Chief of Police - City of Asheville, NC

About the role

The City of Asheville, North Carolina seeks a seasoned, strategic, and collaborative law enforcement executive to serve as its next Chief of Police. The Asheville Police Department (APD) is a premier agency with a proud reputation for technology innovation and progressive community-focused policing.

About The Community

Serving as the county seat of Buncombe County, Asheville is the regional hub of Western North Carolina with a resident population of approximately 93,750 that swells daily to support over 190,000 workers and nearly 14 million annual tourists. Asheville is globally celebrated for its breathtaking scenery, progressive culture, vibrant culinary scene, and historic milestones like the iconic Biltmore Estate. Known widely as "Beer City USA," the community thrives on robust civic engagement and active neighborhood networks. Asheville's many accolades include being ranked as the Best Wellness Town in America in 2026, one of the Top 50 Places to Travel in 2026, and more.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Drive Cultural Excellence: Lead the department into its next chapter by championing internal trust, empowering staff, and establishing a foundation of consistent, supportive leadership.
• Workforce Stabilization and Strategic Retention: Focus on addressing staffing by developing robust strategies to retain current officers and deploying targeted recruitment initiatives to attract high-quality, diverse candidates who reflect the Asheville community.
• Enhance Strategic Collaboration: Partner with other City departments and community stakeholders to co-create proactive strategies that enhance overall public safety. Align City resources with neighborhood voices to address local challenges and foster a safer environment for all residents.
• Cultivate Political and Institutional Capital: Quickly build trust and strong communication channels with the City Manager, city staff, and an evolving political landscape.
• Community-Centered Response to Homelessness: Collaboratively address intense downtown business and community concerns regarding the unhoused population, utilizing behavioral health partnerships and modern co-responder service delivery models.
• Enhance Neighborhood Safety and Well-being: Partner with individual and organizational stakeholders to re-establish a dedicated Housing Authority team to focus on community-based policing, engagement with property managers, residents and resident councils, and collaborative problem-solving strategies to reduce crime and foster safe, thriving neighborhoods.

Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, public administration, or a closely related field.
• At least 10 years of progressive professional law enforcement experience, with a minimum of 5 years at a command executive level (e.g., Chief, Assistant Chief, Deputy Chief, Captain, or equivalent command rank).
• An active Law Enforcement Certification from the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission (or the immediate ability to obtain certification via reciprocity).
• Preferred Qualifications: A master’s degree in public administration (MPA), criminal justice, business administration (MBA), or a related discipline. Graduation from premier executive leadership programs such as the FBI National Academy, Southern Police Institute (SPI), or the UNC Chapel Hill School of Government Municipal/County Administration Course. A proven track record of sustaining cutting-edge public safety technology platforms amidst fiscal limitations.

Additional Information

• Salary and Benefits: The hiring range for this position is $137,732 to-$206,598. The starting salary is based on experience and qualifications. The City of Asheville offers a competitive benefits package that includes paid medical, dental and vision insurance, paid vacation and sick leave, parental and family care leave and other benefits which can be viewed on its website.

• To apply, please visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/developmentalassociates and click on the Chief of Police – City of Asheville, NC title. Please Note All applications must be submitted online through the Developmental Associates portal (link above) —NOT the city’s employment application portal or any other external website.

• Applications should apply by July 31, 2026. Successful semi-finalists will be invited to participate in intensive virtual skill evaluations on August 24-25, 2026. Candidates are encouraged to reserve these dates for virtual meetings should they be invited to participate. Finalist interviews will take place in person in Asheville shortly thereafter.

• Direct inquiries to: hiring@developmentalassociates.com.

• The City of Asheville, NC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The recruitment and selection process is being managed by Developmental Associates, LLC.