JOB
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California is currently seeking well qualified applicants for the position of Chief U.S. Pretrial Services Officer. The Northern District of California serves 15 counties, primarily along the northern coast of California, from the Oregon border to southern Monterey County, including the San Francisco Bay Area. Its headquarters are in San Francisco, with courthouses in San Jose, Oakland, and Eureka (McKinleyville). The District consists of 14 active U.S. District Judges, 9 Senior U.S. District Judges, and 13 U.S. Magistrate Judges. The U.S. Pretrial Services Agency consists of 21 officers and 10 administrative/support staff members, including student technicians.
Applicants who are not currently residing within the Northern District of California will find it a highly desirable location to live and work. The San Francisco Bay Area enjoys a temperate climate, a wide range of services, and world-class cultural, entertainment, and recreational activities.
EXAMPLE OF DUTIES
Position Overview
The Chief Pretrial Services Officer serves as the Court Unit Executive, managing the federal pretrial services work for the entire district and is responsible for the management and oversight of all aspects of the U.S. Pretrial Services Agency. Additional duties and responsibilities of this executive management level position include:
Duties and Responsibilities:
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Organizes the pretrial services office to ensure expeditious handling of investigative work for the courts and effective supervision of persons on pretrial release.
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Reviews, analyzes, and interprets statutory, Judicial Conference, and Administrative Office requirements for the administration of pretrial services; promulgates policies, procedures, and guidelines to meet these requirements.
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Maintains administrative liaison with the court of jurisdiction to include promulgating policies, procedures, and guidelines to meet the unique needs of the court along with standards to ensure an appropriate level of service delivery.
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Selects candidates for appointments as pretrial services officers/officer assistants and hire administrative/support positions; administers all other personnel matters including promotions, salary increases, disciplinary actions, dismissals, subject to approval as appropriate; determines all personnel are adequately trained; ensures the work of all subordinates is systematically evaluated.
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Manages the staff of the office including all clerical, professional, supervisory, and administrative personnel.
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Makes estimates of personnel, space allocation, and operating allowance needs; approves requisitions, certifies vouchers for payment, and maintains appropriate fiscal controls in all matters pertaining to travel expenses and purchases of service, equipment, and supplies.
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Establishes and administers continuing in-service training programs to ensure high-quality service delivery through staff development.
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Solicits contracts for carrying out the pretrial services functions.
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Maintains an effective system of communication providing pertinent information at all levels; delegates decision-making responsibility at appropriate levels; provides qualitative and quantitative measures of work performance; and assures accountability in the performance of duty.
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Maintains liaison with the chief judge, other judges, and magistrate judges; makes specific recommendations regarding court-related criminal justice issues with particular emphasis on matters relating to sound pretrial release and detention practices.
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Establishes and maintains cooperative relationships with other pretrial services and probation offices to ensure all requests for assistance from other districts are met promptly and effectively.
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Directs the Pretrial Services Agency’s financial service functions, including management of the annual budget and oversight of purchasing, contracting, internal controls, and accounting functions in compliance with U.S. Government and Judicial Branch regulations and controls.
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Maintains national standards and interacts with the Administrative Office of the Courts (“AO”), Federal Judicial Center (“FJC”), and other districts to ensure best practices and to maintain effectiveness.
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Occasionally, performs the duties of a supervisory pretrial services officer and/or pretrial services officer.
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Availability for extensive overnight travel is required.
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Performs such other functions as required by the court.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
Application process
Applicants must submit: (1) An introductory cover letter that includes a brief summation of the applicant’s management/leadership style and experience and outline any other skills and/or training that make the applicant qualified to successfully perform the duties of the Chief U.S. Pretrial Services Officer, (2) a chronological resume, (3) a completed form application for Judicial Branch Employment, (4) a list of at least three professional references. To be considered for this position, visit our agency website at https://www.governmentjobs.com to submit the online application, along with the above-listed documents. Materials must be submitted no later than 4:00 p.m., on Thursday, July 30, 2026.
Only applicants who possess the stated minimum qualifications will be considered for this position. Incomplete materials will be disqualified. Materials will be evaluated for quality, length and relevance of experience, education, and training. Applicants ranked highest will be invited to an in-person interview. Candidates not selected for an interview will be notified of their non-selection upon the conclusion of the recruitment process.
Benefits
Employees of the Federal Judiciary serve under “Excepted Appointments.” Employment in a non-Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) classification is considered an “at-will” status and for LEO classifications a “for-cause” status. While Federal Government Civil Service classifications and/or regulations do not apply, court employees are entitled to the same benefits as other Federal Government employees, such as:
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Accrual of 13 days of paid vacation for each of the first three years of service; 20 days for each of years three through fifteen; and 26 days for each of years fifteen and higher.
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11 paid national holidays per year.
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Optional participation in the Federal Employees Health Insurance Benefits program, Federal
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Employee Group Life Insurance program, dental and vision insurance programs, and flexible spending account programs.
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Participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) that includes a retirement pension program and optional participation in the Thrift Savings Plan.
Information for Applicants
The Court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, or to withdraw the announcement without prior written or other notice.
The successful candidate for this position is subject to a ten-year background investigation. This investigation includes a full-field investigation, FBI criminal history check, IRS tax check and credit report check. All information provided by applicants is subject to verification and investigation. Applicants are advised that false statements or omission of information on any application materials may be grounds for non-selection, withdrawal of an offer of employment or dismissal after being employed. Employment will be considered provisional until the background check is successfully completed. The selected applicant will be required to submit to random drug testing which may occur at any time during employment. Employees of the Federal Judiciary are required to adhere to the code of conduct, and is subject to mandatory direct deposit of federal wages. The court is not authorized to reimburse travel expenses for interviews or relocations.
Interviewing Non-Citizens and Making Offers of Future Employment: Non-citizens may be interviewed and considered for employment, but employment offers will only be made to individuals who qualify under one of the exceptions in 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3)(B). In most cases, this means that an offer of employment cannot be made unless the candidate is a lawful permanent resident who is seeking U.S. citizenship as explained below.
Under 8 U.S.C. §1324b (a)(3)(B), a lawful permanent resident seeking citizenship may not apply for citizenship until he or she has been a permanent resident for at least five years (three years if seeking naturalization as a spouse of a citizen), at which point he or she must apply for citizenship within six months of becoming eligible, and must complete the process within two years of applying (unless there is a delay caused by the processors of the application).
Equal Focused Employer
We value diversity and are committed to equity and inclusion in our workplace. The Court encourages applications from all qualified individuals and seeks a diverse pool of applicants in terms of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, disability, religion, and socio-economic circumstance.
The court provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please notify the Human Resources Unit of the Clerk's Office at 415-522-2147.
Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
