Job Details for Assistant Deputy Chief U.S. Probation Officer
| Court Name/Organization | Puerto Rico Probation and Pretrial Services |
| Overview of the Position | The U.S. Probation Office for the District of Puerto Rico is seeking applications for the position of Assistant Deputy Chief U.S. Probation Officer. We are seeking highly capable, exceptionally organized professionals who possess outstanding interpersonal and technical skills, along with a strong commitment to ethical excellence. This is a Senior Management position, reporting directly to the Deputy Chief U.S. Probation Officer and Chief U.S. Probation Officer, and the candidate is responsible for providing leadership to formulate, supervise, and implement initiatives to achieve the goals and objectives defined for the court unit. This position will manage supervisors and staff and is responsible for divisional operations as assigned by the Chief U.S. Probation Officer. This role is primarily performed in the office setting with limited telework. |
| Location | San Juan, PR |
| Opening and Closing Dates | 01/20/2026 - 02/06/2026 |
| Appointment Type | Permanent |
| Salary | Not specified |
| Announcement Number | 2026-03 |
Position Description
The Assistant Deputy Chief U.S. Probation Officer job responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Oversee and manage activities within the probation/pretrial services office.
- Oversee the Court Services or Community Supervision Divisions, which include managing presentence report, bail investigation/supervision, low intensity supervision, post-conviction supervision, development, and mentoring of supervisory officers and support staff, including establishing standards, evaluating performance, handling disciplinary actions, and recommending new hires, personnel actions, and terminations.
- Oversee the daily operations of the assigned division and serve as backup or alternate to the other Assistant Deputy or Deputy Chief U.S. Probation Officers if needed, including establishing priorities, and setting deadlines. Conduct staff meetings and communicate operational status and relevant information to supervisors and staff. Develop office policies pertaining to personnel management, planning, efficiency, and quality control. Manage administrative aspects of office operations, such as evaluating and approving leave requests, evaluating and approving payments or disbursement of funds, and procuring office equipment and resources. Determine office needs, including personnel needs, space requirements, fiscal needs, etc.
- Complete periodic status reports within the required time frames. Review and approve financial reports, including agency expenditures. Ensure that statutes, regulations, and guidelines pertaining to federal offenders’/defendants’ pre-sentence and pretrial matters are applied and adhered to. Ensure that supervisors understand federal and Administrative Office policies and procedures.
- Facilitate, mediate, and negotiate complex and sensitive matters with judges, managers, unit executives, and staff.
- Assist the Chief and Deputy Chief U.S. Probation Officers with making operating decisions, including allocating resources, developing policies and strategies, and initiating new programs. Meet with other judiciary senior management and executives to review budget allocations, to assess information technology, space, and facilities, and human resources needs, supervision issues, and policy developments. Travel within the District to evaluate activities for implementation of district programs and initiatives.
- Serves as liaison within the district for the Puerto Rico Department of Justice TAC, and is responsible for RCI, ATLAS, NCIC, SENTRY and state databases.
- Establish and monitor programs which implement change management and quality control techniques. Organize work processes to optimize the use of time and resources, ensuring results meet expectations. Use statistical reports to monitor the management of cases and take appropriate action. Serve as liaison between staff and the court or related agencies, as applicable.
- Communicate and respond to requests from upper management regarding divisional operations, keeping them well-informed. Ensure employees receive process, policy, and procedural systems training, including initial, updated, or remedial training. Ensure supervisory coverage through effective delegation of authority.
- Review and edit written work (including case plans, correspondence, and reports that are submitted to the court), ensuring that recommendations made by the supervisors or officers to the court adhere to local and national policy and guidelines. Develop short-term and long-range workforce plans. Ensure adequate coverage for office activities, court appearances, etc. Conduct audits and reviews of case work. Analyze management reports and trends, for efficient distribution of work. Establish schedules and deadlines for completion of work.
- Review monthly and quarterly reports to identify problems, trends, and other issues. Analyses data collected for problem resolution, which may include creating or modifying policies, procedures, and practices. Recommends discontinuation of administrative or operational procedures, if it is in the best interest of the court and agency operations.
- Communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing. Explain complex information, concepts, rules, and regulations to individuals and groups with varying experience and backgrounds, including judges, counsel, law enforcement, collateral agency personnel at different government levels, community service providers, and offenders/defendants.
- Comply with the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees and court confidentiality requirements. Demonstrate integrity, sound ethics and good judgment at all times. Handle confidential information in a careful and deliberate manner.
- Monitor the work of vendors and contractors, including negotiating terms of agreement, evaluating work, ensuring contract terms are met, and completing related activities.
- Acts as a liaison for the court with sentencing guidelines and practices, including conducting Sentencing Guidelines training to judicial and supervisory officers, staff, and representing the agency in outside official activities.
- Participates in special training projects and working groups within the judiciary, including representing the agency for official training to judges in developing sentencing guidelines, training for police officers, within the Puerto Rico Police and to other Federal Agencies of the LENS platform and the work of probation.
- May perform any or all duties of a probation or pretrial services officer, including investigating and/or supervising offenders/defendants.
- Perform any other related duties, as required/assigned by the Chief/ Deputy Chief U.S. Probation Officers.
Qualifications
- To qualify for this position, at the CL-30 level the applicant must possess three years specialized experience as a U.S. Probation Officer, including at least one year of experience equivalent to work at the CL-29 (specialist) level.
- To qualify for this position, at the CL-31 level the applicant must possess three years specialized experience as a U.S. Probation Officer, including at least one year of experience equivalent to work at the CL-30 (supervisory) level.
- Managerial Experience - Applicants must meet the above experience requirements. In addition, the applicant must possess at least three years of progressively responsible administrative, technical, professional, supervisory, or managerial experience that provided an opportunity to gain skills in developing the interpersonal work relationships needed to lead a team of employees, the ability to exercise mature judgment, a thorough knowledge of the basic concepts, principles, and theories of management, and the ability to understand the managerial policies applicable to the court unit involved.
- Must have direct management experience in developing, implementing, administering and evaluating comprehensive results-oriented evidence-based programs, practices and policies.
- Fluency in English and Spanish languages (written, oral and translation) and must have the ability to communicate orally and in writing, clearly and concisely, with a variety of persons such as Judicial officers, Attorneys and Offenders.
- Must have knowledge in the use of Windows, MS-WORD, Excel, or any other MS Windows-based software approved for office use, and computer literacy.
- Possess excellent organizational skills.
- Possess ability to work under pressure, deadlines, due dates, etc.
- Must possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is required. Academic specialization in a field of study such as criminal justice, psychology, social work, human relations, business or public administration, or related field is preferred.
Employee Benefits
- CL-30: $100,604 - $163,535
- CL-31: $118,334 - $192,362
Miscellaneous
The Assistant Deputy Chief U.S. Probation Officer job responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Oversee and manage activities within the probation/pretrial services office.
- Oversee the Court Services or Community Supervision Divisions, which include managing presentence report, bail investigation/supervision, low intensity supervision, post-conviction supervision, development, and mentoring of supervisory officers and support staff, including establishing standards, evaluating performance, handling disciplinary actions, and recommending new hires, personnel actions, and terminations.
- Oversee the daily operations of the assigned division and serve as backup or alternate to the other Assistant Deputy or Deputy Chief U.S. Probation Officers if needed, including establishing priorities, and setting deadlines. Conduct staff meetings and communicate operational status and relevant information to supervisors and staff. Develop office policies pertaining to personnel management, planning, efficiency, and quality control. Manage administrative aspects of office operations, such as evaluating and approving leave requests, evaluating and approving payments or disbursement of funds, and procuring office equipment and resources. Determine office needs, including personnel needs, space requirements, fiscal needs, etc.
- Complete periodic status reports within the required time frames. Review and approve financial reports, including agency expenditures. Ensure that statutes, regulations, and guidelines pertaining to federal offenders’/defendants’ pre-sentence and pretrial matters are applied and adhered to. Ensure that supervisors understand federal and Administrative Office policies and procedures.
- Facilitate, mediate, and negotiate complex and sensitive matters with judges, managers, unit executives, and staff.
- Assist the Chief and Deputy Chief U.S. Probation Officers with making operating decisions, including allocating resources, developing policies and strategies, and initiating new programs. Meet with other judiciary senior management and executives to review budget allocations, to assess information technology, space, and facilities, and human resources needs, supervision issues, and policy developments. Travel within the District to evaluate activities for implementation of district programs and initiatives.
- Serves as liaison within the district for the Puerto Rico Department of Justice TAC, and is responsible for RCI, ATLAS, NCIC, SENTRY and state databases.
- Establish and monitor programs which implement change management and quality control techniques. Organize work processes to optimize the use of time and resources, ensuring results meet expectations. Use statistical reports to monitor the management of cases and take appropriate action. Serve as liaison between staff and the court or related agencies, as applicable.
- Communicate and respond to requests from upper management regarding divisional operations, keeping them well-informed. Ensure employees receive process, policy, and procedural systems training, including initial, updated, or remedial training. Ensure supervisory coverage through effective delegation of authority.
- Review and edit written work (including case plans, correspondence, and reports that are submitted to the court), ensuring that recommendations made by the supervisors or officers to the court adhere to local and national policy and guidelines. Develop short-term and long-range workforce plans. Ensure adequate coverage for office activities, court appearances, etc. Conduct audits and reviews of case work. Analyze management reports and trends, for efficient distribution of work. Establish schedules and deadlines for completion of work.
- Review monthly and quarterly reports to identify problems, trends, and other issues. Analyses data collected for problem resolution, which may include creating or modifying policies, procedures, and practices. Recommends discontinuation of administrative or operational procedures, if it is in the best interest of the court and agency operations.
- Communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing. Explain complex information, concepts, rules, and regulations to individuals and groups with varying experience and backgrounds, including judges, counsel, law enforcement, collateral agency personnel at different government levels, community service providers, and offenders/defendants.
- Comply with the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees and court confidentiality requirements. Demonstrate integrity, sound ethics and good judgment at all times. Handle confidential information in a careful and deliberate manner.
- Monitor the work of vendors and contractors, including negotiating terms of agreement, evaluating work, ensuring contract terms are met, and completing related activities.
- Acts as a liaison for the court with sentencing guidelines and practices, including conducting Sentencing Guidelines training to judicial and supervisory officers, staff, and representing the agency in outside official activities.
- Participates in special training projects and working groups within the judiciary, including representing the agency for official training to judges in developing sentencing guidelines, training for police officers, within the Puerto Rico Police and to other Federal Agencies of the LENS platform and the work of probation.
- May perform any or all duties of a probation or pretrial services officer, including investigating and/or supervising offenders/defendants.
- Perform any other related duties, as required/assigned by the Chief/ Deputy Chief U.S. Probation Officers.
Application Info
Qualified candidates who wish to apply must submit the following:
- A Cover letter outlining your professional qualifications, skills, experience, and your resume
- Application for Judicial Branch Employment (AO 78)
- A written response/essay that addresses the following:
- Describe your managerial experience, leadership philosophy, and provide specific examples illustrating your communication style and preferences.
- Explain your approach and application to establishing expectations and accountability to achieve the organizational objectives.
- Describe how you would allocate resources and provide oversight for our district to achieve the office objectives?
- Explain what recruitment strategies and selection practices you can provide in this role?
Submit the application packet in one PDF attachment via email addressed to: prphr@prp.uscourts.gov. If an applicant fails to provide the required documents, the application will become incomplete and may not be considered.
The U.S. Probation Office reserves the right to cancel, withdraw and/or modify this position announcement as needed or to not fill the position listed in this announcement. Applications submitted for this position may be considered for similar positions that may occur within 90 days from the date the position is filled. As approved by our Chief USPO, under no circumstances will recommendation letters be accepted as part of your application packet. If further references/recommendations are needed, they will be formally requested by the selection committee. Phone calls will not be accepted.
The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.