"Community Resource Lead"

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 Community Resource Lead for the Department of Public Safety (DPS) is an integral part of the support and resource network on campus. The Community Resource Lead is responsible for shift oversight, building positive community relationships within each shift and with campus partners during response and operational activities. The Community Resource Lead also responds to routine and emergency calls for service, including but not limited to conducting initial and follow up investigations as appropriate, responding to medical incidents, both fire and intrusion alarms, and supporting staff in response. They are also responsible for the efficient and effective operation of the multi-faceted Swarthmore College Communication Center.

The Community Resource Lead supervises personnel assigned to the DPS Communications Center, who receive incoming telephone calls and radio communications. The Community Resource Lead ensures that officers and communications staff effectively communicate information and assistance by telephone, radio or in person to faculty, staff, students, and visitors. In addition, Community Resource Leads must have a current working knowledge of the primary responsibilities of communication officers such as, dispatching internal communications, monitoring of CCTV, Access Control and both fire and intrusion alarms, as well as key control of organizations’ keys as all are integral functions of the Department.

Community Resource Leads are responsible for ensuring that officers are carrying out the daily functions of the Swarthmore College Department of Public Safety. These functions encompass the spectrum of campus safety and security, including first response protection of life and property, as well as a variety of other preparedness and safety services to achieve and maintain the goals of the Department. The officer must take appropriate action for safety of the college community, in collaboration with relevant campus partners. These actions include the intervention and response to uphold college regulations, fire safety, and parking rules, facility use rules, student code of conduct rules, and in some instances, Pa. State Crime and Vehicle Codes.

The Community Resource Lead ensures that personnel are dispatched to a variety of routine and emergency incidents. They may be the initial point of contact with the Department of Public Safety.

Essential Responsibilities

• Provide supervision for department shift patrol and communications operations within the guidelines of the department’s Standard Operating Guidance and College expectations, including through the use of security technologies, databases, and Public Safety records management systems.
• Prioritize and Focus on effective communication, including cultural competence, collaboration, and community care, appropriate for the diverse residential campus context.
• Promptly respond to reported incidents and calls for service and campus emergencies (eg. fire, medical, interpersonal conflict or crisis, crowd control, dignitary protection), communicate effectively among all involved, take appropriate action in the context of the situation and within the guidelines of the department’s Standard Operating guidance and College expectations. Engage in effective scene management, communication with relevant stakeholders, and documentation of response.
• Patrol the campus on foot, motor vehicle, electric vehicle, and/or bicycle to detect safety hazards, facilitate the safe movement of pedestrian and vehicle traffic, observe behavior and intervene to uphold campus safety and policy expectations, when necessary, and provide general assistance in the campus community.
• Perform crime prevention and community preparedness duties as required. Discuss preparedness, crime prevention, and fire safety with students, faculty and staff. Participate in the Community Resource Officer program. Routinely, and as required, meet with Resident Assistants and students to discuss concerns, resolve individual and group issues consistent with the Department’s protocol and programs.
• Consistently intervene and document intervention activity, potential infractions, and parking violations Prepare complete and accurate reports and/or other documentation concerning incident response, property patrol, and calls for service.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Directly supervises a team of Community Resource Officers and Communications Officer(s).
• Provide relevant support and feedback to support team members’ daily activities. Team Leads demonstrate the following:
• Provide fair, constructive, and timely feedback and coaching to staff to drive performance and work toward established individual and Department/team goals.
• Organize workflow and ensure employees understand their duties or delegated tasks.
• Prepare relevant communication related to the shift/week ahead and conduct in-service/roll call training programs for patrol and communications personnel, in coordination with leadership team.
• Determine and implement directed patrol efforts for their respective duty hours, and communicate with other shifts to support continuity of these efforts.
• Communicate key issues and information to staff members and student workers.
• Continually assess performance through established standards and apply corrective measures as required. Communicate leadership of Public Safety and/or Human Resources to escalate performance issues, when necessary.
• Participate in supervisory training opportunities.

What you bring:

Required Qualifications

• High School diploma or equivalent with 5 years of job-related experience in the security, public safety, law enforcement, communication, or community service field.
• Minimum of two years of supervisory experience or relevant experience that demonstrates capacity to lead people and operations in a dynamic environment.
• Excellent communication skills, oral and written, to convey clear and concise information to management, the general public, staff and students. This includes communicating with attention to context and cultural considerations; providing directions; writing reports/incidents; explaining policy and procedures; and encouraging others to comply with requests through command presence.
• Must be familiar with use of technology, such as radio communication, CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch) programs, database tools, and other software.
• Strong organization skills and the ability to multitask are essential.
• Valid Driver’s License and ability to operate motorized vehicles.
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships and to deal courteously with the general public, patients, staff, faculty, students, peers, supervisors and subordinates.
• Ability to perceive the possibility of hazardous situations, react quickly and take appropriate action, based on established policies and procedures and departmental guidelines.
• Demonstrates good judgment, accountability, and sound decision making in handling situations, including appropriate reference to written or verbal instructions.
• Ability to work independently and follow through on assignments with minimal supervision.
• Ability to engage in effective perspective taking, across differences and roles in an educational living and learning environment. Demonstrated understanding of the value of considering context in decision making and open to and open to continued development of cultural competence in the ever changing landscape of higher education.
• Comfort with use of technology and learning new electronic systems. Familiar with Microsoft Windows applications.
• Demonstrated experience in navigating and prioritizing multiple tasks simultaneously. This includes the ability to effectively communicate to manage expectations related to the nature and timeliness of response based upon the urgency of circumstances and competing priorities.
• Ability to maintain a professional demeanor under stressful conditions and utilize effective communication and conflict resolution skills.
• Ability to use tact and diplomacy, patience and courtesy in dealing with a wide variety of individuals.

Preferred Qualifications

• Supervisory experience in a college or similar environment and/or experience in a busy office setting in a call-taking environment.
• College degree, relevant safety, security, and/or preparedness experience, and/or experience in CPTED and APCO Certifications.
• De-escalation and/or Mental Health First-Aid Training and strong customer service/communication skills or similar training.
• A background and understanding of preparedness and community safety concepts, with particular attention to support and response in a diverse living and learning setting.
• Familiar with residential and work/learning setting, including navigating organizational policy or conduct expectations.
• Familiarity with higher education regulations governing privacy, non-discrimination, and other services (e.g. Clery Act, FERPA, Title IX, ADA, etc).

Physical Demands

• Must be able to: sit or stand for long periods of time; walk, run, climb, bend, stoop and lift weights proportionate with need to perform medical assistance; wear a uniform and equipment, and operate a motor vehicle in all weather conditions.
• Lifting, pulling, or pushing heavy objects up to 40 lbs.
• Prolonged periods of sitting, standing, walking, at times in locations that must have coverage at all times.
• Bending at the waist, kneeling or crouching, and seeking assistance / helping others in relevant physical requirements (e.g. moving barriers, adjusting access paths for safety).
• Must be able to traverse all types of terrain including up and down hills, and on off road uneven surfaces.
• See objects in detail under various conditions (i.e., at night, up-close, far away, and peripherally).

Working Conditions

• The position requires the Community Resource Lead to be exposed to environmental factors such as inclement weather, extreme heat and cold, and hazardous materials.
• Based on College necessity, shift schedules changes may result and overtime may be required.
• Required to be available to work during inclement weather or other emergency situations, even if the campus has otherwise canceled operations, in order to ensure continuous protection of the college community.

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! The pay for this position is $27.42 per hour, which represents the College’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range at the time of posting.