Deputy Sheriff, Recruit (Entry-Level)

Clackamas County; Oregon City (OR); On-site; USD 79,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

PERS retirement program

Vacation accrual + holidays

Job summary

Clackamas County Sheriff's Office in Oregon City seeks candidates for Deputy Sheriff, Recruit. The role is to join a pool of eligible applicants for current and future vacancies, requiring ORPAT testing and Frontline written/video exams, with progression to the Deputy Sheriff, Recruit classification after successful DPSST and field training.

Applicants must meet minimum qualifications, including age, citizenship, education, background checks, and legal firearm possession.

Qualifications

• Must be 21 years of age by employment date.
• Must be a United States citizen or become one within 18 months.
• High school diploma, GED or bachelor degree from an accredited institution.
• Must be legally able to possess a firearm.

Responsibilities

• Assist in investigations and patrols as directed by supervisors.
• Learn and perform procedures for reports, arrests, and court filings.
• Serve subpoenas and warrants; interact with the public professionally.
• Attend and complete background, testing, and training requirements.

Job description

CLACKAMAS COUNTY

Clackamas County employees work to serve the public and enrich our community. Clackamas County is committed to building a community where people thrive, have a sense of safety, connection, and belonging, so that everyone is honored and celebrated for the richness in diversity they bring. We encourage applicants of diverse backgrounds and lived experience to apply.

Clackamas County is in a prime location in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area and is recognized nationally as one of the most livable areas in the United States. Located on the southern edge of the City of Portland and extending to the top of Mt. Hood, Clackamas County is part of a thriving region in the Northwest. It has a population of about 420,000 residents.

CLOSE DATE

Job Posting closes at 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time) on November 2, 2026.

Compensation

Annual Pay Range: $79,142.50

Hourly Pay Range: $38.049280

After approximately one year of employment, successful completion of the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) Academy and the CCSO Field Training and Evaluation Program (FTEP) Deputy Sheriff, Recruit employees are moved to the Deputy Sheriff ($39.92 - $51.13 per hour) classification.

Job Details And Qualifications

The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office is actively recruiting highly motivated, self-directed candidates with strong communication and interpersonal skills to create a pool of candidates eligible for current and future Deputy Sheriff, Recruit vacancies.

Applicants must do the following by the close date of this recruitment

Complete the full Oregon Physical Abilities Test (ORPAT) which includes the dummy drag and push/pull and have the results sent to Clackamas County Sheriff's Office. Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office does not accept modified or abbreviated ORPAT results. Testing is available through the National Testing Network at the Brooklake campus of Chemeketa Community College or with Clackamas County Sheriff's Office. Detailed dates and times we will offer are below in the "Important Information" section. If you've already taken ORPAT with another agency these results are not shared automatically. You may request the agency send us the results of your ORPAT (we will not accept test results directly from you). Results must be received prior to the close date to determine if the test meets our testing standards. Abbreviated testing which does not include the push/pull and dummy drag will NOT be accepted. Results may be sent to Lyndie Hamlin at [e-mail].

Complete the Frontline written/video exam and transfer their scores to Clackamas County by the close date of the recruitment on November 2, 2026, or upload a transcript if they have a Bachelor's level degree or higher at time of application submission.

Testing is available through the National Testing Network (NTN) and can be completed online at home as well as several locations in and out of the state.

Results are good for 12 months.

Applicants MUST BE AT LEAST 21 YEARS OF AGE by the date of employment.

Visa Sponsorship: Clackamas County does not offer visa sponsorships. Once a job applicant has accepted a position, they will be required to complete an I-9 and confirm authorization to work in the United States prior to their first day.

All Sheriff's Office positions require a complete Statement of Personal History (SPH).

Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications for the position they are applying for will need to submit the SPH. Please closely review the "Important Information" section for full details.

Applicants will receive instructions from the Department of Human Resources or the Sheriff’s Office on how to login to the electronic SPH.

Required Minimum Qualifications / Transferrable Skills

• Must be 21 years of age by the date of employment.
• Must be a United States citizen or be one within eighteen (18) months of hire.
• Must possess a high school diploma, GED certificate of high school equivalency, or a bachelor degree from an accredited institution.
• Must be free from criminal convictions other than minor traffic violations.
• Must be willing to be fingerprinted and have fingerprints filed with the State.
• Must be legally able to possess a firearm.
• Visual and Hearing Acuity: Must meet the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training requirements as detailed in Oregon Administrative Rules (OARs) 259-0080000.
• Must be able to be certified as a Civilian Police Officer/Deputy by the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training.
• Must meet the Minimum Standards for Employment as a Law Enforcement Officer as provided for in Oregon Administrative Rules (OARs) 2590080010.
• Must meet the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office tattoo policy. See our FAQ's for details https://www.joinccso.com/faq
• Must successfully pass the Frontline exam through National Testing Network.
• Must successfully pass the Oregon Physical Abilities Test (ORPAT).
• Ability to understand and follow directions.
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships.
• Must pass a post-offer, pre-employment drug test
• Must pass an extensive background investigation, including national fingerprint records check
• Must pass a post-offer physical assessment; accommodation requests will be reviewed on an individual basis in compliance with State and Federal legislation
• Driving is required for County business on a regular basis or to accomplish work. Incumbents must possess a valid driver's license, and possess and maintain an acceptable driving record throughout the course of employment.

Preferred Special Qualifications / Transferrable Skills

• Knowledge of civil law and first aid.
• Knowledge of police practices and techniques of investigations.
• For Veterans qualified for Veteran’s Preference: If you believe you have skills that would transfer well to this position and/or special qualifications that relate to this position, please list those skills and/or qualifications in the open-ended question at the end of the application and explain how those skills and/or qualifications relate to this position.

Background Investigation

At any time during the application process applicants may have their background packet activated and assigned to a background investigator. When the Sheriff’s Office directs, a background investigator will contact applicants to schedule an INITIAL INTERVIEW. The INITIAL INTERVIEW will include a meeting with a background investigator to have your photo taken, review the SPH and provide instructions on what documents need to be ordered.

Background investigations may run concurrently with other testing processes. Background investigations are comprehensive, therefore they can average six (6) to eight (8) weeks to complete. Delays in processing your background investigation may be caused by not completing all entries, not submitting required documents, or references not responding to an investigator’s inquiries.

If at any time during the hiring process it is determined by the Sheriff’s Office that the candidate does not pass the background investigation the candidate will be notified and the application will be inactivated. This may occur prior to, during, or after any of the testing phases and/or placement on the eligibility register.

TYPICAL TASKS

• Assists and trains in investigations and interrogations, gathering evidence and taking statements.
• Assists and trains in patrolling roads, highways and business areas in the enforcement of traffic and criminal laws.
• Learns procedures for preparing detailed reports necessary for efficient and complete investigations, crime prevention, prosecution and office procedures.
• Learns to operate equipment in the performance of duties.
• Assists and trains in procedures and techniques for making arrests, booking prisoners, transporting prisoners and patients under custody to institutions, courts and on extraditions.
• Learns to serve subpoenas and warrants of arrest.
• Receives instruction and assists in informing the public and answering inquiries regarding laws, ordinances, rules and regulations.
• Learns trial and other court procedures and appears in court as a witness.
• Assists in providing education and safety presentations to the public.

KEY COMPETENCIES

Applicants must meet the Minimum Standards for Employment as a Law Enforcement Officer as provided for in the Oregon Administrative Rules (OARs) 259-008-0010.

Must be able to be certified as a police officer by the Department of Public Safety and Standards Training (DPSST).

Visual Acuity: Monocular vision must be at least 20/30 (Snellen) corrected in each eye and not worse than 20/100 (Snellen) uncorrected in either eye. Binocular vision must be at least 20/20 (Snellen) corrected. Officers/Applicants whose uncorrected vision is worse than 20/100 must wear soft contact lenses to meet the corrected vision requirement.

Color Vision: Officers/Applicants must be able to distinguish red, green, blue, and yellow, as determined by the HRR Test, 4th Edition. Red or green deficiencies may be acceptable, providing the applicant can read at least nine of the first 13 plates of the Ishihara Test. Officers/Applicants who fail to meet the color vision standard may meet this standard by demonstrating they can correctly discriminate colors via a field test conducted by the employer as approved by the examining physician/surgeon. Depth Perception: Random Stereo Test equal to 60 seconds of arc or better. Peripheral Vision: Visual Field Performance must be 140 degrees in the horizontal meridian combined.

Hearing Acuity: Officer/Applicants must have no average hearing loss greater than 25 (db) at the 500, 1,000, 2,000 and 3,000-Hertz levels in either ear with no single loss in excess of 40 db. Amplification devices may be used to meet the above hearing requirement.

Must possess a high school diploma, GED certificate of high school equivalency, or a bachelor degree from an accredited institution; must have an acceptable driving record and the ability to obtain a valid driver's license; must be free from felony convictions and must successfully pass an extensive background investigation; must pass an extensive occupational medical exam.

Recruiting Requirements - Knowledge, Skill And Ability

Ability To: Learn and comprehend pertinent federal, state, and local laws and ordinances; learn how to properly utilize police equipment and techniques; understand and follow instructions and directions; deal with the public in a firm but courteous manner; capacity to absorb training in knowledge of police practices and techniques of investigation; good physical condition.

Skill To: Properly utilize police equipment and techniques including firearms and restraining devices; conduct investigations, collect, evaluate and analyze facts and draw correct conclusions; drive an automobile in various weather conditions and in high speed pursuits; understand and follow oral and written orders; deal with the public both tactfully and firmly; think clearly and perform effectively in stressful or emergency situations; maintain accurate and complete records.

WORK SCHEDULE

Patrol Division: Four (4) day work week, ten (10) hour a day basis (POA contract language cites exceptions to this schedule.) Shift schedules are determined by seniority and the Peace Officer's Association Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Benefits Information

Clackamas County proudly offers an attractive compensation and benefits package, including competitive wages, cost-of-living adjustments, merit increases (for eligible employees), and a robust sick and vacation plan for regular status employees.

We encourage and support employee health and wellness by offering health and wellness classes and events, and alternative care benefits, so you can customize your wellness needs to fit your lifestyle.

Employee benefits become effective the first of the month following an employee’s date of hire.

Attractive benefits package and incentives for employees in regular status positions are detailed below.

• 11.7 hours of vacation accrual per month
  • Eligible newly hired employees will have the one-time option to frontload their first year of vacation accruals! This means you have access to vacation time at time of hire.
• 8 hours of sick accrual per month
• 10 paid holidays and 2 personal days per year

• Membership in the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS)/Oregon Public Service Retirement Plan (OPSRP):
  • Employer-paid 6% PERS retirement contribution (The county currently pays the employee’s share of the retirement contribution.)
  • OPSRP members get vested after five years of contributions or when they reach age 65
• Employer paid 4% Deferred Compensation
• Employer Paid 3.5% to Medical Trust
• A Choice of Medical Plans that include chiropractic coverage, alternative care, vision, and prescription drug coverage
• A Choice of Dental Plans
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Longevity pay
• Other retirement Savings Options that allow for additional retirement funds savings, including an option to contribute a portion of employee earnings on a pre or post-tax basis to a 457b Deferred Compensation Plan
• A variety of additional optional benefits (see link below for additional information)

This is a full time County position represented by the Peace Officers Association.

About the Department

A Tradition of Service Since 1845. The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) mission is to provide public safety services to the people in Clackamas County so they can experience a safe and secure community. We will fulfill the mission through teamwork and partnerships, as reflected in our core values.

Values

• Courage
• Dedication
• Integrity
• Professionalism
• Respect

The CCSO serves over 400,000 residents of the County with over 400 employees. As the County's largest law enforcement agency the Sheriff's Office patrols the unincorporated areas of the county as well as several cities that have contracted with CCSO to provide law enforcement for them. The CCSO has many specialized units such as canine, motorcycle patrol, the dive team, Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), search and rescue, narcotics investigation (SIU), detectives and Corrections Emergency Response Team (CERT). The Sheriff's Office is also required by law to provide correctional facilities for the county and to offer support services to other agencies in the County, such as: the jail, parole and probation, transitional services, special units and occasionally personnel resources.

The CCSO is committed to enhancing a diverse workforce through principles of active recruitment in the community, equal employment opportunity and positive human resource management. The Administration and staff of the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office adopts a philosophy and practice that we recognize the full potential of all employees, treating all persons with respect, fairness and impartiality.

Learn more about the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office.

Application Process

Clackamas County only accepts online applications.

Help with the Application - If you have any questions or issues you may contact the Department of Human Resources by calling 503-655-8459 or emails us at [e-mail]. Our office hours are Monday - Thursday 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time (closed on Fridays).

VISA SPONSORSHIP

Clackamas County does not offer visa sponsorships. Once a job applicant has accepted a position, they will be required to complete an I-9 and confirm authorization to work in the United States prior to their first day.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Clackamas County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value diversity, equity, and inclusion as essential elements that create and foster a welcoming workplace. All qualified persons will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, political affiliation, disability or any other factor unrelated to the essential functions of the job.

If you wish to identify yourself as a qualified person with a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act and would like to request an accommodation, please address the request to the Department of Human Resources prior to the recruitment close date. You may request an accommodation during the online application process.