District Attorney Investigator Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Salary : $127,774.40 - $172,723.20 Annually
Location : Orange County
Job Type: Various
Job Number: 6504PO-0726-026(O)
Department: District Attorney
Opening Date: 07/23/2026
Closing Date: 10/22/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
CAREER DESCRIPTION
DISTRICT ATTORNEY INVESTIGATOR
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
This recruitment is being held to establish an open eligible list to fill current and future regular and limited term vacancies in the Orange County District Attorney's Office. This recruitment may also be used to fill positions in similar and/or lower classifications throughout the County of Orange.
DEADLINE TO APPLY
Online applications will be accepted until Thursday, October 22, 2026, at 11:59 PM (PST)
with the first round of consideration beginning the week of August 10, 2026.
Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply immediately.
THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY
The Office of the Orange County District Attorney - Public Administrator, (OCDA-PA) represents the People of the State of California in criminal and civil proceedings in the Superior Court of California and appellate courts of the state. The mission of the OCDA is to enhance public safety and welfare and to protect and respect crime victims and to create security in the community through the vigorous enforcement of criminal and civil laws in a just, honest, efficient and ethical manner.
THE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
The Orange County District Attorney's Office -Bureau of Investigationsupports the prosecutorial and law enforcement endeavors of the District Attorney. It provides a wide range of policing services tasked with suppressing crime and ensuring all criminal cases filed in Orange County are thoroughly investigated.
THE OPPORTUNITY
The Office of the District Attorney is seeking results-oriented investigators to collaborate with attorneys in the vigorous enforcement of criminal and civil laws. A District Attorney Investigator performs challenging investigative work resulting in the apprehension and prosecution of persons suspected of committing felony and serious misdemeanor crimes. The department is seeking individuals who are:

• Self-motivated
• Effective communicators
• Team players able to successfully partner with District Attorney legal staff as well as local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE WILL POSSESS THE FOLLOWING

• Detailed understanding of the Criminal Justice System including courtroom testimony.
• Thorough knowledge of rules of evidence, courtroom procedure, investigation techniques, methods, and procedures, and the role of a District Attorney Investigator.
• Ability to apply forward thinking and creative thought with high ethical standards.
• Exceptional judgment and common sense.
• Excellent interpersonal and collaborative skills.
• Approachability, flexibility, and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated enthusiasm, innovation and/or creativity in a law-enforcement investigator assignment.
• Superior interviewing, interrogation, and listening skills.
• Superior report writing skills.
• Experience in writing search warrants.
• Extensive experience in dealing with victims and witnesses of crime.
• Demonstrated past performance working with Deputy District Attorney collaborating in an investigation and prosecution.

Special Qualifications

• Possess a valid state of California P.O.S.T. certificate (basic, intermediate, advanced, supervisory or management).
• Graduated from a state of California P.O.S.T. certified peace officer regular basic course academy
• Modular format (reserve) training will not be considered

PLEASE NOTE
All applicants who have filed an application must scan, upload, and attach their California P.O.S.T. certificate(s) (Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, Supervisory, or Management) to the application. Failure to immediately attach your certificates will result in an incomplete application, which may not be accepted.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Please click here for the minimum qualifications for the District Attorney Investigator.
PHYSICAL, MENTAL and ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS
The County of Orange is committed to providing a means for applicants who may have a disability to identify areas in which they may request a reasonable accommodation. Click here to read a description of the physical and mental abilities which are customarily required to perform the essential job functions of this position. Applicants are encouraged to contact the recruiter listed in the announcement for any questions or to request an accommodation during the testing/selection process.
ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION

• In addition to the monthly starting pay, candidates receive P.O.S.T. pay commensurate with the level of P.O.S.T. certificate the candidate possesses.
• Additional compensation up to 70 cents ($0.70) per hour may be available for candidates selected to work in positions requiring bilingual skills.
• Educational incentive pay of ($115.38) biweekly is available to employees who hold a Bachelor's Degree or higher from a college or university accredited by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, International Association of Universities, or National Association of Credential Evaluation Services.

RETIREMENT RECIPROCITY
Current employed members of accepted reciprocal systems who were in those retirement systems prior to January 1, 2013, and who have not retired from those systems, may be eligible for previous OCERS formula of 3% at age 55 for safety members.

• Membership in the Orange County Employees Retirement System (OCERS). For more information, please call (714) 558-6200 or visit www.ocers.org

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
The County offers a competitive benefits package which includes a choice of several health plans, annual leave (includes paid vacation) and paid holidays. Additionally, the County provides a retirement plan, which has reciprocity with the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS). Participation in a deferred compensation plan is available. The County also offers up to $10,000 annual Educational and Professional Reimbursement.

• For detailed information on benefits click here
• For detailed information on OCERS retirement click here.

For specific information regarding Medical and Dental benefits for Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs' (AOCDS)members, please call (714) 285-9900.
In addition to the County's standard suite of benefits such as; a choice of several health plans, dental and vision insurance, paid vacation, paid holidays, we also offer:

• Highly competitive salary
• Option of participating in the 457b Deferred Compensation Plan. For more information, please visit www.countyoforangedcplan.com
• Annual Leave (paid-time off accrual)

ORANGE COUNTY AMENITIES

• 24 Parks and Trails: OC Parks & Trails
• 17 Beaches/Harbors: OC Beaches
• 7 Historical Sites: OC Historic Sites

RECRUITMENT PROCESS
The Office of the District Attorney Human Resources screens all applications to identify the qualified candidates. After screening, qualified candidates will be referred to the next step and notified of all further procedures applicable to their status in the competition. After all the test procedures have been completed, the District Attorney's Human Resources will establish an eligible list of qualified candidates.
The recruitment procedure will consist of the following steps. Each step will require a few weeks to complete.
Written Exercise | (Weighted 50%)
Candidates will be completing a written exercise. A panel of subject matter experts will evaluate the written exercise on writing skills, clarity and preciseness of writing, content, grammar, sentence structure, and format. This assessment will be done as a blind rating. Only the most qualified candidates will be referred to the next step. All candidates will be notified via email of their status in the process.
Structured Oral Interview Assessment | (Weighted 50%)
Candidates will be interviewed and rated by a panel of job knowledge experts. Each candidate's rating will be based on responses to a series of structured questions designed to elicit the candidate's qualifications for the job. Only the most qualified candidates will be referred to the next step. All candidates will be notified via email of their status in the process.
Eligible List
Once the assessment has been completed, District Attorney Human Resources will establish an eligible list of candidates. Only the most successful candidates will be placed on the eligible list. Candidates placed on the eligible list may be referred to a selection interview to be considered for present and future vacancies.
Based on the Department's needs, the recruitment procedure listed above may be modified. All candidates will be notified of any changes in the recruitment procedure.
Background RequirementsCandidates under consideration for hire by the Office of the District Attorney-Public Administrator will be required to successfully pass an extensive and thorough background investigation, including Live Scan fingerprinting, medical, and psychological testing to the satisfaction of the District Attorney.
The information gathered in the course of a background investigation is deemed confidential and will not be disclosed to the applicant unless legally mandated by statute to do so.
VETERANS EMPLOYMENT PREFERENCE
The County is committed to providing a mechanism to give preferential consideration in the employment process to veterans and their eligible spouses and will provide eligible participants the opportunity to receive interviews in the selection process for employment and paid internship openings. Please click here to review the policy.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
EMAIL NOTIFICATION:Email is the primary form of notification during the recruitment process. Please ensure your correct e-mail address is included in our application and use only one e-mail account.
NOTE: User accounts are established for one person only and should not be shared with another person. Multiple applications with multiple users may jeopardize your status in the recruitment process for any positions for which you apply.
Candidates will be notified regarding their status as the recruitment proceeds via e-mail through the GovernmentJobs.com site. Please check your e-mail folders, including spam/junk folders, and/or accept e-mails ending with "governmentjobs.com" and "ocgov.com." If your e-mail address should change, please update your profile at www.governmentjobs.com.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:Clickherefor additional Frequently Asked Questions.
If you have questions related to this recruitment, please contact Lori Wrightat (714) 347-8420 or
EEO INFORMATION
Orange County, as an equal employment opportunity employer, encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.
Please note that Extra Help employees are not eligible for the benefits listed.
Please go to the following link to find out more about Defined Benefit Pensions and OCERS Plan Types/Benefits.
01
Please select from the following options which best describes your experience:

• Six (6) years or more experience as a law enforcement officer in accordance with California Penal Code Section 830.1 or its equivalent including two years of experience performing investigations of felony and high misdemeanor crimes.
• Five (5) years of experience as a law enforcement officer in accordance with California Penal Code Section 830.1 or its equivalent including two years of experience performing investigations of felony and high misdemeanor crimes.
• Four (4) years or less experience as a law enforcement officer in accordance with California Penal Code Section 830.1 or its equivalent including two years of experience performing investigations of felony and high misdemeanor crimes.
• None of the above

02
Do you possess two (2) years of detective experience performing criminal investigations?

• Yes
• No

03
Describe your investigative experience and list the dates and detective/investigative assignments where your primary assignment was carrying an investigative case load. Please do not include Internal Affairs/Administrative or Supervisory Assignments. -PLEASE NOTE: If you do not have experience, please answer "N/A." Statements such as "see application" or "see resume" will not be accepted in lieu of a response.
04
Please select which of the following valid California P.O.S.T. Certificates you possess as of the date of this application? Note: A P.O.S.T. Certificate is not valid if there is over a three-year break in service. Please upload a copy of your P.O.S.T. Certificates to your application. - PLEASE NOTE: A copy of your P.O.S.T Certificate(s) or waiver must be uploaded to your application.

• A current 830.1 P.O.S.T. Advanced Certificate
• A current 830.1 P.O.S.T. Intermediate Certificate
• A current 830.1 P.O.S.T. Basic Certificate.
• A current 830.1 P.O.S.T. Course Waiver as of date of application. (P.O.S.T. Certificates are not valid if over