Director of Campus Safety

Bates College•Lewiston, ME

12d•$110,000 - $130,000

About The Position

Bates College seeks a Director of Campus Safety to provide strategic and operational leadership for a multidisciplinary department of approximately 30 employees working across patrol, communications, access control, transportation, and operations. The Director leads a complex 24/7 operation, supports and develops employees, strengthens policies and systems, manages resources responsibly, and makes sound decisions in emergencies and sensitive situations. The role also requires visible, active engagement with the campus community. Bates Campus Safety is a non-sworn department; its officers do not have arrest authority. The Director must lead effectively within this model while maintaining sound operational practices, appropriate accountability, effective emergency response, and productive relationships with external public safety partners. The Director reports to the Associate Vice President & Dean of Students and advises College leadership while working with partners across Student Affairs and Bates, including Title IX and Civil Rights Compliance, Community Standards, Residence Life, Human Resources, Facilities, Environmental Health and Safety, Communications, and Athletics.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in criminal justice, public administration, emergency management, higher education, student affairs, or a related field.
At least seven years of progressively responsible experience in campus safety, law enforcement, emergency management, public safety, or a closely related field.
Demonstrated supervisory and leadership experience, including responsibility for personnel, performance management, training, policy implementation, and complex operations.
Experience supporting or leading operations requiring 24/7 staffing, on-call response, or crisis decision-making.
Demonstrated experience with budgets, operational planning, public safety technology, policy and procedure development, performance measures, and continuous improvement.
Commitment to equity and inclusion and serving the needs of a culturally and educationally diverse community.
Ability to lead a community-focused, non-sworn safety program and coordinate effectively with law enforcement, fire, emergency medical services, and other public agencies.
Demonstrated competence in de-escalation, trauma-informed response, conflict management, and relationship-centered problem solving.
Excellent written, oral, interpersonal, facilitation, and public communication skills, with sound judgment, discretion, emotional intelligence, and crisis composure.
Strong leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills.
Strategic thinking and strong operational execution skills.
Experience developing training programs and organizational initiatives.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in a similar field.
Working knowledge of the Clery Act and current higher education safety and emergency management practices, with the ability to apply other relevant federal and state requirements.
Progressively responsible leadership experience in a college or university setting, particularly within a non-sworn or community-centered campus safety model.
Experience with CALEA or another recognized professional accreditation program.
Training or substantial experience with NIMS/ICS, emergency operations centers, exercises, continuity planning, and after-action improvement.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic and operational leadership for a multidisciplinary department of approximately 30 employees across patrol, communications, access control, transportation, and operations.
Serve as a trusted adviser to College leadership and work closely with partners throughout Student Affairs and across Bates.
Oversee 24/7 campus safety operations and incident response.
Oversee communications and dispatch.
Lead emergency management and crisis preparedness.
Oversee access control and campus security systems.
Oversee parking, transportation, and shuttle services.
Lead crime prevention and safety education.
Oversee Clery Act compliance and related reporting responsibilities.
Lead Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM) responsibilities.
Oversee CALEA accreditation and continuous improvement.
Oversee administrative and campus-policy investigations.
Coordinate with law enforcement, fire, EMS, and other public agencies.
Develop and support employees, including personnel performance management and training.
Strengthen policies and systems, manage resources responsibly, and make sound decisions during emergencies and sensitive situations.