Court Services Officer 2 -Criminal Division Pretrial Services

When you come to work for New Jersey Judiciary you will join an 8500-member strong TEAM that operates with the highest standards of independence, integrity, fairness and quality service. You will be engaged with work that has purpose, meaning and makes a difference in lives of the public we serve. We work hard every day to build the public’s trust and confidence in our court system, which includes issues such as bail reform, marijuana decriminalization and recovery court. Whether it be in a courtroom, an administrative office, a courthouse training room, an IT office or in the field, our Judiciary workforce is improving the lives of countless individuals and families every day. We honor the dignity and individualism of each member of our organization while fostering professionalism and continuous improvement in our work.

SALARY: The salary range for this position is $57,644.00 to $93,495.46 for Schedule A, and $57,644.00 to $88,820.70 for Schedule B. For newly hired individuals, the starting salary will normally be at the minimum of the salary range. For current Judiciary employees, salary upon promotion or advancement will be an increase of 5% of base salary, not to exceed the maximum of the range, or the minimum salary of the band/level, whichever is greater. Judiciary employees hired prior to June 3, 2014, are considered Schedule A. Newly hired individuals, and Judiciary employees hired on or after June 3, 2014, are considered Schedule B.

*** Applicants who applied for the previously posted Court Services Officer 2 Announcement # 2024-10489 posted September 20, 2024 will be considered in the applicant pool for this position and need not reapply. ***

The Judiciary offers a strong opportunity for growth.

Applicants are advised of the possibility that this position may be required to work in all three Vicinage 13 Counties (Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren), and travel between the three counties as required.

Every applicant should be aware that this position will require a non-traditional work schedule which will include weekends, holidays and after hours on-call responsibilities.

The Somerset/Hunterdon/Warren Vicinage is seeking three individuals to join the vicinage Pretrial Services Program. The selected candidates must possess excellent interpersonal, organizational, and case management skills in order to perform the duties required of this position. The selected candidate will regularly interact with pretrial defendants, judges, prosecutors, public defenders, the county jail, local law enforcement, the private bar, and the public.

The selected candidate will primarily be required to monitor the conditions of pretrial release for individuals ordered to more stringent monitoring and more frequent contact with the courts, to assist these individuals in attaining specific goals to ensure their appearance in court and the safety of the public during the individual’s period of pretrial release, and report the individuals’ compliance or non-compliance with conditions of release to the court.

In addition, this position will be responsible for researching criminal case histories, conducting pretrial risk assessments, preparing reports, meeting with defendants, making recommendations to judges regarding conditions of pretrial release for pretrial defendants, and staffing first appearance/Central Judicial Processing hearings and pretrial detention hearings.

The selected candidate will provide guidance to clients with specific needs, including but not limited to social, emotional, and rehabilitative concerns. This position will make recommendations and/or referrals for social services, testing, treatment and/or counseling and will monitor clients' treatment progress.

In addition, the position would be responsible for assisting supervisors with training and mentoring of Pretrial Services staff and assisting with stakeholder and community outreach related to the Pretrial Services Program.

Perform other related duties as required.

Note: This position will primarily handle monitoring duties. Experience with pretrial services programs is helpful but not required.

REMOTE WORK: The Judiciary currently offers a hybrid work schedule, and this position may qualify for up to 2 days of remote work outside of Judiciary buildings. To participate in this program, in addition to installing a multifactor authentication app on your phone or tablet, you will be required to have high speed home internet access.

The selected candidate will be required to work a non-traditional work week, which will include Saturdays, Sundays, holidays and after hours on-call responsibilities.

Regular and predictable physical presence at the worksite is an essential function of this position.

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree and two years of professional experience in case management involving gathering and analyzing case-related information which shall have included the exercise of judgment and discretion, and one or more of the following: reviewing cases to identify case management and discovery needs, coordinating with judges and/or attorneys to resolve case issues, and/or preparing reports of findings and recommendations.

Substitution: Applicants who do not possess the required education may substitute additional paraprofessional or professional experience on a year-for-year basis with one year of such experience being equal to 30 semester hour credits. An associate's degree and two years of additional paraprofessional or professional experience may be substituted for a bachelor's degree. A master's degree may substitute for one year of experience.

Education Note: Degrees conferred outside of the United States must be evaluated by a recognized evaluation service. (See www.naces.org/members.html)

Driver's License: Appointee will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle is necessary to perform essential duties of the position.

Authorization to Work: US citizenship is not required. Selected candidate must be authorized to work in the US according to Department of Homeland Security, US Citizenship and Immigration Services regulations.

Special Note: Newly hired employees must agree to a thorough background check that will include fingerprinting. All data received will be kept in strict confidence except to inform the individual of the findings and what action will be taken as a result of this information.

Residency Law: In accordance with N.J.S.A. 52:14-7 (L. 2011, Chapter 70), the "New Jersey First Act," all persons newly hired by the Judiciary within one year must establish, and then maintain, principal residence in the State of New Jersey. Any person may request an exemption from that requirement from the Employee Residency Review Committee in the Department of Labor & Workforce Development on the basis of either hardship or employer critical need.

HOW TO APPLY:

The NJ Judiciary requires all applicants to complete the application process fully and as instructed. All applicants must complete the work experience and education sections and attach any required documents. Applications must describe all relevant work experience in detail, beginning with your current or most recent job, including military service (indicate rank), internships and job-related volunteer work, if applicable. Use a separate section to describe each position. Applicants who indicate "see resume" or enter their initials to acknowledge that they have skipped the Work History and Education sections will not be considered, unless they do not possess any education history or work experience. Only applicants that follow the application instructions and submit completed applications will be considered.

The New Jersey Judiciary consists of: the Supreme Court, the Superior Court including the Appellate Division and the Trial Court of the 15 vicinages in New Jersey, the Tax Court and the Municipal Court System. The Administrative Office of the Courts provides technical assistance, operational support, training, research and development, budget and personnel coordination, and development and operation of information systems for the Courts of New Jersey.

The Judiciary of New Jersey is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer Committed to Ensuring an Open Door to Justice

NeoGov applicant support at 1-877-204-4442 (toll free call) Monday through Friday, 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM Mountain Time (MT)