Position Closes: January 15, 2026

Are you a law enforcement professional who:
 is committed to meeting high community expectations for transparency, fairness, accountability, and strong relationships?
 brings both strategic vision and operational expertise, and can remain highly visible, accessible, and trusted—both inside the department and throughout the community?
 leads with courage, integrity, and compassion while building on the progress achieved under previous leadership?

If so, the City of Greensboro is seeking a Police Chief who can serve as the community’s principal public safety leader—someone capable of navigating the challenges of rapid population growth, evolving racial and cultural dynamics, increasing social-service demands, and the complexities of a highly visible, politically influenced environment. This leader will set a clear strategic direction for the department while maintaining strong day-to-day operational performance, always emphasizing transparency, fairness, and community partnership.

The next Chief will propel the department forward by embracing practical innovations, strengthening technology and systems, and raising the bar for training and professional development. The successful candidate will put a strong emphasis on officer wellness and growth, promote a culture built on accountability and integrity, and create an environment where employees know their work is valued. Equally important, the Chief will work side by side with residents, community organizations, service providers, and regional partners to reduce crime, build trust, and address the issues—such as homelessness, substance use, and mental-health needs— that contribute to public-safety concerns.

About the Community:
Greensboro, NC is the third largest city in the state (ranking just behind Charlotte and Raleigh in population) and is located in the Piedmont Triad region of the state. Covering approximately 140 square miles, the City is home to just over 307,000 residents and has grown steadily into a diverse, mid-sized metropolitan center.

Greensboro was founded in 1808 as the new Guilford County seat, chosen for its central location, which made it easier for residents—many traveling by horseback—to reach the courthouse. Its position in central North Carolina helped it become an important transportation crossroads, especially today as Interstates 40, 85, and 73 converge there. Through the 19th and early 20th centuries, Greensboro became a major textile manufacturing center, and remnants of this legacy continue to shape the city’s character. The city also played an essential role in the civil rights movement, most notably with the 1960 Woolworth’s lunch-counter sit-ins led by North Carolina A&T students, which became a national catalyst for peaceful protest.

Today, Greensboro has a diverse and steadily growing population, with a median household income around $62,000 and a broad mix of homeowners and renters. The city is known for its pleasant blend of suburban neighborhoods, historic districts, college communities, and pockets of urban development centered around downtown. Greensboro’s housing market is considered relatively affordable compared to many similar-sized cities, with home values continuing to rise but still accessible for many families and first-time buyers. Its cultural makeup is similarly varied, shaped by its universities, its history, and a broad demographic mix that contributes to the city’s community character.

Greensboro offers a wide and diverse range of opportunities for enjoying nature, exploring culture, discovering history, and taking part in recreational activities. One of its signature attractions is the Greensboro Science Center, a combined museum, zoo, and aquarium that appeals to visitors of all ages. The International Civil Rights Center & Museum downtown preserves the original Woolworth’s lunch counter and offers detailed exhibitions on the civil rights movement. The city is also well known for its parks, gardens, and outdoor spaces, including wetland preserves, the Tanger Family Bicentennial Garden, lakes, and numerous greenways used for walking, running, and biking. Downtown Greensboro offers a lively collection of restaurants, cafés, galleries, shops, breweries, and nightlife along the Elm Street corridor, giving the city a small-city energy with cultural depth. The Greensboro Coliseum Complex hosts major sporting events, concerts, and entertainment throughout the year, making it one of the largest and busiest venues of its kind in the region.

The city has a vibrant arts and community scene, with the Greensboro Cultural Center serving as a hub for galleries, theaters, studios, and local arts groups. Historic neighborhoods like Fisher Park highlight early 20th-century architecture and a strong sense of heritage. Festivals, concerts, public art, and year-round community events add energy to daily life, while plentiful parks and green spaces give residents easy and quick access to nature.

Greensboro is home to several major colleges and universities, including UNC Greensboro, a large public research school with an active campus near downtown, and North Carolina A&T State University, a nationally recognized HBCU known for its engineering and STEM programs. Greensboro also includes smaller institutions like Guilford College, Bennett College, Greensboro College, and GTCC, the area’s main community college for technical and workforce training. Altogether, these schools serve more than 47,000 students and give the city a strong academic presence.

Greensboro is a place where history and growth come together naturally. The city’s strong schools, active arts scene, accessible parks, and solid healthcare system all contribute to its welcoming, diverse feel. It’s big enough to offer plenty to do, yet small enough to keep a sense of community—making it an appealing place to visit, study, work, or call home.

Learn more about Greensboro by visiting the Greensboro Visitors & Convention Bureau website.

About the Organization:
The City of Greensboro is governed under a Council-Manager form of government with the council serving as the legislative body of City government. City council is composed of a mayor and eight council members who serve four-year terms. The council is responsible for setting and directing policy regarding operations of City government, as well as approving the City’s budget of $830.6M, which supports 2,800 full-time, 200 part-time, and up to 1,000 temporary and seasonal employees, across many departments. The City Manager serves as the chief executive officer of the City and is responsible for the execution of council policy and for the management of day-to-day City government operations.

Learn more about the City of Greensboro by visiting its website.

About the Department and Position:

A nationally accredited law enforcement agency (CALEA), the Greensboro Police Department is responsible for all facets of municipal law enforcement including patrol, investigations, community policing, grant management, policy development, and collaboration with state and federal agencies. Learn more about the Department by visiting its website.

Reporting to the City Manager, the Chief of Police manages a budget of over $109M and oversees the department’s 651 sworn law enforcement officers and 126 professional staff employees, with direct supervision over the Deputy Chief of Police, the Public Safety Attorneys, the Public Information Manager, the Professional Standards Division, and the Assistant Chief in command of the Management Bureau. The department comprises five major components: Office of the Chief of Police; Patrol Bureau; Support Bureau; Investigative Bureau; and Management Bureau. The department’s Organizational Structures and Function Guide provides detailed descriptions of the structure, functions, and responsibilities of each component.

The Chief of Police provides strategic leadership and direction for the Greensboro Police Department, ensuring the safety and well-being of the community. The Chief upholds the Department’s mission of partnering to make Greensboro safe for all people and its vision to be a national model for exceptional policing through a commitment to excellence, selfless public service, and effective community partnerships. The Chief oversees all departmental functions—including patrol, investigations, training, and administrative operations—and works closely with the City Manager, elected officials, and community partners to set clear priorities, policies, and goals.

The Chief leads by example, demonstrating the Department’s core values in every aspect of leadership:
• Honesty – Always being truthful, ethical, and principled
• Integrity – Embodying and adhering to the principles of honor, trustworthiness, and moral courage
• Stewardship – Protecting resources, and placing the needs of the community and our mission above our individual needs
• Respect – Always acting with compassion and valuing the diversity of our community by building partnerships and relationships
• Trust – Being transparent in our policies and procedures, ensuring they are designed to be fair to the community and our employees and providing all with effective redress for their concerns
• Accountability – Providing leadership throughout the Department in a professional and responsible manner and holding all of our employees accountable for their conduct, effective job performance; including quality of work and knowledge, and dedication to our mission

This position requires extensive senior-level law enforcement experience; a proven record of leading large, diverse organizations; a deep commitment to ethical service and equity; and demonstrated experience in community policing and in serving a rapidly growing community.

Key Position Priorities:
• Reduce violent and property crime, improve traffic safety, address homelessness-related concerns, and help the community better understand crime data while balancing strong enforcement with fair and respectful policing.
• Rebuild trust and advance equity by reducing racial disparities, improving cultural understanding, increasing transparency, and engaging visibly and consistently so the department is viewed as a partner rather than a threat.
• Strengthen responses to homelessness, mental health, and substance-abuse issues by expanding partnerships, enhancing co-response options, closing service gaps, and offering meaningful alternatives to arrest.
• Align staffing, deployment, and communication with Greensboro’s growth and rising expectations, ensuring resources are used effectively, misinformation is addressed promptly, and competing pressures around reform and enforcement are managed thoughtfully.
• Improve internal culture and leadership by ensuring fair accountability, strengthening communication with frontline staff, maintaining succession planning, supporting officer wellbeing, and stabilizing staffing during a period of organizational strain.

Qualifications:
Minimum of 10 years of progressive law enforcement experience and 5-7 years of cross-functional and progressively responsible experience, including administrative and command work at rank of Captain or higher; a BA/BS degree (master’s degree highly preferred) along with executive law enforcement training (e.g. FBI National Academy, SMIB, FBI LEEDA, Administrative Officers Management Program, etc.) is required.

Transfers: In-state candidates may transfer their law enforcement officer certification to another agency in NC provided they have less than a 12-month break in service at time of appointment. 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 candidates serving, or have served, as a local or state law enforcement officer must have successfully 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 training if the candidate has completed a formal military basic training program and been awarded a military police occupational specialty rating and has served as a military police officer for not less than two of the five years preceding the date of appointment.

The Successful Candidate is:
• Highly effective at building long-term partnerships, working collaboratively with social service providers, civic leaders, and community organizations to strengthen safety, expand resources, and develop sustainable, community-focused solutions;
• Balanced, thoughtful, and community-centered, building authentic relationships, listening to and understanding Greensboro’s diverse neighborhoods, and communicating with empathy, clarity, and respect;
• Demonstrates character, courage, and integrity; leads with transparency; stands up for what is right; supports officers; and balances the need for accountability, reform, and effective enforcement without becoming political;
• Decisive, inclusive, and collaborative, valuing input, empowering staff, avoiding micromanagement, and setting clear expectations while modeling fairness, consistency, and professionalism;
• An exceptional communicator, able to explain complex issues plainly, engage in difficult conversations with honesty and respect, and maintain a visible, approachable presence during both calm and challenging moments;
• Strategic and forward-thinking, bringing proven public-safety leadership, strong analytical abilities, and the capacity to monitor trends, solve problems, manage crises, and guide the agency through growth and social complexity;
• Innovative and technically savvy, embracing new technologies, supporting modernization, promoting officer wellness, and encouraging creative problem-solving at all levels;
• Financially astute, understanding budgeting, grants, and resource constraints; advocating for staffing, equipment, and technology; and aligning investments with community needs and expectations;
• Committed to equity, trust, and accountability, recognizing historical harms, championing fairness for all residents, and ensuring discipline, promotion, and opportunity are consistent and unbiased;
• Resilient, steady, and compassionate, remaining professional under pressure, supporting officer wellbeing, and fostering a culture grounded in respect and care; and
• Able to navigate political divides and polarized viewpoints without becoming a politician, balancing the expectations of both advocates for stronger enforcement and those calling for reform, while working effectively with elected officials, city leadership, and community groups.

Salary and Benefits: The hiring range for the position is $172,210-$275,684 depending on qualifications and experience. The City of Greensboro offers a highly competitive benefits package. The Police Chief is required to establish residency within 20 miles of the city limits within a period of twelve (12) months from the date of employment.
• 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 January 15, 2026, 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 February 19-20, 2026. Candidates are encouraged to reserve these dates for virtual meetings should they be invited to participate, as these dates are fixed.
• Direct all inquiries to hiring@developmentalassociates.com.