Associate Director, Public Safety Operations

Swarthmore College is a highly selective liberal arts college located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, whose mission combines academic
rigor with social responsibility. Swarthmore has a strong institutional commitment to inclusive excellence and nondiscrimination in its
educational program and employment practices and encourages candidates who will further advance the goal of fostering a diverse and
inclusive community. As one of the nation’s finest institutions of higher learning, Swarthmore College is global in outlook and draws
students from around the nation and world. The 425-acre campus is a designated arboretum, complete with gardens, rolling lawns, a creek,
wooded hills, and hiking trails in the Crum Woods.

Who We Are:

Public Safety’s mission is to provide a safe
and secure learning, living, and working environment. The department endeavors to provide a prompt, professional presence while also
instilling personal responsibility and accountability for the rules and regulations of the College and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. We
believe safety is a shared responsibility. We strive to meet and surpass our guiding principles that can be found here.

The
opportunity:

The Associate Director of Public Safety Operations is responsible for overseeing the department’s daily
operations, ensuring the safety and security of the college’s students, faculty, staff, and visitors. The Associate Director is primarily
responsible for leading, managing, and evaluating all campus safety personnel, programs, and services. Provide effective leadership in times
of crises, conflict, and other challenges facing the safety of the campus. The Associate Director is a member of the Public Safety
leadership team and works closely with campus stakeholders.

The Associate Director promotes restorative justice practices, conflict
resolution mechanisms, and community-building efforts to strengthen relationships and foster a harmonious campus climate. The Department of
Public Safety operates 24/7, supporting the safety and preparedness of the campus community.

Essential Responsibilities

Operations

• Oversee campus safety patrols, the communications
  center, incident investigation, and crime prevention and management of campus safety incidents, including annual and as-needed development
  and analysis of operational strategic planning.
• Oversee the development and consistent implementation of standard operating
  policies and procedures (SOPs) that govern the department’s protocols and practices.
• Develop operational and contingency plans for
  handling emergency situations, security coverage, special events, and high-profile activities.
• Support the development of annual
  departmental operating budgets, oversee expenditures to ensure fiscal responsibility, and prepare related reports and budget materials.
• Ensure campus safety services meet legal, regulatory, institutional, and community needs.
• Serve as a key member of the
  department’s leadership team. In partnership with the Executive Director, develop departmental goals/objectives in alignment with College
  priorities.

Leadership & Team Support

• Build and maintain positive relationships
  within the department, uphold high professional standards, and resolve conflicts effectively.
• Identify campus safety needs related
  to training and professional development and create and implement a comprehensive learning and development program to address those needs,
  including ongoing evaluation and updates that reflect current campus needs.
• Provide guidance on campus safety goal development and
  implementation and timely feedback regarding performance on meeting goals.
• Consult and partner with Human Resources on matters
  related to recruitment, employee relations, and staff development.

Community
Collaboration

• Build and maintain positive relationships with campus stakeholders, including
  responding to trends that support student-centered and community-oriented campus safety services and programs.
• Build relationships
  to include local organizations, nearby institutions, federal, state, and local agencies that could be a resource during a campus safety
  emergency, including but not limited to the development of mutual aid memorandums of understanding (MOUs)
• Establish and oversee
  effective communication channels to ensure transparency, foster collaboration, and build trust among all campus stakeholders.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Directly supervises the work of two Community Resources Managers and
  oversees a team consisting of Community Resource Leads, Community Resource Officers, and Communication Officers.
• Effectively
  performs the following:
  • Organize workflow and ensure staff understand their duties or delegated tasks.
  • Ensure staff have a
    professional development plan in place. Provide and develop training opportunities. Create and conduct staff performance evaluations.
  • Communicate key issues and information to staff.
  • Provide fair, constructive, and timely feedback.
  
  
• In
  partnership with Human Resources, follow disciplinary procedures as established in accordance with the employee handbook.
• Participate in supervisory training opportunities.
• Maintain a safe, diverse, and inclusive work environment.

Who you are:

• Possess excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to
  communicate complex information clearly, accurately, and credibly to a wide range of audiences.
• Demonstrated experience with
  leadership skills, including (but not limited to) supervisory, scheduling, communication, investigation, and de-escalation.
• Ability
  to demonstrate critical thinking and remain calm during crisis situations and employ de-escalation skills as needed.

What you bring:

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in criminal
  justice, public administration, business administration, or a related field, and five to seven years of job-related experience with at least
  three years in a management role.
• Experience handling incident investigation, including crime prevention strategies, incident
  response, and reporting.
• Knowledge of local, state, and federal laws and regulations pertinent to campus safety.
• Maintain
  confidential information in accordance with policies, regulations, and laws.
• Current safety training for security and fire safety
  practices, CPR, Basic First Aid, and AED certifications.
• Must have a valid driver’s license.

Preferred
Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a relevant field.
• Experience working in a higher education environment
  including an understanding of current challenges and trends facing higher education communities.
• Knowledge of radio and CCTV,
  access control, computer-aided dispatch, and electronic record-keeping/reporting systems.
• Familiarity with restorative practices
  and approaches to student interactions.

Physical Demands

This job may require long hours of standing.
Must be able to walk long distances, on flat or hilly terrain, and may have to lift equipment that may weigh up to 50 lbs. This position
requires driving around the campus in different types of vehicles and may require getting in and out of vehicles constantly.

Working Conditions

This position can consist of office work, in addition may also require work to be outside in
cold, hot, rainy, and snowy conditions. This position is on call 24/7 and may be required to report during an emergency and stay near or on
campus during this time.

What You Will Get:

You’ll work at one of the world’s most renowned liberal arts
Colleges, with incredible benefits, a stunning 420-acre campus, and a collaborative work environment. Join a team of passionate, creative
people who work hard and have fun supporting the College students, faculty, and staff.

We want to hear from you if you are
excited about this role! For full consideration, submit applications with an uploaded resume, including a cover letter, by March 6, 2026.
Applications received after this date may be reviewed on a rolling basis until the job has been filled. A cover letter indicating how your
qualifications and experience have prepared you for this position. If you have experience that meets any of the preferred qualifications,
please include a detailed explanation of any such experience in your cover letter and how it meets the preferred
qualification(s).

The market range for this position is $92,000-$114,000 per year, which represents the College’s
good faith and reasonable estimate of the range at the time of posting. The salary offered is determined based on factors including, but not
limited to, experience and education of the final selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal salary equity
considerations, and available market information.

Act 153 Clearance Required by Position

This position may regularly interact with minors. Under Pennsylvania Child Protective Services Law, (23 Pa. Cons. Stat. §§6301, et
seq.) employees who have direct contact with minors are required to obtain the following background clearances prior to the start of
employment:

• Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History (PATCH) through the Pennsylvania State Police
• Pennsylvania Child
  Abuse History Clearance (PACA) through the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services
• FBI Criminal History Background Check (FBI
  Fingerprint).

MVR Clearance Required by Position

Due to operating a College owned
motor vehicle while performing essential job responsibilities for this position, a motor vehicle report (MVR) clearance is required prior to
the start of employment.

Education Verification Required by Position

An education
verification is required for this position because a college degree is a required qualification for this position.

Preview
our Benefits Flyer. We offer benefit plans starting at zero cost! Upon benefit eligibility, the College contributes 10% of an
employee’s salary to their retirement account. Employees are 100% vested in their accounts on the date participation begins.

2026 Swarthmore Benefits Guidebook

Retirement Plans

Tuition Grant Program

Tuition Reimbursement Program

Paid Time Off (Staff)

Holiday Schedule

Swarthmore
College is committed to creating a culture of respect and inclusion so that every member of our community feels a sense of belonging. We
actively seek and welcome candidates with diverse perspectives and experiences, exceptional qualifications, and a demonstrable commitment to
a more inclusive society and world. Swarthmore College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on any identity or
characteristic protected by law or College Policy.

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