Commander, Patrol Operations

At CSUN we aspire to continually grow as an inclusive, cooperative community. We foster an environment of success, both for our students and our employees, with a relentless passion for celebrating diversity, equity, and inclusion. As a leader, you will thrive in a community where leaders share common traits outlined in our Leadership Principles.

Responsibilities

• Administers patrol operations across multiple shifts, coordinates law enforcement and crime prevention activities, evaluates emergency responses, supports personnel development, ensures compliance with departmental standards, and collaborates with campus partners to provide effective public safety services.
• Plans, assigns, supervises, and evaluates the work of police officers, corporals, sergeants, dispatchers, and Community Service Officers (CSOs) assigned to patrol operations.
• Serves as the Watch Commander with primary responsibility for coordinating police operations during special events conducted during evening and weekend hours.
• Identifies organizational and individual training needs and assists in the development, coordination, and delivery of training programs that support departmental objectives, professional development, and operational effectiveness.
• Evaluates routine and emergency situations and determines appropriate operational responses during patrol shifts, including complex law enforcement incidents.
• Reviews reports, correspondence, memoranda, case files, and other documentation prepared by subordinate personnel to ensure accuracy, completeness, and compliance with departmental policies, procedures, and legal requirements.
• Demonstrates a commitment to student success that is mission-aligned with the university’s vision, values, and priorities.
• Establishes an ethical and collegial work environment, promoting a collaborative, accountable, and inclusive team.
• Encourages a courageous and resilient solution-oriented environment by participating in new opportunities to further the mission of the university.
• Participates in developing initiatives that further support the campus mission with a service-oriented and catalytic mindset.
• Strengthens employees by being communicative and a talent builder that develops team attributes, furthering departmental goals.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

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Requirements

• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university in a related field, or equivalent. Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis.
• At least five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in a sworn law enforcement setting, including one (1) year of supervisory experience. Management experience preferred. Experience in an educational setting is a plus.
• Must satisfy all California POST minimum employment standards and possess, or be able to obtain, a POST Management Certificate.
• Eligible to be a peace officer in the state of California.
• Must possess, or be eligible to obtain, a valid California driver’s license.

Skills

• Ability to coordinate complex patrol operations, emergency responses, and specialized law enforcement activities.
• Strong judgment and decision-making skills in routine, critical, and high-profile incidents.
• Ability to develop staff through training, coaching, performance evaluation, and professional development.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for responding to inquiries, reviewing reports, and collaborating with internal and external partners.
• Ability to interpret and apply departmental policies, legal requirements, CSU standards, and accreditation requirements.
• Ability to foster an ethical, inclusive, collaborative, service-oriented, and accountable work environment.
• Demonstrated ability to lead diverse teams to support the operational mission and vision of employers by fostering an ethical, inclusive, and collegial work environment.
• Demonstrated ability to support ongoing improvement through courageous, resilient, and catalytic leadership.
• Ability to lead varying initiatives through a collaborative, service-oriented, and communicative approach.
• Demonstrated commitment to employee development, recognition, and accountability to further operational goals.

Pay

The anticipated hiring range for this position is $160,000 - $168,204 per year, dependent upon qualifications and experience.

Schedule

• Work is performed in a variety of indoor and outdoor environments under both routine and emergency conditions.
• Regular exposure to varying weather conditions, traffic hazards, noise, dust, fumes, and other environmental conditions associated with law enforcement operations.
• May require exposure to hazardous or potentially dangerous situations, including confrontational individuals, violent incidents, crime scenes, bloodborne pathogens, and other biological or chemical hazards.
• May require working evenings, nights, weekends, holidays, and extended or irregular hours, and must be available to respond to emergencies, critical incidents, and major campus events.

Benefits

The University offers excellent fringe benefits.

This position is designated as sensitive by the CSU. A POST background check (including a criminal records check) and fingerprint clearance (Live Scan) must be completed satisfactorily. Failure to complete the background check may affect employment status. The selected candidate must comply with CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.