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Administrative Services Commander

City of Portsmouth | Portsmouth, VA

Posted Date 4/19/2026
Description GENERAL STATEMENT OF JOB

This civilian position will be under limited supervision and responsible for the overall management and administration of a major functional area, division. or bureau. Reports to the Assistant Police Chief.

ESSENTlAL JOB FUNCTlONS

Responsible for the effective supervision of law enforcement officers, specialized or administrative staff; administration of budget preparation and monitoring expenditures, staff development and training, succession planning. performance management, employee relations. prioritizing and assigning work. counseling, and departmental personnel policies and procedures are appropriately administered; assists with development programs, strategic plans, research, and evaluations of trends in law enforcement, and activity to develop plans and programs to improve law enforcement operations.

Performs administrative duties in law enforcement. planning. and operations to include preparing reports and correspondence; monitors budget in assigned area and oversees equipment needs. Attends meetings to include command staff, CRIME, policy review, etc. Provides updates to the appropriate Assistant Chief of Police regarding investigations, statuses of projects, and personnel matters.

Manages personnel administration activities to include identifying training needs and conducting training; preparing and reviewing performance evaluations; handling disciplinary actions and approving and monitoring leave requests; and provides guidance to officers in the department with respect to evaluating, counseling, motivating, and disciplining employees.

Serves on committees or boards and performs special research or other projects; established and implements community relations service program; monitors laws. rules, and regulat10ns and evaluates administrative and operational activities to ensure compliance, addresses internal and external complaints or problems and resolves issues by meeting with law enforcement individuals, public citizens, or groups.

Performs other duties as assigned. Individual assignments will be determined by supervisor based on current workload and department needs.PERFORMANCEINDICATORS

Knowledge of Job: The employee has considerable knowledge of modern law enforcement practices, procedures, materials, techniques,and equipment used in law enforcement work. Due to his or her supervisory position, the employee has a specific understanding of departmental policies and procedures, as well as a detailed knowledge of the principles of supervision, organization, and administration. The employee is able to supervise and coordinate the work ofsubordinates and to instruct them in proper work methods and procedures. The basic law enforcement responsibilities require a general knowledge of the geographic and socioeconomic layout of the city, as well as an understanding of both federal, state, and local laws pertaining to law enforcement work. The employee is also skilled in the use of firearms and other law enforcement equipment. The employee must be able to use sound judgment to act quickly and effectively in both emergency and routine situations. The employee is able to prepare accurate records and reports. Because of constant contact with the public, the employee must be able to exercise tact, firmness, and fairness in his or her dealings with the general public. The employee must be able to establish and maintain effective working relationships necessitated by work assignments.

Quality of Work: Maintains high standards of accuracy in exercising duties and responsibilities. Exercises immediate remedial action to correct any quality deficiencies that occur in areas of responsibility. Maintains high quality communication, interacts with all departments, external law enforcement agency staff, community members, co-workers and the general public.

Quantity of Work: Maintains effective and eff1cient output of all duties and responsibilities as described under 'Essential Job Functions.

Dependability: Assumes responsibility for doing assigned work and for meeting deadlines. Completes assigned work on or before deadlines in accordance with directives, policies, standards, and prescribe procedures. Accepts accountability for meeting assigned responsibilities in the technical, human, and conceptual areas.

Attendance: Attends work regularly and adheres to policies and procedures regarding absences and tardiness. Provides adequate notice to higher management with respect to vacation time and time-off requests.

Initiative and Enthusiasm: Maintains an enthusiastic, self-reliant and self-starting approach to meet job responsibilities and accountabilities. Strives to anticipate completion of work and initiates proper direction for the completion of work with a minimum of supervision and instruction.

Judgment: Exercises analytical judgment in areas of responsibility. Identifies problems or situations as they occur and specifics decision objectives. Determines or assists in determining alternative solutions to problems or situations. Implements decisions in accordance with prescribed and effective policies and procedures, with minimum errors. Seeks expert or experienced advice and research problems, situations and alternatives before exercising judgment.

Cooperation: Accepts supervisory instruction and direction and strives to meet the goals and objectives. Questions such instruction and direction when clarification of results or consequences is justified i.e., poor communications, variance with policy or procedures, etc. Offers suggestions and recommendations to encourage and improve cooperation between all staff persons within the department.

Relationships with Others: Shares knowledge with supervisors and staff for mutual and departmental benefit. Contributes to maintaining high morale among all department employees. Develops and maintains cooperative and courteous relationships with department employees and managers in other departments, to project a good departmental image. Tactfully and effectively handles requests, suggestions, and complaints from other departments and persons to maintain good will within the city. Emphasizes the importance of maintaining a positive image within the city. Interacts effectively with fellow employees, professionals, and the public.

Coordination of Work: Plans and organizes daily work routine. Establishes priorities for the completion of work in accordance with effective time-management methodology. Avoids duplication of effort. Estimates expected time of completion of elements of work and establish a personal schedule accordingly. Attends meetings, planning sessions and discussions of time. Implements work activity in accordance with priorities and estimated schedules. Maintains a calendar for meetings, deadlines, and events.EDUCATION & EXPERlENCE

Requires an Bachelors degree in Public Administration, Criminal justice or a related field and 2.5 years as a Police Lieutenant. Requires at least 5 years in progressively more responsible police supervisory experience; or any equivalent combination of training and experience which provides the required education and experience.

SPECIALREQUIREMENTS

Selected applicants must be available to work all assigned shifts. This will include day shift or night shift.

Requires satisfactory results from a medical, psychological evaluation and pre-employment substance abuse testing and is subject to random alcohol and controlled substance testing.

Requires a comprehensive background investigation to include a local, state and federal criminal history check; and sex offender registry check.
Additional training may be necessary to meet the requirements of some division assignments. A valid driver's license with an acceptable driving record.MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS OR STANDARDS REQUIRED TO PERFORM ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Physical Requirements: Must be physically able to operate a variety of automated office equipment including a computer, calculator, copiers, facsimile machines, etc. Must be able to exert up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. Physical demand requirements arc those for sedentary work which involves moderate walking or standing for periods of time.

Data Conception: Requires the ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural, or compositional characteristics (whether similar or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people, or things.

Interpersonal Communications: Requires the ability of speaking and/or signaling people to convey or exchange information. Includes giving or receiving instructions, assignments, and/or directions to subordinates or from supervisors.

Language Ability: Requires the ability to read and prepare a variety of correspondence, reports, personnel records, applications. procedure manuals, regulatory documents, regulations and other administrative references, while using prescribed formats in conjunction with, all rules of punctuation, grammar, diction and style. Requires the ability to speak to people with poise, voice control, and confidence.

Intelligence: Requires the ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions; to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagrammatic form; deal with several abstract and concrete variables
.
Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to follow oral and written instructions. Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently using standard English and using administrative, behavioral, and human service terminology.

Numerical Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize mathematical formulas. Must be able to add, subtract, multiply, divide, and determine percentages.

Form/Spatial Aptitude: Requires the ability to inspect items for proper length, width, and shape.

Motor Coordination: Requires the ability to coordinate hands and eyes rapidly and accurately while using a variety of office equipment.

Manual Dexterity: Requires the ability to handle a variety of items, such as office equipment. Must have minimal levels of eye/hand/foot coordination.

Color Discrimination: Requires the ability to differentiate between colors and shades of color.

Interpersonal Temperament: Requires the ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instructions Must be adaptable to performing under varying levels of stress and when confronted with persons acting under stress (emergency situations).

Physical Communication: Requires the ability to talk and/or hear; (talking, expressing, or exchanging ideas by means of spoken words; hearing- perceiving nature of sounds by ear). Must be able to communicate via telephone.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) REQUIREMENTS

The City of Portsmouth is an Equal Opportunity Employer. ADA requires the City to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations.

This is a class description and not an individual position description. A class specification defines the general character and scope of duties and responsibilities of all positions in a job classification, but is not intended to describe and does not necessarily list the essential job functions for a given position in a classification.
Salary86,916.83 - 111,894.75 Annual
Field
Police

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