Careers

Overview

The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office is dedicated to serving and protecting the people of Santa Clara County. It is the Sheriff's goal to employ the brightest and most diverse applicants to become a part of the brotherhood and sisterhood that make up the Sheriff's Office. We, as law enforcement, strive to serve the people within our county with a level of professionalism that cannot be matched. We are all held to a higher standard by which we live in both our personal lives and in the line of duty. The Sheriff’s Office has been continuously hiring for the positions of Sheriff’s Deputy Cadet, Sheriff's Correctional Deputy Cadet, Sheriff's Deputy - Lateral, and Sheriff's Correctional Deputy - Lateral positions.

After an intense background process, you will begin our intensive training and educational programs. This training will enhance your abilities and better prepare you for a career in law enforcement. You are supported every step of the way; you will be given the tools and encouragement needed to succeed. Ultimately, your success is dependent on your drive, perseverance, work ethic, and your will to never give up.

In the end, if you are successful, you will join the ranks of those men and women who have what it takes to be the best: a Santa Clara County Deputy Sheriff.​

G.I. Bill

If you are a military veteran, you may now get the G.I. Bill through the academy and POST academy training for Correctional Deputy and Deputy Sheriff through our state-certified apprenticeship programs. Inquire with the Backgrounds Unit, after being hired, for more information and the required paperwork.

P​hysical​ Agility and Written Examinations​​

We no longer waive the Physical Agility Examination. Furthermore, we do not accept WSTB scores or physical agility scores from other agencies. Every time you come out to test with the agency, you will be required to take an agility test.

We now accept California PELLET-B written examination "T-scores" for the Deputy Sheriff Cadet position from other agencies with a T-score of 48 or higher, if the test has been taken within one year of the date we administer the test. Check the current job postings at www.SCCJobs.org for testing dates. It is the applicant's responsibility to attach proof of the written exam results to the job application. The T-score results must be on an agency letterhead where the test was administered and list the type of test, test date, and test results.

We administer a different test for the Sheriff's Correctional Deputy position. If you have taken the written examination with the County of Santa Clara, the score is valid for one year. To request to use your previous score on a current application process, please e-mail the Recruiting Analyst at the Employee Services Agency.

There are many resources to help you prepare for the PELLET-B. See the P.O.S.T. Preparation Guide for the PELLET-B and the Written Examinations page.

POST regulations prohibit examinees from taking this test more than one time in any 30-day period from any testing site in the State of California. Be advised that if you make multiple attempts to take this test within a 30-day period, POST will invalidate your test.

The agility/written test group closes at the end of each month and testing is held mid-month, every month. After you submit an applicant, ESA will contact you to sign up for the agility/written test; so check your email and spam folders at the beginning of the month!​

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