The City of Harrisonburg (pop. approximately 56,879). Located in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley and one of the fastest-growing cities in Virginia, Harrisonburg is a thriving, multicultural university city and is home to James Madison University and Eastern Mennonite University. With recognition as the commonwealth's first culinary district, exciting outdoor recreation activities within the city and nearby, a thriving arts community, and being known as "The Friendly City," there is something for everyone to enjoy.
The Harrisonburg Police Department, a VLEPSC-accredited department, protects the constitutional rights of all members of our community and further partners with stakeholders and others to solve problems, reduce crime, and improve the quality of life for community members, visitors, and students.
The Harrisonburg Police Department is seeking three Captains to provide strategic and operational leadership for an assigned bureau. In this key Command Staff role, each Captain will oversee daily bureau operations, support the overall administration of the department, and report directly to the Chief of Police. Captains lead and develop a diverse team of sworn and civilian professionals, ensuring effective service delivery, accountability, and high performance across a wide range of functions. This is an exempt, full-time position with benefits and an anticipated hiring range of $91,769.60 - $100,942.40 annually. Find out more information related to these positions and the City by viewing the recruitment brochure.
Application Deadline: To be considered for this position, applicants must submit the following by 5:00pm EST on April 22, 2026:
Applicants unable to attach documents via the online application should email the missing documentation to employment@harrisonburgva.gov in order to be further considered. All required fields on the online employment application must be completed, including your education history and work experience. Incomplete applications and applications with verification(s) of no prior education and/or work history will not be considered.
Key Dates: To ensure your availability for the remainder of the process if selected to advance, please hold the following tentative dates. Exact details will be provided to finalists closer to each phase.
The City provides an excellent benefits package including health insurance, retirement (VRS Enhanced Hazardous Duty & MissionSquare), life insurance, paid leave and 15.5 holidays.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability or veteran status.
The City of Harrisonburg is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Harrisonburg, Virginia is an independent city located in the central Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia. Harrisonburg is located right along Interstate 81 and is only two hours away from both Richmond, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Harrisonburg is recognized as the county seat for Rockingham County.
The City of Harrisonburg operates under a council-manager form of government which combines elected officials in the form of a governing body with an appointed local government manager. The City Manager then oversees the delivery of public services through the city departments. Each city department then has a role in how services are provided to the citizens.
Use the links below to learn more about the city departments, city government, and the City of Harrisonburg.