PROBATION DIVISION DIRECTOR

Beautiful Coastal Community
Mediterranean Climate
Excellent Quality of Life Environment

PROBATION DIVISION DIRECTOR

Under general direction, plans, organizes and directs the operation of a functional division of the Probation Department; serves as a member of the management team to develop and implement policies, procedures, programs and the departmental budget; acts for the Chief Probation Officer as assigned and do other work as required. Assignments may include administrative oversight of the juvenile hall, adult probation, and/or juvenile probation services. The ideal candidate will have special subject matter knowledge (i.e., juvenile hall, juvenile and/or adult community supervision or corrections, grants, etc.); college or graduate degree in humanities, criminal justice, social sciences or a closely related field; up to date knowledge of research based justice practices, including the juvenile detention alternative initiative, core supervision strategies, evidence based practices and restorative justice; ability to interpret and analyze data; and ability to lead and participate in grant writing responsibilities.

THE COUNTY OF SANTA CRUZ

Santa Cruz County has approximately 260,000 residents and is situated in the northern area of Monterey Bay, 70 miles south of San Francisco and 35 miles southwest of the Silicon Valley.  The County’s natural beauty is apparent in its pristine beaches, lush redwood forests and rich farmland. It has an ideal Mediterranean climate with low humidity and 300 days of sunshine a year.  Its unique shops and restaurants, coupled with a multitude of cultural and recreational activities, including theatre, music, art, as well as golfing, surfing, hiking and biking offer a wealth of leisure activities. Higher education includes Cabrillo College and the University of California, Santa Cruz, with two additional State Universities less than an hour away. These elements of high quality living make Santa Cruz one of California’s most desirable areas.

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS

 Any combination of training and experience which would provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain these knowledge and abilities would be:     

Two years of experience equivalent to a Deputy Probation Officer III in the County of Santa Cruz which includes one year of supervisory responsibility. 
                                                                                      OR                     
Two years of experience equivalent to an Assistant Probation Division Director in the County of Santa Cruz and one year of probation casework.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS/CONDITIONS: License/Certificate Requirements: Possession of a valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to provide suitable transportation which is approved by the appointing authority; completion of mandated Standards and Training for Corrections. Background Investigation: Ability to pass a full background investigation and meet the provisions of Government Codes 1029, 1029.1 and 1031. Special Working Conditions: May be exposed to infections which might cause chronic disease or death; physically and/or verbally abusive client behavior. Other Special Requirements: Availability to respond to emergencies as needed on a 24-hour basis, which may include evenings, weekends and/or holidays.

Knowledge: Thorough knowledge of the principles of adult and juvenile probation and rehabilitation; operations and interrelationships of the adult and juvenile criminal justice systems; and Federal and State laws, regulations and procedures affecting probation detention and rehabilitation programs. Working knowledge of the principles and practices of personnel management, supervision and training; and public and private community resources.  Some knowledge of budget preparation and administration; and application of data processing to probation operations.

Ability to:  Plan, organize, direct and coordinate complex work programs; supervise and evaluate the work of subordinates; exercise initiative, ingenuity and sound judgment in analyzing and solving difficult administrative and personnel problems; evaluate departmental policies and programs, define problem areas, and develop and implement improvements; interpret, explain and apply laws, rules and regulations; understand and interpret the aims, concepts, principles and practices of the County’s program of adult and juvenile probation programs; coordinate division activities with other divisions, departments and agencies; effectively represent the department to the courts, and other agencies and community groups; prepare and monitor division budget; establish and maintain effective working relationships with a wide variety of persons; present ideas, facts and recommendations effectively, orally and in writing; deal effectively with clients who are potentially verbally and/or physically abusive; prepare clear and concise administrative and technical reports; speak effectively before groups; input, access and analyze data using a computer; and physically able to apply a reasonable degree of physical exertion to control client behavior in emergency situations.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Medical, Dental and Vision
Medical coverage is available through CALPERS with the County paying a majority portion of the cost for the employee and dependents. The cost of the dental plan is entirely County-paid for employees and dependents. The County pays for the cost of an employee vision plan and the employee may purchase dependent coverage.  

Retirement and Social Security
2% at age 50 or 2.7% at age 57 as  determined based on provisions of the CA Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act of 2013(PEPRA).  Pension benefit determined by final average compensation of three years.  County pays a portion of retirement contribution.   

Life Insurance and Long Term Disability Plan
County paid $50,000 term life insurance policy. Employees may purchase additional life insurance. The County pays for a long-term disability plan that pays 66 2/3% of the first $13,500, up to $9,000 per month maximum.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

Application Deadline:                                                   Continous

Review of minimum qualifications                                All applications on file in the Personnel Department as
and competitive screening based                                of any given Friday may be reviewed and scheduled for
on experience, education and response                      testing to accomodate future hiring.
to supplemental questions:                                         

Examination*:                                                                Date to be determined


*You may be required to compete in any combination of written, oral and/or performance examinations or a competitive evaluation of training and experience as described on your application and supplemental application. You must pass all components of the examination to be placed on the eligible list. The examination may be eliminated if there are ten or fewer qualified applicants. If the eligible list is established without the administration of the announced examination, the life of the eligible list will be six months and your overall score will be based upon an evaluation of your application and supplemental application.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Candidates must submit a County application and answers to the supplemental application questions.  The completed application packet must be received by the Santa Cruz County Personnel Department, 701 Ocean Street, Room 310, Santa Cruz, CA  95060 or online at www.santacruzcountyjobs.com.  For more information please call Susana Silva, Employment Services Analyst at (831) 454-2600.  Hearing Impaired TDD# (831) 454-2123. Following a review for minimum qualifications, applicants who are selected to move forward in the recruitment process will be notified that they must submit a completed conviction history questionnaire in order to continue to the examination phase of the process. 

If you have a disability that would require test accommodation, please call (831) 454-2600.

                         NOTE: The provisions of this bulletin do not constitute an expressed or implied contract.

The County of Santa Cruz is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to building a diverse workforce.