UNITED STATES PROBATION OFFICE
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF MISSISSIPPI
Vacancy Announcement 25-7 (Jackson, Mississippi)
Position: Administrative Specialist
Location: Jackson, Mississippi
Opening Date: 05/09/2025
Closing Date: Open Until Filled – applications received by 05/23/2025, will receive priority consideration. Multiple positions may be filled from this vacancy announcement.
Salary: Starting: CPS CL 27 Step 1 – $59,133 with eventual promotion potential to CL 28 – $70,894 – $115,213. Salary is based on experience and qualifications in accordance with the Court Personnel System.
Type of Appointment: Full-Time/Provisional to Permanent, pending a favorable background investigation determination by the court.
Application Procedure: Applicants must submit a Federal Judicial Branch Application for Employment Form AO 78 in its entirety (including “Optional Background Information) which can be found at https://www.mssp.uscourts.gov/employment-opportunities, a cover letter which addresses qualifications, skills, and experience necessary to perform the duties, and resume via email in PDF to: mssp_jobs@mssp.uscourts.gov listing Vacancy Announcement 25-7 Administrative Specialist in the subject line.
Job Summary: The Administrative Specialist performs and coordinates administrative, technical, and professional work related to multiple administrative functions (such as, but not limited to, human resources and procurement) for the United States Probation Office of the Southern District of Mississippi. This includes ensuring compliance with the appropriate guidelines, policies, and approved internal controls.
Representative Duties: The following are intended to provide generalized examples of major duties and responsibilities of this position.
- Implement and administer human resources policies, procedures, and standards. Research, draft, and recommend human resources policies for the court unit. Provide information and guidance to judges, executives, senior managers, and court staff on human resources matters, procedures, and practices.
- Develop and maintain all recruitment related records, including position announcements, interview information and applicant demographic statistics, and recruitment files. Determine and use best methods to source applicants. Process recruitment requests; including, prepare notice of vacancy, review and rank applications, conduct initial telephone interview of top ranked applicants, and coordinate and participate on interview panels.
- Coordinate and conduct new-hire orientation for new probation’s office employees to include a review of payroll information, personnel policies and procedures, and benefit options.
- Assist and advise new and existing employees on payroll and benefit related matters and ensure requested actions meet applicable policies and requirements. Assist with organizing and conducting annual benefits open season fair and corresponding information workshops.
- Process a variety of personnel and payroll actions such as appointments, promotions, separations, terminations, within-grade increases, and changes to employee benefits. Monitor and ensure all staffing and payroll actions are processed in a timely and correct manner.
- Serve as a Time Administrator, which includes monitoring and processing employees’ time and attendance related records and ensuring that transactions and records adhere to appropriate rules and regulations.
- Maintain statistics for annual Fair Employment Practices System and Telework reports. Assist with grievance and adverse action procedures.
- Manage background check and fingerprinting program by verifying applicant employment, checking references, taking employee fingerprints, completing and filing necessary forms, tracking and reporting results, and developing and maintaining record keeping systems.
- Develop, coordinate, and facilitate technical training for new and existing employees on a wide variety of human resources related automated systems. Administer assigned systems. Develop and manage the integration process of new systems into local processes. Develop and maintain the content for the human resources section of the court unit’s Intranet website.
- Establish and maintain a wide variety of personnel related records, including individual personnel files and records, in accordance with the relevant record retention guidelines.
- Ability to obtain Contracting Officer Program Certification Levels 1, 2, and 3 after appointment and continue to maintain this certification by completing continuing education courses as required.
- Procures supplies, equipment, miscellaneous services and furnishings from government and non-governement sources through new contracts, competitive bids or existing governemnt contracts.
- Contracts for maintenance and repair of equipment and furniture.
- Assess requests for goods and services by ensuring that they are allowable under limitations, restrictions, and policies, as well as determining availability of funds, including maintaining GSA and other supplier catalogs for review by unit personnel in making or suggesting need. Review accounting records of each functional allotment and reconcile accounts. Ensure that accounts have funds available for items being purchased. Prepare spreadsheets and maintain databases to track certain expenditures.
- Identifies and maintains lists of vendors and sources of supply for goods and services. Review, evaluate, verify, and process invoices and prepare payment requests. Updates the inventory listing of property and conduct inventory reconciliations.
- Research and evaluate suppliers based on price, quality, selection, service, support, availability, reliability, production, and distribution capabilities as well as the reputation and history. Prepare specifications, solicitations, and requests for qualifications/proposals; research products and equipment; prepare product/equipment specifications. Obtain and review competitive bids, quotes, and proposals from vendors and contractors (to include treatment services for offenders); discuss evaluations and review with requesters and subject matter experts.
- Negotiate with vendors for the best price over contracted services and purchases. Coordinate with selected vendors on supply and delivery of purchased items. Evaluate and monitor contract performance to ensure compliance with contracted obligations; assist with clarifying contract requirements and resolving any conflicts. Recommend cyclical replacement of accountable property.
- Coordinates with Treatment Specialist to conduct regular monitoring visits of contract agencies and service providers as provided in national policy, to include evaluation and monitoring of contract performance to ensure compliance of contracted obligations.
- Maintain paper and computerized records of test results and inventory of test cups.
- Review treatment invoices to certify services delivered according to procurement and contracting guidelines ensuring appropriate disbursement of funds.
- Monitor, coordinate, and react to day-to-day facilities management issues, which may involve structures, building systems, technology, grounds, and security.
- Adhere to the Guide to Judiciary Policy and Judiciary Procurement Program Procedures on procurement practices. Prepare spreadsheets and maintain databases to track certain expenditures. Adhere to the court unit’s internal control procedures.
- This position may require travel. The incumbent is expected to use his or her personal vehicle (POV) and will be reimbursed for gas mileage at the current GSA mileage reimbursement rate.
- Participate in special projects related to administrative service functions.
- Other duties as assigned.
Qualification Requirements:
Two years specialized experience. Specialized experience is defined as progressively responsible employment in the human resources or financial or business field utilizing rules, regulations, practices, and principles of human resources or financial administration or accounting and involves the routine use of a variety of office equipment and applications, such as word processing, email, spreadsheet, automated human resources management and financial systems, and other computer-based systems.
The applicant must have a positive attitude, deliver excellent customer service, and be detail oriented. Strong analytical skills, excellent organizational skills, willingness to learn and participate in a team environment, ability to respond to requests on short notice, and the ability to manage multiple tasks are essential.
Preferred Education: Master’s Degree from an accredited college or university, preferably in a field of academic study such as accounting, business or public administration, or human resources.
Conditions of Employment: Applicants must be citizens of the United States of America or be eligible to work in the United States. A background investigation with law enforcement agencies, including fingerprint and criminal records checks will be conducted. In addition, as conditions of employment, incumbent will be subject to updated background investigations every five years or as deemed necessary. Any applicant selected for a position will be hired provisionally pending successful completion of the investigation. This position is subject to mandatory Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) for payment of net pay.
Benefits: The U. S. Probation Office falls within the Judicial Branch of the U. S. Government. Judiciary employees serve under “Excepted Appointment” and are considered “At-Will” employees. Benefits include participation in the Federal Employees’ Retirement System which contributes to the Social Security Retirement Program, Federal Employees’ Health Benefits, Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance, Thrift Savings Plan (similar to a 401 K plan with employer matching contributions), paid holidays, and annual and sick leave accrual.
Application Information: Applicants must submit (1) A Federal Judicial Branch Application for Employment Form AO 78 in its entirety (including “Optional Background Information), which can be found at https://www.mssp.uscourts.gov/employment-opportunities, (2) a resume and (3) a cover letter which addresses qualifications, skills, and experience necessary to perform the duties. The documents may be sent via e-mail to mssp_jobs@mssp.uscourts.gov with Vacancy Announcement 25-7 Administrative Specialist in the subject line. E-mailed documents must be in PDF. The position is open until filled; applications received by 05/23/2025, will receive priority consideration.
Only the most qualified candidates will be invited for interviews and only those interviewed will receive a response. Applicants must travel at their own expense. Relocation expenses are not reimbursable.
Disclosures:
The United States Probation Office reserves the right to modify the conditions of this vacancy announcement, or fill multiple positions from this vacancy announcement, to withdraw the announcement, or to fill the position sooner than the closing date without prior written notice. The United States Probation Office requires employees to adhere to a Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees. The Court will not reimburse candidates for travel in connection with interviews or pay for any relocation expenses. We appreciate your interest in employment with our district.
~THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER~