Human Resource Services
Alameda Skyline

Unit Supervisor, Probation

Recruitment #17-6122-01

Introduction

THIS IS A NEW ASSEMBLED EXAMINATION. The eligible list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year, but can be extended.

Applications must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing. Postmarks are not accepted.

Supplemental Questionnaire: A properly completed Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted with each application. Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing. Postmarks are not accepted. Failure to submit the Supplemental Questionnaire will result in disqualification.

 

ONLINE APPLICATIONS ONLY

 

DESCRIPTION

Mission Statement
The mission of the Alameda County Probation Department is to protect the public safety by providing supervision, services, support and opportunities to our clients on behalf of the people of Alameda County through quality supervision, leadership, services and effective partnerships.

 

THE POSITION

The County of Alameda's Probation Department is seeking to fill the position of Unit Supervisor, Probation. Under direction, Unit Supervisors supervise and guide a unit of Deputy Probation Officers engaged in a function(s) such as pre-sentence investigations, home supervision, supervision of adult or juvenile offenders or out-of-home placement of wards of the Juvenile Court; and, do related work as required. 

 

IDEAL CANDIDATE

In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications listed below, the ideal candidate will have demonstrated a successful track record of having:

  • Knowledge of evidence-based practices and trends in the criminal justice field.
  • The ability to train and develop staff.
  • A thorough knowledge of Adult and Juvenile Probation laws, policy and procedures.
  • Strong leadership skills with a track record of successful team-building which includes developing direction and structure for subordinates to facilitate accomplishment of identified goals.
  • Solid experience in managing work groups by coaching, instructing and advising subordinates, assigning and delegating work-load and tracking and evaluating performance.
  • Remarkable organizational skills, including the ability to prioritize tasks and accomplish multiple projects simultaneously, take prompt action to achieve objectives as well as identify issues as they arise and address them proactively.
  • A proven track record as a prudent decision maker, with a history of choosing the appropriate courses of action by considering all implications and consequences, committing to action and ensuring successful implementation.
  • The ability to identify and understand complex problems and concepts, analyze information and exercise good judgment based on available data, design solutions to problems, and formulate and articulate action plans.
  • Exceptional communication skills, both written and oral, and the ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences and in a variety of contexts.

For a detailed listing of the position of Unit Supervisor duties, please see the complete job description at the following link: Unit Supervisor Job Specification.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

Possession of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.

AND

Either I

Experience: The equivalent of five years of full-time experience in a Probation Department classification equivalent to, or higher than, the class of Deputy Probation Officer II in the Alameda County classified service. 

Or II

Experience: The equivalent of five years of professional, full-time correctional casework experience at the level of Deputy Probation Officer II in a probation, law enforcement agency, parole agency, or correctional institution.

Substitution:

Possession of a master's degree or above may be substituted for two years of the required experience.

Special Requirements:

Possession of a valid California Motor Vehicle Operator's license.
Possession of an automobile may be required.
Good driving record according to DMV negligent operator guidelines and qualification for automotive insurance.
Persons appointed to positions in this classification in the Probation Department must meet the minimum requirements for Peace Officer (Section 1031 Government Code), which includes being a U.S. citizen or applied for citizenship one year prior to submission of application for employment.
Any felony conviction is disqualifying.

NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

NOTE: The level and scope of the following knowledge and abilities are related to duties listed under the “Examples of Duties” section of this specification.

Knowledge of:
• Interviewing techniques.
• Employee supervision and appraisal techniques.
• Intermediate math.
• Basic math plus fractions, decimals and percentages.
• State, Federal and local statutes, ordinances, regulations, rules, policies and procedures.
• Departmental policies and philosophy.
• Trends in correctional field.
• Evidence-based probation supervision practices.

Ability to:
• Communicate effectively 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 presentation.
• Effectively apply interviewing and listening skills.
• Read, interpret and apply complex legal and behavioral science information relating to 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, judgment 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 a clear, accurate and concise product.
• Provide consultation, regarding family system analysis and interpersonal relations analysis.
• Decision making, coach staff and model leadership behavior.
• Effectively utilize self defense techniques
• Effectively utilize a firearm

EXAMINATION COMPONENTS

THE EXAMINATION WILL CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING STEPS:

1). A review of candidates' applications and supplemental questionnaires to verify possession of minimum requirements. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process.

2). A written test (pass/fail). The highest scoring candidates will move on to the next step in the examination process.

3). An oral interview which will be weighted as 100% of the candidate's final examination score. The oral interview may contain situational exercises.

4) Candidates passing the oral examination will be placed on a ranking list to participate in the next steps of the Probation Department's selection process.

5) All candidates must successfully complete the following (after passing oral examination):

· BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION includes a thorough check of police records, personal, military, and employment histories, and inquiry of persons who know you and evaluate whether you: respect the law and rights of others; are dependable and responsible; have demonstrated mature judgment in areas such as the use of drugs and intoxicants; are honest; and are a safe driver.

After a conditional offer of employment has been accepted, appointee must successfully complete the following:

· PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAMINATION is given by a licensed clinician. You will be evaluated on the psychological factors related to successful performance to determine if you are presently suited for the difficult and stressful job of Deputy Probation Officer.

· MEDICAL EXAMINATION

The appointee must satisfactorily complete a probationary period.

CANDIDATES MUST ATTAIN A QUALIFYING RATING ON EACH PORTION OF THIS EXAMINATION.

We reserve the right to make changes to the announced examination components.

Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit. Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position. Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position. Other recruitments many be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.

To learn more about our recruitment and selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website, www.acgov.org/hrs

Selection Plan

Applicants will be informed via email with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their attendance. The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the Agency:

TENTATIVE SELECTION PLAN

Deadline for Filing:

5:00:00 PM - September 15, 2017**

5:00:00 PM - September 1, 2017

Review of Applications & Supplemental Questionnaires for Minimum Qualifications:

TBD**

by Monday, September 11, 2017

Written Exam:

TBD**

Week of September 25, 2017

Oral Interviews*:

TBD**

Week of October 9, 2017

*If designated as a combined oral examination/hiring interview, in addition to establishing an eligibility list, the oral interviews may serve as the final selection interview for vacancies in this classification.

**Updated 8/25/17

Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the State Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Alameda County’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy and applicable statutes. To request an accommodation due to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of the examination/selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement before the last date of filing. Alameda County requires applicants to provide supporting documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA, FEHA and applicable statutes.

For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation procedures, please visit our website, www.acgov.org/hrs

BENEFITS

Alameda County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many different employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall wellbeing.  These benefits include but are not limited to*:

For your Health & Welfare Benefits

  • Medical – HMO & PPO Insurance
  • Dental – PPO & DHMO Insurance  
  • Vision
  • Basic Life Insurance 
  • Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage) 
  • County Allowance (Employer Credit)
  • Health Flexible Spending Account
  • Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
  • Accident, Critical Illness & Hospital Indemnity
  • Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

  • Short-term Disability Insurance
  • Long-Term Disability Insurance
  • Retirement Plan – (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
  • Deferred Compensation Plan

For your Work/Life Balance

  • 11 paid holidays
  • Vacation and sick leave accrual
  • Vacation purchase program
  • Management Paid Leave**
  • Group Auto/Home Insurance
  • Commuter Benefits Program
  • Group Legal
  • Guaranteed Ride Home
  • Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
  • Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
  • Child Care Resources
  • 1st United Services Credit Union 

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement.  This provides a brief summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.

** Non-exempt management employees are entitled to up to three days of management paid leave. Exempt management employees are entitled to up to seven days of management paid leave.

Conclusion

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @acgov.org and alamedacountyHR@acgov.org as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the 'My applications' button on the Current Job Openings page.

Please take the steps recommended above to ensure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received, or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.

NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box alamedacountyHR@acgov.org are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. If you have questions please go to our website at www.acgov.org/hrs. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the bulletin for the recruitment for which you have applied.

Iona Childers, Human Resources Analyst
Human Resource Services, County of Alameda
Iona.Childers@acgov.org
(510) 272-6463

Alameda County is an Equal Opportunity Employer