Job Details for Investigator - Trial Unit (Spanish-Speaking)
| Court Name/Organization | Arizona Federal Public Defender |
| Overview of the Position | The Federal Public Defender for the District of Arizona is accepting applications for the position of a full-time investigator to be stationed in Tucson. The Federal Public Defender operates under authority of Title 18, United States Code, Section 3006A(g)(2)(A), to provide federal criminal defense services by court appointment to individuals unable to afford counsel. |
| Location | Tucson, AZ |
| Opening and Closing Dates | 02/11/2026 - 03/06/2026 |
| Appointment Type | Permanent |
| Classification Level/Grade | JSP 11 - JSP 13 |
| Salary | $76,095 - $108,455 |
| Announcement Number | 26-06 |
| Link to Job Announcement | |
Position Description
The duties of an investigator include case preparation, obtaining and reviewing law enforcement records, interviewing clients and witnesses, and meeting with experts. Other duties include social history investigations, locating and interviewing potential penalty phase witnesses, identifying factors in a client’s background that require expert evaluations, consulting with attorneys to develop guilt and penalty phase theories of the case and case strategy, and working with clients and a client’s family while the case is pending.
Qualifications
To qualify a person must be a high school graduate or equivalent and have at least three years of general experience and three years of specialized experience; some higher education may be substituted for specialized experience. Bachelor’s degree preferred. The applicant should possess the ability to write clearly and present complex and interrelated concepts and ideas. U.S Citizenship and heavy and extended travel in and out of Arizona is required. Spanish language fluency is required. Applicants selected for interview will be tested for Spanish fluency. Employment is subject to a satisfactory background investigation.
Employee Benefits
The starting salary for the investigator position will be fixed commensurate with the experience and qualifications of the applicant within a range from JSP 11, Step 1, to JSP 13, Step 1, and currently yielding $76,095 to $108,455 per annum. The position is in the excepted service and does not carry the tenure rights of the competitive Civil Service. The position does include regular government employee benefits including health and life insurance, retirement, telework opportunities and the Thrift Savings Plan. Salary is payable only by Electronic Funds Transfer (direct deposit). All positions are at will and are subject to the availability of funds.
Miscellaneous
The duties of an investigator include case preparation, obtaining and reviewing law enforcement records, interviewing clients and witnesses, and meeting with experts. Other duties include social history investigations, locating and interviewing potential penalty phase witnesses, identifying factors in a client’s background that require expert evaluations, consulting with attorneys to develop guilt and penalty phase theories of the case and case strategy, and working with clients and a client’s family while the case is pending.
Application Info
Qualified persons may apply by sending via e-mail a letter of interest and résumé to the Personnel Administrator, Federal Public Defender, District of Arizona, at azx_hr@fd.org (Letter of interest and references must be included). Announced Feb. 10, 2026; Closes: Open until filled with a first review of applications on March 6, 2026.
The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.