Correctional Officer

About the role

This position is located with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, District 3-Hopi Detention in Fort Duchesne, Utah; Keams Canyon, Arizona; McDermitt, Nevada; Owyhee, Nevada. This is a Bargaining Unit position, for more information see USA Jobs What are bargaining units? Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Maybe Authorized

What you will do

• Duties listed are at the full performance level at the GS-08.
• If selected at the lower level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform these duties and receive training to develop in the position.
• The position is demanding because the safety and security of the facility, staff and offender (including the offender care and control) are directly dependent on the officer's skills in the following areas: 1) booking and release procedures; 2) inmate behavior management; 3) leadership; 4) crisis prevention and intervention; 5) inmate health care and medication; 6) demonstration or fairness in all dealings with offenders through policy and procedures; 7) observation and supervision of inmates; 8) service referrals for programs and services; 9) documentation, logs and reports on inmate incident and management; and, 10) Transportation of inmates to court, medical, and other facilities.
• Enforces standard rules and regulations provided in Title 25 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 69 Bureau of Indian Affairs Manual (BIAM), Department of the Interior (DOI), Departmental Manual (OM) 446, governing the operations of the detention facilities and programs, and the confinement, safety, health, and protection of criminal offenders.
• Provides preliminary Interviews for physical and mental health with classification assessments.
• Upon admission provides criminal offenders with an orientation into the facility's rules and operating procedures through the Inmate Handbook.
• Coordinates, and supervises offender services, activities, and programs, (i.e., access to medical care, courts, mail, recreating, library, work programs, religious, food, laundry, and counseling services).
• Observe and supervise offender movement, conduct welfare checks and physical counts of inmates, maintains discipline and prevents the introduction of contraband in the facility and completes proper documentation.
• Instructs offenders in housekeeping, sanitation and in the proper use and care of tools and equipment used in sanitation and in the proper use and care of tools and equipment used in performing unskilled or semi-skilled work Inside or outside of the facility.
• Manages inmate behavior of offenders in need of supervision.
• This includes utilizing effective verbal interpersonal communication skills and proper documentation.
• Will make proper referrals to appropriate resources.
• Transports to court, medical and other facilities.
• Provides close supervision of the offender throughout the transport.
• Implements all safety aspects of facility emergency management plans to include fire and emergency evacuations.
• Provides for vehicle safety and security by providing defined offender supervision, searches, transportation, classification, and counts, along with maintaining fire safety, key control, perimeter security, and compliance with offender rules.
• Ensures that offenders are released from the facility according to established regulations and operational descriptions.
• Completes facility observation on maintenance that is needed by reporting and documenting to the supervisor that a repair is needed.
• As a correctional officer, accepts custody of Indian Country offenders from various law enforcement entities ensuring that document packages include valid criminal charges or proper release documents.
• While in custody of the program, officer is responsible for safeguarding of the offender and their personal belongings.
• If determined necessary, will escort the offender to appointments such as with the doctor, dentist, or medical clinics; or to Tribal, county, state and Federal detention institutions or other facilities when the need arises.

Education

If you are qualifying based on your education, you MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course.

All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement. If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.

One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis.

If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education which shows the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

For further information, visit: ***

How you will be evaluated

Your application package will be evaluated against the minimum qualification requirements specified above. In order to qualify, your resume must specifically describe your work history and the duties you performed in each position.

Your resume will be evaluated after the closing date of 11/16/2026 to determine whether you meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully, you must complete all required steps in the process.

In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessments, including USA Hire. These assessments measure the critical competencies required to successfully perform the job.

Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Detention Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Oral Communication Reading Comprehension Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Technical Competence If you meet the minimum qualifications requirements for this position, your application will be evaluated and rated under Category Rating selection procedures.

Once the application process is complete, a review of your qualifications will be conducted to determine if you are qualified for this job. Qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The quality categories are: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified.

Within each of these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-preference eligibles. Best Qualified: Applicants that possess all of the job related competencies identified as important for successful job performance.

Well Qualified: Applicants that possess a majority (i.e., more than half but not all) of the job related competencies needed for successful job performance. Qualified: Applicants meet the basic eligibility and minimum qualification requirements but do not meet the definition of Best Qualified or Well Qualified as described above.

Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 (Title 25, USC, Section 472). Verification Form BIA-4432 must be submitted with the application if claiming Indian Preference.

Indian Preference eligibles not currently employed in Federal service may be appointed under the Excepted Service Appointment Authority Schedule A, 213.3112(a)(7). Consideration will be given to Non-Indian applicants in the absence of qualified Indian Preference eligibles. For more information, please visit: ***

REVIEW BEFORE YOU SUBMIT: You may preview the assessment questions here in the ***

Documents you must provide

• Resume which details work experience including dates worked (mm/yy-mm/yy); position title; position series and grade (if federal service); work schedule; hours worked per week; relevant duties performed; supervisor with contact information, and 3 professional references and contact information (Do not include current/former supervisors), etc Please limit your resume to no more than 2 pages.
• If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.
• On-line Assessment Questionnaire Transcripts (if using education to qualify) - Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; however, an official transcript may be requested at a later time.
• BIA Form 4432 (if claiming Indian preference) Veteran's documentation - For 5-point veterans' preference, please provide your DD-214, Copy 4 that MUST show an Honorable Discharge (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty), official statement of service from your command if you are currently on active duty, or other official documentation (e.g., copy of military orders, campaign documents as or expeditionary award citation, etc.) proving your military service was performed under honorable conditions.
• For 10-point veterans' preference, you must submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference and the supporting documentation required by that form.
• If you are a disabled veteran you must submit a Veterans Affairs (VA) letter on VA letterhead that states your overall combined rating and a DD214 (copy 4) reflecting an honorable discharge.
• ALL DOCUMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 11:59 PM Eastern Time ON THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.
• If your application package is incomplete in any way, you will not be considered for this position, and requests for extensions will not be granted.
• Please double check your application package before you submit it.
• ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL NOT BE SOLICITED OR ACCEPTED BY THIS OFFICE.

Benefits

Related non-Federal experience or related experience as retired members of the uniformed services may be credited towards computing entitlement to leave accrual, at managerial discretion, providing that experience meets certain criteria. This provision allows new employees to earn annual leave at a higher rate than would otherwise be allowed. (5 Code of Federal Regulations, 630).

For additional information, please visit: Creditable Service for Annual Leave

What to expect next

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.

Additional information

All new hires earn the beginning salary of their pay grade (Step 1). See 2026 Salary Tables and select the pay chart for Fort Duchesne, Utah; Keams Canyon, Arizona; McDermitt, Nevada; Owyhee, Nevada. If no specific chart is listed for this geographic location, see the "rest of U.S." chart.

The full performance level of this position is GL-8. Promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. A career ladder promotion is at the discretion of management, and in no way guaranteed.

The probationary or trial period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service.

In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized.

In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated. Upon completion of your [probationary period -OR- trial period] your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application.

Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis.

If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision.

You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement.

To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (***)