Probation Officer III - Promotional

Job Description:

Probation Officer III - Promotional

Description

Position Information

This recruitment is promotional only. You must presently be a full or part-time regular or probationary County of Sonoma, Community Development Commission, Sonoma County Fairgrounds, or Sonoma County Water Agency employee in order to apply for this position.

The Probation Department (PRB) has requested a department promotional certification to fill a Probation Officer III position. Only qualified permanent and/or probationary Probation Department employees on the eligible list may be eligible for referral to the department for the advertised position . This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time or part-time positions as they occur during the active status of the list.

The Probation Officer IIIs promote public safety and positive client outcomes by exercising a high degree of independent judgment, applying evidence-based supervision strategies, and serving as a resource and mentor to staff . Additional responsibilities include:

• Managing challenging caseloads using supervision and case management practices
• Conducting interviews and preparing court reports, recommendations, and case documentation
• Providing guidance, coaching, and lead support to Probation Officers and serving as a resource in the absence of a supervisor
• Representing the Probation Department in court proceedings and hearings
• Conducting field contacts, home visits, searches, arrests, and client transports, as required
• Facilitating cognitive behavioral and other rehabilitative programming
• Collaborating with service providers, justice partners, clients, and families to support successful outcomes

Please note: This position may be required to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and respond to critical incidents when needed, and may be issued Probation apparel, safety equipment, body armor, and authorized enforcement tools based on assignment.

The ideal candidate possesses strong interpersonal and communication skills, exercise sound judgment in challenging situations, and effectively engage with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Successful candidates are adaptable, collaborative, and committed to providing respectful, client-centered services while upholding the highest standards of professionalism and integrity. The ideal candidate will possess many of the following:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear, comprehensive reports and deliver effective presentations
• Knowledge of evidence-based practices, risk and needs assessments, and modern case management principles
• Effective de-escalation, interviewing, and problem-solving skills
• The ability to build rapport, establish appropriate boundaries, and maintain confidentiality while working with clients and stakeholders
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to adapt quickly and manage competing priorities
• A demonstrated leadership skills with the ability to mentor staff, share technical expertise, and foster positive working relationships with colleagues, community-based organizations, and justice system partners

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire to be completed.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience and Education: Any combination of education, training and experience which would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities. Normally, this would include possession of a bachelor's degree in sociology, psychology, counseling, social work, criminology, administration of justice, or a closely related field, AND one year of full time professional probation experience equivalent to the journey-level class of Probation Officer II with the County of Sonoma.
OR
Significant academic course work in sociology, behavioral and social psychology, social casework, social welfare, counseling and guidance, or a closely related field AND two years of full time experience in a position equivalent, or closely related, to Correctional Officer, Deputy Sheriff, Juvenile Correctional Counselor, Social Worker, Substance Abuse Treatment Provider, or Probation Assistant with the County of Sonoma PLUS one year of full time professional probation experience equivalent to the journey-level class of Probation Officer II with the County of Sonoma.

Additional Requirements: In accordance with California Government Code, Section 1029 - 1031, and the California Corrections Standards Authority, Title 15, Section 131, Minimum Standards for Selection, each employee shall meet the following minimum standards: United States citizenship or status as a permanent resident alien who is eligible for and has applied for citizenship (if a permanent resident alien has not obtained citizenship within three years after application for employment or is denied citizenship, he/she will be disqualified for peace officer status); have no prior felony conviction nor be under current formal probation supervision; and achieved a passing score on the California Corrections Standards Authority Probation Officer written exam, or equivalent prior to appointment.

Candidates certified for employment must be willing to undergo and successfully complete an in-depth background investigation, including a psychological evaluation, finger printing, criminal history check and a medical examination, including physical agilities testing.

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.
The position advertised on this announcement requires possession of a valid California Driver’s License.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Considerable knowledge of: sociology and psychology particularly as they relate to personality development, behavior patterns, motivation, and group and family dynamics; interviewing techniques and investigative procedures; principles of research methodology, report writing and basic statistics; written and oral communication, including language mechanics, syntax and English composition; general community resources necessary to assist in crime and delinquency control; penal, business, health, safety and related codes pertaining to probation work.

Ability to: prepare and effectively present written and oral reports before the court and before adversaries to the court; analyze investigational material and make proper deductions and recommendations; establish and maintain personal working relationships with clients, staff and community agencies and representatives; read and understand written material, including abstracts, financial, legal and medical documents; exercise initiative, perseverance and patience; understand and accept differences in human behavior, and cultural and ethnic backgrounds; apply existing laws, rules and regulations; effectively interview clients to obtain information on a variety of complex and sensitive subjects; physically restrain and/or apprehend offenders in the line of duty.

Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying

• 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 to be completed.
  
  Responses to supplemental questions maybe scored using position-specific criteria. Please provide specific and detailed responses of a reasonable length to allow for a thorough assessment of your qualifications. Responses that state, "See Resume" or "See Application" may be considered insufficient and therefore may not be scored.
  
  The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:
  
  An Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (weight 100%) will be conducted to evaluate each applicant's application and supplemental questionnaire for satisfaction of minimum qualifications (pass/not pass); and for educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities which relate to this position. Personally identifiable information (PII) is removed from the standard application fields and applicable attachments. This PII blind screening practice redacts a candidate’s personal information that could potentially influence or bias the scoring process. Personal information includes the applicant’s name, former last name, address, phone number, email, driver's license number, school name, education start and end dates, age, date of birth, gender, and race. This PII blind screening practice helps contribute to a fair and equitable examination process.
  
  Each applicant will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
  
  • Relevance of work history, related experience, and achieved level of education and/or training as described in the application and responses to the supplemental questions.
• Candidates demonstrating possession of the minimum qualifications will be placed on an employment list in order of most qualified to least qualified based on the achieved score received in the Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination which evaluates the education, training, experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, and other qualifications that you demonstrate in your application and/or response to the supplemental questionnaire. Please be aware that resumes and cover letters are not typically evaluated in the Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination. Scores may be adjusted based on such factors as the number of candidates, anticipated vacancies, past practice, and natural breaks in the scores achieved by this group of candidates.
  

Additional Information

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 candidates.

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 announcement must be received by the time and date specified on the first page of this job announcement. 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: CA

HR Technician: VH

Important Note: Benefits described herein do not apply to Extra Help positions.

County of Sonoma Benefits:*

These are some of the excellent benefits the County offers:

Paid Time Off: Competitive vacation accrual and sick leave accruals; additional management leave annually; 12 paid holidays; and may be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) of Paid Parental Leave after 12 months of County employment.

Health Plan: Choose from nine health plans (three HMOs, three deductible HMOs, and three HSA-qualifying plans) with a generous County contribution to the premium (the contribution amount varies by bargaining unit). For more information, please see the appropriate MOU.

Retirement: Fully integrated with Social Security. For more information regarding eligibility, retirement contributions, and reciprocity with prior public service, please visit https://scretire.org/active-/-deferred/when-you-are-hired .

IRS 457 Plan: Pre-tax employee contribution up to the IRS annual maximum.

Retiree Medical: County contribution to a Health Reimbursement Arrangement to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits.

Student Loan Debt Relief: County employees may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness through the U.S. Department of Education.

Plus, excellent dental, vision, disability, life insurance, professional development, and more.

For answers to specific questions regarding the employment process and more details about benefits or retirement, please contact Human Resources at (707) 565-2331. Additional details about benefit and compensation packages can be found in the MOUs located at Labor Agreements & Salary Resolution . For specific information about health and welfare benefits, including plan options, coverage, and premium amounts, go to Human Resources or contact the Human Resources' Risk Management-Benefits Office at [email protected] or (707) 565-2900.

*Important Notes: Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice.

Closing Date/Time: 7/20/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Salary:

$108,175.43 - $131,488.56 Annually