District Attorney Investigator III

TheVentura County District Attorneys Office is the public prosecutor for the countys 850000 residents. Our office employs approximately 320 employees including attorneys investigators victim advocates and other professional staff who strive to seek justice ensure public safety and protect crime victims rights.

The Bureau of Investigation (BOI) employs 60 investigators who provide professional investigative support in criminal and civil matters to prosecutors handling cases in those areas and play a critical role in preparing cases for prosecution. The Bureau is staffed with a chief investigator a deputy chief investigator 3 commanders 8 supervising district attorney investigators district attorney investigators and investigative assistants.

Investigators serving within the Bureau are highly experienced and trained sworn peace officers who have been recruited from law enforcement agencies throughout California. Bureau investigators are available 24 hours a day and utilize the most advanced equipment to complete their assignments. Investigators within the Bureau may be called upon by their colleagues throughout the state and have been recognized as experts in a wide range of investigations from homicide to complex white-collar fraud schemes.

The Bureau of Investigation has three divisions: the Major Crimes Division the Major Fraud Division and the Administrative Division. The Major Crimes Division includes units that investigate major crimes homicides sexual assaults officer-involved shootings and domestic violence. The Major Fraud Division investigates financial crimes child abduction real estate fraud consumer and environmental protection cases workers compensation fraud and automobile insurance fraud. The Administrative Division includes the Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Unit Cyber Forensics Unit and Government Fraud Unit and handles various responsibilities including training background investigations internal investigations recruitment and policies and procedures.

BENEFITS/INCENTIVES

Ventura County offers an excellentcompensation and benefits package that helps support healthy peace officers and an effective work-life balance.The salary range for this position is $101887.46 to $172158.33 annually DOQ.

• General Salary increases (GSI) -3.5% effective December 20 2026 and December 19 2027.
• Market-Based Adjustments (MBA)- 1.00% effective January 3 2027 and 1.50% January 2 2028.
• Educational Incentive - 2.5% 3.5% or 5% based on the completion of an associates bachelors or masters degree or if qualified for POST certification; plus other premium/incentive/bonus payments
• Annual Leave - A candidate selected for this position will earn up to 160 hours of annual leave per year increasing to 200 hours after 5 years of service.
• Deferred Compensation - Eligible to participate in the Countys 401(k) Shared Savings Plan and/or the Section 457 Plan. This position is eligible for up to a 2.5% match on your 401(k) contributions.
• Health Plans- Biweekly contribution towards a flexible benefits program (including medical dental and vision insurance options)
• Wellness Program Virtual fitness classes wellness profile health coaching health club discounts and online health education with opportunities earn Wellthy Rewards.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides professional and confidential mental health counseling support for employees and their immediate family if needed.
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Pre-tax benefit towards eligible medical dental and vision care expenses.
• Pension Plan- Participation in the Countys defined benefit pension plan. If eligible you may establish reciprocity with other public retirement systems such as CalPERS.
• Bilingual Incentive Proficiency levels by exam are $1.38 per hour (Basic) and $2.81 per hour (Advanced).
• Holidays - 12 paid days per year and a scheduled floating holiday.
• Uniform Clothing Allowance An allowance of $1106 on November 1st of each year.
• Textbook and Tuition - Up to a maximum of $2000 per fiscal year in accordance with the memorandum of agreement.

Duties may include but are not limited to the following:
District Attorney Investigator I

• Conducts criminal civil and special investigations of average difficulty for the District Attorneys Office Sheriffs Office Municipal Police Agencies and the Grand Jury; gathers preserves and analyzes evidence and prepares reports.
• Conducts field investigations surveillances; searches crime scenes; interviews and interrogates complainants suspects witnesses and other persons to obtain statements documents and related factual evidence.
• Assists attorneys in the preparation and presentation of cases during court or Grand Jury proceedings. Serves subpoenas; coordinates the appearance of witnesses at trial and explains court procedures.
• Testifies in court and other legal proceedings regarding evidence and investigative findings.
• Investigates the personal background of complainants suspects witnesses and employee applicants.
• Arrests suspected criminals; writes and serves search/arrest warrants and other court processes.
• Operates technical investigative equipment such as audio recorders cameras and electronic sound equipment.
• Acts as a liaison and coordinates investigative activities with law enforcement officers from various agencies.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

• May plan and conduct more difficult and complex criminal civil and special investigations for the District Attorneys Office Sheriffs Department Municipal Police Agencies the Grand Jury; gathers preserves and analyzes evidence and prepares reports.

These are minimum entrance requirements to the examination process and assure neither continuance in the process nor placement on an eligible list.

EDUCATION TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:
District Attorney Investigator I
Some experience in criminal investigation which has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge skills and abilities. The required knowledge skills and abilities also can be obtained by completion of a Bachelors degree in criminal justice or a related field and at least one (1) year of criminal investigation experience in a government law enforcement agency. Additional investigative experience in a government law enforcement agency may be substituted for the college education on a year-for-year basis up to a maximum of four (4) years.

District Attorney Investigator II
Considerable experience in criminal investigation which has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge skills and abilities. The required knowledge skills and abilities also can be obtained by completion of a Bachelors degree in criminal justice or a related field; formal training in the California Rules of Evidence and in evidence accumulation and presentation at trial and at least two (2) years of criminal investigation experience in a government law enforcement agency. Additional experience may be substituted for the college requirement on a year-for-year basis up to a maximum of four (4) years.

NecessarySpecial Requirements:

• Must possess a valid California drivers license.
• Must possess a current California P.O.S.T. Basic Certificate as described in the regulations of the Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training.
• Must be at least twenty-one (21) years of age.
• Must have completed the training requirements specified in California Penal Code Section 832(a) or be exempt from such training by virtue of California Penal Code Sections 832(d) (such training deals with the exercise of power to arrest and the use and care of firearms).

Some (I) to considerable (II) knowledge of the: substantive and procedural California Criminal Civil and Juvenile laws and the modern techniques and practices of criminal investigation; laws of arrest search and seizure warrant and subpoena service rules of evidence and the admissibility of confessions and witnesses statements; functions and extent of authority of the District Attorneys Office; resources and techniques available in public and private criminal scientific laboratories and the latest medical-legal techniques in criminal investigation.

Some (I) to considerable (II) knowledge of: community-based policing and collaborative problem solving between community residents and law enforcement.

Skill and ability to: gather analyze correlate and evaluate observed facts and evidence; work effectively with co-workers members of the public and members of other law enforcement and government agencies; to effectively communicate verbally and in writing.

Ability to: have accurate recall of investigated witnesses and situations; use good judgment and maintain a high level of mental alertness in the course of completing assigned work; establish and maintain effective relations with members of the Office other agencies the law enforcement community and the public including community policing collaborative problem solving and identifying/avoiding bias.

Knowledge and ability to: read and comprehend various written materials including legal documents.

Knowledge skill and ability to: operate vehicles and electronic equipment.

Knowledge skill and ability in the use and care of firearms.

Thorough knowledge of: the unique and various functions of the District Attorneys Office.

FINAL FILING DATE: Applications must be received by County of Ventura Human Resources in Ventura California no later than 11:59 p.m. on February 20 2026.

To apply online please refer to our website at If you prefer to fill out a paper application form please call for application materials and submit them to County of Ventura Human Resources 800 South Victoria Avenue L-1970 Ventura CA 93009.

NOTE: 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 clickhere for additional information.

Sufficient information must be provided under the Education/Work Experience portion of the application and supplemental questionnaire if applicable to thoroughly and accurately demonstrate your qualifications in order to determine eligibility. A resume may be attached to supplement your responses in the above 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 applicants qualificationsfor the position. Failure to complete and submit the questionnairemay result in removal of the applicationfrom 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: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 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 selection process will likely consist of an Oral Exam which may be preceded or replaced with the score from a Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E) contingent upon the size and quality of the candidate 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. Responses such as See Resume or Refer to Resume are not acceptable and may disqualify an applicant from further evaluation.

ORAL EXAMINATION/ EXAMINATION - 100%: A job-related examination will 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.

A verification email/letter will be sent confirming the test schedule and location details. All exams and interviews will be conducted in person at the District Attorneys Office Ventura CA. There will be no telephonic/virtual exams.

NOTE: If there are three (3) or fewer qualified applicants an oral examination may 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.

SELECTION INTERVIEWS:Once the eligible list is established applicants will be invited to a selection interview for further continuation in the process.

Candidates successfully completing the examination process may be placed on an eligible list for a period of six (6) months.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: PRIOR TO ACTUAL APPOINTMENT FROM THE ELIGIBLE LIST THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE WILL BE REQUIRED TO PASS A THOROUGH BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION CONDUCTED BY THE DISTRICT ATTORNEYS BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION. BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION FINDINGS MAY BE A BASIS FOR REMOVAL FROM THE ELIGIBLE LIST. TO SPEAK TO A BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION REPRESENTATIVE CONCERNING THE BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION PROCESS CALL .

MEDICAL/PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAMINATIONS: In accordance with Government Code Section 1031 candidates who receive a conditional job offer will have their physical emotional and mental health evaluated and must be free from any condition which might adversely affect the exercise of the powers of a peace officer or performance of the duties of this position.

For further information about this recruitment please contact Terri Anderson by email at or phone at .

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.