Senior District Attorney's Inspector (Departmental Promotional Only)

Full Job Description

A career incentive of up to 7.5% of base pay is available for an Advanced POST Certificate.

The County of San Mateo District Attorney's Office is seeking a qualified Senior District Attorney's Inspector.

This is a supervising Peace Officer level position responsible for providing the expertise necessary to plan, organize, direct, coordinate, and supervise a comprehensive array of investigative services within the jurisdiction of the District Attorney's Office.

The position is also responsible for training inspectors in office and legal procedures and investigating the most complex and detailed cases. The ideal candidate will:

• Provide excellent customer service for internal and external contacts.
• Be innovative, honest, and able to obtain information and evidence through interview, and observation.
• Establish and maintain cooperative relationships with staff and the public.
• Prepare detailed written investigative reports, correspondence, and memoranda.
• Maintain a heavy caseload and meet deadlines.
• Be knowledgeable in the laws of arrest, search and seizure, and able to learn about and apply other laws.
• Be able to adapt to assignments in various areas, including but not limited to criminal investigation, insurance fraud, consumer fraud, environmental crimes, human trafficking, and political corruption.
• Communicate effectively with employees they supervise, and members of the officewide management team, particularly the Chief Inspector.
• Possession of a bachelor’s degree is desirable. Similar education related to supervision, leadership, and criminal justice will also be weighed and considered.

Requirements

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Plan, assign, review, and supervise the work of assigned inspectors.
• Evaluate employee performance, counsel employees, and effectively recommend initial corrective action and other personnel decisions in close collaboration with the Chief Inspector.
• Assist inspectors in the solution of difficult legal or procedural problems.
• Monitor the status of all assigned cases and ensure employees meet established deadlines set for all investigations.
• Develop operating procedures and techniques for assigned sections.
• Review and evaluate reports of investigations and recommend courses of action to be taken.
• Coordinate intelligence collection and evaluation and maintain intelligence data.
• Prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual statistical reports.
• Perform difficult technical and specialized investigations of all types of crime under the jurisdiction of the DA’s Office.
• Interview persons suspected of committing criminal violations.
• Interview witnesses and collect and evaluate evidence.
• Make arrests and serve search warrants and subpoenas.
• Analyze and evaluate testimony and prepare related reports for the District Attorney.
• Assemble and prepare evidence for presentation by an attorney in court.
• Cooperate with law enforcement officials of municipalities, the County, the State, and the Federal government as necessary in the effective functioning of the DA’s Office.
• Investigate complaints made against bureau personnel.
• Appear in court as a witness in criminal and civil cases.
• Develop other forms of evidence in accordance with modern investigative techniques.
• Prepare oral and written reports.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Licensure/Certification:
Must possess an Advanced Certificate in Law Enforcement issued by the State of California, Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training.

Other Requirements:
Refrain from using tobacco products at any time for employees hired by the County after October 1, 2004.

Experience:
Any experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying.

• A typical way to qualify is three years of increasingly responsible experience in criminal investigations with a governmental law enforcement agency.

Knowledge of:

• Supervisory principles and practices.
• Modern techniques and practices of criminal investigation.
• The extent of authority of the District Attorney's Office.
• Modus operandi and criminal laboratory techniques and ballistics.
• Care and use of small firearms.
• Rules of evidence and court procedures.
• The Penal, Civil, and related Codes.
• Techniques of identifying, preserving, and presenting evidence.
• Laws of arrest, search and seizure, service of legal process, and the legal rights of citizens.

Skill/Ability to:

• Plan, assign, direct, and review the work of others and train others in work procedures.
• Analyze and resolve administrative problems related to investigations.
• Organize, prioritize, and coordinate work activities.
• Perform and complete criminal investigations.
• Gather, analyze, correlate, and evaluate observed facts and evidence.
• Make recommendations and decisions based on logical conclusions.
• Interview victims, witnesses, and suspects effectively.
• Analyze situations, evaluate people, and adopt effective courses of action as necessary.
• Act independently and use initiative to complete duties, while communicating effectively to ensure the Chief Inspector remains aware of those actions.
• Communicate effectively orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of the work.
• Meet State of California POST medical and physical standards for law enforcement personnel.

Additional Information

Departmental Promotional Only.

Only current County of San Mateo employees in the District Attorney's Office with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in classified regular or probationary positions prior to the final filing date may apply.

Responses to the supplemental questions must be submitted in addition to our regular employment application form.

A resume will not be accepted as a substitute for the required employment application and supplemental questionnaire.

The examination process will consist of an application screening (weight: pass/fail) based on the candidates' application and responses to the supplemental questions.

Candidates who pass the application screening will be invited to a panel interview (weight: 100%), which may include a pre-interview writing exercise.

Depending on the number of applicants, an application appraisal of education and experience may be used in place of other examinations or further evaluation of work experience may be conducted to group applicants by level of qualification.

All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through any subsequent phase of the examination.

IMPORTANT: Applications for this position will only be accepted online. If you are currently on the County's website, you may click the "Apply" button.

If you are not on the County's website, please go to https://jobs.smcgov.org/ to apply. Online applications must be received by the Human Resources Department before midnight on the final filing date.

Tentative Recruitment Timeline

Final Filing Date: April 2, 2026, at 11:59 PM

Application Screening: April 7 – 9, 2026

Panel Interviews: April 21 – 22, 2026

San Mateo County San Mateo County is centrally located between San Francisco, San Jose, and the East Bay.

With over 750,000 residents, San Mateo is one of the largest and most diverse counties in California and serves a multitude of culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse communities.

The County of San Mateo, as an employer, is committed to advancing equity to ensure that all employees are welcomed in a safe and inclusive environment.

The County seeks to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community. We encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply.

Eighty percent of employees surveyed stated that they would recommend the County as a great place to work.

The County of San Mateo is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering diversity, equity and inclusion at all levels.

Analyst: Chet Overstreet (0319202) (Senior District Attorney's Inspector – H100)