Chief of Police
Waterloo Regional Police Service

If you wish to be considered for this position, please forward your résumé, cover letter, and any other relevant material to us.

Applicants whose background and experience most closely match the requirements of the role, will be asked to complete a Self-Assessment questionnaire. The purpose of the Self-Assessment is to offer you the opportunity to highlight, in your own words, how your experience aligns with the key mandates and criteria of the role.

The materials that will be presented to the Search Committee, should your candidacy be presented, are your:

• Completed Self-Assessment Questionnaire

• Cover Letter

• Résumé

Once we receive the Résumés, Cover Letters, and Self-Assessments of those who express interest in the position, we will compare them against the Candidate Profile and against the backgrounds of other candidates. We will then conduct a comprehensive interview of the top-rated candidates to assess fit, motivation, executive intelligence, experience, and alignment with the key criteria set out above.

We will let you know as soon as possible after the interview if we will be proceeding further and presenting your candidacy to the Search Committee for its consideration; we will also ask you about your interest and whether you would like to continue in the process. If both parties wish to proceed, we will ask you to begin gathering any information that might have an impact on your final decision. Usually there are three categories: 

1. a. Matters of Fact – These include benefits, pension plans, vacation policy, perquisites, and an approximate indication of the compensation plan. If a physical move would be required to accept the position, please learn about housing, schools, relocation assistance, and any other matters of this kind that are important to you.

2. b. Matters of Family – If a physical move will ultimately prove unacceptable to your family members, please determine that at this stage.

3. c. Matters of Fit – Please list the remaining questions that you would need to have answered about the position and the organization and pass them along to us. We will be happy to answer them for you.

The goal of gathering all of this information is to help you make an informed decision, as soon as possible, about the degree of your interest. In fairness to everyone, please do not go further if you really think you are unlikely to accept the position should it be offered to you. If you have additional questions following our initial discussion, but your interest is tentative and you are still “exploring”, please let us know. We can help you get the additional information you need.

It is not uncommon for candidates to be pursuing multiple opportunities concurrently. In the interest of transparency, if you are a candidate for another opportunity, please let us know immediately, and keep us informed of your status. Doing so does not reflect negatively on your application, it simply ensures full disclosure from all parties involved.

If, after your interview with us and after your due diligence, you remain interested, we will include your application in our Long List Report. The Long List Report will include the materials noted in Step 1 above, and any additional supporting materials such as letters of reference. The Report will be presented to the Search Committee, for its review and consideration. From the Long List, the Search Committee will choose a Short List of candidates that it will invite to an interview.

Interviews with the Search Committee are scheduled as follows:

Round 1: The first-round interviews will be with the Search Advisory Committee (composed of a subset of the WRPSB as well as two public members) and will be 60 minutes long. The interview will focus on an exploration of relevant experience and leadership competencies. All candidates will be notified of their status at the end of the first round of interviews.

Round 2: Two or three candidates will be invited back for a second interview with the full Waterloo Regional Police Services Board as well as the Public Members of the Search Advisory Committee. The second interview will centre on discussing WRPS’s key priorities and the role of the Chief of Police. All candidates will be notified of their status at the end of the 2nd round of interviews.

Round 3: The prospective finalist(s) may be invited for a third interview. The third interview will be less formal and focused on addressing any unanswered or new questions arising from the previous interviews.

If you are the Finalist – Assessment and Referencing

If you are chosen as the finalist(s), references will be conducted at this stage; we will want to speak with people who have known you from a subordinate, peer, superior, and client perspective. We will work with you to choose a set of referees who can provide a complete picture of your employment history, skills, weaknesses, strengths, competencies, values, etc.

Finally, we will ask you to provide us with the necessary information and authorization to complete a detailed background check (education, social media, credit, criminal, etc.).

At the completion of the references, assessments, and background checks we will present the findings to the Waterloo Regional Police Services Board for its review and consideration. The Waterloo Regional Police Services Board will meet and make its final selection.

If you are selected as the finalist candidate, and if no further references are required, you will be made a verbal offer of employment during which time the terms and conditions of the Offer of Employment will be discussed with you. We will facilitate the negotiations and present you with the formal Offer of Employment once agreement is reached.