Police Communications Manager

JOB TITLE: Police Communications Manager

AGENCY: City of San José

LOCATION: San Jose, California

FILING DEADLINE:  August 28, 2026

SALARY RANGE: $174,925 to $245,097 annually

THE POSITION

The Police Communications Manager will report directly to the Deputy Chief of BOA and is an essential executive position within the Police Department. The San Jose Police Department’s Police Communications Manager will be responsible for operating and managing the largest Communications Center in Santa Clara County. The Police Communications Manager will set Division policy related to public dispatch protocol and will ensure workforce productivity through effective interpersonal skills and adherence to instituted procedures. The Manager will supervise shift managers (including the Assistant Communications Manager), assign and prioritize staff work, evaluate the performance of mid-level managers, and monitor the evaluation process for all of the Division employees. The Manager will be responsible for preparing, administering, and managing the Division budget. This will include the authorization of expenditures while complying with City protocols. The Manager will ensure the budget is kept within the appropriate authorizations.

The Manager will manage all aspects of Communications projects, including CAD replacements and/or upgrades, telephone upgrades, and radio upgrades. This will be accomplished by negotiating contracts, scheduling vendors, and requesting services. The Manager will be responsible for holding contractors accountable in an expeditious and efficient manner. The Manager will prepare and present department reports for Senior Management and City Council. This will include preparing Annual Performance Plans and Quarterly Program Management Reports that encompass measures, accomplishments, and needs of the Division. The Police Communications Manager will work closely with other Department managers and must possess strong leadership, interpersonal, decision-making, and collaborative skills. The Manager must be able to develop a cohesive work environment.

The essential functions of this position are as follows:

• A history of effectively managing communications staff and working in an environment in which senior department managers regularly balance competing expectations from groups with diverse points of views and interests.
• Skill in creating new approaches to a variety of unprecedented and problematic situations.
• Ability to manage a complex and critical operation, communicate well with an experienced staff, including the oversight of a public safety communications operation for both day-to-day operations as well as future development.
• Politically astute and able to establish trust with other city departments, as well as outside public and private agencies.
• Strong leadership ability relating to employee supervision, motivation, training, and hiring, including mentoring and coaching.
• Understand and communicate information about complex systems to individuals with varying levels of experience.
• Knowledge of modern public safety systems, including Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD), 9-1-1 telephone systems, Land Mobile Radio (LMR) systems, and Next Generation 9-1-1 technologies.
• Effective communication skills and approachability with staff at all levels.
• Commitment to excellence and customer service.
• Ability to clearly express ideas, verbally and in written form.
• The Division operates 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year including holidays. As such, the Police Communications Manager must be available via telephone at all times and may be scheduled to work evenings, nights and/or weekends.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate is an accomplished, results-driven executive who demonstrates exceptional leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills. They should have experience with some elements of the department’s portfolio of services, and the ability and desire to learn the others. The ideal candidate will have experience building relationships and collaborating with a variety of internal and external stakeholders, including elected officials.

The ideal candidate will possess and demonstrate the following attributes:

• Job Expertise: Demonstrates knowledge of and experience with applicable professional/technical principles and practices, Citywide and departmental procedures/policies, and federal and state rules and regulations. Knowledge of modern dispatch center systems such as Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD), Land Mobile Radio (LMR), and 9-1-1 Telephone use is also desired.
• Leadership: Leads by example; demonstrates high ethical standards; remains visible and approachable and interacts with others on a regular basis; promotes a cooperative work environment, allowing others to learn from mistakes; provides motivational support and direction.
• Management: Evaluates priorities to ensure the 'true' top priorities are handled satisfactorily; sets clear goals for the employees and the work unit.
• Maintaining Personal Credibility/Meeting Ethical Standards: When confronted with ethical dilemmas, acts in a way that reflects relevant law, policy, and procedures, agency values, and personal values.
• Analytical Thinking: Approaching a problem or situation by using a logical, systematic, sequential approach.
• Political Skill: In taking action, demonstrates an understanding and consideration of how it will impact stakeholders and affected areas in the organization.
• Problem Solving: Approaches a situation or problem by defining the problem or issue; determines the significance of the problem; collects information; uses logic and intuition to arrive at decisions or solutions to problems that achieve the desired outcome.
• Teamwork & Interpersonal Skills: Develops effective relationships with co-workers and supervisors by helping others accomplish tasks and using collaboration and conflict resolution skills.
• Communication Skills: Effectively conveys information and expresses thoughts and facts clearly, orally and in writing; demonstrates effective use of listening skills; displays openness to other people's ideas and thoughts.

THE COMMUNITY

Known as the “Capital of Silicon Valley,” the City of San José plays a vital economic and cultural role in anchoring the world’s leading innovation region. Encompassing approximately 181 square miles at the southern tip of the San Francisco Bay, San José is Northern California’s largest city and the 13th largest city in the nation. With nearly one million residents, San José is one of the most diverse large cities in the United States. San José’s quality of life is unsurpassed. Surrounded by the Diablo and Santa Cruz mountain ranges and enjoying an average of 300 days of sunshine a year, residents have easy access to the beaches along the California coast, including Santa Cruz, Monterey, and Carmel; Yosemite and Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada; local and Napa Valley wine country; and the rich cultural and recreational life of the entire Bay region. San José has received accolades for its vibrant neighborhoods, healthy lifestyle, and diverse attractions from national media, including Business Week and Money magazines. For more information about the unparalleled quality of life in San José, please visit https://www.sjeconomy.com/why-san-jose.

For more details about this opportunity, please visit the job brochure at: https://koffassociates.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Final-Brochure_City-of-SJ_Police-Comms-Mgr.pdf

To be considered, please electronically submit your resume, cover letter, and a list of three professional references (references will not be contacted in the early stages of the recruitment) to: https://koffassociates.com/police-communications-manager/.

For additional information, please contact:

Chelsea Freeman

510.570.3844

[email protected]

Website: https://koffassociates.com