Background Investigator

Job Description

The Job

San Bernardino County's Probation Department is recruiting for Background Investigators who obtain information on potential employees in order to determine their suitability for safety and general positions in a law enforcement environment. Essential functions include: Conduct personal interviews with potential new hires; explain background process; review personal history statements and determine suitability for employment based on department standards and legal requirements; Use departmental guidelines and established background procedures, conduct background investigations on potential employees, including interviews with personal references and prior employers; check credit and criminal history, educational achievements, birth, age, military, DMV records, and prepare written reports supporting either the hiring or disqualification of potential employees.

For more detailed information, please refer to the Background Investigator job description.

EXCELLENT BENEFITS

To review job-specific benefits, refer to: Summary of Benefits and the Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) .

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Background: Candidates must not have been convicted of a felony and must successfully pass an extensive background investigation which includes a fingerprint check and polygraph .

Certificate: Incumbent must successfully complete a certified program in Background Investigation for Public Safety and Peace Officers within three (3) months of employment, or be terminated.

Travel: Travel throughout the County may be required and employees will be required to make provisions for such transportation.

Body Art Policy: While on duty, employees shall not have visible body modifications or body art, including but not limited to tattoos, piercings, stretching, branding, beading or implantation, and scarification. All body art must be completely covered while on duty by clothing, a skin-colored patch no larger than three (3) inches by three (3) inches, or skin-colored cosmetic makeup.

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 meet one of the following options:

Option 1: One (1) year of full-time equivalent experience with primary responsibility for conducting pre-employment background investigations in a law enforcement environment.


Option 2: Two (2) years of full-time equivalent experience with primary responsibility for conducting pre-employment background investigations.


Option 3: Two (2) years of full-time equivalent experience with primary responsibility for conducting criminal investigations in a law enforcement environment. (Equivalent to a detective, investigator, probation or parole officer; investigative experience as a patrol officer is not qualifying.)

Desired Qualifications

POST Intermediate or POST Advanced certificates or completion of a certificated program or course in Background Investigation for Public Safety and Peace Officers are highly desired.

Selection Process

Examination 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 and skills, as only the most highly qualified applicants will be referred to the Department.

Application Procedure : Please complete and submit the online employment application and supplemental questionnaire for consideration before the posted deadline. 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 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.

If you need technical assistance, follow this link to 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 (Download PDF) 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: 10/2/2026 5:00 PM Pacific