City of Palo Alto

  • Records Manager

  • City of Palo Alto
  • Palo Alto, California United States View Map

Job Description

Description

Join Our Department and Make a Difference In Our Community

Now Hiring Police Records Manager

Career Opportunity

The City of Palo Alto seeks an experienced Records Manager to lead the Police records division. Reporting to the Technical Services Deputy Director, this position provides for strategic project management for technology systems, including Records Management Systems (RMS) and public safety software.

The position provides an opportunity to manage a specialized public-safety records operation, including criminal records, warrants, case-file administration, data entry, retention and disposition, and public-records requests. The Records Manager has meaningful involvement in public safety information systems. Responsibilities include managing the records management system, supporting new or changed automated systems, coordinating computerized reporting, conducting quality-control reviews, and improving data accuracy and integrity.

This role is a management opportunity for someone who wants to support effective, accountable policing. It combines people leadership, operational management, legal compliance, customer service, records governance, and public-safety technology.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal Records Manager is an experienced public-safety records leader who will have experience managing police records functions including criminal records, warrants, case-file processing, data entry, retention, sealing and purging, and release of information with progressively responsible supervisory or administrative experience. They should be comfortable managing and mentoring professional, hourly, and contract personnel; setting service and quality standards; managing schedules and coverage; conducting evaluations; and addressing performance or operational challenges.

The candidate should be prepared to serve as, or work closely with, the Agency Terminal Coordinator function and establish a strong compliance culture across records, dispatch, sworn personnel, analysts, and information-technology partners. The candidate should be capable of translating complex state and federal requirements into practical standard operating procedures, training materials, checklists, and recurring review processes that can be sustained through staffing changes.

They will be able to support a structured program that includes Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Security Policy review, NCIC record entry completeness, CLETS access governance, document transaction monitoring, and regular compliance reporting and operational metric.

The candidate should be comfortable using and improving public safety technology, particularly records management systems, computerized reporting tools, CAD/RMS interfaces, message-switch or terminal-emulation systems, and related access-control and logging capabilities. They should work effectively with IT staff to ensure that system changes, remote access, vendor services, security logging, and data integrations are evaluated for CJIS/CLETS impact before implementation.

Palo Alto Police Department

Join a team of 150 employees committed to providing exceptional public safety services and building community partnerships. The Palo Alto Police Department responds to 55,000 calls for service annually supported by 125.5 FTE (86 sworn) and is organized across eight divisions: Field Services, Technical Services, Investigations, Traffic Services, Parking Services, Police Personnel Services, Animal Services, and Administration. The Palo Alto Dispatch Center will be relocated to the new facility, which has the third highest call volume in Santa Clara County due to providing dispatch services for the Palo Alto Airport, Police, Fire, Public Works, and Utilities departments and Stanford University.

Palo Alto Police Department core values include integrity, accountability, trust, teamwork, a positive attitude, and the professional, impartial treatment of all.

The City celebrated the opening of the $123M Public Safety Building, the new home of the Police Department, 911 Emergency Dispatch Center, the Emergency Operations Center, the Office of Emergency Services, and Fire Department Administration. Improving public safety services, enhancing community resiliency and emergency response for the community and Stanford University, it offers 57,000 square feet of space within a three-story structure, basement, and operational yard.

Salary Information and Benefits Information

Salary range for this position is $107,307.20 - $160,950.40 annually. Salary is supplemented by attractive benefits.

Click HERE to see full Job Description: Records Manager (Public Safety Program Manager)

Essential Duties

Essential and other important responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • Plans, organizes and directs the work of the records division.
  • Ensures compliance with all CJIC policies, procedures and security regulations.
  • Determines legal requirements and standards relating to the maintenance and release of information.
  • Participates in the selection, hiring and discipline process of Police Records Specialists.
  • Acts as Agency Terminal Coordinator between the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation to ensure compliance with all CLETS and NCIC policies and regulations.
  • Develops and directs the implementation of training in new/changed policies and procedures.
  • Supervises case management and administrative functions of the support services operation including direct involvement in divisional activities.
  • Provides liaison with City, County, State and Federal agencies for development, utilization and implementation of statistical and computerized reporting systems.
  • Handles citizen inquiries and complaints in person or by telephone.
  • Performs related duties and responsibilities as required.
  • Related Duties may include:
    • Plans, organizes, and coordinates the activities of the Police Records Division, including the preparation, processing, indexing, storing, retention, and disposition of police records
    • Plans, develops and oversees the work of staff involved in the maintenance of records and files, processing of data and reports, and support of sworn staff
    • Evaluates operations and activities of Division; implements improvements and modifications; prepares various reports on operations and activities
    • Acts as Agency Terminal Coordinator between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to ensure compliance with all California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS) and National Crime Information Center (NCIC) policies and regulations
    • Assures that Operations personnel for the Records division are fully trained and maintain a high level of proficiency and dependability.
    • Coordinates, researches, and prepares responses to DOJ and FBI mandated audits


Minimum Qualifications

Sufficient education, training and/or work experience to demonstrate possession of the following knowledge, skills and abilities, which would typically be acquired through:
  • Bachelor's Degree in Public Administration or a related field. (Up to two years of appropriate experience may be substituted on a year-to-year basis for the educational requirement.)

and
  • Two years of progressively responsible experience performing a variety of administrative and/or supervisory tasks in a computerized office, communications center or a law enforcement environment. A minimum of one year of experience must have included supervisory responsibility and the planning, organizing and coordinating of work.
  • Experience in telecommunications and 2-way radio systems when assigned to Communications.

Special Requirements:
  • Possession of a valid California driver’s license


Supplemental Information

Selection Process
  • Applicants will be screened throughout the posting process, and highly qualified candidates may be invited to interview at any time.
  • Application Review and Closing Date: Applications will be reviewed beginning November 16, 2026. This recruitment may close at any time, once a sufficient pool of qualified applicants has been received. Applicants are encouraged to apply early for full consideration.
  • Tentative Recruitment Timeline
    • First Review Date 11/16/2026
    • Panel Interviews and Final Interviews Tentatively Week of 12/14/2026
    • Application Screening and Personal History Questionnaire Ongoing
  • Applicants must pass each step of the application process as listed below.
    • Submit application and provide completed Personal History Statement (PHS)
    • Oral Board with a panel of PAPD employees
    • Oral Board with the Deputy Director Technical Services Division and Police Chief
    • Background investigation (includes Livescan and polygraph)

The City of Palo Alto is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.

See our Benefits at a Glance Bookletfor more details.
Learn more about our Memorandum of Agreements (MOAs) between the City and its bargaining units, by clicking HERE.

Closing Date/Time: 12/4/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
City of Palo Alto

City of Palo Alto

650-329-2376

The Community


The birthplace of Silicon Valley, Palo Alto, is a community of approximately 68,000 residents and nearly 100,000 jobs. Located on the mid-Peninsula between San Francisco and San Jose, Palo Alto is recognized worldwide as a leader in cutting-edge technology, medicine, and green innovation. The community's treelined streets and historic buildings reflect its California heritage, and, at the same time, many world-class businesses maintain or started offices here, such as Stanford Health Care and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Amazon, Broadcom, Hewlett-Packard, Houzz, Rivian, SAP and SAP Ariba, Tesla, and Varian Medical Systems. Numerous start-ups are also at home in Palo Alto, arguably making it the start-up capital of the world. Stanford University is foundational to the history and prestige of Palo Alto, reflected in the community's dedication to lifelong learning. Stanford's cultural and educational offerings are integral to the vibrancy and charm of Palo Alto, while the City's exceptional K-12 school district ranks among the top public-school systems in the country. With more than 50% of adult residents holding a graduate degree or higher, Palo Alto is frequently listed as one of the most educated cities in the nation. Palo Alto boasts a genuine sense of community and an active citizenry with strong environmental values. Beautiful neighborhoods are complemented by vibrant commercial corridors and a bustling economy featuring premium shopping and dining options. Excellent healthcare facilities, performing arts, and diverse recreational opportunities are some of the community's incredibly desirable and cherished amenities. To learn more, visit https://www.paloalto.gov/Departments/City-Manager/Latest-News

City Government

Palo Alto is a full-service charter city with a council-manager form of government. The seven-member City Council is elected at large, and the City Council annually selects the Mayor and Vice Mayor from among its members. The Mayor and City Council appoint the City Manager, City Attorney, City Clerk, and City Auditor. The City Manager is responsible for the strategic direction and day-to-day operations of the City. Palo Alto is organized into 15 departments/offices with 1,093.10 authorized positions in FY 2025. There is also a FY 2025 capital budget of $316.2 million. Palo Alto owns and operates its own utilities, including electricity (carbon-neutral), gas, water, wastewater, and an expanding fiber network. This dynamic municipal environment ensures an ever-engaging platform for unique problem-solving and advances new initiatives, including sustainability, broadband, and effective service delivery. Community assets also include five libraries, 36 parks, five community centers, a museum and zoo, youth centers, a general aviation airport, an 18-hole golf course, a regional water treatment plant, and wildland open space preserves at the San Francisco Bay and in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains offering 41 miles of walking/biking trails in addition to its police, fire, and ambulance services. Palo Alto has long been a leader in sustainability, and the City's ambitious greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals are part of what sets it apart. Since the City's first Climate Protection Plan was passed in 2007, Palo Alto has set goals that exceed State and Federal targets. Today, the City's goal to reduce emissions 80% below 1990 levels by 2030 (the "80x30" goal) and achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 guides sustainability efforts. An award-winning City, Palo Alto is recognized nationally as innovative and well-managed. City services and performance also receive impressive marks from community members in the Palo Alto Community Survey.

Many of those ratings put City programs and services in the highest percentiles among the hundreds of benchmark cities. Palo Alto makes decisions through comprehensive processes and proactively seeks to involve its extremely informed, educated, and engaged residents. Projects are naturally a cooperative effort among the City Council, Boards, Commissions, Committees, engaged residents, neighborhoods, businesses, property owners, and staff.

Join an Award Winning Team 

Palo Alto is an award-winning City recognized nationwide as innovative and well-managed. Palo Alto is one of a small number of California cities with a AAA bond rating. Recently, Palo Alto became one of the most livable cities in the U.S. by Livability.com. It's the only city to receive the Platinum Beacon Award in sustainability best practices by California’s Institute for Local Government. We offer a variety of career paths that relate to building and improving communities. The City has fourteen departments employing 1,000 full-time staff. Police officers, fire fighters, paramedics, and building inspectors keep us safe. Engineers and public works staff build and re-build the physical infrastructure. City planners help envision and shape future community growth. Recreation, arts and library professionals enhance community life. Utilities provides electric, gas, water, sewer and other services. Internal services departments help manage, staff, and protect the City.

Want to learn more about our benefits? Learn more by reviewing our "Benefits at a Glance Booklet."

Contact Us

Phone: 650-329-2376   

Email: Recruit@paloalto.gov   

Location: City Hall, 1st Floor | 250 Hamilton Ave 94301 | View Map

 

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