Job Details for Supervising U.S. Probation Officer
| Court Name/Organization | New York Western Probation and Pretrial Services |
| Overview of the Position | The U.S. Probation & Pretrial Services Office for the Western District of New York encompasses 17 counties and consists of two offices. There are four district court judges, five senior judges, and seven magistrate judges. The probation office is headquartered in Buffalo and has one division office in Rochester. The vacant position is available in the Buffalo office. The selected candidate will oversee the Post-Sentence Unit. Supervising Probation Officers perform supervisory work related to the full range of probation or pretrial services officer law enforcement duties. The Supervisory Probation Officer primarily directs law enforcement officers assigned to the monitoring, investigation, and supervision of offenders/defendants. The incumbent also supervises certain technical and support staff. |
| Location | Buffalo, NY |
| Opening and Closing Dates | 01/05/2026 - 01/20/2026 |
| Appointment Type | Permanent |
| Classification Level/Grade | CL 29 - CL 30 |
| Salary | $88,136 - $169,310 |
| Link to Court Careers Information | https://www.nywp.uscourts.gov/career-opportunities |
| Announcement Number | 26-02 |
| Link to Job Announcement | |
Position Description
A Supervising U.S. Probation Officer performs duties and responsibilities such as, but not limited to, the following:
- Assigns and schedules all investigative and case supervision work to officer and officer assistants in the unit.
- Reviews and evaluates all investigative and supervision work in the unit to include evaluating reports, case records, and correspondence to ensure service delivery and adherence to existing policies, procedures, and guidelines.
- Confers regularly with officers and officer assistants; provides direction and assistance toward improving investigative, supervision and writing skills. Assists officers and officer assistants in meeting the needs of offenders with complex problems and circumstances; provides leadership in the development of sentencing alternatives, utilization of community resources, and application of professionally sound case management principles.
- Determines the adjustment of offenders under supervision in consultation with the assigned officer or officer assistant; assists in decision making for recommendations for termination or modification of supervision, and release revocation.
- Assures continuing staff development by planning and implementing orientation and in-service training, holding individual staff conferences, and increasing levels of responsibility in assignments.
- Assumes responsibility for case handling of emergency situations.
- Conducts unit staff meetings to identify performance and operational problems, and to develop appropriate solutions.
- Evaluates the performance and professional development of officers and officer assistants in the unit on a systematic and regular basis.
- Responsible for staff relationships and morale within the unit, encouraging loyalty and enthusiasm; maintains a supportive atmosphere for staff utilization of management personnel and resources.
- Serves as a major communication catalyst and link between the line staff and the administration, assuring implementation of administrative direction while concurrently providing information to the Chief Probation Officer for future administrative action.
- Participates with the Chief Probation Officer and other administrative staff toward the development of programs and policies to increase the effectiveness of the office.
- Develops understanding and cooperative relationships with other law enforcement and community service agencies.
- Supervises field travel to include review and approval of all travel vouchers of officers and officer assistants within the unit.
- Maintains the Leave Tracking Program for officers and officer assistants in the unit. Manages employee leave requests and timesheet submission to ensure compliance with time and attendance policies and procedures.
Qualifications
Completion of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in a field of academic study, such as criminal justice, criminology, psychology, sociology, human relations, or business or public administration, which provides evidence of the capacity to understand and apply the legal requirements and human relations skills involved in the position. In addition to the educational requirement, applicants must have three years specialized experience, including at least one year as a probation/pretrial services officer in the U.S. Courts to qualify for placement at the CL 29 or CL 30 level. An evaluation of quality of experience may provide placement at salary levels above Step 1 up to and including Step 25 of CL 29 or CL 30 if the selectee possesses more than one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the next lower level below the position for which the applicant is being considered.
Specialized Experience
Progressively responsible administrative, technical, professional, supervisory or managerial experience that provided an opportunity to gain (a) skill in developing the interpersonal work relationships needed to lead a team of employees, (b) the ability to exercise mature judgment, and (c) a knowledge of the basic concepts, principles, and theories of management and the ability to understand the managerial policies applicable to the judiciary unit involved.
Miscellaneous
A Supervising U.S. Probation Officer performs duties and responsibilities such as, but not limited to, the following:
- Assigns and schedules all investigative and case supervision work to officer and officer assistants in the unit.
- Reviews and evaluates all investigative and supervision work in the unit to include evaluating reports, case records, and correspondence to ensure service delivery and adherence to existing policies, procedures, and guidelines.
- Confers regularly with officers and officer assistants; provides direction and assistance toward improving investigative, supervision and writing skills. Assists officers and officer assistants in meeting the needs of offenders with complex problems and circumstances; provides leadership in the development of sentencing alternatives, utilization of community resources, and application of professionally sound case management principles.
- Determines the adjustment of offenders under supervision in consultation with the assigned officer or officer assistant; assists in decision making for recommendations for termination or modification of supervision, and release revocation.
- Assures continuing staff development by planning and implementing orientation and in-service training, holding individual staff conferences, and increasing levels of responsibility in assignments.
- Assumes responsibility for case handling of emergency situations.
- Conducts unit staff meetings to identify performance and operational problems, and to develop appropriate solutions.
- Evaluates the performance and professional development of officers and officer assistants in the unit on a systematic and regular basis.
- Responsible for staff relationships and morale within the unit, encouraging loyalty and enthusiasm; maintains a supportive atmosphere for staff utilization of management personnel and resources.
- Serves as a major communication catalyst and link between the line staff and the administration, assuring implementation of administrative direction while concurrently providing information to the Chief Probation Officer for future administrative action.
- Participates with the Chief Probation Officer and other administrative staff toward the development of programs and policies to increase the effectiveness of the office.
- Develops understanding and cooperative relationships with other law enforcement and community service agencies.
- Supervises field travel to include review and approval of all travel vouchers of officers and officer assistants within the unit.
- Maintains the Leave Tracking Program for officers and officer assistants in the unit. Manages employee leave requests and timesheet submission to ensure compliance with time and attendance policies and procedures.
Application Info
Individuals interested in being considered for the position are invited to submit a written memorandum of interest accompanied by an updated resume and response to the question listed below as part of the narrative statement to Lisa M. Janca, Human Resources Administrator, by the close of business at 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 20, 2026.
- Please discuss the role of a supervisor and describe three fundamental aspects of leadership.
Job description and additional information can be located on our website.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens or eligible to work in the United States. The position is subject to mandatory Electronic Funds Transfer (direct deposit) for salary payment.
The U.S. Probation Office has the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, withdraw the announcement or fill the position at any time before the closing date, any of which may occur without prior notice.
The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.