Chief of Police Durham, NC
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Job Location:
Durham, NC - USA
Yearly Salary:
USD 230000 - 240000
Posted on:
20 hours ago
Vacancies:
1 Vacancy
Job Summary
About Us
Position Closes June 7th 2026
Are you a law enforcement executive who . . .
- Drives innovative public safety initiatives that lower crime rates and strengthen community trust through proactive data sharing and transparency
- Leads with confidence and command presence is visible within the organization and stands behind difficult decisions
- Can energize and grow a dedicated workforce while championing employee wellness and an engaged organizational culture
- Values input from staff empowers subject matter experts and fosters a culture where employees feel supported heard and accountable
- Builds trusted relationships with community stakeholders and diverse neighborhood groups listening to different perspectives and identifying the path forward that best serves the community.
If so the City of Durham is seeking a confident and adaptive executive to serve as its next Chief of Police at a critical point in the departments evolution.This is an opportunity to lead a CALEA-accredited high-profile agency during a transformative eragrowing and guiding a talented team through a shifting public safety landscape and shaping the future of policing in a premier North Carolina city.
The next Chief will step into a demanding and highly visible role that requires balancing continuing progress in crime reduction organizational stability and community expectations. The ideal candidate will be engaged and responsiveboth internally and externallywhile fostering a culture where employees feel supported valued and heard.With a wave of new talent joining the department the next Chief will play a key role in mentoring the next generation of leaders and building a modern sustainable workforce.
About the Community:
The City of Durham is located in the Research Triangle Region of North Carolina. The City of Durham is the County seat of Durham County. The City is grounded in research and development from the regions major research institutions and many private and federal labs have fueled business and economic growth and have made the region a world leader in life sciences information technology and clean technology.
Consistently ranked among the top places to live work and play Durham is a magnet for talent which helps attract innovative companies working in high-growth industries. Durham has a national reputation as the City of Medicine and has long been known for world-class medical facilities including top-ranked Duke University Medical Center and an industry-leading pharmaceutical sector. The healthcare industry in Durham includes more than 300 medical and health-related companies and medical practices with a combined payroll that exceeds $1.2 billion annually.
Durham has become a hotspot for entrepreneurs and high-tech startups propelled by the launch ofAmerican Underground a startup incubator and accelerator and the Durham Innovation District a planned mixed-use residential/retail/lab and workspace in Downtown Durham. Durham boasts a premier performing arts center and the Durham Bulls AAA baseball addition to Duke University Durham is home to North Carolina Central University the nations first public Historically Black College and University now a major center for biotech and bio-manufacturing R&D and Durham Technical Community College a key partner in preparing a competitive workforce. Private investment is flourishing redeveloping former tobacco and textile warehouses and historic buildings into exciting mixed-use developments filled with diverse and popular housing options restaurants artist studios retail spaces and small businesses.
The population of the City of Durham is317467and vastly diverse. Current expectations are that the population is projected to grow by 30% by 2050. Centrally located the City of Durham is a few hours drive from the beautiful North Carolina coast to the East and the Appalachian Mountains to the West.
Duties/Responsibilities
About the Organization:
The City of Durham operates under a Council/Manager form of government. The City Manager along with four Deputy and Assistant Managers lead approximately 2800 employees working across 25 departments. The CitysFY202526 budget totals $722 million including a $326.5 million General Fund with a property tax rate of 43.71 cents per $100 assessed budget prioritizes community safety employee compensation and core infrastructure ensuring continued delivery of essential services responsiveness to new demands and responsible funding of voter-approved investments like the $200 million Connect Durham bond program.The Citys day-to-day management and plan for future growth is managed by itsStrategic Planwhich sets the strategic priorities for the community.
The City prides itself on community engagement and offers multiple ways for the community to become involved and stay informed from 27 Advisory Boards and Commissions to state of the art communication tools such as an open data Web platform and social media to community surveys. Learn more about the City of Durhamhere.
About the Department and Position:
The Durham Police Department serves with a focus on reducing crime improving service delivery and enhancing public safety. Guided by its vision to be a progressive law enforcement agency the department emphasizes effective policing high-quality service and building public confidence while maintaining high standards across its operations.
The department is authorized for 531 sworn positions and currently employs 405 sworn officers supported by 133 of 145 authorized civilian (non-sworn) positions and 54 part-time staff reflecting ongoing recruitment needs. Organized into Patrol Services Investigative Services Administrative Services and the Office of the Chief the department supports a wide range of specialized units including criminal investigations community services and emergency response teams. Learn more about the departmenthere.
Reporting to the City Manager the Chief of Police oversees a budget of over $93 million and leads a senior staff that includes three deputy chiefs a Professional Standards Officer an Executive Officer and an Executive Assistant.
Key Position Priorities:
- Drive a robust recruitment and retention strategy ensuring officers have the support and resources they need to thrive and maintain a healthy work-life balance within a resilient organizational culture.
- Assess and optimize the departments structure and operations to identify and leverage modern efficiencies better align resources and strengthen patrol capacity. This includes making strategic decisions about staffing resource allocation and service delivery while continuing progress on key initiatives such as technology improvements and the departments strategic plan.
- Champion a safer Durham by advancing proactive intelligence-led strategies and fostering strong unified alliances across the region.
- Foster a unified and collaborative environment where open communication and equitable accountability drive peak operational performance.
- Cultivate lasting community trust and expand external partnerships through proactive engagement transparent communication and a compelling narrative of the departments positive impact
- Lead the police departments participation in a community-based city-wide violence reduction planning process being managed by the city department of Community Safety.
Qualifications
Qualifications:
Requiresa bachelors degree in criminal justice public administration or other relevant field
and 10 years of progressive law enforcement experience across functional areas such as patrol internal
affairs administration investigations etc. to include six to seven years professional management or related
experience in police administration including three to four years of related administrative supervisory
experience. Must possess current advancedNC LE certification or be eligible to acquire.A masters degree
and executive law enforcement training are preferred.Must have a valid NC drivers license or the ability to
obtain a valid NC drivers license within 60 days of relocating to NC.
Transfers:In-state candidates may transfer their law enforcement officer certification to another
agency in NC provided he/she has less than a 12-month break in service at time of -
state candidates with less than a three-year break in NC service may receive partial credit toward basic
law enforcement training. Out of state candidates who are serving or have served as a local or state
law enforcement officer must have successfully completed a basic law enforcement training course
accredited by the state from which they are transferring and cannot have a break in full-time service
exceeding three years at the time of appointment. Individuals with Federal law enforcement officer
certification who have not had a break in service exceeding three years at the time of appointment
may receive partial credit toward NC basic law enforcement training. NC does recognize and give
partial credit for military police (MP) training if the candidate has completed a formal military basic
training program and been awarded a military police occupational specialty rating and has served as a
military police officer for not less than two of the five years preceding the date of appointment.
The Successful Candidate:
- Demonstrates confidence and command presence as a visible decisive leader who can make tough decisions stand behind them and inspire both the organization and the public;
- Establishes the tone of professionalism and expectations for officers while maintaining a high standard across the organization;
- Exhibits integrity fairness and accountability ensuring discipline is consistent and without bias or influence;
- Promotes competency rewards hard work and reinforces that every employee contributes to the organizations success;
- Embraces a servant leadership mindsetsupporting employees while balancing the broader needs of the community;
- Enhances the professional experience for all staff by aligning assignments with employee strengths and ensuring every officer is empowered to succeed;
- Applies strong organizational and operational judgment to realign staffing strengthen patrol capacity prioritize calls for service and advocate for training and resources that support effective policing;
- Maintains an approachable transparent and communicative presence actively listening to staff and engaging meaningfully with the community;
- Builds strong relationships with City leadership and key partners while working collaboratively across a multi-agency public safety system;
- Brings a diverse executive background demonstrates sound judgment anddemonstrates high emotional intelligence practices self-reflection and leads with professional poise in a dynamic and evolving environment.; and
- Operates with patience professionalism and strong interpersonal skills in a complex and evolving environment.
Additional Information
Salary and Benefits
The anticipated hiring range for this position is $230000$240000 depending on qualifications and experience. The City offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes participation in the NC Local Government Employees Retirement System (LGERS) a 5% employer contribution to a 401(k) plan with no employee match required no-cost employee health insurance for the base plan city-subsidized dental coverage paid life insurance and AD&D equal to annual salary 12 weeks of paid parental leave 1213 paid holidays generous vacation and sick leave a wellness program with premium discount and an Employee Assistance Program. Relocation assistance may be available. Full benefits details are availableat this link.
To applyplease visit click on theChief of Police City of Durham NC title.
- All applications must be submitted online via the Developmental Associates application portal (link above) NOT the citys employment application portal or any other external website.
- Resumes and cover letters must be uploaded with the application.
- Applicants should apply by June 7 2026.
- Successful semi-finalists will be invited to participate in interviews and skill evaluation onJune 30 July 1 2026. Candidates are encouraged to reserve these dates for meetings should they be invited to participate.
- Interviews with the Executive Team will follow quickly at a subsequent time in person.
- Directinquiries to
The City of Durham is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The recruitment and selection process is being managed by Developmental Associates LLC.
Required Experience:
Chief
