8142-Public Defender's Investigator
hace 1 día
San Francisco
Job Description:\n\nCompany Description Public Defender’s Investigator (8142)- Public Defender’s Office This is a Position-Based Test (PBT) conducted in accordance with CSC Rule 111A. Learn more about the City’s hiring process here: Appointment Type: Permanent Civil Service (PCS) Application Opening: January 21, 2026 Application Deadline: This job ad will close at 11:45 PM (PST) on February 4, 2026. Applications must be submitted by 11:45 PM (PST) on February 4, 2026. Salary Range: $113,282-$137,696/Annually Recruitment ID: RTF0158378-01094672 ✅To apply please complete the two steps below:Complete the required Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ) at HERE AND 2. Complete and submit an online application by clicking the "Apply Now" button IMPORTANT: In addition to your online application submission on SmartRecruiters, you MUST also complete the Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ). Note: Your application will not be reviewed without a completed MQSQ. The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office provides high-quality legal representation to individuals who cannot afford an attorney and face prosecution for criminal offenses in San Francisco. Each year, we advocate for approximately 20,000 people, ensuring that every client is treated with dignity, respect, and humanity throughout the legal process. Recognized nationally as a model of public defense, our office is committed to excellence, innovation, and social justice. We provide comprehensive legal services across all areas of criminal defense, including Misdemeanor and Felony courts (preliminary hearings and trials), Mental Health and Youth Defender divisions, Community Justice Center, Immigration, Behavioral Health Court, Veterans’ Justice Court, Drug Court, Parole Court, Young Adult Court, Extradition, Clean Slate and Post-Conviction services. The Public Defender’s Office works beyond the courtroom to confront systemic inequities and advocate for clients, families, and communities to build power, exercise self-determination, and rebuild their lives. Note: Public Defender’s Investigator may specialize in one of the functional areas described below or perform duties in multiple areas.InvestigationMental HealthImmigrationYouth DefenderJob Description Appointment Type: Permanent Civil Service (PCS) Please note that incumbents in this classification may be required to perform duties as listed in the class specification, which can be found on DHR’s website: Under supervision, this 8142 Public Defender’s Investigator position in the Public Defender’s Office is responsible for conducting comprehensive investigations to support the legal defense of Public Defender clients, including but not limited to those facing misdemeanor and felony charges in the adult and/or juvenile criminal legal systems, immigration, mental health, and post-conviction units. Duties include, but not limited to:Client Meetings:In preparation for their defense, meet with individuals in the community, county jail, juvenile hall, state and local hospitals, and/or other applicable detention facilities.Maintain strict confidentiality and uphold duty of loyalty to the client in all aspects of representation.Case Preparation and Investigation:Perform in-depth investigations across a wide range of criminal and juvenile cases, immigration, mental health and/or post-conviction cases.Review case files, documents, electronic recordings, and all evidence to assist the attorney prepare for hearings and identify key information and inconsistencies.Obtain needed records for potential use at hearings and trials.Research and obtain relevant information to support the defense of the client.Perform administrative tasks, as needed.Field Work:Visit crime scenes, develop leads, secure surveillance footage, retrieve video evidence from security cameras, and establish sources of information.Locate and interview witnesses, crime victims, law enforcement personnel, medical professionals, mental health professionals, community advocates, and family members, to gather information needed for the defense.Transport witnesses and clients to/from court and other locations, as needed.Serve subpoenas.Trial & Litigation Support:Collect and evaluate physical and material evidence; take photographs and measurements; conduct background checks.Collaborate with attorneys to meet clients, review evidence and develop case strategy.Assist in preparation for immigration hearings, post-conviction matters and/or civil hearings for clients with mental health challenges, ensuring their rights and interests are protected.Testify in court regarding interviews conducted, investigative findings, evidence integrity and other matters, as needed.Provide support at court hearings and trials, as needed.Documentation & Reporting:Maintain detailed records of investigation activities.Draft comprehensive investigative reports for attorney review and potential use in court.Draft other relevant reports for the case, as requested by the attorney.Additional Duties:Perform related duties as required. The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law. Working Conditions: Must be able to work full time within the regular office hours of 8:00am – 5:00pm, and to travel throughout San Francisco and the surrounding cities on a daily basis to conduct visits at varied times of the day. Qualifications ⚠️REQUIRED BEFORE APPLYING⚠️ Applicants must fully meet the minimum qualifications by the final filing deadline unless otherwise stated: One (1) year (2,000 hours) of verifiable experience as a Public Defender’s Investigator, a licensed private investigator, or experience performing investigative work in a professional field, such as law, social justice, media/journalism, public health/welfare, human/civil rights, education, social sciences, public policy, or non-profit work; OR Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university. AND License and Certification: Possession of a valid CA driver’s license. Substitution: One (1) year (2,000 hours) of verifiable investigator training may substitute for the one (1) year of required experience. Please note that incumbents in this classification may be required to perform duties as listed in the class specification: Desirable Qualifications: The stated desirable qualifications may be considered at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring.Bilingual Spanish or Cantonese speaking.Exceptional oral and written communication skills.Proven experience advocating on behalf of individuals in the adult or juvenile criminal justice system, demonstrating deep understanding of legal processes and client needs.Prior experience working as a defense team member supporting immigration, mental health, and/or post-conviction work.Strong problem-solving skills and initiative, with the ability to work independently and develop proactive solutions.Collaborative and supportive team player with a clear vision, passion, and unwavering commitment to social justice.Maintains high standards of personal and professional ethics, exercising sound judgment and ensuring integrity in all actions and decisions.Energetic, creative, and solution-focused, bringing innovative approaches to complex issues.Dedicated to treating clients with empathy and respect, building trust and rapport with individuals from diverse backgrounds, and creating a safe, open environment that encourages honest communication.Works collaboratively to foster a positive and supportive environment and treats colleagues with respect and professionalism.Committed to continuous improvement and delivering exceptional client service, while striving for excellence in all aspects of work.Calm and resilient under pressure, consistently maintaining professionalism and a positive outlook. Verification of Experience and/or Education Every application is reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications as listed in the job ad. Review SF Careers Employment Applications for considerations taken when reviewing applications. Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at . Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco. All work experience, education, training and other information substantiating how you meet the minimum qualifications must be included on your application by the filing deadline. Information submitted after the filing deadline will not be considered in determining whether you meet the minimum qualifications. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application. Selection Process: After application submission, candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process, which includes the following:Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ)Public Defender’s Investigator Examination (Weight – 100%) Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ) - Candidates are required to complete an MQSQ as part of the employment application. This MQSQ is designed to obtain specific information regarding an applicant's experience in relation to the Minimum Qualifications (MQ) for this position. The MQSQ will be used to evaluate if the applicant possesses the required minimum qualifications. Public Defender’s Investigator Examination (100%): - Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will be invited to take a multiple-choice exam to determine your relative knowledge, skill and ability level in job-related areas. This is a standardized multiple-choice examination. In accordance with Civil Service Rule 111.11.4, inspection privileges do not apply to the questions and answers in this examination. The multiple-choice exam will be administered remotely. This computer-administered exam can be taken at home. Candidates must have access to a computer and reliable internet connection to participate in this exam. Candidates will be scheduled for a specific time and date to complete the examination. Candidates must achieve a passing score on the examination in order to be placed on the resulting eligible list. Candidate scores on this examination may also be applied to other announcements involving other job titles, when directed by the Human Resources Director. Knowledge of: applicable laws and legal techniques, principles and procedures used in con-ducting criminal defense investigations, and understanding and working with attorneys to understand the elements of and defenses to crimes as they relate to each particular case; Ability: review and analyze discovery in criminal and juvenile cases; identify, evaluate and collect information, data and evidence in the course of investigations; exercise discretion, independent judgment, critical thinking and problem solve in a timely and efficient manner; detect and uncover discrepancies and inconsistencies; prioritize work by planning and organizing multiple work assignment; work effectively and reliably in teams with attorneys, paralegals, other investigators, experts, and department support staff; establish rapport, and interact professionally; verbally communicate clearly and accurately with diverse groups of people, including clients, clients families, attorneys, department support staff, field contacts, institutional contacts, court personnel, law enforcement personnel, witnesses and the general public; communicate and express ideas in writing; use a working knowledge of vocabulary and grammar; prepare correspondence and reports in a clear understandable manner; pro-mote, establish and maintain a cooperative relationship with individuals, groups, officials, representatives and general public; interact tactfully, courteously and diplomatically with others; work effectively in an objective and impartial manner; with cultural sensitivity to various groups of people. Skill to: operate a motor vehicle and operate/ learn to operate computer equipment, electronic devices and investigation related equipment.Additional Information Eligible List/Score Report: A confidential eligible list of applicant names that have passed the civil service examination process will be created and used for certification purposes only. An examination score report will be established, so applicants can view the ranks, final scores and number of eligible candidates. Applicant information, including names of applicants on the eligible list, shall not be made public unless required by law. However, an eligible list shall be made available for public inspection, upon request, once the eligible list is exhausted or expired and referrals resolved. The eligible list/score report resulting from this civil service examination process is subject to change after adoption (e.g., as a result of appeals), as directed by the Human Resources Director or the Civil Service Commission. The duration of the eligible list resulting from this examination process will be eighteen (18) months and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director. Certification: The certification rule for the eligible list resulting from this examination will be Rule of Ten Scores (RO10). Additional selection processes may be conducted by the hiring department prior to making final hiring decisions. Score Banking: The score you achieve on this examination shall be valid and "banked" for three years, starting from the date of the examination. This means that, during this three-year time period, you will not be required to take this test again should you apply and be found eligible for a future announcement for which this particular test is used. If the test for this future announcement is held within one year of the date of this examination, your score will be automatically applied to that announcement. However, after one year, you have the option to either (a) apply your test score to th