The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) employs a team of professionally-minded men and women working in a variety of fields. Below is a summary of those fields.
Special Agents – Posting announcements to hire a new class of agents is posted once or twice per year. Positions are posted on a statewide basis and qualified candidates are informed as to where in Kansas the opportunities are located before initial interviews are conducted. Minimum qualifications include current law enforcement certification and six (6) years law enforcement experience. Successful candidates typically are required to possess the preferred qualifications of two (2) years felony-level investigative experience and a bachelor’s degree in an applicable field from an accredited university.
Forensic Scientists – The KBI has forensic laboratories for chemistry, biology, toxicology, firearms/toolmarks and latent prints. These laboratories are located in Topeka, Great Bend, Pittsburg, and Kansas City, KS. There are four levels of Forensic Scientists working in our labs, including the supervisor level of Forensic Scientist IV. Most vacancies are filled at the entry level, Forensic Scientist I. Minimum qualifications for a Forensic Scientist I is a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field of work, such as chemistry, biology, or forensic science.
Administration/Clerical – Administrative and clerical position are needed to support the public safety mission of the KBI. These include professional positions such as accountants as well as clerical positions with increasing levels of complexity and responsibility. Many of these positions are involved in maintaining the multiple criminal information repositories which law enforcement agencies across the state and nation rely on.
Information Technology – Information technology is critical to support the connectivity and computer program requirements of law enforcement agencies across the state and nation. Areas of specialty include applications development, program management, IT security and communications.
Interns – Students are offered unpaid internships on a limited basis at the KBI primarily in the forensic laboratories. To qualify, the student must have at a minimum completed their sophomore year. Interested students may submit a letter expressing interest including field of study and a resume. These will be reviewed by the applicable hiring manager for opportunities.
THE HIRING PROCESS
Before being authorized to work for the KBI, applicants are required to successfully pass an extensive hiring process. Some highlights of the process include:
Application – Job openings for the KBI are generally posted on the Kansas State Employment Center Web Site. Applicants must submit all application material specified in the job posting in order to be considered.
Interview – Application materials are screened by the hiring department and selected applicants are scheduled for a panel interview.
Conditional Offer – The selected candidate is presented a conditional offer of employment. Included with the conditional offer is a pre-employment background packet the candidate must complete, which includes detailed residence history, work history, relatives, and any criminal or drug history.
Polygraph – If no concerns are noted in the background packet, the candidate is scheduled for a polygraph. The polygraph lasts approximately 4 hours and is designed to ensure the candidate has been truthful in his or her representation of their personal history.
Background Investigation – If the candidate passes the polygraph, he or she is scheduled for a background investigation. A Special Investigator will review all of the background material and talk to neighbors, current and prior employers and others as necessary to determine that the candidate meets the background requirements of the KBI.
Final Offer – Upon successful completion of all of the steps outlined above, a final offer of employment is made to the candidate and, if accepted, a start date is determined.
EMPLOYMENT DISQUALIFIERS
The responsibilities of law enforcement involve public trust, therefore, the KBI seeks to only hire those applicants whose conduct, character and behavior do not discredit either themselves or the KBI. For this reason the hiring process addresses the integrity, ethical conduct, honesty, prejudices, financial responsibility (credit), and past behavior of applicants. While the KBI reviews much information and considers the circumstances in many areas regarding an applicant’s background, the following are examples of standards that will disqualify applicants from consideration. For a complete list of disqualifiers, download: Employment Disqualifiers (Microsoft Word Document - .docx)
STATE EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS
As State of Kansas employees, members of the KBI, who are employed in a benefits-eligible position, are offered state employment benefits. These benefits are a significant part of the total compensation package. A summary of these benefits can be found here.
