Job Description:
District Attorney Investigator I
Description
Position InformationThe District Attorney's Office seeks a skilled criminal investigation professional to become a District Attorney Investigator I!Starting salary negotiable up to $64.45/hour ($134,514/year) and a competitive total compensation package!*
What We Offer Working at the County of Sonoma offers expansive opportunities for growth and development, the ability to be a part of a challenging and rewarding work environment, and the satisfaction of knowing you're working to better our communities. You can also look forward to flexible work arrangements and excellent benefits* including:
- Hybrid Telework - A schedule that meets the needs of our staff, department operations, and the communities we serve may be available depending on the assignment
- Salary Advancement - A salary increase after 1,040 hours (6 months when working full-time) for good work performance; eligibility for a salary increase for good performance every year thereafter, until reaching the top of the salary range
- Career Advancement - With time and good performance, the opportunity for advancement to District Attorney Investigator II (up to $153,111.12/annually)
- Paid Time Off - Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals, 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year
- County Paid Health Premium Contributions - 100% premium contribution for the majority of employee-only and employee + family health plan options
- Staff Development/Wellness Pay - Annual benefit allowances of up to $850 and ongoing education/training opportunities
- Post-Retirement Health Reimbursement Arrangement - County contributions to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits
- Retirement - A pension fully integrated with Social Security
- Paid Parental Leave - May be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) after 12 months of County employment
- Standby Pay - 14% of base salary
Working as a District Attorney (DA) Investigator I The District Attorney's Office is dedicated to providing the community with a safe place to live, while seeking truth and justice in a professional and ethical manner. As a District Attorney Investigator I, you will conduct investigations into both criminal and civil cases. You will have a variety of duties that include office work, off-site outreach, surveillance, court testimony, conferences, and training. This position has a standard 8am-5pm or 9/80 schedule as well as overtime on an as needed basis. You will be subject to call-outs to assist local law enforcement agencies with complex investigations and make arrests as necessary. Other duties will include:
- Writing detailed investigation reports based upon reviewing outside agency reports, interviewing witnesses, viewing evidence, and interrogating suspects
- Serving civil papers and making arrests as necessary
- Investigating, locating, and ensuring victims and witnesses are available for interviews and court dates
- Conducting home visits and in-the-field surveillance to obtain information pertinent to the prosecution of cases
- Investigating locations and scenes of alleged crimes for evidence and to evaluate physical, material, and environmental factors relevant to cases
- Photographing and preparing charts and diagrams of crime scenes and events
- Participating in multi-jurisdictional task forces
- Presenting findings and evaluations to the District Attorney and/or Deputy District Attorney
The District Attorney Investigator I will be required to occasionally wear a uniform consisting of safety gear utilized to make arrests or public contacts and will be required to carry a firearm at all times while on-duty. The person hired for this position is expected to work in all weather conditions and may be subject to working extended hours, weekends and holidays.
The ideal candidate for the DA Investigator II will have recent (within the past year) experience as a full-time law enforcement officer in California (as defined by Penal Code section 830.1), and possess many of the following:
- Significant criminal investigations experience (at least three years) involving fraud and other financial related crimes, computer crimes, property crimes, homicides, traffic collisions, environmental crimes, narcotics, crimes against children, sexual assault, human trafficking, domestic violence, gang crimes, or other violent crimes
- Strong working knowledge of investigative techniques, interviewing principles, and principles of identifying and presenting evidence
- Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
- Working knowledge of financial record keeping
- The ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with the general public and staff
- Experience in environmental crime investigations
- Bilingual (English/Spanish) skills are not required but highly desirable
The most qualified candidate will possess advanced POST certification. Proof of a valid advanced POST certification qualifies employees for a 6.75% premium increase to the hourly base salary. *Salary is negotiable within the established range. Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can be found in the Sonoma County Law Enforcement Association Memorandum Of Understanding (SCLEA MOU) and our Employee Benefits Directory .
This recruitment is being conducted to fill a full-time District Attorney Investigator I position in the District Attorney's Office. This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time, part-time, or extra-help (temporary) positions as they occur during the active status of the list.
Qualified County employees who wish to be considered for future positions should consider applying to this recruitment. APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.Minimum QualificationsExperience and Education: Four years of recent, full time paid law enforcement work with a city, county, state or federal police agency. Experience in criminal or civil investigations, and academic course work or professional training in the behavioral sciences, law enforcement, and the techniques of investigations is highly desirable.
License: Possession of a valid driver's license at the appropriate level including special endorsements, as required by the State of California, may be required depending upon assignment to perform the essential job functions of the position.
Certificate: Possession of Basic Certificate issued by the California Commission on Peace Officer's Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.). Prior to the expiration of the probationary period, incumbents must also acquire a certificate of completion of the training required by POST for District Attorney Investigators.
Knowledge, Skills, and AbilitiesWorking knowledge of: investigative techniques; interviewing principles and techniques; the principles of identification and the presentation of evidence; civil and criminal law; criminal attitudes and behavioral patterns and the social factors underlying criminal behavior; the penal, evidence, probate, and civil codes, as well as the code of civil procedure; the English language, its usage, syntax and grammatical structure; the legal rights of citizens as they pertain to the judicial process; legal procedures and the rules of evidence.
Some knowledge of: financial record keeping.
Ability to: conduct effective field investigations; analyze and interpret laws relating to investigations; establish and maintain effective working relationships with the general public and staff; obtain information through interview, interrogation and observation; enforce the law firmly, impartially and with tact; prepare basic factual reports in both written and oral formats; care for and use firearms when required.
Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying- Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
- You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
- You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
- Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.
Please visit Getting a Job with the County of Sonoma to review more detailed information about the hiring process, including the application process, examination steps, and department selection process.
APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.Responses to supplemental questions will be scored using position-specific criteria. Please provide specific and detailed responses of a reasonable length to allow for a thorough assessment of your qualifications. Responses that state, "See Resume" or "See Application" may be considered insufficient and therefore may not be scored.The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:
An
Application & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (weight 100%) will be conducted to evaluate each applicant's application and supplemental questionnaire for satisfaction of minimum qualifications (pass/not pass); and for educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities which relate to this position. Each applicant will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Relevance of work history, related experience, and achieved level of education and/or training as described in the application and responses to the supplemental questions.
Candidates demonstrating possession of the minimum qualifications will be placed on an employment list in order of most qualified to least qualified based on the achieved score received in the Application & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination which evaluates the education, training, experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, and other qualifications that you demonstrate in your application and/or response to the supplemental questionnaire. Please be aware that resumes and cover letters are not typically evaluated in the Application & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination. Scores may be adjusted based on such factors as the number of candidates, anticipated vacancies, past practice, and natural breaks in the scores achieved by this group of candidates.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONA background investigation is required prior to employment. Candidates referred to departments for a selection interview are typically required to sign authorization and release forms enabling such an investigation. Failure to sign prescribed forms will result in the candidate not being considered further for that vacancy. Reference information will not be made available to applicants.
Additional requirements, such as successful completion of a physical exam, drug screen, etc., may apply, depending on the duties and responsibilities of the position. If you receive a conditional job offer for the position, the requirements upon which the offer is contingent will be outlined in the conditional job letter. You may also review the Job Classification Screening Schedule to determine the requirements for this position.
HOW TO APPLYApplications are accepted online at www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org . Paper applications may be submitted by person, fax (707-565-3770), email, or through the mail. All applications and appropriate supplemental information as outlined in the job bulletin must be RECEIVED by the time and date specified on the first page of this job announcement. Applications received after the recruitment closes will not be accepted.
The County of Sonoma values diversity and is dedicated to creating a workplace environment that provides individuals with a sense of belonging. We are committed to having a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. The County is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer where all aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance, and business need.
HR Analyst: DP
HR Technician: KK
IMPORTANT NOTE: Benefits described herein do not apply to Extra Help positions.
COUNTY OF SONOMA BENEFITS: GENERAL*These are some of the excellent benefits the County offers:
Paid Time Off :Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals, 12 paid holidays, and may be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) of Paid Parental Leave after 12 months of County employment.
Health Plan :Choose from nine health plans (three HMOs, three deductible HMOs, and three HSA-qualifying plans) with a generousCounty contribution to the premium (the contribution amount varies by bargaining unit). For more information, please see the appropriate MOU.
Retirement :Fully integrated with Social Security.For more information regarding eligibility, retirement contributions, and reciprocity with prior public service, please visit https://scretire.org/active-/-deferred/when-you-are-hired .
IRS 457 Plan : Pre-tax employee contribution up to the IRS annual maximum.
Retiree Medical : County contribution to a Health Reimbursement Arrangement to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits.
Student Loan Debt Relief :County employees may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness through the U.S. Department of Education.
Plus excellent dental, vision, disability, life insurance, professional development, and more.
For answers to specific questions regarding the employment process and more details about benefits or retirement, please contact Human Resources at (707) 565-2331.Additional details about benefit and compensation packages can be found in the MOUs located at https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/administrative-support-and-fiscal-services/human-resources/divisions-and-units/employee-relations/labor-agreements-and-salary-resolution . For specific information about health and welfare benefits including plan options, coverage, and premium amounts go to https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/administrative-support-and-fiscal-services/human-resources or, contact the Human Resources' Risk Management-Benefits Office at benefits@sonoma-county.org or (707) 565-2900.
*IMPORTANT NOTES: Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice.
Closing Date/Time: 5/8/2025 11:59 PM Pacific
Salary:
$110,679.97 - $134,514.88 Annually