Independent Police Auditor

International Association of Insurance Professionals (IAIP); San Jose (CA); Hybrid; USD 195,000 - 353,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of San José seeks an Independent Police Auditor to lead the civilian oversight office, conducting objective reviews of police misconduct investigations and engaging with the community to strengthen public confidence in the process.

The IPA reports to the City Council and leads a small dedicated team, with a four-year term and a budget oversight role in ensuring accountability.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university; a law degree is desirable.
• Experience: minimum five years in criminal law and criminal procedure; knowledge of investigations, legal research and analyzing criminal, constitutional, labor and civil rights law; prior management and supervision experience.
• Licensing: member in good standing with a state bar; may be required to obtain California Bar license.
• Special Requirements: not a sworn law enforcement officer for at least ten years; no immediate family members who are sworn officers.

Responsibilities

• Oversee IPA Office operations and supervise the review of SJPD investigations for completeness, thoroughness, objectivity and fairness.
• Engage with the community, participate in panels and prepare annual public reports to the City Council.
• Maintain impartial, apolitical leadership while working under scrutiny and within City Charter boundaries.

Skills

Criminal law

Criminal procedure

Legal research

Investigations

Management experience

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

Law degree desirable

Job description

THE OPPORTUNITY

The City of San José offers a rare opportunity for an accomplished leader to serve at the intersection of public trust, accountability, and effective policing in one of the nation’s largest and most diverse cities. As Independent Police Auditor, the successful candidate will lead a nationally significant civilian oversight office, working independently and objectively to strengthen confidence in the police complaint process, advance thoughtful policy and oversight, and foster constructive relationships among the community, the Police Department, and City leadership.

THE CITY OF SAN JOSÉ

Known as the "Capital of Silicon Valley", the City of San José plays a vital economic and cultural role anchoring the world’s leading region of innovation. Encompassing approximately 181 square miles at the southern tip of the San Francisco Bay, San José is Northern California’s largest city and the 13th largest city in the nation. With nearly one million residents, San José is one of the most diverse large cities in the United States. San José’s quality of life is unsurpassed. Surrounded by the Diablo and Santa Cruz mountain ranges and enjoying an average of 300 days of sunshine a year, residents have easy access to the beaches along the California coast including Santa Cruz, Monterey, and Carmel; Yosemite and Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada; local and Napa Valley wine country, and the rich cultural and recreational life of the entire Bay region. San José is proud of its rich cultural diversity and global connections, and the essential role the City plays in connecting residents and businesses to the nation and the world.

THE OFFICE OF THE INDEPENDENT POLICE AUDITOR

The Office of the Independent Police Auditor (IPA) was established by the San José City Council in 1993 with the enactment of a City ordinance codified in the San José Municipal Code. On November 6, 1996, the voters of San José amended the City Charter to establish the Office of the Independent Police Auditor as a permanent arm of city government.

The mission of the IPA is five-fold: (1) to provide independent oversight of and instill confidence in the complaint process through objective review of police misconduct investigations; (2) to review Police Department investigations of complaints against police officers to determine if the investigation was complete, thorough, objective and fair; (3) to conduct outreach to the San José community; (4) to propose thoughtful policy recommendations to the City Council; and (5) to strengthen the relationship between the San José Police Department (SJPD) and the community it serves.

The San José IPA is supported by a small team of approximately seven extremely committed staff members, including an Assistant IPA who oversees the day-to-day operations. The Office received a proposed budget allocation of $1.7 million for Fiscal Year 2026-2027.

THE POSITION

The IPA conducts objective reviews of police misconduct investigations. The role of the IPA is to provide independent oversight of and instill confidence in the complaint process. Each IPA appointment is for a term ending four (4) years from and after the date of expiration of the immediately preceding term.

Reporting to the City Council, the IPA is charged with the following responsibilities, but not limited to planning, organizing, and supervising the work of the IPA Office in the review of SJPD investigations of complaints against police officers to determine if the investigations were complete, thorough, objective, and fair; supervising the Office’s intakes of complaints from members of the public and engages with the community to instill public confidence in the IPA’s operations; reviewing all complaints from members of the public that allege excessive or unnecessary force by police officers; supervising the preparation of an annual public report to the City Council; participating in SJPD’s Officer-Involved Shooting Review Panel and In-Custody Death Training Review Panel; and meeting regularly with the Mayor and City Councilmembers.

The IPA will possess unquestionable integrity and objectivity; be able to further the mission of the Office with impartiality and independent conviction within the boundaries defined by the City Charter and under intense pressure and scrutiny; be politically astute but apolitical; have a solid record of community engagement, working with a diverse community; and have the ability to establish and maintain a mutually respectful working relationship with the Police Department.

SALARY & BENEFITS

The salary range for this position is $194,670 to $352,806 per year, which includes an approximate five percent ongoing non-pensionable compensation. The actual salary will be determined by the final candidate’s qualifications and experience. The City also provides an excellent array of benefits including a competitive defined benefit retirement plan with full reciprocity with CalPERS; a defined contribution plan available as an option.

For additional benefit information, interested candidates are encouraged to review the detailed recruitment brochure at mosaicpublic.com/careers and visit the City’s Human Resources Benefits website.

Federal Law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in the country. Please be informed that the City of San José will not sponsor, represent, or sign any documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1-B or any other type of visa that requires an employee application.

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Monday, October 12, 2026

QUALIFICATIONS

The following are the minimum qualifications for the Independent Police Auditor:

Education: Completion of a Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university. A law degree from an accredited college or university is desirable.

Experience: A minimum of five years of experience in criminal law and criminal procedure. Must have experience in or knowledgeable of investigations, legal research, and analyzing criminal, constitutional, labor, and civil rights law. Must have prior management and supervisor experience.

Licensing: Be a member in good standing with a state bar. The selected applicant may be required to obtain a California Bar license.

Special Requirements: (1) Has not been a sworn law enforcement officer (e.g. police officer, reserve officer, probation officer, parole officer, or DEA agent), for at least ten years prior to appointment as the Independent Police Auditor, and (2) Does not have any immediate family members (defined as spouse, parent, domestic partner, sibling, child or grandparent) who are sworn law enforcement officers with any law enforcement agency.