City of Tumwater

Deputy Police Chief

City of Tumwater Tumwater, WA

Pay found in job post

Retrieved from the description.

Base pay range

$23,500.00/yr - $194,412.00/yr
General Statement of Duties/Supervision

City Information

Tumwater is more than just a city, it’s a vibrant community rooted in history and filled with opportunity. Located at the southern gateway to the Seattle-Tacoma metro area, Tumwater offers the perfect blend of small-town charm and big-picture vision.

Surrounded by the natural beauty of Puget Sound, prairie landscapes, rivers, and evergreen forests, we’re just over an hour from ocean beaches, the Olympic Peninsula, and Mount Rainier. Whether you’re into hiking, kayaking, brewery-hopping, or live music, you’ll find easy access to it all.

Here in Tumwater, we’re building a future that’s highly livable, connected, and inclusive. With safe neighborhoods, excellent schools, and a deep sense of civic pride, it’s not just a great place to live, it’s a great place to grow your career.

Department Information

In Tumwater, Community Policing is simply “policing”. We are an integral part of our community and we work in partnership with the people in Tumwater to create a safe, healthy and vibrant city. We help maintain public safety through a variety of programs. In addition to regular patrols, we also field detectives, traffic enforcement, school resource officers, and a K9 team. Our civilian members manage records, public communications, and research-based management and crime analysis. The Tumwater Police Department is a true team dedicated to their mission.

To provide excellent police services, we hire motivated, professional people with the highest ethical standards. We believe our members are our greatestasset. We support them by providing robust career developmentopportunities, quality equipment, and a strong wellness program. Our goal isto develop leaders who will lead in each position they hold and maintain thevalues of the department into the future.

Qualifications

Essential Job Duties

Thorough knowledge of modern criminal justice and law enforcement principles, practices, and techniques of police service administration, organization and management; of the laws, regulations, codes, and current practices affecting law enforcement; of the principles and practices that apply to patrol, traffic control, criminal investigation, and crime prevention.

Skills

Strong leadership and management skills with a relational style. Strategic planning and management change skills.

Abilities

Ability to effectively direct, coordinate and evaluate the activities of department personnel; to effectively supervise subordinates to achieve a high level of service and productivity; to reason and react calmly and quickly in emergency and life threatening situations; to express ideas clearly and concisely orally and inwriting, to groups and individuals; to establish and maintain effective working relationships with subordinates, elected officials, and the public.

Education & Experience

High School graduation or a GED certificate. Five years experience with a law enforcement agency, three years of which must have been as a Police Sergeant or equivalent rank with supervisory responsibilities plus one of the following:

  • Graduation from an accredited law enforcement academy in Washington

State; or

  • A passing score on the Washington State Equivalency examination; or
  • Graduation from an accredited law enforcement academy in some other state (applicants in this category must pass the Washington State equivalency examination within twelve months of hire. Failure to pass this examination within the time limit, could be grounds for termination.)

Special Requirements

Must be able to pass or prove the ability to pass a LEOFF II medical examination or a standard medical examination, as specified by the employer or the State of Washington. Must be able to meet the requirements of the City of Tumwater Civil Service Commission, regarding minimum age, education and physical strength / agility or other job-related qualifications. Must possess a valid Washington State Driver’s License and have a driving record acceptable to the City’s insurance carrier. Must pass a thorough background investigation polygraph and psychological examination.

Compensation & Benefits

The annual salary range for the Deputy Chief of Police position is $145,068 - $194,412, depending on qualifications (DOQ). The City of Tumwater benefits plan is a Cafeteria Plan which contributes $2,227.00 to the cost of medical, vision, and dental premiums. Any unused portion of the plan is returned to the employee at a rate of 60% of the unused portion. The City of Tumwater has a 401(a) plan that the city matches up to 5%, and the city also offers 457

and Roth IRA plans. The city makes a monthly contribution of $225 ($2,700 annually) into a HRA VEBA account. All employees receive a $50,000 life insurance policy at no cost. Tumwater also offers a Navia Flexible Spending Account (FSA), which is a voluntary pre-tax program that allows you to receive reimbursement for eligible health care expenses or pay dependent care expenses. The position will receive ten paid holidays in accordance with

the official state calendar, as well as one floating holiday. Vacation time is accrued up to 184 hours per year based on longevity, and sick leave is accrued at eight hours per month. The Deputy Chief is an FLSA exempt position and is a member of the Law Enforcement Officers and Fire Fighters Retirement System (LEOFF).

Selection Criteria

Recruitment Timeline

Position Posting: July 1, 2025

First Review of Submissions: August 1, 2025

To Apply For This Position, Please Submit

  • A resume (three page maximum)
  • A detailed cover letter (two page maximum)describing your experience, leadership style, and why you are interested in position.

Resume and cover letter must be submitted electronically to Rachelle Harwood at Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) Email rharwood@waspc.org Phone 360-486-2380

Questions?

Contact Bryan Jeter, Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs Email bjeter@waspc.org Phone 253-677-8576

Please do not contact City of Tumwater Employees or Elected Officials. Direct all questions about this position to Bryan Jeter

Benefits

The following is an overview of the benefits available to the regular-status, non-represented employees of the City of Tumwater (benefits for part-time employees will be pro-rated):

Vacation: Regular full-time City employees earn 96 hours of paid annual leave during their first year of employment. This rate is increased to a maximum of 184 hours per year, depending upon length of service.

Sick Leave: Sick leave is accrued by regular full-time City employees at the rate of 8 hours per month. Sick leave may be used only to ensure an employee's health, and for absences caused by death or illness of a member of the employee's immediate family.

Holidays: Most City employees receive 12 paid holidays (at 8 hours each) annually, one of which is a floating holiday.

Retirement: Eligible City employees are mandatory members of the State of Washington Public Employees Retirement System (PERS\LEOFF). Both the City and the employee contribute to the system. The state retirement system provides retirement benefits and also benefits for people who are disabled. Employees leaving City service prior to retirement may withdraw their total contribution with interest.

Deferred Compensation and Roth IRA programs offered through Mission Square: Employees may directly reduce their taxable income and defer this taxation until retirement or withdrawal of funds by participating in a deferred compensation plan. Deferred compensation allows an employee to defer up to $23,500 of their gross annual salary (more if over age 50). The employee chooses how to invest their deferred salary.

Employees may put up to $7,000 (more if over age 50) in a Roth IRA (after-tax program).

The City also offers a 401(a) plan and will match employee contributions up to 5%.

Insurance Plans: Each full-time City employee will receive a contribution of $2,227.00 per month toward the purchase of medical, vision and dental insurance. (Amount is pro-rated for part-time employees.) This monthly amount pays approximately 85% of the costs of a family of four. Full family medical, dental and vision coverage requires an employee contribution toward the cost of premiums. Employee's whose insurance needs are less than the monthly $2,227.00 contribution can purchase get 60% of the left over contribution money as cash on their paycheck. Employees are required to have City medical insurance. The City also offers medical and dependent care flexible spending accounts, subject to eligibility requirements.

Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA): The City contributes a flat dollar amount per full-time employee to an HRA VEBA program for current and future health care out of pocket expenses. This monthly amount per full-time employee is $225.00.

Group Life Insurance: The City will purchase for each employee $50,000 worth of group term life insurance.*

Liberty Mutual Insurance: City employees are eligible for discounted auto and home insurance.

EMPLOYMENT

Hours of Work: The normal work week is forty (40) hours, Monday through Friday. Customized work schedules may be available at the discretion of the position supervisor. Some positions require weekend, evening, shift or holiday work or overtime.

Career Opportunities: The City encourages career development for its employees and frequently seeks to promote qualified employees from within the City service.

For further information about the position announced on this bulletin, please contact humanresources@ci.tumwater.wa.us.

The provisions of this bulletin do not constitute an expressed or implied contract. Any provision contained herein may be modified and/or revoked without notice.

The City of Tumwater is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) and does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.

The City of Tumwater is committed to wellness, safety, the environment and racial equity.
  • Seniority level

    Director
  • Employment type

    Full-time
  • Job function

    Other, Information Technology, and Management
  • Industries

    Government Administration

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