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Job Details for Chief U.S. Probation Officer

Court Name/Organization Georgia Northern Probation and Pretrial Services
Overview of the Position The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia seeks a qualified applicant to fill the position of chief probation officer. The chief probation officer is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the Court and administers and manages federal probation and pretrial services within the Northern District of Georgia. This is a combined probation and pretrial services office. The Northern District of Georgia covers 46 counties. Probation has its main office in Atlanta; divisional offices in Gainesville, Rome, and Newnan; and a satellite office in Tucker. This position is duty stationed in the Atlanta office. The chief probation officer is under the administrative direction of the chief judge of the Court and is directly responsible for the administration of the probation office.
Location Atlanta, GA
Opening and Closing Dates 07/10/2026 - 08/24/2026
Appointment Type Permanent
Classification Level/Grade JSP 15 - JSP 18
Salary $156,451 - $244,114
Link to Court Careers Information https://www.ganp.uscourts.gov/career-opportunities
Announcement Number 26-30
Link to Job Announcement

Position Description

Representative Duties

  • Manages the probation and pretrial services office to ensure expeditious handling of investigative work for the court and effective supervision of probationers and pretrial defendants.
  • Reviews, analyzes, and interprets statutory and Judicial Conference requirements for the administration of probation and pretrial services; develops and enforces policies, procedures, and guidelines necessary to meet these requirements.
  • Promulgates policies, procedures, and guidelines to meet the unique needs of the court, along with standards to ensure an appropriate level of service delivery.
  • Selects and recommends candidates for appointment as probation officers and appoints all non-officer personnel; provides specific recommendations to the court in personnel matters including promotions, salary increases, disciplinary actions, and dismissals.
  • Ensures that all personnel are carefully selected and adequately trained and that their work is systematically evaluated.
  • Manages staff including clerical, professional, supervisory, and administrative personnel.
  • Manages and oversees the budget; projects personnel, space allocation, and operating needs; approves requisitions; certifies vouchers for payment; and maintains appropriate fiscal controls in all matters including travel expense reimbursement and purchases of services, equipment, and supplies.
  • Establishes and administers continuing in-service training programs to ensure high-quality service delivery through consistent staff development. 
  • Maintains a system of communication to ensure probation staff members at all levels are aware of pertinent information.
  • Provides qualitative and quantitative measures of work performance and ensures accountability with minimal interference to service delivery.
  • Maintains open communication with the chief judge, other judges, and the clerk of court; makes specific recommendations regarding court-related criminal justice issues with particular emphasis on sound sentencing practices.
  • Establishes and maintains cooperative relationships with other probation and pretrial services offices to ensure all requests for assistance from other districts are met promptly and effectively.
  • Establishes and maintains cooperative relationships with all components of the criminal justice system to include federal, state, and local law enforcement, correctional, and social service agencies.
  • Promotes and maintains conditions that encourage staff loyalty, enthusiasm, and morale.
  • Develops and maintains a public relations program that explains probation, pretrial, and other correctional services to the community; assumes responsibility for communication to the news media.
  • Monitors community events and issues with special attention on alleviating hazardous office and field incidents.
  • Administers a program of pretrial services within the district.
  • Occasionally performs the duties of probation officers or supervising probation officers.
  • Performs related duties as required by the court.

Qualifications

To qualify for the position, an applicant must possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. For positions up to and including JSP 16, applicants must possess three years of progressively responsible specialized experience earned after the bachelor's degree was conferred. Specialized experience includes progressively responsible experience in the investigation, supervision, counseling, and guidance of offenders in community corrections or pretrial services programs.

For positions above JSP-16, applicants must possess three years of progressively responsible specialized experience and three years of substantial management experience earned after the bachelor's degree was conferred. Substantial management experience is high-level administrative experience that provided a thorough understanding of the organizational, procedural, and human aspects of managing an organization, including financial management, space and facilities management, oversight of information technology and human resources functions, and long and short-range planning. Possible titles indicative of this experience outside the judiciary include president or vice president in charge of several departments or offices, director or assistant director in charge of several departments or offices, and head manager or owner-operator of a medium to large company. Possible titles within the judiciary include deputy chief probation officer, deputy chief pretrial services officer, assistant deputy chief probation officer, assistant deputy chief pretrial services officer, and other court unit executive or Type II second-in-command positions. Experience as a police officer, FBI agent, customs agent, U.S. marshal, or a similar law enforcement position does not satisfy the specialized experience requirement, except for qualifying criminal investigation experience.

Specialized Experience

There is no “maximum entry age” for this position. However, to be included under federal law enforcement officer retirement provisions, an individual would have to meet “maximum entry age” provisions as follows: First-time appointees to positions covered under law enforcement officer retirement provisions must not have reached their 37th birthday at the time of appointment. Applicants 37 or older with previous federal hazardous duty experience under the Civil Service Retirement System or the Federal Employees’ Retirement System may be eligible for appointment.

Prior to first-time appointment under the federal law enforcement retirement provision, the selectee for this position will undergo a medical examination. Specific details of these requirements under law enforcement officer retirement provisions are available on the U.S. Courts web site: Law Enforcement Officer Provisions. Upon successful completion of the medical examination and drug screening, the selectee may be appointed provisionally, pending a favorable background investigation and suitability determination by the court.

Employee Benefits

  • Accrual of paid vacation and sick leave days based on length of service
  • Eleven paid holidays during the year
  • Pre-tax benefit programs (health, dental, and vision insurance; flexible spending accounts; parking reimbursement)
  • Available group life insurance
  • Telework (for qualified employees)
  • Public transportation subsidy
  • Participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS)
  • Thrift Savings Plan (with employer matching a percentage of employee’s contribution)

Miscellaneous

Employees of the U.S. District Court are appointed in the excepted service, are considered “at-will” employees, and serve at the pleasure of the Court. Employees are required to adhere to a Code of Conduct, copies of which are available upon request. The successful candidate will be required to submit to a background investigation that includes drug screening, fingerprinting, a credit check, and a full field background investigation by the Office of Personnel Management. Due to the sensitivity level of this position, candidates may be asked about their criminal history prior to receiving a tentative offer of employment. Candidates completing the AO-78 must complete questions 18-20 regarding their criminal history. Criminal history is not in itself disqualifying. All available information, past and present, favorable and unfavorable, about the reliability and trustworthiness of an individual will be considered when making an employment suitability determination. Providing false and/or misleading information may be grounds for removal from the application and selection process as well as disciplinary action if discovered after an individual’s date of hire. As a condition of continued employment, the incumbent also will be subject to an updated background investigation every five years.

Application Info

To apply for this position, qualified applicants should submit:

  1. Federal Judicial Branch Application for Employment
  2. Cover letter addressing qualifications and relevant experience
  3. Chronological resume including education, employment, and salary history

Submit your completed package as a single PDF electronically to: HR_GAND@gand.uscourts.gov or via mail to:

U.S. District Court
Attn: Human Resources Manager,
Vacancy #26-30
75 Ted Turner Drive, SW
Room 2013
Atlanta, GA 30303-3338

All applicants will be screened, and only the best qualified candidates will be invited for an interview. Interview and relocation expenses are not reimbursable.

The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.