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Police Chief

+ Type: Full Time

+ Salary/Pay Rate: $175,759 - $202,123/year

+ Posted Date: 09/25/2025

+ Deadline to Apply: 10/23/2025

Job Details Description

DepartmentPolice Department

Benefits Click here to review a Summary of Employee Benefits

Civil Service Status

This is a Civil Service position

Regular Hours

Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Evenings and weekends as required

Tentative Start Date To be determined

Job Summary

Under the general direction of the City Manager, the Police Chief provides leadership, management and oversight for the overall operation and activities of the Police Department. See Recruitment Brochure for additional information.

Recruitment Brochure

Deadline to Apply Thursday, October 23, 2025 @ 11:59 PM

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Criminal Justice/Public Administration/Business or related field.

• At least 10 years of related work experience in law enforcement management, operations, and administration.

• Graduate of one of the national police executive leadership schools such as SPI, SMIP, Northwestern, or the FBI National Academy.

• Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice/Public Administration/Business or related field preferred.

• Under the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy, the following standards must be met by the candidate:

1. Be a U.S. Citizen and a resident of Iowa or intend to become a resident upon being employed;

2. Be 18 years of age at the time of appointment;

3. Hold a valid Iowa driver's license;

4. Not be addicted to drugs or alcohol;

5. Be of good moral character as determined by a thorough background investigation including a fingerprint search conducted of local, state and national fingerprint files and have not been convicted of a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude;

6. Successfully pass physical fitness tests;

7. Not be opposed to use of force to fulfill duties;

8. Be a high school graduate or hold a GED certificate;

9. Have uncorrected vision of not less than 20/100 in both eyes, corrected to 20/20, and color vision consistent with the occupational demands of law enforcement;

10. Have normal hearing in each ear (hearing aids are acceptable if a candidate can demonstrate sufficient hearing proficiency to perform all necessary duties of a law enforcement officer);

11. Be examined by a physician and meet the physical requirements necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of a law enforcement officer;

12. Undergo psychological testing; and

13. Undergo cognitive (Basic Skills) testing.

See online job description for complete details.

Residency Requirement Must be a resident of the City of West Des Moines and maintain residency throughout the duration of employment.

Steps to Apply

Steps to Apply:

1. Profile: You MUST complete an online Applicant Profile. A link is provided below to our Online Application System.

2. Attachments: You must attach the following documents to your profile under the Apply For Job section (attachments are job specific, once you click Finish & Apply you will not be able to add any additional documents):

a) Resume

b) Cover Letter

Resume and cover letter must be attached to your application by the deadline date, October 23, 2025 at 11:59pm CDT to be considered for this position.

3. Qualifications/Certifications/Licenses : Under the Resume & Qualifications section, make sure to list any certifications or licenses you currently hold.

4. Applying for Position: Once you have completed your profile, you MUST apply for the position (The link to Finish & Apply is located on the Apply For Job section after you have completed your profile. Once you have applied, it will be listed under your My Applications tab. Any applications marked as Status: Incomplete, have not been submitted.).

All steps MUST be completed before the posted deadline to be considered for this position. We will not accept incomplete profiles. Communication throughout this process (including invitations to any examinations and/or interviews) will be made via the email supplied through the City's on-line application system. It is recommended to check your email "Junk" folder for emails from the City of West Des Moines. If you have any questions during the application process, please contact Human Resources at 515-222-3616 .

The City of West Des Moines is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The City does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sex, age, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, or disability.

Civil Service Exam An examination consisting of several steps will be administered for this position.

For applicants who provide all required materials and meet the minimum qualifications, the examination steps are as follows: application material review, preliminary background checks, oral board exams, final interview and performance assessment, in-depth background investigations, final review, and physical agility test (PAT) and a written examination (POST) if applicable.

Physical/Drug Test Post offer, pre-employment physical, drug test, and psychological evaluations are required.

Apply Here!City of West Des Moines Online Application System

Instructions & FAQ's

You will need to complete an online profile and apply for this position online. There areInstruction Sheets (https://www.wdm.iowa.gov/government/human-resources/employment/applying-for-a-job) under the Applying for a Job section of our City website as well as a number of topics in ourFAQ section. If after reviewing these help guides you still need additional help, please visit or contact Human Resources 515-222-3616 .

Please clickhere (https://www.wdm.iowa.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/43546#page=9) and go to section 2.9, page 5, to review the City of West Des Moines’ employment of relatives policy.

If you are currently employed with the City, please reference theInternal Instruction Sheetprior to applying. With questions, please contact Human Resources at 515-222-3616.

Contact Information

CITY OF WEST DES MOINES

Human Resources, 1st floor, Suite 1E

4200 Mills Civic Parkway

PO Box 65320

West Des Moines, IA 50265-0320

515-222-3616 (phone)

515-273-0601 (fax)