Victim Advocate

City of Durham, NC

$64K — $100K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in criminal justice, social sciences or directly related field or equivalent experience
  • One year of relevant experience
  • Valid, unrestricted North Carolina driver's license or ability to obtain one within 60 days of hire
  • Completion of North Carolina Victim Service Practitioner certification within one year of employment

Responsibilities

  • Develop and monitor policies, procedures, and standards for victim services
  • Research and implement best practices and service models
  • Coordinate emergency response and services for victims in crisis
  • Provide leadership and assistance in program-related issues
  • Manage program budgets and prepare grant applications
  • Prepare monthly and annual reports for victim services
  • Liaise with community organizations to implement victim services

Benefits

  • 12-13 paid holidays per year
  • 13 standard work days of vacation and sick leave per year
  • Medical, dental, vision, and supplemental life insurance plans
  • City contribution of 13.6% into the N.C. State Retirement System
  • Employee Assistance Program for personal and family counseling
  • Paid life insurance equal to annual salary
  • 48 hours for volunteer work each year
  • 2 weeks of paid military leave per year
Full Job Description
Salary : $64,787.00 - $100,408.00 Annually
Location : 602 E. Main Street, Durham, NC
Job Type: Full time with benefits
Job Number: 26-06090
Department: Police
Opening Date: 09/17/2026
Closing Date: 9/24/2026 11:59 PM Eastern

Position Description

This position is devoted to providing support functions for law enforcement activities and staff including investigatory assistance, evidence processing and retention, crime analysis, victim assistance and forensic science. Oversee a law enforcement support program and serve as a designated subject matter expert, performing complex analysis and/or program administration, which may include providing first or second level supervision to employees or serving as a lead worker. Decision-making includes providing input into management objectives, establishing work goals and objectives of a unit to carry out management direction, and selecting the method to address a problem or issue, subject to the constraints established by management objectives and direction.

Responsible for developing policies and procedures; overseeing work produced and services offered; training staff; preparing reports; and monitoring/preparing budgets.

May serve as a lead worker, assigning work and monitoring work completion or supervise support staff including conducting performance evaluations, coordinating training, and implementing hiring, discipline, and termination procedures.
Duties/Responsibilities

  • Develops, communicates, and monitors policies, procedures and standards for the program; recommends and implements improvements when necessary.
  • Researches best practices, service models, training, grants, and service trends to assist in the development of programs.
  • Ensures coverage of victim services for the City of Durham. Coordinates emergency response to victims in crisis situations; screens and prioritizes cases; meets with staff to coordinate delivery of services and communicate special needs or concerns.
  • Provides leadership, consultation and assistance to refine work output or resolve issues that relate to victim / witness, specialized population and crisis management. Monitors programs and service delivery; prepares annual program evaluations.
  • Develops program budgets; monitors expenditures under the current budget; prepares grants applications for new and current programs.
  • Prepares monthly and annual reports for the Criminal Investigations Division Victim Services.
  • Identifies needs and resources of community pertaining to Victim Services, coordinates development and implementation of services with civic and community organizations. Acts as liaison between department and mental health, social and human services, emergency service providers, civic and community groups and court personnel as it relates to victim services.
  • Provides counseling services, receives requests for services from individual clients or social service agencies; schedules home or office appointments, determines problem and appropriate resolution; consults with family members and other service providers; coordinates efforts with outside agencies and other departments as appropriate.
  • Responds to concerns from citizens, other City employees and/or social service agencies regarding individuals.
  • Maintain effective working relationships with other professional agencies in order to strengthen advocacy resources within the police department and/or the community-based advocacy organizations.
  • Conduct site visits with investigators as needed.
  • Trains the department on new victim services mandates, advocacy technology, and ethics; provides in-service and other training related to victim services.

Minimum Qualifications & Experience

  • Bachelor's degree in criminal justice, social sciences or directly related field OR equivalent experience.
  • One year of experience related to assignment.
  • Valid, unrestricted, North Carolina driver's license "or" if you currently have another states driver's license, must be willing and able to obtain a valid NC driver's license within 60 days of hire.
  • Must complete a North Carolina Victim Service Practitioner certification within one year of employment.

Additional Preferred Skills

  • Master's Degree or continued course work in a related field,
  • Three or more (3+) years of directly related experience or equivalent combination of training and experience.

Benefits - General Full-Time Employees
  • 12-13 paid holidays per year
  • 13 standard work days of vacation per year
  • 13 standard work days of sick leave per year, which accumulates indefinitely; sick leave may be used toward early retirement
  • 2 weeks paid military leave per year
  • Medical, dental, vision, and supplemental life insurance plans
  • State and City retirement plans
  • Short and long term disability plans
  • Paid temporary disability leave for specified conditions
  • City contribution of 13.6% into the N.C. State Retirement System
  • Paid funeral leave
  • Employee Assistance Program - personal and family counseling
  • Paid life insurance equal to annual salary
  • 48 hours for volunteer work each year*
  • 4 hours parental leave each year
  • Workman's Compensation Insurance
  • 457 Deferred Compensation Plans
Benefits - Part-Time (1,000 hours or more per year)
  • 401(k) retirement plan (5.0% of salary)
  • State retirement plan
Benefits Part-Time (Average 30 hours per week over 12 month period)
  • 401(k) retirement plan (5.0% of salary)
  • State retirement plan effective first day of the month following date of hire
  • Health insurance effective first day of the month following date of hire
  • Dental and life insurance, after one year of service
  • Pro-rated vacation, pro-rated sick, pro-rated floating holiday, parttime holiday pay (based on scheduled hours for that day) after one year of service

01

Where did you first hear about this opportunity?
  • City of Durham Website
  • Walk in
  • Job fair
  • Employee referral
  • Professional organization ***Please list the organization in "other" box below***
  • Internet posting ***Please list the specific web site in the "other" box below***
  • Craig's List
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • GlassDoor
  • governmentjobs.com
  • Monster.com
  • Indeed.com
  • Employment Security Commission
  • Magazine/Newspaper
  • Other

02

If you listed "other" above please give specific web site, organization, or publication.
03

Please select your highest level of COMPLETED education.
  • Less than a High School Diploma or Equivalent (GED, HiSET, TASC)
  • High School Diploma or Equivalent (GED, HiSET, TASC)
  • Associates Degree
  • Bachelor's Degree
  • Master's Degree
  • Doctoral Degree (PhD, Juris Doctorate)

04

How many years of related experience do you have?
  • No related experience
  • Less than 1 year of related experience
  • 1 year but less than 5 years of related experience
  • 5 years but less than 9 years of related experience
  • 9 or more years of related experience

05

Do you have a valid, unrestricted, North Carolina driver's license? (If you have a valid license from a State other than North Carolina, you must be willing and able to obtain a valid, unrestricted NC driver's license within 60 days of hire).
  • I have a valid, unrestricted NC driver's license.
  • I have a valid license from another State and I am willing to obtain a valid, unrestricted NC driver's license within 60 days.
  • I do not have a valid, unrestricted driver's license.

06

Are you willing and able to complete the NC Victim Service Practitioner Certification within a year of employment?
  • Yes
  • No

07

This position requires participation in a rotating on-call schedule, which may occasionally require reporting for duty on nights, weekends, and holidays. Are you willing and able to work this schedule?
  • Yes
  • No

Required Question

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