Career Opportunity

Supervising Probation Officer, Juvenile Probation (8532/8414)

Recruitment: REF43228L

Published: August 30, 2024

Apply using SmartRecruiters, the City and County of San Francisco's application portal Learn More

About:

THIS IS A CITYWIDE EXAM

San Francisco is a vibrant and dynamic city, on the forefront of economic growth & innovation, urban development, arts & entertainment, as well as social issues & change. This rich tapestry of culture and ideas is sustained by our City's commitment to heighten the quality of life for the diverse population of San Franciscans and residents of the greater Bay Area. Our employees play an important role not only in making our City what it is today, but also in shaping the future of San Francisco.

• Applications Open: August 19, 2024
• Applications Close: No earlier than September 9, 2024 at 11:59pm
• Salary range for 8414/8532 position: $128,232 to $155,870
• Recruitment ID: CBT-8532-149435

Are you passionate about Juvenile Justice, Public Safety, and the Community we serve? Are you a dedicated professional who wants to maximize their impact in the lives of some of San Francisco’s most marginalized youth? If so, we encourage you to take advantage of this unique opportunity to join a team that is devoted to re-imagining Juvenile Justice, committed to racial equity, and focused on ensuring long-term public safety through the development, enrichment, and accountability of young people we serve throughout San Francisco. Click here to read more about the San Francisco Juvenile Probation Department (JPD). 

The San Francisco Juvenile Probation Department’s mission is to serve the needs of youth and families who are brought to our attention with care and compassion.  We engage fiscally sound and culturally competent strategies that promote the best interests of the youth, and provide victims with opportunities for restoration.

Our equity-centered goals are to:

• Reimagine how the City addresses juvenile crime, from referral through reentry, in collaboration with the community and our system partners, emphasizing research and evidence-based practices, and sustainably addressing pervasive racial disparities throughout the system. 
• Advance a Whole Family Engagement strategy that places racial equity at its center to ensure that all youth have equal access to successful outcomes, and that advances youth-and family-centered case plans and goal development, with the supports and resources necessary to help justice-involved youth thrive. 
• Bolster equitable leadership development opportunities for BIPOC staff; implement change that meaningfully improves the workplace experience of BIPOC staff; enact our organizational belief of redemption and helping people to succeed.

Role description

Under general direction, performs difficult and responsible professional work in the areas of planning, organizing and directing the activities of a probation unit within the Juvenile Probation Department, and performs related duties as required.

Essential functions include, but are not limited to: 

1. Supervises probation officers, clerical staff and volunteers in a unit(s) by directing planning, organizing and reviewing and editing their work; observing job performance; resolving conflicts and performing other necessary duties in order to ensure that staff's work quality and quantity are maintained at a high level. This includes evaluating the performance and progress of staff through observation and reviewing their work in order to maintain an awareness of staff's abilities, and plan more efficiently for the unit's operating and staffing needs; assigning cases and tasks to staff in a manner that is consistent in fairness and equity in order to encourage and maintain good employee morale and work quality; auditing caseloads of probation officers; and overseeing and managing work schedules, leaves, and other attendance related issues to ensure the appropriate staffing to meet operational needs. 

2. Trains and develops staff by using clear and relevant teaching Techniques; providing guidelines and assistance regarding laws, policies and procedures as related to agency operations; and explaining proper casework techniques, investigative report writing, and oral presentation techniques.

3. Meets with groups and individuals such as community-based agencies and other city departments by giving and receiving information regarding departmental policies, procedures organization in order to develop favorable community relations.

4. Evaluates and monitors residential/non-residential programs utilized by Juvenile Probation Department for appropriate placement of clients.

5. Makes oral reports on functional operations of unit(s) to boards, commission, courts and other agencies and city departments.

6. Makes written reports on functional operations of unit(s) to boards, commission, courts and other agencies in the city department. Submits written performance evaluations to management. Prepares expense reports for authorization. Collects and maintains statistical information on clients served and services provided (e.g. number of bookings, cases filed, citations, detentions, informal dismissals, transfers, D. A.'s declines). Maintains records and evaluates and controls access to confidential records to client, staff, other jurisdictions and public. Prepares weekly time sheets for probation officers and clerical staff.

7. Supervises the scheduling and coordinating of transportation for clients (locally, nationally and internationally). This includes assigning Probation Officer to youth, reviewing documentation for travel authorization and determining the level of security required.

8. May assist the Personnel Office in conducting background investigations on new hires as prescribed by Juvenile Probation Department policies and procedures.

9. May coordinate and conduct investigations of incidents involving staff, clients and programs by researching, interviewing, counseling and carrying out formal investigations.

10. May assist in development of annual budget by providing related information on costs and resources.

11. May assist in policy development by attending administrative meetings, planning organizational change and acting as a liaison between staff and management so as to explain policy to staff and assist management in developing new and revised departmental policies and procedures.

12. Performs related duties and responsibilities as assigned.

How to qualify

Minimum Qualifications: 

Education: Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, with major course work in the social sciences, or closely related field preferred; and

Experience: Four (4) years of full-time verifiable experience as a probation officer working with offenders in a criminal justice system. At least two (2) years of the required four (4) years must include experience working with juvenile offenders.

Substitution: Two (2) years of full-time experience as a parole officer working with offenders in a criminal justice system may substitute for two (2) years of the required probation officer experience.

License and Certification: Requires possession of a valid California Class C driver's license at the time of appointment.(California driver license must be maintained current during employment).

Desirable Qualifications: 

In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications listed above, the ideal candidate will have demonstrated a successful track record of having the following knowledge and abilities. 

Knowledge of: 

• Principles, trends, techniques in the delivery of juvenile probation services; evidence-based practices
• Interview techniques
• Employee supervision and Appraisal Techniques
• Basic math plus fractions, decimals, and percentages
• Relevant laws, codes and legal documents, including Welfare and Institution Code, Penal Code, and State, Federal, and Local statutes
• Legal psychiatric, sociological, and medical terminology

Ability to: 

• Identify and choose appropriate solutions to problems from a variety of alternatives
• Work tactfully and persuasively, and establish a rapport with families, community groups, court representatives, attorneys, supervised staff, department administrators and others
• Communicate clearly with a variety of people of various educational and socio-cultural backgrounds
• Demonstrate effective public speaking skills, including planning and preparation of material and effective presentations
• effectively applying interviewing and listening skills
• Read, interpret, and apply complex legal and behavioral science information related to the criminal justice process 
• Access and implement training and learning theory techniques
• Deal effectively with subordinates and superiors in a fair manner
• Motivate subordinates
• Coordinate work with others
• Implement new policies and procedures
• set goals and objectives and establish priorities
• Be flexible and tolerant in adjusting to changes in workload and assignments
• Effectively set and meet deadlines
• Demonstrate self-restraint, judgement and strategy in dealing with a variety of people, adversaries and advocates under varying situations, conditions, and circumstances
• Define problems, collect information, establish facts, evaluate alternative solutions, draw valid conclusions and select and act on the best alternative
• Use community resources to meet the needs of clients
• Write clearly, accurately, and concisely and use grammatically correct English to convey ideas in written reports, letters, and memoranda
• Edit reports written by subordinates to ensure clear, accurate,, and concise product and oral presentations
• Provide consultation, regarding family system analysis and interpersonal relations
• Decision making, coach staff and model leadership behavior
• Effectively utilize self-defense techniques

Verification:

Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at https://sfdhr.org/how-verify-education-requirements

Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

All work experience, education, training and other information substantiating how you meet the minimum qualifications must be included on your application by the filing deadline. Information submitted after the filing deadline will not be considered in determining whether you meet the minimum qualifications.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application.

Applications completed improperly may be cause for ineligibility, disqualification or may lead to lower scores.

                                                                          SELECTION PROCEDURES

After application submission, candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process, which are described below.

Reminder:

• We communicate via e-mail, so please ensure that you have access to the e-mail address with which you have registered. All communications related to this recruitment will be sent to the e-mail you registered. 

Minimum Qualifications Supplemental Questionnaire (Weight: Pass/Fail)
Candidates will be sent a Minimum Qualifications Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ) via email as part of the employment application. Applicants will be required to respond to the MQSQ in the time frame indicated, and submit their answers as directed. This MQSQ is designed to obtain specific information regarding an applicant's experience in relation to the Minimum Qualifications (MQs) for this position.  The MQSQ will be used to evaluate if the applicant possesses the required minimum qualifications.

California Board of State and Community Corrections [BSCC] Exam (Weight: Pass/Fail)
Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be invited to participate in a performance examination. This on-site, computerized examination is two hours and thirty minutes and is designed to measure general cognitive abilities that are important for performing successfully as an Adult Corrections Officer, Juvenile Corrections Officer, or Probation Officer. While some exam questions may use job-related examples, no prior knowledge or training is needed to complete the exam.

         Testing Date: Test tentatively scheduled for early October if needed
** This is a standardized examination. Therefore, test questions and answers are not available for public inspection or review. **

Supplemental Questionnaire Evaluation (Weight: 100%)
Candidates who have a passing score on the BSCC exam will be invited to participate in a written examination designed to measure the knowledge, skills and abilities in job-related areas as described in this announcement. Candidates much achieve a passing score on the Supplemental Questionnaire examination to be ranked on the eligible list. 

After the eligible list is finalized/adopted, the department may administer additional selection procedures to make a final hiring decision (e.g. interviews, written exercise, etc.). Applicants meeting the Minimum Qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through all steps of the selection process.

                                                                          TIMELINE

BSCC Exam:
Early October 2024

Written Supplemental Questionnaire Evaluation:
Late October 2024

Eligibility List Established & Departmental Interviews:
Winter 2024

What else should I know?

• This is a Classification-Based Test conducted in accordance with Civil Service Rule 111A.
• POST Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training
• Information on the Hiring Process

Eligible List/Score Report: 

A confidential eligible list of applicant names that have passed the civil service examination process will be created and used for certification purposes only. An examination score report will be established, so applicants can view the ranks, final scores and number of eligible candidates. Applicant information, including names of applicants on the eligible list, shall not be made public unless required by law. However, an eligible list shall be made available for public inspection, upon request, once the eligible list is exhausted or expired and referrals resolved. The eligible list/score report resulting from this civil service examination process is subject to change after adoption (e.g., as a result of appeals), as directed by the Human Resources Director or the Civil Service Commission.

The duration of the eligible list resulting from this examination process will be of six (6) months and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director. 

Certification:
The certification rule for the eligible list resulting from this examination will be Rule of Seven Scores.

Applicants must be guided solely by the provisions of this announcement, including requirements, time periods and other particulars, except when superseded by federal, state or local laws, rules or regulations. [Note: The correction of clerical errors in an announcement may be posted on the Department of Human Resources website at https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/CityAndCountyOfSanFrancisco1/ .] The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 110.4. Such appeals must be submitted in writing to the Department of Human Resources, 1 S Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103-5413 by close of business on the 5th business day following the issuance date of this examination announcement. Information concerning other Civil Service Commission Rules involving announcements, applications and examination policies, including applicant appeal rights, can be found on the Civil Service Commission website at http://sfgov.org/civilservice/rules.

Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:

• Information About the Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Veterans Preference
• Seniority Credit in Promotional Exams
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

How to Apply:

Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process. Visit https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/CityAndCountyOfSanFrancisco1/ and begin the application process.

• Select the “I’m Interested” button and follow the instructions on the screen

Applicants will receive a confirmation email that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

For questions, please contact Principal HR Analyst Joanna Luong at Joanna.Luong@sfgov.org or at 415-753-7523.                                                           

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.