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Job Details for Supervisory U.S. Probation Officer

Court Name/Organization Illinois Central Probation and Pretrial Services
Overview of the Position The U.S. Probation Office for the Central District of Illinois is accepting applications from current U.S. Probation Officers for the position of Supervisory U.S. Probation Officer. We are seeking a highly organized Supervisory U.S. Probation Officer for the Springfield divisional office. This skilled professional will lead, motivate, direct, and manage the administration and operations of the office. This position reports to the Deputy Chief U.S. Probation Officer.
Location Springfield, IL
Opening and Closing Dates 07/24/2026 - 08/25/2026
Appointment Type Permanent
Classification Level/Grade CL 29 - 30
Salary $85,141 - $163,535
Link to Court Careers Information http://www.ilcp.uscourts.gov/career-opportunities
Announcement Number 2026-09
Link to Job Announcement

Position Description

  • Supervise professional law enforcement staff in performance of their duties, including establishing standards, evaluating performance, handling minor infractions, and recommending disciplinary actions. Confer regularly with staff to provide direction and assistance in case situations. Receive, prioritize, and assign work, ensuring that work is assigned fairly and equitably. Monitor time and attendance and evaluate and approve leave requests. Provide training and orientation for new staff members. Serve as a resource for officers to assist with performing work successfully and efficiently. Develop and implement training programs for officers. Make recommendations regarding new hires, personnel actions, and terminations.
  • Review and edit written work, case plans, correspondence, and various other reports submitted to the court. Ensure that recommendations made by officers to the court adhere to local and national policy and guidelines. Ensure adequate coverage for office activities, court appearances, etc. Conduct audits and reviews of case work. Establish schedules and deadlines for completion of work.
  • Communicate and respond to senior management requests regarding case operations. Answer procedural questions for judges, staff, and the public. Provide customer service and resolve difficulties while complying with regulations, rules, and procedures. Abide by the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees and court confidentiality requirements. Demonstrate sound ethics and good judgment at all times. Handle confidential and sensitive information appropriately.
  • Perform any or all duties of a probation or pretrial services officer, including investigating and/or supervising offenders/defendants.
  • Support the District mission and vision and effectively serve as a member of the chain of command.

Qualifications

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) knowledge of the basic concepts, principles, and theories of management and the ability to understand the managerial policies applicable to the U.S. Probation Office and U.S. District Court. One-year experience as a U.S. Probation Officer at CL 28. The official duty station for this position is Springfield, Illinois, and the applicant must be willing to reside within a reasonable commuting distance. Applicant must be a United States citizen or eligible to work in the United States.

Preferred Qualifications: 

Three years’ experience as a U.S. Probation Officer at full performance level CL 28.

Acceptable performance rating for the past three years.

Miscellaneous

Only qualified applicants will be considered for this position. Travel expenses to attend the interview will not be reimbursed. All information provided by the applicant is subject to verification. Due to the volume of applications, the court will only communicate with those individuals invited for an interview. The U.S. Probation Office reserves the right to amend or withdraw this Announcement with or without notice to applicants and more than one vacancy may be filled from this announcement.

Application Info

Qualified applicants should send:

  1. A cover letter
  2. Resume
  3. AO78 form, Application for Judicial Branch Federal Employment
  4. Written response (see topics below)

The Probation Office faces unique challenges. Choose one of the following topics and discuss how you would address it as a supervisor. Make sure you describe the issue, how it affects officers, and how a manager can help officers overcome it:

  1. Secondary trauma.
  2. Burnout from overwhelming deadlines.
  3. Helping officers stay abreast of legal and guideline changes.
  4. How would you help the district continue to move toward Evidence Based Practices and motivate officers to learn new skills?

Mail the application packet to the address below or send by email your application material in one pdf attachment to keely_sprague@ilcd.uscourts.gov.

U.S. Probation Office
Attn: Human Resources, Vacancy 2026- 09
210 U.S. Courthouse
600 E. Monroe Street
Springfield, IL 62701

 

 

The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.