meet the maximum age requirement.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Mandatory evenings and weekend work is required for supervision activities and/or mission critical tasks.  Some training and travel, including overnight stays, is required. May be required to work more than 40 hours per week in order to meet job requirements and deadlines.  Overtime pay is not authorized by the Judicial Conference of the United States.

The U.S. Pretrial Services & Probation Office reserves the right to assign/reassign an employee to any unit (pretrial, presentence, or supervision) and/or specialized area, based on employee qualifications and the needs of the agency. 

Applicants are advised that false statements or omission of information on any application materials or during the interview process, or the inability to meet the aforementioned conditions may be grounds for non-selection, withdrawal of an offer of employment, or dismissal after being employed.

All application information is subject to verification. The United States Probation Office reserves the right to check references and contact former employers and subordinates. 

Pursuant to Judicial Conference policy, all final applicants for officer and officer assistant positions will undergo a drug screening and medical examination by Public Health Service physicians or other Federal Occupational Health approved physicians using the medical guidelines developed by Federal Occupational Health, Law Enforcement Medical Program. This could take several weeks. 

Upon successful completion of the medical examination and drug screening, the selectee may then be appointed provisionally, pending a favorable suitability determined by the court. A full background investigation will be completed by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) once the incumbent has entered onto duty as a provisional hire.  If the OPM report reflects any findings of a negative nature or disqualifying actionable issues, suitability will be reconsidered by the Chief District Judge and the Chief U.S. Probation Officer and continued employment as a U.S. Probation Officer Assistant could be terminated.

All appointments subject to FBI Fingerprint background investigation; with periodic reinvestigation, if applicable.

In addition, employees will be subject to ongoing random drug screening, updated background investigations every five years and, as deemed necessary by management for reasonable cause, may be also subject to subsequent fitness-for-duty evaluations. 

This position is subject to mandatory electronic funds transfer for payment of net pay.

SUMMARY OF BENEFITS:

• Up to 13 days paid vacation per year for the first 3 years of employment; 20 to 26 days per year thereafter (dependent upon the length of federal service). 
• A minimum of 11 paid holidays per year. 
• Sick leave of 13 days the first year, increased thereafter per policy.
• Up to 12 weeks paid maternity/paternity leave, if qualified. 
• Excellent retirement package (enhanced Federal law enforcement retirement benefits)
  • Mandatory participation in the Federal Retirement System (FERS) and Social Security programs. 
  • FERS Social Security supplement until the age of 62.
  • Optional Thrift Savings Plan (employer matching component) with diversification control.
  • Annual Cost-of-Living Adjustments, as approved by Congress.
  • Full extension of health benefits.
• Optional participation in the federal health insurance program of your choice (no waiting period). 
• Optional vision, dental, and disability insurance programs of your choice (no waiting period).
• Optional participation in a flexible spending program for health and/or dependent care. 
• Optional participation in group life insurance; disability; and long-term care programs. 
• Optional association based memberships.
• On-site wellness room and emphasis on self-care.
• Flexible schedule options including work from home opportunities (after a period of establishment and good performance).
• Paid parking.
• A great team environment that values wellness and diversity.
• For additional information, please visit www.uscourts.gov/careers/benefits.                                                                                                           

HOW TO APPLY:

Email the following documents IN A SINGLE PDF to HR@IANP.USCOURTS.GOV.

Subject of Email should read: 25-06 POA

ALL DOCUMENTS LISTED BELOW MUST BE PROVIDED TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION:

1. Letter of application that describes your interest in pursuing this position and how your experience relates to the stated duties, responsibilities, and skills and abilities of the position; 
2. Completion of the AO78-Federal Judicial Branch Application of Employment, accessed at:  http://www.uscourts.gov/uscourts/FormsAndFees/Forms/AO078.pdf

  3.         Resume with references;

  4.         Copies of college transcripts; and 

  5.        Copies of two most recent performance-based evaluations from current and/or previous employers. 

The court provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities in accordance with the American with Disabilities Act. If you need a reasonable accommodation, please notify Human Resources at hr@ianp.uscourts.gov.  Applicants may view the district’s Employment Dispute Resolution (EDR) Plan on our website at https://www.ianp.uscourts.gov/.

Judiciary employees serve under excepted appointments and are considered “at will” employees which can be terminated with or without cause by the Court.  All court employees are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees which is provided to each employee and is available to view here: https://www.uscourts.gov/rules-policies/judiciary-policies/code-conduct/code-conduct-judicial-employees. Fully appointed U.S. Probation Officer Assistants may be removed by the Court for unacceptable performance, misconduct, or other cause, pursuant to 18 U.S.C § 3602(a).

The Court is not authorized to reimburse candidates for travel in connection with an interview or to pay relocation expenses to the successful candidate. 

Interviews and testing may be conducted with finalists. Only applicants who are interviewed will receive a response regarding their application.

The U.S. Probation Office reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement or to withdrawal the announcement without written notice to the applicants.  More than one position could be hired from this posting. If a subsequent vacancy of the same position becomes available within a reasonable time of the original announcement, the U.S. Probation Office may elect to select a candidate from the original qualified applicant pool.  Posting may be continuously posted and/or reposted to address district vacancy needs. 

Job Summary 

Job Title

Probation Officer Assistant

CL 26

Occupational Group*

Operational Court Support

The United States Probation Office, Northern District of Iowa, is accepting applications for a United States Probation Officer Assistant in the Cedar Rapids, Iowa Probation Office. The duties specified herein are intended to provide generalized examples of the major duties and responsibilities that may be performed by a U.S. Probation Officer Assistant and are largely summarized to include providing officer assistance and support of both an operational and/or administrative capacity (within any or multiple units, as assigned) generally related to officer investigation and/or supervision activities.  In such, tasks will be assigned based on district need and may be periodically adjusted throughout position tenure. 

Representative Duties 

• Greet visitors and clients in person or on the telephone, answering routine questions, responding to and processing over-the-counter inquiries, and mindfully directing visitors and callers to the appropriate person for additional assistance.
• With direction from probation officers or support staff, sets up case files and/or folders; prepares reports, orders, and other documents essential to all probation units (pretrial, presentence, and supervision).  Prepares letters, memoranda, recurring reports, and forms in accordance with policy and procedure.  Composes routine correspondence for officers. 
• Scans and uploads file documents as necessary.
• Performs data entry related to case related activity and sentencing information. Ensures quality of data entry.
• Receives, prioritizes, processes, and routes incoming and outgoing mail.
• Assists in basic administrative tasks (as assigned) such as: preparing data reports and collecting information; developing spreadsheets and PowerPoints; receiving and identifying property for dispersal or disposal; organizing and tracking office supplies; SharePoint upkeep; and general office assistance type tasks.
• Assists probation officers in the performance of pretrial and/or presentence investigations and/or supervision activities, such as: compiling and evaluating criminal histories/profiles; arranging, interviewing, prepping and/or writing various reports and legal documents; maintaining file information; conducting inquiries with collateral agencies; urine collection/sweat patch application; compiling, analyzing, and evaluating information gathered in the case planning process; assisting with general case related inquiries; etc. 
• Provides officers with verifiable and supportable documentation to assist in case related activities, including completion of probation and pretrial reports. May investigate employment/sources of income, lifestyle and associates to help verify, assess risk, and compliance factors.  May assist officers with preparation for Court hearings and testify as needed. 
• Assist probation officers in the maintenance of various programs related to: community service work, substance abuse, evidence-based practices, location monitoring, monetary fee oversight, and various other district projects or initiatives. Assist with district research projects to include data collection and organization.
• May supervise lower risk clients and coordinate office visits in addition to field-based home and collateral contacts.     With supervisory oversight, assists in the application of effective supervision strategies to evoke client change while focusing on supervisee condition compliance to best serve and protect the community. 
• Participate in the officer safety program as required.
• Participate in ongoing training and development with the goal of obtaining/maintaining advanced techniques related to the knowledge, skills, and abilities most effective to assigned tasks. 
• Performs related duties and all other duties as assigned.

Factor 1 – Required Competencies (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

Probation, Pretrial Services and Law Enforcement 

• Knowledge of probation and parole processes and procedures, court processes, and legal terminology.  Knowledge of the criminal justice system including the interrelationships between the federal courts, federal probation, and various law enforcement agencies.
• General knowledge of available community resources.  Knowledge of automated/internet resources and systems available for conducting background checks, criminal histories, and other similar activities.  Basic knowledge of techniques used in supervising offenders and basic knowledge of sentencing guidelines.
• Basic skill in assisting probation officers with supervision of offenders in selected low risk cases, risk assessment, and developing appropriate alternatives and sanctions to non-compliant behavior.     Ability to organize, prioritize, compile and summarize work within established time frames.  Ability to follow safety procedures.
• Ability to work under pressure of short deadlines and follow detailed instructions accurately.

Judgment and Ethics 

• Knowledge of and compliance with the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees and court confidentiality requirements. Ability to consistently demonstrate sound ethics and judgment. 

Written and Oral Communication/Interaction 

• Ability to interact and communicate effectively (orally and in writing) with people of diverse backgrounds, including law enforcement and collateral agency personnel at different governmental levels, community service providers, and offenders/defendants. Ability to interview and gather needed information.  Written communication for presentation to judicial officers is reviewed by a skilled probation officer.

Information Technology and Automation 

• Skill in the use of automated equipment including word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications, and various other types of software. Ability to use computer software and database systems to perform record checks, record urinalysis results, compile criminal history information, and similar activities. 

Factor 2 – Primary Job Focus and Scope

The primary focus of the job is to support probation officers in the performance of their duties by providing guided assistance with select investigations, supervising a low-risk caseload, and assisting offenders in a limited capacity.  Incumbents perform routine, less complicated tasks which assist in efficient case management and permits probation officers to concentrate their time on higher level tasks. 

Factor 3 – Complexity and Decision Making

Under guidance from a probation officer, incumbents make decisions regarding the priorities associated with caseload investigations and supervision. In consultation with an officer, officer assistants work directly with offenders and exercise some discretion in determining the best courses of action.   

Factor 4A – Interactions with Judiciary Contacts

The primary judiciary contacts are other probation staff, staff of other court units, and the incumbent’s supervisor for the purpose of consultation, conducting investigations, and maintaining accurate and current case file information. 

Factor 4B – Interactions with External Contacts

The primary external contacts are offenders and their families, other necessary collateral resources, employers, counselors, and other individuals for the purpose of assisting probation officers in the supervision and investigation of offenders.

Factor 5 – Work Environment and Physical Demands 

Work is generally performed in an office setting and may also be performed in the community.  Work requires contact with persons who may have violent backgrounds.  These contacts may be made in both generally controlled office settings, as well as in field situations (such as uncontrolled and unsafe neighborhoods, or environments where illegal activities and violence may occur).  Incumbents may be accompanied by a probation officer while conducting duties in the field.   

*Occupational Group:

Operational Court Support Positions = O

Administrative Court Support Positions = A

Professional Administrative Positions = PA

Professional Line Positions = PL