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Overview/Job Summary

Yale University seeks a dynamic, change-oriented Chief of Police to lead the Yale Police Department during a critical period of organizational transformation. This role requires a forward-thinking public safety executive who demonstrates a nuanced understanding of the differences between municipal and campus policing and can effectively operate at the intersection of higher education and public safety.

Reporting to senior University leadership within Public Safety, the Chief of Police plays a central role in advancing Yale’s mission, values, and commitment to safety, equity, accountability, and public transparency. The Chief will guide cultural and organizational change, strengthen trust across campus and with the City of New Haven, and continue to evolve Yale’s fit-for-purpose differential response model-ensuring the appropriate integration of police, security, student services, and mental-health resources.  The Chief of Police provides leadership to both a union and non-unionized workforce.

This position demands a visible leader with impeccable integrity, intellectual curiosity, and political acumen, capable of managing campus climate, large-scale events, and complex stakeholder expectations while maintaining professionalism, innovation, and trust.

Required Skills and Abilities

1. Demonstrated ability to distinguish and balance the unique demands of campus policing and municipal law enforcement environments.

2. Proven success building inclusive teams and shaping integrated responses across police, security, student services, and mental-health resources.

3. Strong change-management skills with the ability to design, implement, and evaluate modern policing and public safety models.

4. Exceptional integrity, sound judgment, curiosity, and a collaborative, team-oriented leadership style.

5. High level of political awareness and organizational savvy, with the ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments.

6. Experience managing in a union environment.

7. Commitment to transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement.

8. Ability to collaborate effectively with municipal, state, and judicial partners.

Preferred Skills and Abilities

1. Master’s degree in Criminal Justice, Public Safety Administration, Criminology, or a related field.

2. Senior command-level experience in campus policing or a municipal police department closely integrated with a higher-education environment.

3. Demonstrated success leading organizational or cultural transformation initiatives.

4. Executive-level law enforcement training (e.g., FBI National Academy, Police Staff and Command College, IACP leadership programs, or equivalent).

5. Experience managing large-scale campus events, protests, demonstrations, and complex crisis situations.

Principal Responsibilities

Leadership & Management

1. Provide strategic leadership and overall direction for the Yale Police Department, including sworn officers, professional staff, and civilian personnel.

2. Lead organizational and cultural transformation efforts that modernize policing practices, reinforce accountability, and support a broadly inclusive workplace culture.

3. Demonstrate a nuanced understanding of campus versus municipal policing environments, and apply that understanding to policy, staffing, and operational decisions.

4. Foster an integrated public safety culture that aligns police operations with security, emergency management, student services, and mental-health partners.

5. Model impeccable integrity, ethical leadership, curiosity, and openness to innovation while promoting a team-focused, learning-oriented organization.

6. Navigate labor relations, collective bargaining agreements, and workforce planning with transparency, fairness, and strategic foresight.

7. Serve as a visible and trusted leader within the department and across the University community.

Operations

1. Direct comprehensive police operations to protect life, property, and University assets while respecting individual rights and civil liberties.

2. Continue to evolve Yale’s differential response model through structured planning, procedural updates, staff training, community engagement, and rigorous evaluation, ensuring responses are fit-for-purpose.

3. Oversee crime prevention, patrol, investigations, dignitary protection, and emergency response operations.

4. Ensure operational readiness for campus climate events, demonstrations, major events, and mental-health related incidents.

5. Enhance operational alignment and coordination with the New Haven Police Department and other municipal, state, and judicial partners.

6. Collaborate closely with Emergency Management and other Public Safety units to maintain an integrated approach to campus safety.

Organizational Transformation

1. Lead and sustain change initiatives that align the department with evolving best practices in campus and municipal policing.

2. Modernize policies, procedures, technology, and data-informed decision-making to enhance transparency, effectiveness, and community trust.

3. Stabilize the department during periods of internal tension or transition, building confidence and alignment across all ranks.

4. Champion continuous improvement, innovation, and evidence-based policing strategies.

Community Relations

1. Build and maintain strong, trust-based relationships with students, faculty, staff, University leadership, and community partners.

2. Actively promote public transparency through clear communication, engagement, and responsiveness to community concerns.

3. Serve as a key liaison to the City of New Haven, including enhanced coordination with the New Haven Police Department on jurisdictional, operational, and strategic matters.

4. Work collaboratively with advisory bodies such as the Public Safety Advisory Board and other shared governance groups.

5. Represent Yale Public Safety with credibility and thoughtfulness in public forums, media interactions, and interagency settings.

Administration & Compliance

1. Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, including the Clery Act and other campus safety requirements.

2. Maintain accreditation and professional standards consistent with best practices in higher-education law enforcement.

3. Oversee departmental budgeting, financial management, and resource allocation in alignment with University priorities.

4. Establish clear performance metrics, accountability systems, and reporting structures.

5. Prepare and present reports, briefings, and recommendations to senior leadership and governance bodies.

Required Education and Experience

1. Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and at least 10 years of law enforcement experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
2. A minimum of 7 years of progressive law enforcement experience, including significant police command-level leadership responsibility.
3. Eligibility for certification as a police officer in the State of Connecticut (or ability to obtain within a reasonable timeframe).
4. Demonstrated knowledge of federal, state, and local laws governing law enforcement and campus safety.
5. Ability to meet the physical, psychological, and background requirements associated with senior law enforcement roles.

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Background Check Requirements

All candidates for employment will be subject to pre-employment background screening for this position, which may include motor vehicle, DOT certification, drug testing and credit checks based on the position description and job requirements. All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of the background check. For additional information on the background check requirements and process visit "Learn about background checks" under the Applicant Support Resources section of Careers on the It's Your Yale website.

Health Requirements

Certain positions have associated health requirements based on specific job responsibilities. These may include vaccinations, tests, or examinations, as required by law, regulation, or university policy.

Posting Disclaimer

Salary offers are determined by a candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education in relation to the position requirements, along with the role’s grade profile and current internal and external market conditions.

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the essential functions that will be required of the position and should not be construed as a declaration of specific duties and responsibilities of the position. Employees will be assigned specific job-related duties through  their hiring department.

The University is committed to basing judgments concerning the admission, education, and employment of individuals upon their qualifications and abilities and seeks to attract to its faculty, staff, and student body qualified persons from a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives. In accordance with this policy and as delineated by federal and Connecticut law, Yale does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment against any individual on account of that individual’s sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, disability, status as a special disabled veteran, veteran of the Vietnam era or other covered veteran.

Inquiries concerning Yale's Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment may be referred to the Office of Institutional Equity and Accessibility (OIEA).

Note

Yale University is a tobacco-free campus.

About Yale University

Yale University is an American private Ivy League research university located in New Haven, Connecticut. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States.

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