Probation Officer Trainee

The Judicial Branch

The (Judicial Branch) does not sponsor STEM (form i-983) or non-immigrant work visas for this position.

Health & Wellness

• 79% employer-paid health and prescription insurance
• Dental and vision insurance plans available to purchase
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability, available to purchase
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for confidential support
• Flex Spending (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA)
• FREE $20,000 Life Insurance Policy
• Optional Life Insurance and AD&D available to purchase
• Paid Time Off & Leave

Financial Security

• 156% state-matched of the first 4.8% contribution to retirement plan

Professional Growth

• Paid training to develop your skills
• Access to specialized courses through Judicial Branch Education
• Opportunity for bilingual pay

Job Duties

• Become familiar with various types of pre-sentence/pre-disposition investigations for adults and juvenile offenders
• Conduct intake and assessment interviews with offenders, families, and others to gather information on the individual and determine environmental factors that led to delinquent behaviors
• Provide recommendations for sentencing to the court based on case findings
• Present information verbally and in writing before the court and complete Intake paperwork
• Perform risk assessments to determine proper supervision level of client; recommend incentives and/or sanctions based on assessment; monitor drug screens
• Meet with clients on probation to provide counseling, complete case reporting, and other related functions of managing a caseload
• Prepare violation reports, compliance reports, and conduct record checks
• Enter and update client information into appropriate systems; determine reports to send to the court for updates
• Perform other duties of a similar nature or level

Requirements / Qualifications

• Minimum Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree in social services or criminal justice
• All educational credits must be granted from an accredited institution approved by the U.S. Dept. of Education

Consideration will be given to candidates receiving their degree within 120 days of application.

Knowledge:

• Customer service principles
• Criminal Justice system, laws, legal codes, and court procedures
• Interview and Assessment procedures and practices
• Intervention policies and procedures
• Signs of various forms of abuse, mental health issues, or neglect
• Crisis intervention technique
• Modern office procedures and equipment
• Record-keeping principles
• Document review techniques
• Computers and related software applications

Skills:

• Making home visits
• Interviewing probationers
• Tracking probationers’ location(s)
• Utilizing probation and protective techniques
• Applying applicable laws, rules, and regulations
• Preparing activity reports and updating databases
• Operating computers and applicable software applications
• Utilizing communication and interpersonal skills as applied to interaction with coworkers, supervisors, the general public and others to sufficiently exchange or convey information and to receive work direction

Physical Requirements:

• Light Work: Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects

Salary And Compensation

• Starting Salary: $42,863.87 annually (Hiring Rate)
• Immediate Growth*: Earn a 2.5% pay increase after successfully completing your probation period
• Starting Rate Flexibility: Higher starting pay may be considered based on education and experience, subject to final management approval
• *Please Note: Candidates approved to start above the Hiring Rate (at or above the Minimum Permanent rate) are not eligible for the 2.5% post-probation increase
• Future Increases: Annual cost-of-living adjustments (applied on July 1) are subject to State Legislature approval

Location

In-Office only. Full physical address

Work Schedule

The office’s core hours are Monday–Friday daytime. As part of our 24/7 commitment to community safety, some non-traditional hours may be required.

Application Instructions

Applications No Longer Accepted On (If no date is displayed, job is posted as open until closed): 07-23-2026

For current State of Nebraska employees, please log in to Workday and open the Jobs Hub - Internal Apply app from your home landing page. You can access Workday anytime through the Link web page: https://link.nebraska.gov/

Equal Opportunity Statement

The State of Nebraska values our teammates as well as a supportive environment that strives to promote diversity, inclusion, and belonging. We recruit, hire, train, and promote in all job classifications and at all levels without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, marital status or genetics.