Description

Position Title:
Director of Public Safety/Chief of Police
Location:
Big Rapids (Main Campus)
Department:
57000 - Public Safety
Advertised Salary:
$121,724-141,387. Salary is commensurate with education, experience, and other requirements.
Benefits:

Comprehensive benefit package. Please see the following link for a list of benefits offered with this position.

Admin / Admin Temp Benefit Plans

FLSA:
Exempt

Temporary/Continuing: 
Continuing

Part-Time/Full-Time:
Full-Time

Union Group:
N/A

Term of Position:
12 Month

At Will/Just Cause:
At Will

Summary of Position:
Provides executive leadership and strategic direction for Ferris State University's comprehensive public safety and law enforcement program. Serves as Chief of Police and leads sworn law enforcement officers and public safety personnel responsible for campus safety and security, crime prevention, emergency response, investigations, parking and traffic enforcement, emergency management, and related public safety services.

Develops collaborative relationships with students, faculty, staff, University leadership, and local, state, and federal partners to foster a safe, welcoming, and student-centered campus environment. Establishes departmental priorities and ensures operations reflect a community-oriented policing philosophy while complying with applicable federal and state laws, professional standards, University policies, and recognized law enforcement practices.

Reports to the Vice President for Administration and Finance.

Offers are determined based on a review of the candidate's qualifications, including education, training, experience, and internal pay equity considerations. The salary range for this position is $121,724 - $141,387 annually. 

Placement within the range will generally be based on the following factors:
Entry-Range: Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications and core requirements of the position.
Mid-Range: Candidates with three or more years of directly related professional experience and demonstrate proficiency in the key responsibilities of the role.
Upper Range: Candidates with seven or more years of directly related experience, advanced knowledge, specialized skills, certifications, or expertise that provide significant value to the position.

Final compensation will be determined based on the candidate's overall qualifications, experience, and alignment with the University's compensation philosophy in consultation with Human Resources. 

The selected candidate for this position must be authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire without employer assistance or sponsorship now or in the future. The university will not assist with any F1 EAD’s, OPT, H1B, etc.

Position Type:
Staff

Required Education:
Bachelor's degree in criminal justice, public administration, law enforcement, emergency management, or a related field.
Required Work Experience:
A minimum of eight years of progressively responsible experience in law enforcement, public safety, or a closely related field, including substantial supervisory and management experience in a sworn law enforcement environment.

Demonstrated experience managing personnel, departmental operations, budgets, policies, and complex public safety matters.

Required Licenses and Certifications:
Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) certified or certifiable within 90 days of hire.

Valid driver's license.

Physical Demands:
Office Environment
Bending
Carrying
Inclement Weather
Moving
Reaching
Sitting
Twisting
Driving
Repetitive movement
Standing

Additional Education/Experiences to be Considered:
*Master's degree in criminal justice, public administration, emergency management, higher education administration, organizational leadership, or a related field.
*Experience providing leadership within a college or university law enforcement or public safety environment.
*Experience leading a complex law enforcement or public safety organization.
*Completion of an advanced law enforcement leadership program such as the FBI National Academy, Northwestern University Center for Public Safety, National Sheriffs' Association, or comparable executive leadership program.
*Experience with emergency management, emergency operations centers, incident command, crisis response, or continuity planning.
*Experience with campus security technologies, including video surveillance, electronic access control, emergency notification, and public safety communications systems.
*Experience developing collaborative relationships with community organizations and local, state, and federal law enforcement and emergency response agencies.

Essential Duties/Responsibilities:
Leadership and Department Administration
*Provides executive leadership, strategic direction, and administrative oversight for the Department of Public Safety and University police operations.
*Develops and implements departmental plans, priorities, goals, policies, and objectives consistent with the University's mission and strategic priorities.
*Plans, directs, and evaluates departmental operations, staffing, organizational structure, programs, services, budgets, and resource allocation.
*Recruits, develops, supervises, evaluates, and, when necessary, disciplines departmental personnel in accordance with University policies, collective bargaining agreements, and employment requirements.
*Develops a departmental culture emphasizing professionalism, integrity, service, accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and respect for the campus community.
*Ensures departmental personnel receive appropriate training to maintain required certifications and remain current with evolving laws, practices, technologies, and professional standards.
*Uses operational data, crime and incident trends, and other measures to evaluate performance and inform staffing, deployment, resources, and improvement initiatives.
*Advises the Vice President for Administration and Finance and other University leaders regarding public safety risks, emerging issues, operations, and recommended strategies.

Law Enforcement and Campus Safety
*Provides executive oversight of law enforcement operations, including patrol, criminal investigations, crime prevention, traffic and parking enforcement, event security, and other public safety activities.
*Ensures applicable laws and ordinances are appropriately and consistently enforced and coordinates activities with local, state, and federal law enforcement and emergency response agencies.
*Oversees criminal and other investigations within the University's jurisdiction and coordinates special investigations and services as necessary.
*Maintains systems of professional accountability, including review of use-of-force incidents, complaints, internal investigations, officer conduct, policy compliance, and corrective action.
*Ensures departmental policies, training, equipment, and practices comply with legal requirements and recognized professional law enforcement standards.
*Provides public safety planning and operational oversight for major University events, including athletic events, commencement, student activities, demonstrations, dignitary visits, and other events requiring coordinated security, traffic, or emergency planning.

Community Policing and University Engagement
*Promotes community-oriented policing emphasizing prevention, service, communication, education, relationship-building, and collaborative problem solving.
*Builds trust and productive relationships with students, faculty, staff, families, University leadership, surrounding communities, and other stakeholders.
*Collaborates across the University to identify safety concerns, develop prevention strategies, and coordinate institutional responses, including partnerships with departments involved in campus safety and student well-being.
*Participates in University committees, working groups, outreach, and educational initiatives involving campus safety, emergency preparedness, student well-being, and related priorities.
*Communicates proactively with the campus community and ensures accurate and timely information during significant incidents and emergencies.
*Serves as a liaison with internal and external constituencies regarding law enforcement, crime prevention, public safety, and emergency preparedness.

Emergency Management and Preparedness
*Leads the University's emergency management and preparedness program and serves as the University's Emergency Management Coordinator.
*Coordinates development, implementation, maintenance, and evaluation of emergency operations plans and response protocols.
*Coordinates emergency preparedness training, exercises, and tabletop activities to strengthen institutional readiness.
*Provides leadership during emergencies and critical incidents and supports appropriate incident command and emergency operations structures.
*Coordinates emergency planning and response with University departments and external emergency response partners.
*Participates in continuity and institutional resilience planning and coordinates after-action reviews following significant incidents and exercises.

Threat Assessment and Violence Prevention
*Provides law enforcement expertise to University behavioral intervention, threat assessment, and violence-prevention processes.
*Collaborates with appropriate University offices to identify, assess, manage, and respond to potential threats and support prevention and early-intervention strategies.

Regulatory Compliance and Reporting
*Ensures departmental compliance with federal and state laws and applicable regulatory, reporting, records-management, and law enforcement requirements.
*Oversees University public safety responsibilities under the Clery Act, including the Annual Security Report, crime reporting and recordkeeping, emergency notifications, and timely warnings.
*Coordinates with the University's FOIA Coordinator, General Counsel, and other appropriate offices on FOIA requests involving police reports, security video, and other Public Safety records, ensuring timely identification, preservation, and production of responsive records.
*Maintains appropriate confidentiality and security of University, student, personnel, and law enforcement information.
*Maintains knowledge of laws applicable to higher education public safety, including the Clery Act, Higher Education Opportunity Act, FERPA, FOIA, and other relevant requirements.

Security Technology and Infrastructure
*Provides leadership and operational input regarding University security infrastructure and public safety technology.
*Collaborates with Information Technology, Facilities Management, and other departments regarding video surveillance, electronic access control, emergency notification, communications, dispatch, and other security technologies.
*Evaluates public safety technologies and recommends investments to improve campus safety, operational effectiveness, officer safety, and emergency preparedness.
*Participates in developing policies, protocols, and standards governing public safety and security technologies.

Parking, Transportation, and Traffic Safety
*Provides executive oversight of University parking enforcement, traffic management, and related public safety responsibilities.
*Develops and recommends parking and traffic policies and ensures appropriate enforcement.
*Collaborates with University departments and external partners to address pedestrian, vehicle, bicycle, and other transportation safety concerns.
*Coordinates traffic and parking management for major campus events.

*Operates a university or personal vehicle safely while carrying out job responsibilities. Will authorize, pursuant to university policies and procedures, a driving record check, and will meet the driving authorization requirements through the course of employment in a position where you are authorized to drive a vehicle as part of your duties. 
*Carries out responsibilities in accordance with university policies and applicable laws.
*Cultivates an environment of belonging that values, respects, supports, and celebrates individual similarities and differences, allowing students, faculty, and staff to thrive authentically.
*Support, promote, and develop university student enrollment and retention initiatives.
*Any other duties assigned within the position classification area.

*Must be able to respond to the Big Rapids campus within a reasonable timeframe when required for significant emergencies, critical incidents, or other circumstances requiring the Chief's on-site presence.

Marginal Duties/Responsibilities:
*Maintains availability and readiness to respond outside of normal business hours when significant public safety incidents, emergencies, or operational circumstances require the Chief's leadership or on-site presence.
*Responds to campus for significant emergencies and critical incidents when circumstances require on-site executive public safety leadership and provides leadership and coordination through the appropriate incident command structure.
*Serves as a member, advisor, or chair of University and community committees as requested.
*Represents the University and Department of Public Safety with professional organizations, governmental agencies, community organizations, and other external partners.
*Maintains professional knowledge through continuing education, professional associations, and awareness of emerging issues and best practices in campus public safety and law enforcement.
*Performs other duties consistent with the responsibilities of the position as assigned.

Skills and Abilities:
*Demonstrated executive leadership ability and sound judgment, particularly in complex, sensitive, high-risk, or highly visible situations.
*Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, motivate, and hold accountable a professional law enforcement and public safety workforce.
*Demonstrated commitment to integrity, professionalism, ethical leadership, transparency, and accountability.
*Demonstrated understanding of contemporary community-oriented policing practices and their application within a college or university environment.
*Demonstrated ability to build trust, establish productive relationships, and work collaboratively across organizational boundaries, including with students, employees, University leadership, community organizations, and local, state, and federal public safety partners.
*Strong interpersonal and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences and explain complex or sensitive public safety matters clearly.
*Ability to communicate effectively with University leadership, the campus community, families, media, and external partners during emergencies and other critical incidents.
*Demonstrated ability to effectively manage conflict, complaints, sensitive personnel matters, and community concerns.
*Demonstrated ability to lead organizational change, develop employees, strengthen organizational culture, and implement continuous improvement initiatives.
*Demonstrated ability to balance the educational mission and student-centered environment of a university with the University's responsibility to provide effective law enforcement and public safety services.
*Extensive working knowledge of law enforcement operations, criminal investigations, crime prevention, emergency response, emergency preparedness, traffic safety, and security practices.
*Working knowledge of applicable local, state, and federal laws and regulations and their application within a higher education environment.
*Working knowledge of the Michigan Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and its application to law enforcement records, security video footage, and other public safety records.
*Demonstrated ability to appropriately maintain, protect, and preserve sensitive law enforcement, video, personnel, student, and institutional records and support their lawful disclosure in accordance with applicable laws and University procedures.
*Demonstrated knowledge of emergency management principles, incident command structures, crisis response, and interagency coordination.
*Ability to analyze crime, incident, staffing, operational, and other relevant data and use the information to guide departmental strategies, resource allocation, and decision-making.
*Demonstrated administrative and organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities, projects, and responsibilities.
*Ability to appropriately manage confidential and sensitive law enforcement, personnel, student, and institutional information.
*Demonstrated understanding of contemporary issues, emerging practices, and evolving expectations affecting campus policing and public safety.
*Demonstrated ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and perspectives and foster an environment of dignity, fairness, respect, and inclusion.
*Demonstrated successful experience working directly with people from diverse backgrounds, including cultural, educational, socioeconomic, and life experiences.

Required Documents:
Cover Letter
Resume
Unofficial Transcript 1

Optional Documents:
 
Special Instructions to Applicants:
 
Initial Application Review Date:

September 8, 2026
Open Until Position is Filled?:
Yes
Posting Close Date:

 
EEO Statement:
Ferris State University, an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer, is committed to enhancing equity, inclusion, and diversity within its community. Ferris offers employment opportunities to qualified candidates seeking careers in a student-focused environment that values opportunity, collaboration, diversity and educational excellence.  Learn more about the Ferris Mission and community at ferris.edu. The University actively seeks applications from women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and other underrepresented groups. For more information on the University’s Policy on Non-Discrimination, visit: Ferris Non-Discrimination Statement.