Jobs and Careers

Chief Jail Inspector

State of Iowa

Des Moines, United Statesfull_timeVerifiedPosted 13 Jul 2026

💰 $120,080/yr($78,080/yr – $120,080/yr)

About the role

Posting number: 27-00082

Department: 238 Corrections - Central Office

Job classification: Executive Officer 3

Posting type: Open & Promotional

Categories: Administration, Corrections

Summary

The Chief Jail Inspector position is responsible for jail and temporary holding facility inspections in the State of Iowa and providing corresponding reporting documentation. Inspections include on-site consultation and written follow-up with designated jail staff and government partners.
Collaborates with local facility staff to achieve compliance with deficiencies that impact health and safety of employees and inmates.

In addition to inspection responsibilities, the Chief Jail Inspector reviews, critiques and approves local plans for facility remodel or new construction.

When necessary, the position works on-site with facility staff, the Fire Marshal and other government entities to support and inform these processes.
Administratively, the Chief Jail Inspector serves as a member of the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy’s Training Committee, provides instruction in sanctioned jail schools and provides consultation on new and revised standards.

This position also works extensively with a variety of public entities to establish, review and implement jail standards as part of the Iowa Administrative Code.
The position is also responsible for annual reports, data collection and dissemination of relevant inspection information and trends.

E-Verify and Right to Work
The State of Iowa participates in E-Verify, a federal program that helps employers confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. Within the required timeframe, new hires will be verified through the E-Verify system to ensure authorization to work in the United States. The State of Iowa also complies with the federal Right to Work laws, which protect employees’ rights to work without being required to join a labor organization. For more information, please visit www.e-verify.gov.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet at least one of the following minimum requirements to qualify for positions in this job classification:

1) Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a degree in any field, and experience equal to five years of full-time professional-level work in program administration, program development, program research/evaluation, or management.
2) A total of nine years of education and/or full-time experience (as described in number one), where thirty semester hours of accredited college or university course work in any field equals one year of full-time experience.
3) All of the following (a, b, and c):

a. Three years of full-time professional-level work experience in program administration, program development, program research/evaluation, or management; and

b. A total of four years of education and full-time experience (as described in part a), where thirty semester hours of accredited college or university course work in any field equals one year of full-time experience; and

c. A total of two years of graduate-level education and full-time experience (as described in part a), where twenty-four semester hours of accredited graduate college or university course work in a public-service-related area (e.g., public or business administration, social work, public health, law, education, engineering) equals one year of full-time experience. Graduation from the Iowa Certified Public Manager Program is also equivalent to one year of full-time experience or education.

4) Current, continuous experience in the state executive branch that includes twelve months of full-time work as an Executive Officer 2 or two years of full-time work as an Executive Officer 1 or comparable specific management-level position.

For additional information, please click on this link to view the job description.