Position Information
Do you have experience conducting law enforcement background investigations?
Join the County of Sonoma Probation Department as a Background Investigator.
Starting salary up to $68.20/hour*
As a Probation Division Director I - Extra-Help in the Backgrounds Unit, you will conduct thorough and complete law enforcement background investigations in accordance with POST requirements, and in accordance with department policies, applicable laws, and procedural requirements. Responsibilities will include:
- Reviewing applications/personal history statements (and other required materials to determine suitability as both peace officer applicants and nonsworn candidates) for completeness and directing applicants to provide additional information if needed
- Conducting investigative interviews by contacting applicants, applicant personal references, and applicant employment references and developing and pursuing lines of inquiry
- Gathering, verifying, and analyzing personal, professional, credit/financial, and educational documents; contacting other law enforcement agencies, government agencies, and professional organizations to obtain and verify information
- Researching, obtaining, and reviewing data from various databases and information systems to verify information and/or check for inconsistencies related to applicant information
- Preparing letters, reports, and written summary of findings; analyzing investigation results and drawing logical and objective conclusions, conferring with hiring managers, and making assessments regarding suitability for employment
- Responding to requests for information, assisting outside agencies to provide background information regarding previous applicant background investigations, answering applicant questions, referring requests or questions to managers, as appropriate
- Attending training sessions, seminars and conferences
- Training and advising staff, as needed
As an Extra-Help Probation Division Director I, you will perform background investigations and may be assigned additional tasks, projects, and assignments to support Probation Department operations. This position requires the ability to travel to interview sources for home/neighborhood checks and may travel within and out of county in order to review files at other agencies/departments to verify information.
The ideal candidates will bring a compassionate demeanor to cultivate an environment of stability, trust, and motivation, and possess:
- Significant experience working in a law enforcement field
- Experience and skill in conducting backgrounds for law enforcement agencies
- Superb abilities to build rapport with candidates to elicit the information needed for the department, receive sensitive information from candidates, and treat all candidates with dignity and respect
- Familiarity with Peace Officer Bill of Rights
- Experience working with diverse and marginalized populations
- Ability to make decisions based upon a mixture of analysis, wisdom, experience, collaboration, and judgment
- An understanding of institutional and structural inequities and experience in interrupting and correcting these
- Problem-solving, time management, and advanced writing skills
EXTRA-HELP EMPLOYMENT
Extra-help employees relieve or augment permanent staff. Intermittent, extra-help employees are not in the classified civil service and do not have property rights to permanently allocated positions. In addition, they do not receive most regular employee benefits such as long-term disability insurance coverage; accrual of vacation; participation in the County retirement program; or eligibility to take promotional examinations. Intermittent, extra-help employees are limited in their employment to a maximum of 1,380 hours within any twelve-month consecutive period. Extra-help employees who meet the eligibility requirements may qualify for a County contribution toward medical coverage.
This recruitment is being conducted to fill multiple extra-help Probation Division Director I - Background Investigations in the Probation Department. This employment list may also be used to fill future extra-help positions as they occur during the active status of this list. The Civil Service title for this position is Probation Division Director I.
Effective 5/8/23, individuals who possess United States citizenship or status as a permanent resident alien, OR have the legal authorization to work in the United States under federal law, will be considered to meet the citizenship minimum standards for this position.
*Salary is negotiable within the established range.
APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE
COMPLETED.
Minimum Qualifications
Any combination of experience and education which would provide the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed.
Education: Normally, graduation from a four-year college or university with a degree in sociology, psychology, counseling, social work, criminology, or closely related field.
Experience: Normally, two years of experience supervising peace officers in either community corrections, probation, parole, or law enforcement that included some project/program development and budget preparation; OR one years of experience performing duties equivalent to the class of Deputy Probation Officer IV, Juvenile Correctional Counselor IV, Probation Industries Field Supervisor, or comparable job class in another county.
Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for the education on a year for year basis.
Successful completion of the Corrections Standards Authority (formerly known as the Board of Corrections) Manager/Administrator Core Course and PC 832 training or equivalent are required within one year of appointment.
Additional Requirements: Applicants must meet minimum peace officer standards as specified in California Government Code Sections 1029 and 1031, including but not limited to: no prior felony convictions (unless fully pardoned), good moral character as determined by thorough background check, submission of fingerprints for purpose of a criminal record check, and be found to be free from any physical, emotional, or mental condition which might adversely affect the powers of a peace officer. Possession of a valid California Class C Driver’s License. Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident alien who is eligible for and has applied for citizenship.
License: Possession of a valid driver’s license at the appropriate level including special endorsements, as required by the State of California, may be required depending upon assignment to perform the essential job functions of the position.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Thorough knowledge of: the laws, codes, ordinances and policies which govern the care, detention and release of juveniles and adults; principles and practices of juvenile institutional facility management; effective and efficient personnel management and supervisory techniques, and program budget management; causes of juvenile delinquency and the principles and methods of crisis counseling of delinquents, disturbed and/or dependent juveniles; child abuse reporting laws; advanced first aid techniques and practices including cardiopulmonary resuscitation; contract development and administrative principles.
Considerable knowledge of: the principles and practices of procedures specifically applicable to an assigned program area which may include but is not limited to the skilled trades (i.e. construction and carpentry); the use of tools, equipment, and required resources specifically applicable to an assigned program area.
Ability to: plan, organize, direct and supervise the programs and operations of assigned program area; effectively train, supervise and evaluate the work performance of subordinate personnel; analyze administrative problems, reach practical conclusions and report recommended changes to the Department or Division Head; prepare clear and concise written reports and oral presentations; prepare and control budget expenditures for an assigned facility or program in accordance with applicable laws and regulations; apply first aid to youths and adults; establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work; work rotating shifts, weekends and holidays; physically apprehend and/or restrain offenders in the line of duty; and have the ability to periodically lift weights in excess of 25 pounds in the performance of duties depending upon the assignment.
Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying
- Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
- You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
- You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
- Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.
Please visit Getting a Job with the County of Sonoma to review more detailed information about the hiring process, including the application process, examination steps, and department selection process.
APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.
Responses to supplemental questions are used to evaluate your qualifications. Please provide sufficient information to allow for a thorough evaluation of your qualifications.
The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:
An Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (pass/not pass) will be conducted to evaluate each applicant's combination of educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities that relate to this position to ensure satisfaction of the minimum qualifications for this position. Candidates who possess the minimum qualifications for the position will be placed on an extra-help employment list and referred to the department. The department may contact candidates from the employment list who possess the most appropriate job-related qualifications for further consideration.
BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION
It is the policy of law enforcement and legal offices and departments, in the County of Sonoma, that candidates complete a thorough background investigation process prior to employment. This policy is imperative to keep the department’s employees and the public safe and to maintain high standards in the law enforcement community. Candidates referred to departments for a selection interview are typically required to sign authorization and release forms enabling such an investigation. Failure to sign prescribed forms will result in the candidate not being considered further for that vacancy. Reference information will not be made available to applicants.
The background investigation will include a thorough assessment of a candidate’s personal, employment, educational, criminal, and credit history. The investigation may include but is not necessarily limited to: the use of prescription and/or other drugs, reports from former employers, friends, family members, educational institutions, law enforcement agencies, credit reports, court reports, public records search, and/or other relevant sources. Candidates must be honest and forthcoming about information that may arise during the background process. Deception during any portion of this process is grounds for disqualification, even after employment.
All candidates will be required to take a pre-employment medical examination. The pre-employment medical examination will include drug testing as part of the medical examination for all applicants and for all current employees who are offered employment with the Offices/Departments. Additionally, candidates may be required to take a pre-employment psychological examination. The results of these examinations and the background investigation shall be confidential and shall not be available to the candidate for review. Failure to pass the background investigation will eliminate a candidate from the employment process. You may also review the Job Classification Screening Schedule to determine the requirements for this position.
Issues that arise during the investigation process will be assessed, and judgment and discretion will be used to determine the employability of the candidate. Where there is evidence of a candidate’s past use of controlled substances, many factors shall be used to determine the employability of the individual such as a pattern of use, kind of drug used, circumstances of the start of the drug use, treatment, behavior, and attitude since discontinuance, etc. Please note that a history of using controlled substances does not result in automatic disqualification from the selection process. Prior to disqualifying any candidate whose profile falls within the provisions of the policy, the candidate shall be given the opportunity to present any and all evidence of mitigating facts that the candidate feels should be considered by the hiring authority.
HOW TO APPLY
Applications are accepted online at www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org. Paper applications may be submitted by person, fax (707-565-3770), email, or through the mail. All applications and appropriate supplemental information as outlined in the job bulletin must be RECEIVED by the time and date specified on the first page of this job announcement. Continuous recruitments may close without notice at any time that a sufficient number of qualified applications have been received. Applications received after the recruitment closes will not be accepted.
The County of Sonoma values diversity and is dedicated to creating a workplace environment that provides individuals with a sense of belonging. We are committed to having a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. The County is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer where all aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance, and business need.
HR Analyst: AK
HR Technician: KK
