Chief of Police - City of Brevard, NC

Position Closing Date: August 28, 2025

The next Chief of Police for the City of Brevard, NC, which maintains a low crime rate and high quality of life, will be approachable, friendly, and enthusiastic about interacting with our community members, who come from all walks of life, to maintain and enhance the department’s positive reputation and productive relationship with the community. The ideal candidate will possess a proven track record of transparent leadership, a commitment to modern policing strategies, and an unwavering dedication to open, honest, and proactive communication both internally within the department and externally with our residents and visitors. If you are a leader who inspires trust, champions collaboration, and is ready to lead with integrity and a focus on positive community outcomes, we invite you to explore this pivotal role in this exceptional mountain community.

About the Community:

Nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Brevard, North Carolina, is an “Age Friendly Community, offering a unique blend of natural beauty, exceptional recreational opportunities, a thriving arts community, and a welcoming small-town atmosphere. Often called the "Land of Waterfalls" due to its abundance of stunning cascades, Brevard is an outdoor enthusiast's dream. With a permanent population of over 7,800, Brevard maintains its small-town charm while providing a rich array of amenities. Vibrant Culture & Arts: Brevard's lively downtown is a hub of activity, featuring eclectic boutiques, charming cafes, and numerous art galleries. The renowned Brevard Music Center attracts talent from across the globe, offering a rich summer festival of classical music. The Transylvania Community Arts Council actively promotes local artists and provides a variety of programs for all ages. The city also hosts unique events, such as the annual White Squirrel Festival, celebrating its famous, furry residents. Quality of Life: Brevard offers a desirable quality of life. Transylvania County boasts 1,000+ miles of hiking trails, 350+ miles of singletrack biking trails, and 421 miles of fishable trout streams. The Transylvania County Schools system is highly regarded, boasting a student-teacher ratio of 12:1 and a strong emphasis on preparing students for higher education. For healthcare, Transylvania Regional Hospital serves the community, with additional comprehensive medical facilities available in nearby Hendersonville and Asheville. Community Spirit: Brevard is known for its friendly locals and strong sense of community. It's a place where you can enjoy the tranquility of mountain living while still having access to cultural amenities and a thriving local economy. Whether you're seeking outdoor adventures, artistic inspiration, or a peaceful place to call home, Brevard offers an exceptional lifestyle.

About the Organization:

Operating under the Council/Manager form of government, the City Manager reports to the Mayor and five Council Members. There is passion and a commitment to preserving Brevard’s vibrant, diverse, and welcoming community, which fosters its distinct character, thriving economy, and high quality of life. The City Manager leads 150 employees across eight departments, which includes part-time and seasonal staff, to work collaboratively to fulfill its mission and strategic goals. All organizational staff are committed to upholding the city’s vision statement: "Brevard is a safe, friendly, family-oriented city with small-town charm, outdoor recreation, arts, & culture that bring investment opportunities, environmental consciousness, and economic diversity.”

The City of Brevard has a total adopted 2026 FY budget of $27.7M. The city prides itself on community engagement and offers multiple ways for community members to stay informed and to become involved through twelve boards and committees that advise city leaders. The city has also adopted a 2030 Comprehensive Land Use Plan to guide its work and operations.

About the Position: 

The Brevard Police Department’s (BPD) mission is to protect life and property, prevent and detect crime, fairly and impartially enforce the law, keep the peace, and protect the rights of all citizens. The BPD’s core principles of honesty and integrity, respect, fairness, duty, conduct of a higher standard, and challenging improper behavior serve as the foundation for providing the highest standard of public service. In line with the city’s emphasis on community engagement, the department offers several community outreach initiatives, including a police volunteer program, neighborhood watch, department tours, crime prevention programs, and more.

Reporting to the City Manager, the Chief of Police will lead a department with an approximate annual budget of $4.4M and 30 full-time personnel who work in the divisions of Patrol operations and Investigations & Field Support. The next Chief will perform complex managerial, administrative, and specialized law enforcement work in directing the activities of the police department. The Chief will be responsible for developing policies and procedures in support of the city’s core values, supervising all departmental personnel through subordinate supervisors, overseeing the preparation of the annual budget, and promoting the department’s work and goals to the public. The Chief will regularly interact with residents, businesses, and other stakeholders, including city department heads and the city council, to share updates on police department operations and to ensure a clear understanding of the perspectives of those the department serves.

Key Position Priorities:

• Thoroughly engages with the department staff to learn about the department’s culture, needs, challenges, and opportunities before implementing significant changes that may be required to ensure accountability and that the department’s capacity keeps pace with population growth.
• Strategically assesses staffing needs, prioritizes professional development to enhance skills and address evolving demands, and cultivates a robust succession pipeline to ensure optimal talent placement and sustained organizational effectiveness in meeting community needs
• Builds rapport with the elected board and the city’s senior leaders while continuing the tradition of the Chief being visible, approachable, and accessible to all stakeholders, including staff, community members, and other City partners.
• Evaluates community relationships and establishes outreach and engagement protocols for all department levels that interact with the public.

• Ensures the effective recruitment and selection of qualified staff, working to build a department that reflects the community’s values.

Required Qualifications:

• Any combination of education and experience equivalent to graduation from a four-year institution with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, public administration, business administration, or related field, culminating in 10 years of progressive experience in law enforcement across functional areas such as patrol and investigations with five or more years of command-level experience.
• Certification as a sworn law enforcement officer by the State of North Carolina or the ability to obtain certification within twelve months of employment.
• Possession of a valid North Carolina driver’s license, or possession of a valid license from another state and the ability to obtain a North Carolina driver’s license within 60 days of establishing residency (per NC law).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree preferred
• Additional training courses in law enforcement
• Minimum of 5 years of managerial experience at a Command level or higher in a comparably sized or larger agency.

Transfers: An officer holding probationary certification may not laterally transfer from one law enforcement agency to another. The probationary period must be completed in its entirety at the same agency. If an officer terminates employment with one agency before their year ends, they must start a new probationary period at the new agency. In-state candidates with less than a three-year break in NC service may receive partial credit toward basic law enforcement training. Out-of-state transferees will be evaluated to determine the amount and quality of their training and experience. At a minimum, out-of-state candidates must have two years of full-time, sworn law enforcement experience and must have completed a basic law enforcement training course accredited by the state from which they are transferring, and cannot have a break in full-time service exceeding three years at the time of appointment. Individuals with Federal law enforcement officer certification who have not had a break in service exceeding three years at the time of appointment may receive partial credit toward NC basic law enforcement training. NC does recognize and give partial credit for military police (MP) training if the candidate has completed a formal military basic training program, has been awarded a military police occupational specialty rating, and has served as a military police officer for at least two of the five years preceding the date of appointment.

The successful candidate:

• Has a thorough knowledge of law enforcement principles, practices, methods, and equipment;
• Has a thorough knowledge of state and federal laws, ordinances, and policies of the department;
• Has a solid understanding of, or direct experience working toward, accreditation standards set by recognized law enforcement accrediting bodies (NCLEA or CALEA).
• Has the ability to act with sound judgement in routine and emergency situations;
• Is engaged, accessible, and visible within and across departments and in the community, and enjoys being the face of the department;
• Is skilled in developing trust among community members and creating opportunities for collaborative problem solving;
• Personally “walks the talk” on community-oriented policing initiatives and holds staff accountable;
• Possesses a proven track record in developing and supporting staff to achieve excellence and proactive policing, actively coaching officers, and building strong working relationships to foster department goals, succession planning, training, and retention.
• Develops and maintains collaborative partnerships with community organizations, homeowner associations, the Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office, other municipalities, nonprofit organizations, and social service agencies to leverage resources and maximize quality of life opportunities, ensuring that the Brevard Police Department is fully engaged and a vital part of the community;
• Is experienced in systematic evaluation of department organization, staffing, resources, and service levels to implement effective plans that maximize current assets;
• Is up to date on evidence-based practices in law enforcement (e.g., body cameras, mental health training, use of force, etc.) and has a track record of evaluating and making appropriate recommendations to ensure optimal departmental responses;
• Understands and uses crime data statistics and other performance metrics to evaluate operations, identify trends, needed resources, develop benchmarks, and measure performance of established policing goals;
• Is tech-savvy and understands and embraces how technology and social media can enhance effective law enforcement;
• Has experience working in a council-manager form of government and skills in navigating the complexities of varying roles;
• Is experienced across functional areas, including patrol, support services, investigations, and other specialized units;
• Is skilled in budget development and management, policy development and application, and progressive policing strategies despite budget constraints;
• Is an excellent communicator both verbally and in writing and possesses well-developed interpersonal skills and abilities;
• Is an individual with impeccable integrity and a proven record of consistency in managing both internal and external relationships to mitigate challenges and maximize opportunities;
• Thrives in a culture of high expectations and personal accountability and has a track record of developing the same departmental standards as a highly accomplished law enforcement leader; and,
• Participates as an active member of a lead professional police association.

Salary and Benefits: The hiring range is $96,907 - $122,000. Base salary and compensation are negotiable within the hiring range based on experience and qualifications. Residency within a 30-minute response time is required. Information about benefits can be found here (https://mymarkiii.com/cityofbrevardnc/)

To apply, please visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/developmentalassociates and click on the Chief of Police – City of Brevard, title.

• All applications must be submitted online via the Developmental Associates application portal (link above) – NOT the City’s employment application portal or any other external website.
• Resumes and cover letters must be uploaded with the application.
• Applicants should apply by August 28, 2025, to be considered during the first round of reviews.
• The hiring team will invite successful semi-finalists to participate in virtual interviews and skill evaluations on September 23-24, 2025. Candidates are encouraged to reserve these dates for virtual meetings should they be invited to participate.
• Direct all inquiries to hiring@developmentalassociates.com.

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• Developmental Associates

• 9198136096, ext 101