Public Defender Investigative Assistant I/II/III

Description

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT
The mission of the County of Ventura Public Defender is to ensure equal justice for our clients by providing exceptional legal representation. Our office recognizes the value of having a diverse and inclusive workforce. We are committed to the professional development of every employee on every team so they, in turn, can help each of our clients achieve the best outcome in their case. Our clients are a diverse community, as well, and many suffer from negative social impacts of systemic racism. We honor the inherent dignity in every client by fighting for their rights. We are holistic and take the time to find out how we can help - both inside and outside the courtroom. Our staff includes experts in litigation and trial advocacy, as well as professionals who can help people address mental health and substance use disorder issues. We represent each client at all stages of their case, and our practice areas include Misdemeanor and Felony trial teams, Immigration, Writs and Appeals, Juvenile, and Mental Health, plus a number of specialty courts, including Conservatorship and Homeless Courts. Our office partners with community-based organizations in post-conviction litigation to clear records so our clients can avoid the stigma of a criminal conviction and find jobs. By helping people gain employment and reenter their communities, we enhance public safety and demonstrate our dedication to this community.

ABOUT THE POSITION
Under general supervision, incumbent performs limited to moderately complex general office and field duties in support of the investigation of criminal and conservatorship cases; assists in trial activities; and performs related duties as assigned.

Investigative Assistant I - This is the entry-level classification in the Investigative Assistant series and is distinguished from the Investigative Assistant II and III level of the series by the limited scope of responsibility and/or the limited variety and complexity of casework. The incumbent may be assigned to support a variety of defense efforts.

Investigative Assistant II - This is the journey-level classification in the Investigative Assistant series. The incumbent will work independently with a variety of moderately complex cases or with others on more difficult cases. It is distinguished from the Investigative Assistant III in that positions assigned to the advanced journey level classification work with a greater scope of responsibility.

Investigative Assistant III - This is the advanced journey level classification in the Investigative Assistant series. Incumbents at this level work independently with a greater scope of responsibility of complex casework and may be assigned to support a variety of defense efforts.

The Investigative Assistant classifications are distinguished from the Public Defender Investigator classification series in the scope and depth of assignments and responsibilities.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
The ideal candidate will have the ability to work independently, possess a strong commitment to persons accused of crimes, and have excellent verbal and written communication skills.

PAYROLL TITLE AND APPROXIMATE SALARIES
Investigative Assistant I: $43,680.00 - $61,354.20 Annually
Investigative Assistant II: $48,839.75 - $68,612.43 Annually
Investigative Assistant III: $52,179.67 - $73,462.39 Annually

EDUCATIONAL/BILINGUAL INCENTIVE
Incumbents may be eligible for an educational incentive of 2.5%, 3.5%, or 5% based on completion of an Associate’s, Bachelor’s, or Master’s degree that is not required for the classification. Incumbents may also be eligible for bilingual incentive depending upon operational need and certification of skill.

VETERAN’S POINTS
This is a trainee/entry level classification, and Veteran’s Point may apply to eligible candidates for the Investigative Assistant I classification.

The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill existing and future Regular (including Temporary and Fixed-Term), Intermittent, and Extra Help vacancies for this and similar positions only within the Public Defender's Office. There is currently one (1) Regular vacancy.

The Investigative Assistant I/II/III is represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and is eligible for overtime compensation.

NOTE: If appointed at the lower level, incumbent may be promoted to the higher level without further exam upon meeting the minimum requirements, demonstrating sustained meritorious performance, and in accordance with the business needs of the department.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
Opening Date: Thursday, February 05, 2026
Closing Date: Friday, February 20, 2026, at 5:00 pm
Application Review Complete: Week of March 02, 2026

Examples Of Duties

Duties may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Transports clients and witnesses to programs and/or other facilities including court.
• Interviews clients, relatives, and other witnesses to obtain and/or clarify statements, documents, and related factual evidence; prepares written reports of interviews conducted.
• Serves subpoenas and delivers legal documents.
• Researches information needed by investigators, attorneys, and others in defense of a legal case; reviews records for personal history or other information; prepares written reports of findings.
• Performs office or field data collection/investigations, conducts limited surveillance, identifies and locates witnesses, contacts clients for signatures, and takes photographs.
• Prepares charts and diagrams to provide information for court presentation; collects and organizes information and documents; may testify in court as necessary.
• Travels to facilities such as hospitals or locked psychiatric health facilities, within and outside Ventura County, to interview clients who have been classified as gravely disabled; interviews clients and witnesses to obtain information germane to the client's defense.
• Assists attorneys and investigators in court, and
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

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
Some (I), considerable (II), or extensive (III) experience in the investigation of civil and criminal cases which has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge, skills, and abilities. The required knowledge, skills, and abilities can be obtained by:

Investigative Assistant I

• Possession of the equivalent to an AA degree or sixty (60) semester units of academic coursework AND one (1) year of full-time related experience.

Substitution: Related experience may be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis up to a maximum of two (2) years. Thirty (30) semester units of additional academic coursework related to this position may be substituted for the required one (1) year of experience. Verification of qualifying coursework, including transcripts or other supporting documentation, may be required at the time of job offer.

Investigative Assistant II

• Possession of the equivalent to an AA degree or sixty (60) semester units of academic coursework AND two (2) years of full-time related experience; OR
• One (1) year as an Investigative Assistant I with the County of Ventura.

Substitution: Related experience may be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis up to a maximum of two (2) y ears. Sixty (60) semester units of additional academic coursework related to this position or the equivalent to a bachelor's degree related to this position may be substituted for the required two (2) years of experience. Verification of qualifying coursework, including transcripts or other supporting documentation, may be required at the time of job offer.

Investigative Assistant III

• Possession of the equivalent to an AA degree or sixty (60) semester units of academic coursework AND three (3) years of full-time related experience; OR
• One (1) year as an Investigative Assistant II with the County of Ventura.

Substitution: Related experience may be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis up to a maximum of two (2) years. Sixty (60) semester units of additional academic coursework related to this position or the equivalent to a bachelor's degree related to this position may be substituted for two (2) of the required three (3) years of experience. Verification of qualifying coursework, including transcripts or other supporting documentation, may be required at the time of job offer.

NOTE: Related experience iscriminal or civil investigative experience in a private organization, or experience gathering and analyzing information and submitting written findings and conclusions relating to criminal or civil investigations in a governmental organization such as the Sheriff's Department, Probation Agency, District Attorney, Public Defender, Human Services Agency, State Parole, or Federal Parole.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENT

• Must possess and maintain a valid California driver's license as a condition of employment.
• May be required to work evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Some positions allocated to this classification may require bilingual skills.

DESIRED

• Experience in the criminal defense field.
• Experience working with individuals and communities of various socioeconomic backgrounds including indigent and marginalized individuals.

Supplemental Information: The incumbent may be required to work in a variety of settings inside and outside of buildings including correctional facilities (e.g., prisons and jails) and community settings (e.g., client's homes, homeless camps, community clinics) which may include exposure to secondhand smoke, pets, unsanitary living conditions, and wet/dry weather conditions.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
Working (I), thorough (II), or comprehensive (III) knowledge of:

• The criminal justice system and the California Penal Code.
• Investigative procedures and techniques.
• Principles and techniques of interviewing.

Working (I/II), or comprehensive (III) ability to:

• Research and gather information.
• Analyze situations and adopt appropriate courses of action.
• Communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Serve subpoenas and legal documents in a timely and efficient manner.
• Work independently.

Recruitment Process

FINAL FILING DATE: Applications must be received by County of Ventura Human Resources in Ventura, California no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, February 20, 2026.

To apply on-line, please refer to our web site at www.venturacounty.gov/jobs. A paper application can be obtained by calling (805) 654-5129. Our address is County of Ventura Human Resources, 800 South Victoria Avenue L-1970, Ventura CA 93009.

NOTE TO TRANSFER CANDIDATES: If presently permanently employed in another “merit” or “civil service” public agency/entity in the same or substantively similar position as 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 (download PDF reader) for additional information.

NOTE TO APPLICANTS: Sufficient information must be provided under the Education/Work experience portion of the application and supplemental questionnaire to thoroughly and accurately demonstrate your qualifications to determine eligibility. A resume may be attached to supplement your responses in the above referenced sections; however, it 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 examination process to assist in determining each applicant's qualifications and acceptability for the position. Failure to complete and submit the questionnaire may result in the application being removed from further consideration.

APPLICATION EVALUATION - 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 examination process.

TRAINING & EXPERIENCE EVALUATION - 100%
A Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E) is a structured evaluation of the job application materials submitted by a candidate, including the written responses to the supplemental questionnaire. The T&E is NOT a determination of whether the candidate meets the stated requirements; rather, the T&E is one method for determining who are the better qualified among those who have shown that they meet the stated requirements. In a T&E, applications are either scored or rank ordered according to criteria that most closely meet the business needs of the department. Candidates are typically scored/ranked in relation to one another; consequently, when the pool of candidates is exceptionally strong, many qualified candidates may receive a score or rank which is moderate or even low resulting in them not being advanced in the process.

NOTE: The established eligible list will be created from the scores resulting from a Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E). In a typical T&E, your training and experience are evaluated in relation to the background, experience and factors identified for successful job performance during a job analysis. For this reason, it is recommended that your application materials clearly show your relevant background and specialized knowledge, skills, and abilities. It is also highly recommended that the supplemental questions within the application are completed with care and diligence providing all information requested. Examinees must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list.

ORAL EXAMINATION - 100%
A job-related oral examination may be conducted to evaluate and compare participating applicants’ knowledge, skills, and abilities in relation to those factors which job analysis has determined to be essential for successful performance of the job. Applicants 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, a T&E 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.

Candidates 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.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
The County of Ventura is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

For further information about this recruitment, please contact Rigo Caballero by email at Rigo.Caballero@venturacounty.gov or by telephone at (805) 662-6560.

YOUR BENEFITS AS A COUNTY OF VENTURA EMPLOYEE

Service Employees International Union (LOCAL 721)

(SEIU)

To learn more about Benefits, Retirement, and the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), see links below.

• Benefits website or you may call (805) 654-2570.
• Retirement FAQ's
• Memorandum of Agreement

Union Codes: UPA, UPC, UPE, UPH, UPI, UPJ,UPT, UWS

Closing Date/Time: 2/20/2026 5:00 PM Pacific

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• County of Ventura

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