Communications Officer

Swarthmore College; Swarthmore (Delaware County); On-site; USD 65,904,000 - 74,142,000; Full time

Job summary

Swarthmore College is seeking a Public Safety Communication Officer to serve as the first contact for campus safety, handling routine and emergency calls with clear verbal and written communication. The role requires dispatching, reporting, and coordinating with internal staff and local agencies, across a 24/7 operations framework.

The position covers the third shift (7:00 pm–7:00 am), involves monitoring CCTV and alarms, maintaining logs, and providing reliable liaison with campus partners.

Qualifications

• High school diploma required; college education preferred.
• 6 months experience as Public Safety Communication Officer or equivalent.
• Ability to communicate clearly in professional spoken and written form.
• Willing to work 3rd shift, holidays, and overtime as needed.
• Commitment to community engagement and confidentiality.

Responsibilities

• Answer non-emergency and emergency calls; dispatch personnel and document thoroughly.
• Monitor CAD system and coordinate emergency field operations with agencies.
• Perform data entry and maintain files; ensure accurate documentation.
• Monitor CCTV, alarms, access control; contact appropriate agencies when needed.
• Provide liaison with campus partners and public safety agencies.
• Maintain Dispatch Center equipment and support maintenance.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Calm under pressure

Public safety awareness

Education

High school diploma

College education preferred

Tools

CAD system

Microsoft Windows

Job description

Swarthmore College is a highly selective liberal arts collegelocated in the suburbs of Philadelphia, whose mission combinesacademic rigor with social responsibility. Swarthmore has a stronginstitutional commitment to inclusive excellence andnondiscrimination in its educational program and employmentpractices and encourages candidates who will further advance thegoal of fostering a diverse and inclusive community. As one of thenation’s finest institutions of higher learning, Swarthmore Collegeis global in outlook and draws students from around the nation andworld. The 425‐acre campus is a designated arboretum, complete withgardens, rolling lawns, a creek, wooded hills, and hiking trails inthe Crum Woods.

The opportunity:

The Public Safety Communication Officer (CO) is a key role inDepartment responsibility for the safety and well-being ofSwarthmore College students, campus property, community members,and visitors. The Communication Officer will be responsible forcourteous and active engagement with the community, througheffective verbal and written communication. As a CommunicationOfficer, you are the first contact for internal and externalinteractions and incidents involving the College and you will beexpected to service routine and emergency calls related to theCollege. You will receive initial information and take appropriateaction to resolve or address the situation. You will manage thefunctions of the Communication Center as well as respond to radiotransmissions and in person requests for assistance. You will alsoneed to be able to have clear communication, verbally and written,for making reports on incidents and investigations.

In this role, the primary duties of the Communications Officer areto assure a continuity of practices and effective communicationservice to/for the Swarthmore College Department of Public SafetyCommunications Center (SCDPSCC), the College community, and locallaw enforcement agencies. This position requires a high degree ofcommunity engagement, cultural competency, and ability to navigatecomplex protocol for effective decision making based uponDepartment and College guidelines. The ability to provide clearcommunication, often under pressure, in a multifacetedcommunication center is required and it is comfort in navigating avariety of technology is necessary. Personnel in this position areconsidered “essential” in that they support a 24 hour, 7 day perweek Communication Center operation. This position would be workingthe third shift, 7:00 pm to 7:00 am.

Essential Responsibilities

The PSCO provides information and assistance by telephone, radio orin person to faculty, staff, students, and visitors. The dispatchof internal communications, monitoring of CCTV, Access Control andboth fire and intrusion alarms, as well as key control oforganizations’ keys are all integral functions of the position.Duties including, but not limited to, the following:

• Receives both non-emergency and emergency requests (including911 calls) for police/fire protection, medical, or emergencyservices; obtains relevant information, evaluates and prioritizescalls for service and dispatches appropriate personnel andequipment, and documents thoroughly (30%).
• Using a computer aided dispatch (CAD) system, monitors andupdates public safety and, when applicable, police unit locationand status in order to coordinate emergency field operations;documents and provides backup support and information, asnecessary, by operating a two-way radio; requests additionalassistance from other agencies as necessary; and obtainscomputerized campus information as well as applicable lawenforcement information from local, state, and federal data banksthrough telecommunications terminal. (35%)
• Performs data entry, maintains files and reference manuals; andperforms other clerical duties. Attention to detail and continuityof documentation as a critical aspect of this role (15%)
• Monitor and operate emergency alarms, CCTV, access control andsecurity systems (received via various means), making immediatecontact with the appropriate agency/personnel to address notedconcerns. (10%)
• Provide liaison service to the Swarthmore College campuspartners as well as relevant communication with area communitiesand other public service agencies to support effective response(5%).
• Assists with interdepartmental communications such asfacilities or access control requests or maintenance needs.Monitors and arranges for maintenance of all Dispatch Centerequipment, including all radios and related technology. (5%)
• Performs other duties as assigned.

What you bring:

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma required, College Education preferred.
• 6 months experience working as a Public Safety CommunicationOfficer or an equivalent combination of education and experience;skills, knowledge and abilities essential to the successfulperformance of the duties assigned to the position
• Commitment to collaborative service and community engagement inalignment with Department and College guidance related to safetyand security of campus.
• The use of a computer and software is required for callresponse and incident documentation. Comfort with use of technologyand learning new electronic systems. Familiar with MicrosoftWindows applications
• Excellent communication skills required. Candidates must havethe ability to speak, listen, and write in a professionalmanner.
• Ability to demonstrate calm, consistent communication whenpresented with emotions in stressful and/or emergency situations.Attention to trauma informed practices and unique needs of adiverse, supportive residential education setting.
• Ability to engage in effective perspective taking, acrossdifferences and roles in an educational living and learningenvironment. Demonstrated understanding of the value of SwarthmoreCollege Mission and open to continued development of culturalcompetence in the ever changing landscape of higher education.
• Demonstrated experience in navigating and prioritizing multipletasks simultaneously. This includes the ability to effectivelycommunicate to manage expectations related to the nature andtimeliness of response based upon the urgency of circumstances andcompeting priorities.
• The ability to work shift work, holidays, and potential to workmandated overtime, when required. This position supports 24/7operations.
• Exercise sound judgment in handling sensitive, private, and/orconfidential information. All candidates must sign aconfidentiality statement relating to the disclosure / safekeepingof sensitive College information, student records, faculty records,staff records and all information deemed confidential by theDepartment of Public Safety and Swarthmore College.
• Candidates must complete a Swarthmore Public Safety approvedcertification course (currently the APCO Public SafetyTelecommunicator I) or provide proof of currentcertifications.

Preferred Qualifications

• College degree
• APCO Public Safety Telecommunicator 1 certification orequivalent 9-1-1 telecommunicator / dispatcher certification.

What You Will Get:

You’ll work at one of the world's most renowned liberal artsColleges, with incredible benefits, a stunning 420-acre campus, anda collaborative work environment. Join a team of passionate,creative people who work hard and have fun supporting the Collegestudents, faculty, and staff.

The pay for this position is $23.00 per hour, which representsthe College’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range atthe time of posting.

Act 153 Clearance Required by Position

This position may regularly interact with minors. UnderPennsylvania Child Protective Services Law, (23 Pa. Cons. Stat.§§6301, et seq.) employees who have direct contact with minors arerequired to obtain the following background clearances prior to thestart of employment:

• Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History (PATCH) through thePennsylvania State Police
• Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance (PACA) through thePennsylvania 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 performingessential job responsibilities for this position, a motor vehiclereport (MVR) clearance is