Probation Officer/Probation Officer - Bilingual (Criminal)

About the Department

When you come to work for New Jersey Judiciary you will join an 8500-member strong TEAM that operates with the highest standards of independence, integrity, fairness and quality service. You will be engaged with work that has purpose, meaning and makes a difference in lives of the public we serve. We work hard every day to build the public’s trust and confidence in our court system, which includes issues such as bail reform, marijuana decriminalization and recovery court. Whether it be in a courtroom, an administrative office, a courthouse training room, an IT office or in the field, our Judiciary workforce is improving the lives of countless individuals and families every day. We honor the dignity and individualism of each member of our organization while fostering professionalism and continuous improvement in our work.           

The Judiciary offers a strong opportunity for growth.

                                      
 The Middlesex Vicinage Criminal Division is currently seeking organized and detail-oriented candidates with excellent interpersonal, customer service, problem-solving, reasoning, written communication and technical competence skills. The successful candidate(s) will interview clients in the office, county jails, holding cells and/or via video or telephone to determine indigency eligibility for public defender representation and/or to prepare detailed and comprehensive Pre-Sentence Investigation and/or Pre-Trial Intervention reports, to include researching criminal history records and contacting other agencies to provide a complete prior court history and other pertinent information; regularly communicate with judges, managers and court staff to provide case status and case issues; screen cases for Recovery Court eligibility in accordance with existing laws and regulations; and/or provide master level support tasks in connection with court proceedings, including but not limited to, coordinating judges' daily/monthly calendars including scheduling dates and times for court proceedings in compliance with operating standards; coordinating attorney availability and readiness for court proceedings, including approval of requests for adjournments; moderate virtual court hearings and attorney conferences using new and existing technology; analyze case processing issues and make recommendations to rectify; review and analyze backlog reports with Judge/Division Manager and take appropriate action to reduce backlog; confer with judges regarding policies and assist in implementing courtroom procedures that will improve case processing and workflow; act as lead worker to team members or other group of non-subordinates in assigned tasks and provide training or cross-training to co-workers; develop and/or implement operating procedures or systems; inform managers about unresolved issues or team conflicts; perform related duties as assigned.

REMOTE WORK: The Judiciary currently offers a hybrid work schedule, and this position may qualify for up to 2 days of remote work outside of Judiciary buildings. To participate in this program, in addition to installing a multifactor authentication app on your phone or tablet, you will be required to have high speed home internet access.

Position Duties

*Report Writing and Case Analysis
 *Client Interviews
 *Scheduling, Coordination and Moderation of Court Proceedings (in-court and/or virtually)
 *Customer Service

Regular and predictable physical presence at the worksite is an essential function of this position.

Minimum Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in any area, which includes or is supplemented by 24 credit hours in the behavioral or social sciences.

• Applicants who are approaching their anticipated graduation date may apply.  If selected, the applicant must complete their degree no later than their start date. 
• Applicants are required to submit a photocopy of their transcript at the time of application.  If selected, an official college or university transcript is required prior to start date.  

• Open to Judiciary employees who have an aggregate of one year of permanent service in the career (classified) service title(s) of Investigator or Investigator Bilingual and possess a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university in any area, which includes or is supplemented by 24 credit hours in the behavioral or social sciences
• Applicants who are approaching their anticipated graduation date may apply. If selected, the applicant must complete their degree no later than their start date
• Applicants are required to submit a photocopy of their transcript at the time of application. If selected, an official college or university transcript is required prior to start date.

• Open to Judiciary employees who are currently in the title of Probation Officer or Probation Officer-Bilingual and who have one year of permanent service as of the announced closing date.

Education Note: Degrees conferred outside of the United States must be evaluated by a recognized evaluation service. (See https://naces.org/members/)

Note: Key entry-level professional positions will be filled as they become available in the Criminal, Family and Probation Divisions. Selected candidates may be assigned to any of these divisions.

Veterans Status: Are you a veteran?  If so, please indicate this information in your cover letter and/or resume.  For information on Veteran's Preference, please visit the NJ Department of Military and Veteran's Affairs website at http://www.state.nj.us/military/veterans/preference

Other Qualifications

Physical Ability: For some positions, applicants must have the ability to perform work which requires climbing and prolonged standing, stretching, bending and reaching to perform the essential duties of the position.  For some positions, the selected candidate must be able to frequently lift and carry supplies weighing from 30 to 50 pounds and, occasionally, materials weighing up to 75 pounds, in order to perform essential duties of the position.

Driver's License:  Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle is necessary to perform essential duties of the position.

Authorization to Work:  US citizenship is not required.  Selected candidate must be authorized to work in the US according to Department of Homeland Security, US Citizenship and Immigration Services regulations.

Special Note:  Newly hired employees must agree to a thorough background check that will include fingerprinting. All data received will be kept in strict confidence except to inform the individual of the findings and what action will be taken as a result of this information.

Residency Law:  In accordance with N.J.S.A. 52:14-7 (L. 2011, Chapter 70), the "New Jersey First Act," all persons newly hired by the Judiciary within one year must establish, and then maintain, principal residence in the State of New Jersey. Any person may request an exemption from that requirement from the Employee Residency Review Committee in the Department of Labor & Workforce Development on the basis of either hardship or employer critical need.
 
HOW TO APPLY:

The NJ Judiciary requires all applicants to complete the application process fully and as instructed.  All applicants must complete the work experience and education sections and attach any required documents. Applications must describe all relevant work experience in detail, beginning with your current or most recent job, including military service (indicate rank), internships and job-related volunteer work, if applicable.  Use a separate section to describe each position. Applicants who indicate "see resume" or enter their initials to acknowledge that they have skipped the Work History and Education sections will not be considered, unless they do not possess any education history or work experience. Only applicants that follow the application instructions and submit completed applications will be considered.

The New Jersey Judiciary consists of:  the Supreme Court, the Superior Court including the Appellate Division and the Trial Court of the 15 vicinages in New Jersey, the Tax Court and the Municipal Court System.  The Administrative Office of the Courts provides technical assistance, operational support, training, research and development, budget and personnel coordination, and development and operation of information systems for the Courts of New Jersey.