Major Case Specialist - Copa

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education, Training, and Experience

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree, PLUS four (4) years of experience conducting investigations (criminal, civil or fact finding), with at least two (2) of the four (4) years conducting misconduct investigations that involve gathering, analyzing and evaluating evidence; conducting in-depth research, analysis and report writing; and conducting interviews with witnesses.

Should the above criteria not be fulfilled, the following options are acceptable:

o Graduation from an accredited college or university with a master's degree or higher, PLUS three (3) years of experience conducting investigations (criminal, civil or fact finding), with at least one (1) of the three (3) years conducting misconduct investigations that involve gathering, analyzing and evaluating evidence; conducting in-depth research, analysis and report writing; and conducting interviews with witnesses.

Licensure, Certification, or Other Qualifications

• A valid State of Illinois driver's license is required
• Availability to work any duty watch is required
• Availability to participate in the on-call rotation in response to incidents requiring immediate investigation by the agency
• Certification:

o Certified by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board as a Lead Homicide Investigator, or similar training approved by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board or the Department of State Police, or similar training provided at an Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board certified school, OR

o Is willing to undergo such training within six months of hire in order to maintain position as a Major Case Specialist

Preference will be given to candidates possessing the following:

• A Juris Doctorate degree from an ABA-accredited law school
• Previous professional experience with a federal, state, or local law enforcement agency as a sworn law enforcement officer
• Previous professional experience investigating incidents involving death or serious injury
• Trained or certified by an accredited body as a Lead Homicide Investigator
• Previous full-time employment with a local, state, or federal oversight agency
• Previous professional experience conducting investigations of employee misconduct or criminal conduct for either a government entity or a business entity that is not a retail establishment
• Previous professional experience prosecuting or defending felony criminal cases

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to walk and stand for extended or continuous periods of time
• Ability to access locations where shootings or alleged misconduct occurred

NOTE: Per City of Chicago Municipal Ordinance 2-78-120, no investigator employed by COPA shall be a current or former sworn member of CPD within the last five years.

NOTE: You must provide your transcripts or diploma AND valid driver's license at the time of processing.

SELECTION REQUIREMENTS

This position requires applicants to successfully pass a skills assessment test and complete an interview, which will include a written exercise. Test results will be sent out by the Department of Human Resources after test results have been compiled and analyzed. Applicants who receive a passing score on the test will be selected to interview. The interviewed candidate(s) receiving a passing score on the test and possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position, based on the oral interview and written exercise, will be selected for hire. Selected Bidders will be hired in seniority order according to the collective bargaining agreement.

For Information on our employees benefits please visit our benefits website at:

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/fin/benefits-office.html

For Information on our salary and title structure visit our classifications website at:

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dhr/provdrs/Job_Classification_Compensation/svcs/classification-and-pay-plan.html#docaccess-ba6c316e7a6d538348ff53b1eeebb6ab

APPLICATION EVALUATION: Initial evaluation will be based on information provided on the application and the documents submitted. Department of Human Resources staff will review applications after the final posting date. Staff will follow any and all required Employment/Hiring Plan provisions, federal, state and local laws, and Collective Bargaining Agreements when applicable. Staff will apply hiring preferences as required by the municipal code. Placement on an eligibility list is not an offer or guarantee of an interview nor employment with the City of Chicago.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY: To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse experience the City of Chicago has adopted the following ordinances 2-74-020 and 2-74-075. The ordinances provide a preference to applicants who meet minimum qualifications and who are veterans of the Armed Forces, and/or residents of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Areas (SEDA) and/or Chicago Public School (CPS) high school graduates to be referred to departments for consideration. These hiring preferences do not apply to bidders, as Collective Bargaining Agreements define the hiring process for bidders. For positions covered by a collective bargaining agreement, bidders will be considered before external candidates. To learn more about our hiring practices click here.

ALL REFERENCES TO POLITICAL SPONSORSHIP OR RECOMMENDATION MUST BE OMITTED FROM ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR CITY EMPLOYMENT.

The City of Chicago is an Equal Employment Opportunity, Military Friendly, and Fair Chance Employer.

City of Chicago

Brandon Johnson, Mayor

Sep 25, 2026, 12:00:00 AM