Closing Date: 20th October, 2026
Description:
About This Position:The City of Phoenix established the Office of Accountability and Transparency (OAT) to receive complaints and commendations regarding the Phoenix Police Department (Department), to review Department administrative investigations into misconduct and community member complaints, to mediate complaints between community members and the Department, and to engage in community outreach and support of impacted community members. OAT issues regular review reports of Department administrative investigations that often include recommendations to the Police Chief, Mayor, City Council, and the City Manager's Office to improve future administrative investigations. OAT also participates in the process of reviewing Department policy, training, and disciplinary issues and makes recommendations to advance the mission of the City of Phoenix and the perspective of the community.
OAT is seeking an experienced, community-minded attorney to join and support the office. This individual will be embedded within OAT and advise the Director on all legal issues affecting the day-to-day operations of the department. Additionally, this individual will provide legal services, perform difficult professional and administrative legal work, including major policy development or revisions. This individual will assist City leaders in the evaluation of police policies, decisions, training procedures, and relevant laws.
Responsibilities:
- Serves as legal advisor to the Office.
- Assesses the impact upon OAT operations of major developments in the City Charter, State Constitution, and state and federal law.
- Responsible for all non-litigation and non-HR legal issues within the Office, as assigned by the Director.
- Attends Civilian Review Board meetings and conferences with Police Department leadership and City officials to determine the intent of official actions, considers possible alternative legal and administrative solutions to problems confronting these bodies, and renders oral and written opinions on legal questions and issues to the OAT Director.
- Reviews and evaluates revisions to the City Charter, Code, and Ordinances.
- Reviews and analyzes ordinances, statutes, and policies from other jurisdictions around the country with police oversight responsibilities.
- Reviews proposed laws pending in the Federal and State Legislature which affect OAT and the Department and counsels OAT leadership regarding such legislation.
- Appears before county, state, and federal legislative and administrative bodies, as directed.
- Reviews, drafts, and revises transactional documents, including intergovernmental agreements and contracts for goods and services, consistent with all applicable state and federal laws and City procurement rules and in coordination with the City's Law Department.
- Demonstrates continuous effort to improve operations, decrease turnaround times, streamline work processes, and work cooperatively and jointly to provide quality seamless customer service.
- Works more than forty hours in a workweek without additional compensation to perform assigned job duties, including weekends, evenings, early morning hours, and holidays as required.
Ideal Candidate:
- Possess a strong sense of duty and service to their community.
- Have familiarity with law enforcement practices and responsibilities.
- Have substantial experience conducting detailed legal research on matters of municipal, state, and/or federal law.
- Be a strong communicator with the ability to deliver messages to executive leadership as well as the public.
- Be prepared to operate independently while exercising discretion and sound judgement.
Salary:
Up to $181,001.60 annually.
Pay Range Explanation:
- Pay range is the entire compensation range for the position classification.
- Hiring range is an estimate of where you can receive an offer. The actual salary offer will carefully consider a wide range of factors, including your skills, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, training, and internal equity.
- The City contributes 9% of salary into 457/401(a) plans with no matching required. $4,200/annual car allowance and $1,440/annual cell phone allowance.
Benefits:
A comprehensive Middle Manager benefits package is offered which includes:
- Traditional pension with employer and employee contributions, click here for more details: Pension Information (https://www.phoenix.gov/content/dam/phoenix/hrsite/documents/talent-acquisition/Pension%20Information.pdf)
- 401(a) and 457 plans with employer contributions
- Choice of generous medical HMO, PPO, or HSA/HDHP plans
- Medical enrollment includes a monthly $150 City contribution to a Post-Employment Health Plan
- Wellness incentive of up to $720 annually
- Dental, vision, and life insurance options
- Employer paid long-term disability
- Free Bus/light rail pass
- Tuition reimbursement program up to $6,500 per year
- Paid time off includes 13.5 paid holidays, 12 vacation days, and 15 sick days and personal leave days
- Paid Parental Leave for eligible employees up to 480 hours (12 weeks) of paid leave for the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child during a 12-month period
- Federal Student Loan Forgiveness offered through Savi (https://cityofphoenix.bysavi.com/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NF&utm_source=exacttarget&utm_content=RPPT:na:na:na:na:ERP02123&utm_term=662842.314156&WT.dcsvid=314156)
Minimum Qualifications:
- Four years of experience as a practicing civil or criminal attorney, including experience in the practice of internal investigations of law enforcement or other comparable regulatory or professional investigations.
- A law degree from an accredited college or university.
- Admission to the State Bar of Arizona.
- Other combinations of experience and education that meet the minimum qualifications may be substituted.
- Per section 20-5(D) of the Phoenix City Code, candidates will not be considered if they have been employed in law enforcement or if they have family members who have been employed in law enforcement, although familiarity with law enforcement processes will be considered.
- Immediate Family Member means the spouse, parents (including a stepparent), children (including a stepchild), sisters or brothers (including a stepsister or stepbrother).
- Law Enforcement means any state, county or local officer, including probation or correction officers, and military law enforcement employment. This includes volunteer or paid work in a civilian or sworn capacity.
- All finalists for positions are subject to a criminal background check applicable to the department or position.
- Some positions require the use of personal or City vehicles on City business. Individuals must be physically capable of operating the vehicles safely, possess a valid driver's license and have an acceptable driving record. Use of a personal vehicle for City business will be prohibited if the employee is not authorized to drive a City vehicle or if the employee does not have personal insurance coverage.
- For information regarding pre-screening and driving positions, click here.
- The City job description can be found here.
Preferred Qualifications:
The minimum qualifications listed above, plus:
- Demonstrated knowledge of the organization, responsibilities, functions, policies, and procedures of local law enforcement.
- Demonstrated knowledge of the fundamentals of criminal and administrative investigations including interviewing and interrogating principles and techniques, as well as proper evidence gathering and handling techniques.
- Experience in government law practices and a working knowledge of disciplinary matters.
- Experience interpreting and explaining complex laws, ordinances, enforcement principles and practices, regulations, policies, and procedures.
- Experience with intergroup dynamics and conflict resolution.
- Prior experience practicing criminal law (e.g., prosecutor or public defender) or working in a municipal law office (e.g., city attorney's office).
Recruitment Closes October 20, 2026. All Materials Must Be Received by 11:59 P.M. on This Date.
This Is a Position-Based Recruitment and Will Not Result in Any Ongoing Eligibility List. This Recruitment and Any Selection Processes Resulting from This Recruitment May Be Used to Fill Other Related Vacancies Within the Organization Now or In the Near Future.
How to Apply:
Apply Online by Completing the Required Information and Attaching, as One Document, Your Cover Letter and Resume. Please Include Your Experience as It Relates to The Qualifications Stated Above. only The Highest Qualified May Be Posted to The Eligible to Hire List. the Results of The Resume Screening Process Will Be Sent to Your Primary Email Address.
