Page 1 of 6 VENTURA COUNTY, PUBLIC DEFENDER (RECRUITMENT BY CEO-HR) INVITES APPLICATIONS FOR: CHIEF-PUBLIC DEFENDER INVESTIGATOR 0746PD-17AA (DC) An Equal Opportunity Employer SALARY RANGE (approximate) $44.55 - $62.38 Hour $7,722.01 - $10,811.87 Monthly $92,664.06 - $129,742.39 Annually POSITION INFORMATION Incumbents in this position may receive an educational incentive of either 2.5%, 3.5%, or 5% for an Associate, Bachelor or post graduate degree that is not required for the classification. The incumbent may also be eligible for bilingual incentive, depending upon operational necessity and certification of skill. Under general direction of the Public Defender, plans, organizes, administers, and supervises the operations of the Public Defender's investigative staff; establishes investigative procedures; and performs related work as required. The ideal candidate must be able to show evidence of experience as a politically astute leader with excellent scope and depth of administrative, organizational, management, supervisory, budgeting, project management and systems improvement experience in a Public Defender service delivery system. The individual will be highly committed to the Public Defender's mission and possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills. The individual will be able to show evidence of establishing successful collaborative relationships among diverse stakeholders and partners to leverage resources and maximize service outcomes for the Public Defender's clients. The ideal candidate will further be able to show evidence of educational and practical experience as follows: possess a post-baccalaureate degree or advanced Master's level coursework in Criminal Justice, Social Work, or a related field, combined with: (ten) 10 years of Social Justice/Defense Investigative experience working with poor, indigent, socio-economically disadvantaged, culturally diverse, and mentally ill members of the community and those accused of crimes; five (5) of the ten (10) years of experience must be in a Public Defender's Office including lead/supervisory and staff development duties; be skilled at establishing trusting relationships with the Public Defender's clients via interpersonal skills that clearly convey empathy, dignity and respect; have a proven work history of establishing and maintaining constructive working relationships--through tact and poise--with members of the Public Defender's Office, the District Attorney's Office, the courts, Probation, other criminal justice entities, and community based organizations. This classification is the highest ranking classification in the investigation division of the Public Defender's Office. Policy guidelines are established by the Public Defender, and the Chief Investigator is charged with the responsibility for implementing these policies by establishing methods and procedures for their application. Examples Of Duties:
Page 2 of 6 Duties may include, but are not limited to the following: Receives investigation requests from attorneys; determines the extent and scope of investigation required and assigns case to staff accordingly. Reviews staff's investigation findings for clarity and thoroughness; provides guidance on procedures, techniques or pertinent laws and ordinances. Reviews and discusses cases with attorneys to clarify the investigation focus and to resolve personnel or case-related problems. Mentor and guide Investigative Assistants and reviews reports. Interacts with departmental managers and officials from other Public Defender agencies. Establishes methods and procedures for implementation of departmental policies; monitors division budget and prepares necessary reports. Conducts staff meetings, case reviews and prepares performance evaluations. Conducts sensitive and unusual investigations; interviews witnesses; evaluates evidence and testifies at hearings and trials. Incumbents receive management (MB-4) benefits and are not eligible for overtime compensation. TYPICAL QUALIFICATIONS These are entrance requirements to the examination process and assure neither continuance in the process nor placement on an eligible list. EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCE Progressively responsible experience in criminal investigation which has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge, skills and abilities. The required knowledge, skills and abilities also can be obtained by a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice or a related field AND five years of criminal investigation experience, including two years in a Public Defender's Office. Applicable experience may be substituted for education on a year-foryear basis up to a maximum of four years. SPECIAL NECESSARY REQUIREMENTS Must possess, and be able to maintain current, a valid California Driver License. DESIRED Master's degree or master's level coursework in Criminal Justice, Social Work, or a related field. DITA Certification Ten (10) years of Social Justice/Defense Investigative experience working with poor, indigent, socio-economically disadvantaged, culturally diverse, and mentally ill members of the community and those accused of crimes; five (5) of the ten (10) years of experience in a Public Defender's Office including lead/supervisory and staff development duties. A proven work history of establishing and maintaining constructive working relationships--through tact and poise--with members of the Public Defender's Office, the District Attorney's Office, the courts, Probation, other criminal justice entities, and community based organizations. Two (2) or more years of administrative, organizational, management, supervisory, budgeting, project management and systems improvement experience in a Public Defender service delivery system. At least two (2) or more years of experience performing duties comparable to County of Ventura's Senior Public Defender Investigator or Supervising Public Defender Investigator.
Page 3 of 6 Evidence of establishing successful collaborative relationships among diverse stakeholders and partners to leverage resources and maximize service outcomes for the Public Defender clients. Supplemental Information: May be required to work on call and be available evenings, weekends and nights. May be exposed to hostile witnesses and hazardous or stressful situations during the course of completing assignments. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Comprehensive knowledge of: principles of supervision; principles and techniques of investigation; substantive and procedural California criminal laws (laws of arrest, search and seizure, rules of evidence, admissibility of evidence and witness statements); courtroom procedures; techniques of interviewing and interrogation; functions and extent of authority of the Public Defender's Office; and the California Penal Code. Comprehensive ability to: train and supervise subordinate staff; communicate effectively both orally and in writing; exercise good judgment and tact in dealing with sensitive cases; develop demonstrative evidence for a case; testify in court; read and comprehend legal material; and deal effectively with various levels of government, law enforcement agencies, judicial groups and individuals. RECRUITMENT PROCESS FINAL FILING DATE: Applications must be received by County of Ventura Human Resources no later than 5:00 PM on Monday, July 31, 2017. To apply on-line, please refer to our web site at www.ventura.org/jobs. If you prefer to fill out a paper application form, please call (805) 654-5129 for application materials and submit them to County of Ventura Human Resources, 800 South Victoria Avenue, L-1970, Ventura, CA 93009. NOTE: If presently permanently employed in another "merit" or "civil service" public agency/entity in the same or substantively similar position as is advertised, and if appointed to that position by successful performance in a "merit" or "civil service" style examination, then appointment by "Lateral Transfer" may be possible. If interested, please click here for additional information. Note to Applicants: It is essential that you complete all sections of your application and supplemental questionnaire thoroughly and accurately to demonstrate your qualifications. A resume and/or other related documents may be attached to supplement the information in your application and supplemental questionnaire; however, it/they may not be substituted in lieu of the application. SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE - qualifying: All applicants are required to complete and submit the questionnaire for this examination AT THE TIME OF FILING. The supplemental questionnaire may be used throughout the exam process to assist in determining each applicant's qualifications and acceptability for the positions. Failure to complete and submit the questionnaire will result in the application being removed from consideration. APPLICATION SCREENING - qualifying: All applications will be reviewed to determine whether or not the stated requirements are met. Those individuals meeting the stated requirements will be invited to continue to the next step in the screening and selection process. NOTE: If there is a high number of qualified applicants, a comparative screening will be
Page 4 of 6 conducted to determine which of the applicants will be selected for invitation to the oral examination. Applications will be evaluated and ranked according to criteria that most closely meets the needs of the department, so it is essential that applicants provide as much detail as possible and answer all parts of the application and supplemental questionnaire. ORAL EXAM - 100%: A job-related oral examination will be conducted to evaluate and compare participating candidates' knowledge, skills, and abilities in relation to those factors which job analysis has determined to be essential for successful performance of the job. Candidates must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list. If there are three (3) or fewer qualified applicants, an oral examination will not be conducted. Instead, a score of seventy percent (70%) will be assigned to each application, and each applicant will be placed on the eligible list. The eligible list established from this recruitment will be used to fill current and future Regular, (including Temporary and Fixed-term), Intermittent, and Extra-help vacancies within the Public Defender Office. There is currently one (1) vacancy. Applicants successfully completing the examination process may be placed on an eligible list for a period of one (1) year. BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: A thorough pre-employment, post-offer background investigation which may include inquiry into past employment, education, criminal background information and driving record may be required for this position. For further information about this recruitment, please contact Denise Carrizosa by e-mail at denise.carrizosa@ventura.org or by telephone at (805) 654-2574. CHIEF-PUBLIC DEFENDER INVESTIGATOR Supplemental Questionnaire Please respond to the following questions. Your responses will give us additional information about your experience and background related to this position, and will be used in the selection process. Please be as concise and specific as possible; clarity of expression and ability to follow instructions will be considered in the evaluation process. 1. Do you possess or are you eligible to obtain and maintain a California driver's license by the time of an appointment? Yes No 2. Please indicate the highest level of education you have completed. High school diploma or GED 1 to less than 60 semester units of college course work 60 or more semester units of college course work, but no degree Associate's degree Bachelor's degree Master's degree or higher None of the above 3. Of the college majors listed below please check the one in which you have earned a degree.
Page 5 of 6 Law Criminal Justice, Law and Society, Paralegal, etc. Political Science Psychology Sociology Other No degree 4. If you answered "other" on question # 3 above, please enter your college major below. 5. Of the options listed below, please check the box that most closely reflects your years of criminal investigation experience working with poor, indigent, socio-economically disadvantaged, culturally diverse, and mentally ill members of the community and those accused of crimes. NOTE: Full time is considered 40 hours per week; anything less than that must be prorated. In order to receive credit for this experience, you MUST include each employer in the Work Experience section of your application, and all details for each employer must be included. 0 to less than 2 years of experience 2 to less than 5 years of experience 5 to less than 7 years of experience 7 to less than 9 years of experience 9 or more years of experience 6. Please check the option below that most closely reflects your years of criminal investigation experience IN A PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE. NOTE: Full time is considered 40 hours per week; anything less than that must be prorated. In order to receive credit for this experience, you MUST include each employer in the Work Experience section of your application, and all details for each employer must be included. 0 to less than 1 year of experience 1 to less than 2 years of experience 2 to less than 3 years of experience 3 to less than 4 years of experience 4 or more years of experience 7. Are you willing and able to work on-call and be available evenings, weekends and nights? Yes No 8. Of the following four (4) DITA modules, please check the box of those you have completed. Introduction to Defense Investigation Case Development and Procedures Communications for the Investigator Investigative Sciences and Technology None of the above 9. Do you possess a Private Investigator license and if so is it active and in good standing?
Page 6 of 6 Yes No 10. Describe your years of administrative, organizational, management, supervisory, budgeting, project management and systems improvement experience in a Public Defender or other organization serving poor, indigent, socio-economically disadvantaged communities. 11. Describe your experience leveraging resources for poor, indigent, socio-economically disadvantaged, culturally diverse, and mentally ill members of the community and/or those accused of crimes to achieve improved outcomes