Closing Date: 17th August, 2026
Description:
Position Information:This recruitment is promotional only. You must presently be a full or part-time regular or probationary County of Sonoma, Community Development Commission, Sonoma County Fairgrounds, or Sonoma County Water Agency employee in order to apply for this position.
The District Attorney's (DA's) Office has requested a department promotional certification to fill a Chief Deputy District Attorney position. Only qualified permanent and/or probationary District Attorney's Office employees on the eligible list may be eligible for referral to the department for the advertised position. This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time or part-time positions as they occur during the active status of the list.
As a Chief Deputy District Attorney, you will assist in the overall management of the DA's office, supervising staff and helping to oversee the operational functions of a large organization unit, including developing office policies and procedures. The Chief Deputy District Attorney may also be tasked with maintaining a caseload as needed. For high-profile, complex, or controversial cases, the Chief Deputy District Attorney may need to consult with the District Attorney or the Assistant District Attorney within the office. This is particularly true for decisions that could attract public attention or have significant legal implications.
Our core values are:
- Integrity – We uphold the highest ethical standards and do what's right, even when it's difficult
- Courage – We have the determination to fearlessly pursue justice, advocating relentlessly for victims and holding offenders accountable regardless of challenges or opposition.
- Results Focused – We pursue creative, evidence-based solutions that address harm, enhance public safety, and deliver meaningful justice for victims and our community.
- Professionalism – We conduct ourselves with competency, respect, and accountability while maintaining the highest standards of legal practice and public service.
- Victim Centered – We treat every victim with dignity, respect, and compassion while ensuring their voice is heard and their healing is supported throughout the justice process.
- Typical duties of the Chief Deputy District Attorney also include:
- Overseeing the work of Deputy District Attorneys
- Assigning cases and workload among prosecutors, ensuring efficient and equitable distribution
- Conducting performance evaluations, providing mentorship, and facilitating professional development for legal staff
- Reviewing and approving case filings, plea agreements, and prosecution strategies
- Guiding attorneys on complex legal issues, evidentiary matters, and trial preparation
- Ensuring compliance with legal standards, ethical guidelines, and office policies in all cases
- Assisting in developing and implementing office policies, procedures, and strategic plans
What you bring:
As the ideal candidate for this position, you will bring your belief in inclusive collaboration, where every team member's input is valued and respected. You understand that diverse perspectives strengthen the decision-making process and encourage open dialogue among colleagues. You will foster trust through honest and open dialogue, recognize the importance of celebrating team achievements, and provide consistent mentorship to nurture the development of staff. In addition to sound judgment and discretion, the ideal candidate will possess many of the following:
- Significant experience in prosecuting criminal cases, including misdemeanors and felonies
- Experience in developing policies and procedures within a legal framework
- Creative problem-solving skills with the ability to address legal and administrative challenges
- An ability to set strategic goals and lead the office toward achieving its mission and objectives
- Dependability and follow-through coupled with a keen attention to detail
- The aptitude to effectively manage work priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment
- A commitment to being a champion of victims' rights
- Demonstrated dedication to upholding the highest ethical standards
- Superb oral and written communication skills
- Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire to be completed.
Minimum Qualifications:
Experience: Significant legal experience subsequent to membership in the State Bar of California, which directly relates to the knowledge and abilities listed. Normally, five years of legal experience practicing criminal law as a licensed attorney with emphasis on the preparation and trial of felony cases, including the equivalent of two years of experience at the level of Deputy District Attorney IV with Sonoma County, would provide the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed.
Professional License: Current active membership in the State Bar of California.
License: Possession of a valid California driver's license at the appropriate level including special endorsements, as required by the State of California to perform the essential job functions of the position.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Extensive knowledge of: the duties, powers, limitations, and authorities of the Office of the District Attorney; the principles of law relevant to the area of assignment, principles of trial procedure, and rules of evidence; legal research methods and judicial procedures; the statutory and constitutional laws of the State of California.
Considerable knowledge of: effective supervisory techniques; written and oral communications, including language mechanics, syntax and English composition.
Ability to: analyze and present legal considerations related to the policies, programs and operations of the District Attorney's Office; research, analyze and apply legal principles, facts, evidence and precedents to legal problems; plan, assign, coordinate and review the work of subordinate professional, specialized and supportive personnel; effectively orient, train, supervise and evaluate subordinate departmental personnel; consistently prepare and present statements of law, fact, and argument clearly, logically and persuasively in written and oral form, including the most complex legal matters; establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff members, departmental representatives, county officials, the courts, law enforcement agency officials, and the general public.
Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying
Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
- You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
- You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
- Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.
Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire to be completed.
Responses to supplemental questions may be scored using position-specific criteria. Please provide specific and detailed responses of a reasonable length to allow for a thorough assessment of your qualifications. Responses that state, "See Resume" or "See Application" may be considered insufficient and therefore may not be scored.
The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:
An Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (weight 100%) will be conducted to evaluate each applicant's application and supplemental questionnaire for satisfaction of minimum qualifications (pass/not pass); and for educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities which relate to this position. Personally identifiable information (PII) is removed from the standard application fields and applicable attachments. This PII blind screening practice redacts a candidate's personal information that could potentially influence or bias the scoring process. Personal information includes the applicant's name, former last name, address, phone number, email, driver's license number, school name, education start and end dates, age, date of birth, gender, and race. This PII blind screening practice helps contribute to a fair and equitable examination process.
Each applicant will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Relevance of work history, related experience, and achieved level of education and/or training as described in the application and responses to the supplemental questions.
- Candidates demonstrating possession of the minimum qualifications will be placed on an employment list in order of most qualified to least qualified based on the achieved score received in the Application and Supplement
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