Public Defender Investigator/Trainee

Job Description:

Public Defender Investigator/Trainee

Description

The Job

SALARY INCREASES

Employees are eligible for merit-based step increases within the salary range, up to the maximum step. Refer to the General MOU for details.

Exciting Opportunity To Work With The County's Public Defender Team

Receive 14 Paid Holidays

Generous Vacation and Sick Time

LOAN FORGIVENESS

San Bernardino employees may be eligible for student loan forgiveness through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. For more details, review here.

The Office of the Public Defender is recruiting for Public Defender Investigators who conduct difficult and complex investigations in support of Public Defender operations. Incumbents manage an assigned investigative caseload and perform a full range of criminal investigations, including those of a complex nature requiring a broad scope of investigative techniques and a high degree of initiative, judgment, and independence of action. The Law Offices of the Public Defender adopts a holistic approach to its client representation.


About The Public Defender's Office

The Law Offices of the Public Defender San Bernardino County is a county department that is staffed with attorneys licensed by the State Bar of California. The attorneys who handle cases in court are called Deputy Public Defenders. In addition to attorneys, the Public Defender employs Investigators to fully investigate cases handled by the Department. The Department also has a unit of social service practitioners and support staff to ensure the best holistic representation for clients.

The Public Defender will be appointed to represent any criminal or civil commitment defendant who cannot afford to hire an attorney, unless the office has a legal conflict of interest with that defendant’s case. The Public Defender represents adults and juveniles charged with misdemeanor or felony crimes, and individuals facing involuntary civil commitment for mental disorders or commitment under the Sexually Violent Predator statute.

The Law Offices of the Public Defender San Bernardino County is a leader in innovation, developing and implementing programs to operate more efficiently and improving individual lives. Using a holistic approach, the Public Defender seeks to increase client opportunities for achieving self-sufficiency. In addition to providing legal defense, our agency also seeks to arrange client access to social service programs and assistance with receiving alcohol and drug rehabilitation services and counseling for mental health issues.

Public Defender Investigator Trainees ($70,096.00 - $94,140.80 annually) work under training conditions while acquiring the knowledge and skills required for promotion to Public Defender Investigator ($80,579.20 - $110,947.20 annually).

Your application will be reviewed for eligibility for the Public Defender Investigator and Public Defender Investigator Trainee levels. Job offers for the initial appointment may be made at any level based on qualifications and department needs. It is to your advantage to be explicit with your work history on your application. You may indicate your levels of interest on the supplemental questionnaire.

The resulting eligible list may be used to fill vacancies as they occur throughout San Bernardino County.

The County offers an Excellent Benefits Package

To review job-specific benefits, refer to:

Summary of Benefits

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

1) A background investigation will be conducted, including a DOJ/FBI fingerprint check and drug screening.

2) A valid California Class C Driver License is required to carry out the essential job-related functions of this position. Mileage reimbursement and proof of automobile liability insurance must be maintained. (This language as appropriate)

3) All position locations are subject to rotation based on the needs of the department. Offices are located throughout the County.

4) Trainees must demonstrate successful work performance to qualify for promotion to Public Defender Investigator within 9 months or be terminated.

5) Sponsorship : San Bernardino County is not able to consider candidates who will require visa sponsorship at the time of application or in the future.

Minimum Requirements

Applicants must qualify under one of the following options:

Public Defender Investigator
Option A:
Two (2) years of full-time investigative experience as a Public Defender Investigator.

A Public Defender Investigator is defined as a paid full-time criminal defense investigator employed by a county, state or federal public defender. To qualify under this requirement a candidate must have accrued the requisite years of experience as a government employee.

Option B:
Three (3) years of full-time investigative experience with primary responsibility for conducting investigations for a local, state or federal government agency.

Option C:
Three (3) years of full-time licensed investigator experience AND possession of a current private investigator license issued by the State of California Department of Consumer Affairs, Bureau of Security and Investigative Services.

Substitution:
A bachelor's degree or higher in Criminology, Criminal Justice, Administration of Justice, Police Science, Psychology, Behavioral Science or Law may substitute for up to one (1) year of the required experience.

Public Defender Investigator Trainee Option A:
One (1) year of full-time investigative experience with primary responsibility for conducting investigations for a city, county, state or federal government agency.

Option B:
Two (2) years of experience working in a Public Defender's Office with confidential clients as an Investigative Technician or Social Worker.

Option C:
Possession of a current private investigator license issued by the State of California Department of Consumer Affairs, Bureau of Security and Investigative Services.

Option D:

Completion of a Bachelor's degree or higher in Criminology, Criminal Justice, Administration of Justice, Police Science, Psychology, Behavioral Science or Law.

Desired Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have excellent oral and written communication skills as well as exceptional interpersonal skills, with the ability to interview withdrawn, hostile or otherwise challenging persons. The ideal candidate will have high ethical standards and outstanding collaborative skills. Superior computer skills and experience with iPads and tablets are also highly desirable.

Bilingual candidates are encouraged to apply and may receive additional compensation for bilingual skills. (Testing may be required.)

Selection Process

Application Procedure : There will be a competitive evaluation of qualifications based on the information provided in the Application and the Supplemental Questionnaire. You are encouraged to include detailed descriptions of your qualifying experience, as only the most highly qualified applicants will be referred to the Department. Please ensure all relevant experience is indicated in the Application and responses to the Supplemental Questionnaire, as resumes and other attachments will not be reviewed for the competitive evaluation.

Completing your application with statements such as "see/refer to resume" or "see attached" rather than completing your work history may affect your eligibility or competitive evaluation score. Be sure to clearly describe your experience in meeting the minimum requirements.

Please complete and submit the online employment application and supplemental questionnaire by 5:00 pm on Friday, March 20, 2026. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of the application and/or supplemental questionnaires.

To ensure timely and successful submission of your online application, please allow ample time to complete and submit your application before the posted filing deadline. Applicants will be automatically logged-out if they have not submitted the application and all required materials prior to the posted deadline. Once your application has been successfully submitted you will receive an onscreen confirmation and an email. We recommend that you save and/or print these for your records. Please note: if you do not receive an onscreen confirmation and an email acknowledging our receipt of your application, we have not received your application.

Additional Information and Resources:

If you need technical assistance, review the Government Jobs online application guide or contact their Toll-Free Applicant Support line at (855) 524-5627. Please note that Human Resources is not responsible for any issues or delays caused by your internet connection, computer, or browser when submitting an application.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) / Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): San Bernardino County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Americans with DisabilitiesAct (ADA) compliant employer, dedicated to ensuring equal employment opportunities for allemployees and applicants.

ADA Accommodation: If you have a disability and need accommodations during the testing process, please submit the Special Testing Accommodations Request Form within one week of the recruitmentfiling deadline.

Veterans’ Preference: Eligible veterans and their spouses or widows/widowers who are not current County employees may receive additional Veterans' Preference points. For details and instructions on how to request these points, please refer to the Veterans' Preference Policy .

For more important details, review the Applicant Information and County Employment Process .

Technical & Inspection Unit

San Bernardino County offers a range of benefit programs for employees and their eligible dependents. These include health, dental, vision, and life insurance, as well as a variety of other voluntary benefits. Programs and benefit amounts vary and are based on bargaining unit, family size, hire date, plan selection, and number of hours worked.

Please review the appropriate Summary of Benefits * for more information

Refer to the appropriate MOU, contact the County’s Employee Benefits and Services Division at (909) 387-5787 or visit the Employee Benefits website for more detailed information.

*Retirement benefits subject to change.

Closing Date/Time: 3/20/2026 5:00 PM Pacific

Salary:

$70,096.00 - $110,947.20 Annually