Assistant Director Public Safety and University Operations

About the role

Public Safety and Operational Services

Department Summary

The Drake Public Safety Department provides comprehensive safety, security, and emergency response services for the Drake University community. The department is staffed by trained public safety professionals who work 24/7 to protect students, faculty, staff, and visitors.

Services include campus patrol, emergency response, crime prevention, access control, parking enforcement, safety education, special event security, and transportation programs such as Safe Ride. Public Safety works closely with local law enforcement, fire, and emergency management agencies to maintain a safe and welcoming campus environment while supporting the university's educational mission.

Job Summary

The Assistant Director of Public Safety & University Operations supports the overall leadership, coordination, and execution of safety and security operations at Drake University. This role plays a critical part in maintaining a safe campus environment by overseeing day-to-day public safety functions, Clery Act compliance review, operational readiness, and on-call supervisory responsibilities.

Working along with the Executive Director of Public Safety and University Operations, the Assistant Director helps guide department operations, ensures consistent service delivery, and contributes to a proactive, community-oriented approach to campus safety.

Minimum Qualifications

• At least 5-7 years of progressively responsible experience in public safety, law enforcement, campus safety, or a related field.
• Demonstrated supervisory or leadership experience.
• Strong knowledge of incident response, security practices, and safety operations.
• Familiarity with Clery Act requirements or willingness to complete Clery training upon hire.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work rotating on-call shifts and respond to campus during emergencies.
• Must work on campus; this is an in-person position.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in a related field.
• Experience in higher education public safety or campus security operations.
• Experience reviewing or managing Clery Act compliance, crime reporting, and related federal reporting requirements.
• Experience conducting investigations, threat assessments, or critical incident reviews.
• Knowledge of emergency management principles, incident command systems (ICS), and crisis response planning.
• Experience leading training programs, policy development, accreditation initiatives, or organizational improvement efforts.
• Professional certifications such as IACLEA, FEMA, NIMS/ICS, CPP, PSP, or related public safety credentials.

Job Duties

• Operational Leadership - 45%
• Clery Act Compliance - 15%

On-Call Responsibilities - 10%

• Public Safety Functions - 10%
• Collaboration & Campus Partnerships - 10%

Other Duties as Assigned - 5%

Special Instructions to Applicants

• For consideration, you must apply online. Please include a resume and cover letter.
• A review of applications will begin immediately. This position will remain open until filled.
• All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check.
• Salary is competitive with peer schools and will be commensurate with qualifications and experience of the selected candidate.

Pay and benefits

At Drake, we are proud to offer our employees, their spouses, and eligible dependents a comprehensive benefits package, which includes a wide range of core benefits, perks, and discounts. If you are exploring a job with Drake University, we invite you to spend a little time with our digital benefits guide: Benefits Overview | Drake University.

One of our very popular policies provides a tuition waiver for Drake employees, their spouses, and eligible dependents. Drake also participates in not one, but two tuition exchange programs available to dependent children. You can learn about both the tuition waiver policy and tuition exchange programs here: Benefits Overview | Drake University.

For faculty positions, selection will depend on the receipt of recommendation confirming the candidate's scholarly achievements and teaching abilities and/or on the candidate's satisfactory passing of a teaching demonstration if selected for an on-campus interview. For staff positions, selection will depend upon careful review of each applicant's references, education, and, if applicable, experience.

Strong Commitment to a Diverse and Inclusive Community

At Drake University, we don't just accept differences-we celebrate them, we support them, and we thrive on them for the benefit of our students, our employees, and our community. Learn more about why Drake is an exceptional place to work: An Exceptional Working Environment | Drake University