Senior Law Enforcement Advisor for 

Collaborative Reform

Temporary Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) Position

The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) announces an exciting opportunity for an individual 

with demonstrated experience in law enforcement operations, policies, and procedures to assist in strengthening the 

COPS Office’s capabilities in the development, delivery, and management of technical assistance (TA) to law

enforcement, community members, and other criminal justice stakeholders as a Senior Law Enforcement Advisor for the 

Collaborative Reform Initiative.

Background 

The COPS Office is the component of the U.S. Department of Justice responsible for advancing the practice of 

community policing by the nation’s state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement agencies through information and 

grant resources. It awards grants to state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement agencies to hire and train 

community policing professionals, acquire and deploy cutting-edge crime fighting technologies, and develop and test 

innovative policing strategies. COPS Office funding also provides training and TA to community members, local 

government leaders, and all levels of law enforcement through the Collaborative Reform Initiative (CRI) continuum of 

services. This continuum of services is designed to build trust between law enforcement agencies and the communities 

they serve; improve operational efficiencies and effectiveness; enhance officer safety and wellness; and develop and 

disseminate evidence-based, promising, and innovative public safety practices.

A brief overview of each program is provided here.

• Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center (CRI-TAC). In operation since 2017, CRI-TAC 

provides a wide array of TA services, using a “by the field, for the field” approach. The CRI-TAC process is agencydriven and offers customizable, short-term TA on more than 60 topics. For more information, please visit 

CollaborativeReform.org. 

• Critical Response. The Critical Response program is designed to provide targeted TA to law enforcement 

agencies experiencing high profile events, major incidents, or sensitive issues of varying need. Critical Response 

is highly customizable and provides flexible assistance to law enforcement agencies in a variety of ways including 

after-action reviews; peer-to-peer exchanges; targeted in-depth review, analysis, and recommendations; and 

facilitated discussions with subject matter experts (SME). Critical Response sites may vary in duration, 

depending upon the scope of the project. Shorter-term executive consultations may take as little as two weeks, 

while in-depth reviews of specific incidents or issues will take between six and nine months. 

• Organizational Assessments. Organizational Assessments offers the most intensive form of TA on the 

continuum, involving in-depth assessments and long-term assistance on systemic issues that can challenge 

community trust and confidence. The ideal timeline for engagements will be a 12-month period after the intake 

process is completed, with the maximum time for engagements to be 18 months. During that period, it will be 

the responsibility of all involved parties to accomplish the mutual goal of police reform while acknowledging 

that sustaining these efforts ultimately must be the responsibility of local agencies and communities.
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This position is a detail assignment under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) for one year, with a possibility of 

renewal for a second year. Individuals eligible for an IPA assignment include employees of state and local government 

agencies, institutions of higher education, Indian Tribal Governments, federally funded research and development 

centers, and qualified nonprofit organizations.

Under the IPA provisions, the individual will remain on the payroll of their home institution, and the home institution 

will continue to administer pay and benefits. This a remote work position that does not require relocation to the 

Washington, D.C., area, although some site-related travel will be required. Travel expenses for work related to the 

program will be covered by the COPS Office.

Major Duties

In the performance of their duties, a successful candidate for the position will have the following responsibilities:

• Working with the CRI program managers to provide substantive advice and support throughout the CRI program

• Providing subject matter expertise in police operations, policies, and procedures and current issues facing the 

law enforcement community

• Assisting in evaluating requests for TA from state, local, territorial, tribal, and campus law enforcement agencies

• Reviewing all program and site-specific deliverables including work plans, findings, recommendations, reports, 

and TA summaries

• Contributing to the development of TA programs geared to the needs of the specific recipient, including

applying various methods of TA from on-line to on-site assistance as well as developing reports, white papers, 

guidebooks, and other documents

• Working onsite with the recipients of COPS Office funding, providing subject matter expertise, guidance, and 

support

• Arranging and leading conference calls and meetings with the COPS Office and various stakeholders, developing 

agendas, and constructing follow-up action

• Coordinating the efforts of other experts in the government and the private and public sectors; serving as the 

liaison between the COPS Office and those participants

• Providing observations and feedback on the program as a whole or site-specific activities to improve the 

effectiveness of the TA

• Advising the COPS Office and TA providers on law enforcement matters including resources, promising practices, 

and agency innovations

• Assisting in the development of findings, recommendations, and TA summaries in collaboration with the TA 

providers and CRI program managers

• Contributing to the marketing and awareness of the CRI program including developing awareness materials, 

drafting articles, or speaking at meetings or conferences as a representative of the CRI team

• Representing the COPS Office at meetings or conferences to learn about research, promising practices, and 

innovative approaches
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Qualifications

A successful candidate for the position will possess the following qualifications:

Applicants should possess in-depth knowledge of police operations, policies, and procedures and have an interest in

national-level policy and current issues facing law enforcement agencies in the United States. Applicants should be 

current law enforcement managers or former law enforcement with experience at least at a command rank for more 

than a year. Seven or more years of experience in law enforcement–related positions is preferred, and applicants should 

possess excellent oral and written communication skills as well as critical thinking skills. 

Applicants should send a letter of interest, a resume or curriculum vitae, and a brief (no more than five pages) writing 

sample to the following address:

Craig A. Jones, Sr.

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

2 Constitution Square

145 N Street NE

Washington, DC 20530

Phone: 202-598-0375 | Email: craig.jones@usdoj.gov

The desired starting date for the position is negotiable, although it is expected that the IPA would begin the 

appointment during Fiscal Year 2023, which begins in October 2022. We look forward to receiving and reviewing 

applications for this exciting and mutually beneficial opportunity in the COPS Office. The deadline for applications is 

September 30, 2022.

The U.S. Department of Justice/Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) is an Affirmative Action/Equal

Opportunity Employer. Women, minorities, people with disabilities, and candidates of all backgrounds are 

encouraged to apply.