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 CRO is responsible for the safety and wellbeing of Swarthmore
College students, campus property, community members, and visitors.
The officer will be responsible for courteous and active engagement
with the community. As an officer, you are the first responders to
incidents involving the College and provide a service for routine
and emergency calls to the College. You will conduct initial and
follow-up investigations as needed and will respond to medical,
fire, and intrusion alarm incidents. You will also need to be able
to have clear communication, verbally and written, for making
reports on incidents and investigations. This position is for the
third shift, working 7:00 pm to 7:00 am.
In this role, you will also be responsible for the efficient and
effective operation of the multi-faceted Swarthmore College
Communication Center, which will require multitasking by
controlling incoming calls and management of outgoing calls to
other campus departments. Officers will be responsible for
courteously providing information and assistance via telephone,
radio, or in person to faculty, staff, students, and visitors of
the College. Officers will dispatch internal communications from
the monitoring of CCTV, Access Control, from both fire and
intrusion alarms, as well as key control of organizations’ keys for
campus use. Public Safety is a 24/7/365 operation requiring
coordination of communication and/or responding to incidents under
demanding emergency conditions, such as inclement weather, as an
essential skill. Public Safety will also provide ongoing training
in a variety of areas, such as CPR/First Aid/AED, Stop the Bleed,
De-escalation, and Mental Health First Aid.
Essential Responsibilities
- Patrol the campus on foot, by motor vehicle, or bicycle to
deter criminal and traffic violations, detect safety hazards,
facilitate the safe movement of traffic, detect and investigate
criminal activity, and provide general assistance to students,
faculty, staff, and visitors. Observe and report unsafe conditions,
such as fire and safety hazards, lighting outages, and security
violations.
Promptly respond to reported incidents and calls for service
and take appropriate action in the context of the situation and
within the guidelines contained in the department’s Standard
Operating Guidance and Field Training program.
Immediately respond to building fire alarms or to areas within
buildings that are protected by intrusion, panic, sprinkler, or
other assistance alarm equipment.
Immediately respond to fire and medical emergencies,
investigate, and request fire/EMS department support as
needed.
Document complete and accurate reports concerning incidents and
calls for service, including the investigation and conducting of
interviews to ensure thorough reports of criminal acts, vehicle,
and pedestrian accidents, complaints from community members,
injured persons, suspicious activity, etc
Consistently enforce campus traffic safety and parking
violations.
Provide escorts and protection as assigned for students,
employees, dignitaries, and movements of hazardous or highly
valuable materials, and provide crowd control management duties at
public events and direct motor vehicle and pedestrian traffic when
large crowds attend special events, and other job-related duties as
assigned.
Who you are:
- Excellent oral, written, and verbal communication skills to
convey clear and concise information to management, the general
public, staff, and students, such as giving directions, writing
reports/incidents, explaining policy and procedures, and
encouraging others to comply with requests.
What you bring:
Required Qualifications
- High School diploma or equivalent with a minimum of three years
of experience in the security, public safety, law enforcement, and
communications field, preferably in a college or similar
environment and/or experience in a busy office setting in a
call-taking environment or an equivalent combination of education
and/or experience.
- Valid Driver’s License and ability to operate motorized
vehicles.
- Excellent oral, written, and verbal communication skills to
convey clear and concise information to management, the general
public, staff, and students, such as giving directions, writing
reports/incidents, explaining policy and procedures, and
encouraging others to comply with requests.
Preferred Qualifications
- College degree
- PA Act 235 Certification or PA Act 120 Certification
- De-escalation certification, mental health first aid
certification
- APCO Public Safety Telecommunicator 1 certification
Physical Demands
- Must be able to: sit or stand for long periods of time; walk,
run, climb, bend, stoop, and lift weights proportionate with the
need to perform medical assistance; wear a uniform and equipment;
and operate a motor vehicle.
- Lifting, pulling, or pushing heavy objects up to 40 lbs.
- Prolonged periods of sitting, standing, and walking.
- Bending at the waist, kneeling, or crouching.
- 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 Officer 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! For
full consideration, submit applications with an uploaded resume.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the job has
been filled.
The pay for this position is $24.34 per hour, which represents
the College’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range at
the time of posting.
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.
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.
Advertised: Aug 17 2026 Eastern Daylight Time
Applications close: