Executive Positions

Chief of Public Safety

Brandeis University was established in 1948 as a nonsectarian university with a founding principle of being open and welcoming to students, faculty and staff of all backgrounds and beliefs. At its core, Brandeis is driven by a set of values that are rooted in Jewish history and experience.

Today, Brandeis is a medium-sized, private, tier 1 research university with a global reach dedicated to first-rate education while making groundbreaking academic and research discoveries. Their faculty are leaders in their fields, as passionate about teaching and mentorship as they are about pushing the boundaries of knowledge and achieving social justice. The diverse student body of approximately 5,500 undergraduates and graduate students is motivated, compassionate, curious and open to exploring new and challenging experiences. Brandeis is located in Waltham, MA, next to the Brandeis/Roberts MBTA commuter rail station on a 250-acre residential campus with 3 million gross square feet of space in 100 buildings.

The Position

Reporting to the vice president for campus operations, the chief of public safety directs and manages the public safety functions which include the Brandeis University Police Department (BUPD) and Transportation Services which encompasses shuttles and vans, parking and traffic. The chief also provides guidance and support to the Brandeis Emergency Medical Corps (BEMCo), a student-run volunteer emergency medical service organization. The chief and the BUPD are integral to the campus community and are responsible for safety and security while working to ensure a peaceful environment where all members feel welcome and safe. This official will act as the liaison between the BUPD and the Waltham Police Department and regional, state, and federal law enforcement organizations as well as local, state and federal emergency response agencies, and collaborates with all campus safety-related functions to monitor, assess and rectify safety and security matters. It is expected that this leader will be a visible, accessible, and active campus partner engaging with not only with students, but with other critical stakeholders such as Student Affairs, Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Office of Risk Management, and other units within Campus Operations including Emergency Preparedness, Events, Facilities Administration, and with the entire Brandeis campus community. The chief oversees a team of approximately 20 sworn officers, two security officers, five parking monitors, as well as student workers in the escort ride service and BEMCo and contracted shuttle companies. The chief is responsible for the continual evaluation, training and professional development of all BUPD professional staff and student employees.

Brandeis began considering and implementing policing reforms several years ago. This process gained momentum over the summer of 2020. In June, President Ron Liebowitz announced an initiative to “transform our campus and address systemic racism.” In conjunction with the university’s Anti-Racism Plan, for the past several months, the Brandeis community has engaged in a detailed discovery process to re-imagine safety, security and law enforcement at Brandeis with the assistance of a team of third-party consultants including Dr. Brenda Bond-Fortier and Margolis Healy Associates. This endeavor resulted in a short list of major themes around the future of public safety at Brandeis – e.g., transparency, relationship building with community members, comprehensive policy review, differential response systems, and the creation of a community advisory group that can recommend improvements to communication, accountability and transparency for consideration by the new chief. This new leader will lead a pivotal strategic planning process for the Department of Public Safety, creating a shared vision of the role and mission of the department as well as developing a true sense of positive and proactive engagement with students and other constituencies. Brandeis must ensure that safety can be equally guaranteed and afforded to each member of their community as part of a university-wide approach to address racism within our campus.

Qualifications

The successful candidate will have a bachelor’s degree and a minimum of ten years of experience managing a diverse public safety division or department. A master’s degree and public safety experience within a higher education environment are strongly preferred. In addition, the successful candidate will have a strong and demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging - and knowledge of best practices in police operations, higher education law enforcement, community policing, crisis management, emergency response and risk management. The chief will possess proven critical thinking and analytical skills with demonstrated organizational acumen and the ability to initiate and advance organizational growth and change while fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and supportive work environment. Candidates should have proven management and leadership abilities with excellent communication and interpersonal skills as well as extensive experience in supervision, employee development and training. A deep understanding of the special dimensions of student life and demonstrated experience achieving institutional change are preferred. It is important for the chief to maintain a service-oriented approach to working with students, colleagues, faculty, and staff and community stakeholders, and possess a willingness to fully embrace and implement Brandeis’ mission and values. For Brandeis’ mission and diversity statements please see https://www.brandeis.edu/about/mission.html. Candidates must meet, or be able to meet, all requirements for certification under Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 22C, Section 63 as a Special State Police Officer.

Application and Nomination

Review of applications will begin April 1, 2021 and continue until the position is filled. A resume with an accompanying cover letter may be submitted via the Spelman Johnson website at www.spelmanjohnson.com/open-positions. Nominations for this position may be emailed to Heather J. Larabee at hjl@spelmanjohnson.com. Applicants needing reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process should contact Spelman Johnson at 413-529-2895.

Visit the Brandeis University website at www.brandeis.edu

Brandeis is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, ethnicity, caste, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, including transgender identity, religion, disability, age, genetics, active military or veteran status and any other characteristics protected under applicable federal or Massachusetts law.