EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Position Overview

The Department employs 9 Communications Officers. Communications Officers are ordinarily assigned to staff the Public Safety Communications Center, answering all radio and telephone calls. All calls for assistance must be documented by the Communications Officer in the Department's incident management software. Communications Officers must be able to prioritize calls and direct appropriate resources to emergency situations. Communications Officers also monitor various fire and burglary alarms on campus, as well as the University's card access computer. Communications Officers may also be required to work fixed posts, special event details, and may be assigned to patrol duties as needed.

Application, Qualifications, and Hiring Process

Open Communications Officer positions are posted on the Human Resources web page. Instructions for applying for open Communications Officer positions can also be found on the Human Resources Employment website. Candidates must have 3 years of relevant experience in a security, police, fire, or EMS setting and must complete a successful interview. Prior experience in dispatching emergency services is also preferred. Candidates must undergo a background investigation and successfully complete a medical exam, psychological exam, and literacy test prior to employment. Candidates must have a valid drivers license and must have a satisfactory driving record.

Position Overview

The Department employs 19 officers in the Patrol Officer 2 rank. PO2's are ordinarily assigned to routine patrol of the campus, patrolling by vehicle, bicycle, and on foot. PO2's are the University's first responders to emergencies and reports of crime on campus. PO2's also complete safety escorts and respond to fire alarms. PO2's also conduct preliminary investigations and complete thorough written incident reports. PO2's are sometimes required to testify at on-campus student judicial hearings. In certain situations, the Radnor Police Department may become involved in the handling of an incident, which may require PO2's to testify in criminal court proceedings. Once hired, PO2's receive First Responder EMS training and must be able to render medical assistance consistent with the training they receive. PO2's are expected to be well-versed in University emergency procedures and may be required to conduct evacuations of campus buildings in an emergency.

PO2's work 10 hour shifts, four days per week – 6 AM to 4 PM, 2 PM to Midnight, and 10 PM to 8 AM. PO2’s have rotating days off and alternate either Wednesday-Friday off or Saturday-Monday off.

Application, Qualifications, and Hiring Process

Open patrol officer 2 positions are posted on the Human Resources web page. Instructions for applying for PO2 positions can also be found on the Human Resources Employment website. Candidates must have 3 years of experience in police, security, EMS or fire setting, preferably in a college or university environment. Comparable duties in the military accepted. Candidates must complete a successful interview. Candidates must undergo a background investigation and successfully complete a medical exam, psychological exam, and literacy test prior to employment. Candidates must have a valid drivers license and must have a satisfactory driving record.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Must be a Pennsylvania resident
• Must be at least 21 years of age
• Must have a valid driver’s license and a good driving record
• Must be willing to work a variety of shifts and assignments
• Must have a clean criminal history and be able to pass an extensive background investigation.

COMPENSATION

The University offers an excellent compensation package. Starting salaries for sworn uniformed positions are shown below:

• Police Officer: $65,000
• Police Sergeant: $72,000
• Police Lieutenant: $82,000

Employees in the Police officer, Police Sergeant, and Police Lieutenant receive a 7% longevity step increase annually during the first five years of employment as a sworn officer. In addition, officers are eligible for an annual merit increase. The merit increase is determined by the officer’s job performance and is administered as a pooled percentage determined annually by the University.

SELECTION PROCESS

The University recognizes the important role police officers play in keeping our campus community safe. To that end, the Department has an extensive screening and background investigation process for all police positions. Some of these include:

• Physical Agility Test – Required for all sworn positions.
  • Timed Sit Ups: 21 in one minute
  • 300 Meter Run within 87 seconds
  • Timed Push Ups: 10 in one minute
  • 1.5 mile run/jog completed in 15 minutes-fifty seconds (15:50) or less.
• Written Aptitude Test
• Report Writing Exercise
• Nelson Denny Reading Test
• Oral Board Interview
• Drug Screening
• Assessment Centers
• Psychological Exam
• Medical Exam
• Polygraph Exam
• Background Investigation

TRAINING

Completion of the police academy is preferred, but not required prior to employment. Newly hired officers who have not yet attended the academy will be required to do so and must meet all of the Academy’s pre-admission standards. The University will pay academy tuition costs, and the candidate’s salary while they attend.

The police academy is a full-time commitment that lasts 22 weeks and requires ongoing physical fitness activities. Leave time during academy training will be subject to the training schedule.

WORK SCHEDULE

Officers bid for shifts on an annual basis. Shifts are generally awarded on the officers’ preference, based in seniority. In June 2018, the Department will be instituting a 10 hour work schedule. Officers will work a four-day workweek. Days off will alternate monthly between Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

VU Benefits and other Human Resources information are available on the Human Resources website.

To apply, visit Villanova's job site.

Position Overview

The Department employs 7 officers at the rank of Sergeant. Sergeants are responsible for assisting the shift manager (Lieutenant) with all aspects of shift operations. In conjunction with the shift manager, sergeants conduct roll call briefings, assign officers to patrol sectors and provide day-to-day supervision of their respective shift. Sergeants ensure that reported incidents and emergency calls are handled effectively. In order to be effective, Sergeants must have a good understanding of emergency procedures, the Incident Command System, and general patrol and investigative techniques. Sergeants review and approve reports and have input into employees' performance evaluations. Sergeants assist with training new officers and with conducting in-service training. Sergeants also schedule vacation time and approve overtime. All sergeants rotate through all three shifts on an annual basis.

Application, Qualifications, and Hiring Process

Open Sergeant positions are posted on the Human Resources web page. Instructions for applying for Sergeants' positions can also be found on the Human Resources Employment website. Candidates must have 3 years of experience in police, security, EMS or fire setting, preferably in a college or university environment. Comparable duties in the military accepted. Some supervisory experience is preferred. Candidates must also complete a successful interview. Candidates must undergo a background investigation and successfully complete a medical exam, psychological exam, and literacy test prior to employment. Candidates must have a valid drivers license and must have a satisfactory driving record.

Position Overview

The Department employs 3 officers at the rank of Lieutenant. Lieutenants are exempt employees and are the Department's first level managers, responsible for all operations on their respective shifts. The shift lieutenant provides supervision and guidance, for his/her shift, which typically consists of two to three sergeants and approximately 13 patrol officers. Lieutenants conduct roll call briefings, assign officers to patrol sectors and are responsible for ensuring that reported incidents and emergency calls are handled effectively. Lieutenants schedule vacation time and approve overtime, and ensure that adequate coverage is maintained. Lieutenants review and approve reports and prepare employees' performance evaluations. Lieutenants ensure that new officers receive proper training and orientation to the shift and communicate with the Associate Director about issues that arise. Lieutenants also investigate complaints about officers under their command, interviewing witnesses and preparing written reports about their findings. In order to be effective, Lieutenants must have a good understanding of emergency procedures, the Incident Command System, and general patrol and investigative techniques.

Lieutenants rotate through all three shifts on an annual basis. Lieutenants set their own days off, coordinating their regularly scheduled days off with the sergeants on their shift.

Application, Qualifications, and Hiring Process

Open Lieutenant positions are posted on the Human Resources web page. Instructions for applying for Lieutenant positions can also be found on the Human Resources Employment website. Candidates must have 5 years of experience in police, security, EMS or fire setting. In addition, 3 years supervisory experience is required, preferably in a college setting. Comparable duties in the military accepted. Candidates must also complete a successful interview. Candidates must undergo a background investigation and successfully complete a medical exam, psychological exam, and literacy test prior to employment. Candidates must have a valid drivers license and must have a satisfactory driving record.

Current employees receive preference for vacant positions prior to the Department considering external candidates. As such, many vacant positions are filled by promoting existing employees; however, some vacancies are still filled using external applicants. An employee must have served at least one year in their existing position before being eligible for promotion.

All Public Safety officers are expected to be available for overtime work. Villanova’s campus is vibrant and active, necessitating officer presence during extra events or for additional coverage on campus. The amount of overtime worked varies greatly among individual officers. Some officers work as much as 40 hours per month while others work as little as 5 hours per month or less. Overtime is awarded based on a fairness rotation, the type of work needed, and the number of overtime hours an officer has already worked. Typically, officers can be found who are willing to work overtime assignments, minimizing the need to have an officer work an involuntary assignment. There are times, however, when involuntary overtime is assigned. When involuntary overtime is needed, officers are selected based on a fairness rotation, the type of work needed, and number of hours of overtime already worked. Involuntary overtime is also needed for extraordinarily large events, when all officers are required to work. Examples of these include, but are not limited to: freshmen move-in, homecoming, and commencement.

The Department of Public Safety provides services to the University community 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. As such, a certain minimum number of officers are required to work on holidays. In many instances, a sufficient number of officers are willing to work. However, there are times when officers may be required to work holidays in order to provide a sufficient level of service to the University community. During those times when mandatory holiday work is required, the officer(s) are selected on the basis of seniority. Officers working holidays receive extra pay as well as an additional day off, which needs to be taken within 90 days of working the holiday.

The amount of paid vacation and sick time earned can be found on the Human Resources Policies website. Vacation requests within Public Safety are handled in two ways. Annually, requests for vacation submitted prior to April 1st are considered on the basis of seniority. After April 1st, vacation requests are submitted on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Villanova University Tuition Remission Program is designed to provide employees and their eligible dependents tuition assistance for eligible courses taken at Villanova. Learn more on the Human Resources website.