Starting salary is $48,465. The salary scale is reviewed annually.
Staff progress through competency based steps to the top level salary of $60,067.
A recruitment and retention allowance of $1,000-$2,500 (depending on salary step), is available to staff in the areas of Waitemata, Auckland, Manukau, Hamilton and Wellington.
Additional benefits include:
Probation officers receive 5 weeks annual leave after 12 months service, increasing to 6 weeks after 6 years. There are also provisions for sick leave, bereavement leave and leave without pay.
Most probation officers work a 40 hour week over five days between Monday and Saturday.
No, but there is a dress code and smart corporate dress is required.
Yes, there are unions you can choose to join. There are two main unions, the PSA (Public Service Association) and NUPE (National Union of Public Employees). Each of these unions has a collective employment agreement with the Department that covers the probation officer role.
Probation officers are appointed to an Area and will be assigned to a particular Service Centre at the time of placement. However, during the term of your employment, you may be required to move to another Service Centre within your Area to meet operational needs.
Street and on site parking is not guaranteed, especially in the wider Auckland metro area. Some sites do have limited staff car parking and/or off street parking.
Although a related qualification is desirable, it is by no means essential. Life experience is just as important, and the skills and experience gained in many careers are transferable to the work of a probation officer.
We are particularly interested in people with degrees in psychology, criminology, sociology, and social work. However, any degree is valuable as the research, decision making and analytical skills gained through tertiary study are transferable to the role of probation officer. Comprehensive role-specific training will be provided (see below).
Being a Probation Officer is both challenging and rewarding work that requires initiative and passion to make a real difference.
You will work effectively with people from all walks of life, and many different cultural and ethnic backgrounds to motivate them to improve their lives. That takes dedication, integrity and resilience.
Part of your role will be to provide the courts and Parole Board with information on the best way to manage the offenders, so you will need have good analysis and problem solving abilities. You will also need good writing skills in order to communicate your findings and recommendations.
There is a significant amount of administration involved in the role, as each probation officer manages their own caseload using internal computer systems. We expect the candidates to be competent using computers.
If you have good interpersonal skills but need help with written work we may be able to offer extra training. All new staff are offered mentoring by senior staff.
Probation officers work closely with judges, the police, and others in the community so you will need a driver licence.
The probation officers initial training and development programme involves a series of workplace and practice based activities, as well as classroom learning. It is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to begin your career as a probation officer.
The programme is intensive and challenging, and requires you to take a very active approach to your own learning. Over a 26 week period, you will complete assessments covering the essential skill areas of offender management and report writing. You will be supervised and supported throughout the process.
The courses are usually held at regional training suites in Auckland, Hamilton, Christchurch and Wellington. All travel, accommodation and meals related to your attendance at the courses are paid for by the Department. You will be required to be away from home for periods of up to two weeks.
We require you to have a full driver licence to become a probation officer. We will consider applications from candidates with a restricted driver licence, however all job offers will be conditional on the candidate obtaining their full driver licence.
Candidates applying for the role of probation officer are required to declare their complete criminal history. Any conviction received in the last 10 years will limit your chances of being appointed. However, in exceptional circumstances, appointments may be made with approval from the General Manager. See information sheet enclosed for further information.
Please note that a number of roles in the Department of Corrections, including probation officers, are exempt from provisions of the Clean Slate Act 2004.
For more information go to Pre-Employment Checking page.
Not necessarily, but if you are offered a job you will have to declare any possible conflict of interest, including associations and relationships that may pose a risk. As part of your appointment to the role, you will be asked to sign a Code of Conduct, which covers the Department's expectations on this matter.
Probation officers manage people convicted and sentenced in court who are serving their sentences in the community.
Their job is to ensure that offenders comply with the sentence they have been given, and to help offenders to make a positive change in their lives so they stop offending and start contributing to society.
In managing their caseload, probation officers work closely with offenders, their families, judges, police, community organisations and other groups and individuals. Offender casework involves writing assessments and reports, so probation officers spend quite a bit of time working with computers and completing administration.
Recent changes to sentencing laws focus on identifying and managing the underlying factors that lead to offending; it's about rehabilitation rather than punishment.
Probation officers enjoy the work for the challenges and the variety. One minute they are preparing a report for the court about the most appropriate sentence for an offender, and the next they are interviewing a high-risk offender. One minute they are preparing a report for the court about the most appropriate sentence for an offender, and the next they are interviewing a high-risk offender.
Some probation officers who have gone to other careers have returned because they enjoy the diversity and level of responsibility. Probation officers are usually passionate about their work. They want to help make the community safer and to motivate offenders to turn their lives around - make a positive change.
The work is about reintegrating offenders back into society, moderating their behaviour, and facilitating positive change for the individual and their communities. They provide the opportunity for change for those who have the motivation to change, and help to motivate those who do not.
The Department has a diverse staff base, with people from all sorts of different career backgrounds, ethnicities and cultures.
While you are working as a probation officer there are opportunities for secondment, special projects, and head office work. There are also opportunities to be a professional supervisor and work on projects at a local or national level.
Once you have experience as a probation officer, there are opportunities to become a senior probation officer. Senior probation officers are involves in mentoring and coaching of new staff, project management, and some quasi-management responsibilities.
Within Community Probation and Psychological Services, you can progress to management roles such as service manager, assistant area manager and area manager. The skills you gain as probation officer are transferable to a wide range of career pathways, such as risk management, policy and operations advice.
We are open to considering applications from overseas candidates with relevant skills and experience. Candidates will need to have the right to work in New Zealand, either by being a New Zealand or Australian citizen, or have a current New Zealand Resident Permit or Work Permit that is valid for at least 12 months.
Applications may be considered if an applicant requires an offer of employment to qualify for a Work Permit. However, this is on a case by case basis and should not be interpreted as being a given.
The demands of the service provided by this role are such that we are unable to hold positions open for periods of time while waiting for overseas applicants to arrive.
So, you need to be very clear about why you want to come to New Zealand and what it is about the role and the way we manage probation services here that attracts you. We encourage you to also consider that many of our roles are regionally based - many some distance from New Zealand's major cities.
Typically we would expect overseas applicants to have either worked in the probation service in their home country or have worked in a very similar role, within the justice sector or social services sector. Your resume should describe your experience and background in terms as it relates to the requirements of the role as outline in the Job Description.
If you feel that your background and experience meets the selection criteria for the role, please send your CV, covering letter and application form to us by email. If you are short listed we will interview you by phone and use some additional selection tools to determine if you are suitable for the position.
Any job offer will be subject to you obtaining the right to work in New Zealand.(Please refer to (see Immigration New Zealand) for further information.)
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