Bennington College seeks to hire an Associate Director of Campus Safety and Transportation to help create and maintain a safe, welcoming, and inclusive living, learning, and working environment while serving as a supportive resource for community members in need of services. Reporting to the Director of Campus Safety, the Associate Director is responsible for the management of student transportation operations, serving as the College’s Fleet Coordinator, maintaining safe and efficient functioning of College vehicles, supporting the day-to-day operations of the entire Campus Safety team on designated shifts and directly supervising and managing a team of dispatchers and van drivers, guiding them in their work and overseeing their professional development and progress.
Bennington's Campus Safety approach is one of harm and risk-reduction, and is focused on finding the learning moments possible in any given interaction and honoring student growth and development. This approach is applied to all aspects of student engagement, including all policy enforcement and general service requests. The Associate Director is responsible for positively impacting campus through building community and relationships, promoting accountability, and maintaining the safety and security of College properties, facilities, students, staff, faculty, and visitors. We require a high degree of interpersonal skills, as this position is expected to work collaboratively with various academic and administrative areas of campus to create a community of care and to promote health and well-being.
This position will require on-call rotation and the availability for crisis or emergencies.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree required.
- 3-5 years of related experience; preferably in a higher education setting. Experience in fields of campus safety, emergency management, or human services preferred.
- 1-3 years of supervisory experience (coaching, mentoring, developing talent).
- Current/valid driver's license required.
- Ability to possess or be willing to train for CPR, Basic First Aid, AED, and Vermont Medical First Responder. Must be willing to travel to attend training courses as assigned.
- Proficient in Google applications; email applications required. Ability to adapt to and use changing technology.
- Must be effective and work well in a collaborative environment. Excellent organizational skills and the ability to set priorities and multi-task in a fast-paced setting required.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills required, including ability to negotiate and resolve conflict. Able to communicate effectively with individuals at all levels of the organization; able to establish positive relationships; gain trust and respect of others
- Demonstrated experience and ability to work with a diverse student population and inclusive practices and demonstrated commitment to continued learning of issues, and practices of diversity and inclusion.
- Superior interpersonal skills necessary to maintain good relations and open communication with a variety of constituents.
- Ability to exercise considerable initiative and independent judgment.
- Demonstrated experience in recognizing emergency/high-stress situations and effectively de-escalating/resolving. Must be able to remain professional and calm during stressful situations and be able to treat sensitive/confidential information with discretion and tact.
- Must have close attention to detail and be able to work independently with limited supervision.
- Strong problem-solving, critical and analytical thinking, good judgment, with creative resolutions for positive outcomes.
Bennington College requires the successful completion and acceptable results of a background check.
Bennington serves a diverse student population inclusive of members of ethnically/racially minoritized, international, LGBTQIA+, and disability communities, as well as diverse gender identities, socioeconomic backgrounds, religions, and political beliefs. Our staff and faculty also reflect diverse and intersecting backgrounds and identities. All employees are expected to be respectful and responsive to these differences in the service of building a community that promotes student and employee success and community cohesiveness. Each individual (faculty, staff, and students) will be accountable for upholding these values. The College’s approach to pluralism and inclusivity—both as fields of inquiry and practice—is to prioritize flexible thought, and to invite the examination of access, value, power, and privilege through its institutional policies and areas of study. We encourage applicants from diverse realms of interest, backgrounds, experience, and accomplishment to apply.
Compensation: The annual salary for this position starts at $70,000.
General Responsibilities
- Work with the Director to support the mission and goals of the Campus Safety Department. Uses appropriate judgment to promote a philosophy of care and safety.
- Assist with managing the daily operations of the Campus Safety Department with particular attention to Transportation Services and Transportation Infrastructure. Provide supervision to all Campus Safety team members during shifts.
- In the absence of the Director (or when instructed), assume the responsibilities of the Director of Campus Safety.
- Manage the van reservation program and the College's student-approved driver list. Become familiar with reservation requests, update the van reservation log, assign driver coverage, and communicate the status of the reservation to the requester. Prepare reserved vehicles for checkout and complete inspection upon return.
- Ensure proper care of vehicles and equipment, including taking reports of deficiencies, maintaining a Vehicle Maintenance Log, executing repair orders, and retaining appropriate documentation. Ensuring that all motorized vehicles in the Campus Safety fleet, ranging from golf cars, cars, to passenger vans, are in safe working order.
- Maintain preventative and regular maintenance records for all of the Campus Safety fleet vehicles, schedule preventative maintenance, including but not limited to oil changes, tire rotation, and brake jobs in collaboration with the Director of Campus Safety, and schedule all maintenance on Campus Safety vehicles.
- Coordinate the rental of vehicles to supplement the Campus Safety fleet when needed from area auto rental agencies.
- Work in collaboration with Buildings and Grounds to place current registration stickers on the Campus Safety fleet vehicles and maintain the proper registration and insurance information in the glove boxes of each vehicle.
- Coordinate annual inspections of the Campus Safety fleet vehicles, securing the appropriate inspection sticker.
- Collaborate with drivers to ensure each vehicle has adequate supplies, including first aid kit, fire extinguisher, snow/ice removal equipment, and window washer fluid. Investigate and follow up on any concerns drivers bring forward regarding the repair of any vehicles.
- As needed, update and manage the StarRez daily log and shuttle driver logs.
- Coordinate and set schedules of van drivers and dispatchers, secure on-call relief staff to ensure adequate coverage at all times, and create and monitor weekly Transportation schedules. Manage changes to schedules, priorities, and work assignments, and manage schedule interruptions. Assigns work to individuals and provides guidance/direction to ensure that team members are adequately trained.
- Manage team development of van drivers and dispatchers. Oversee and lead training and professional development. Review and manage employee performance progress and performance management, including disciplinary actions and changes in performance standards. Advise and counsel workers on how to improve their performance and explain new work techniques.
- Manage student, staff, and faculty parking on campus in accordance with College policies.
- Act as First Responder during emergencies and serve as a liaison between the College and outside agencies such as law enforcement, fire, or EMS as necessary.
- Assist in conducting thorough investigations to gather all pertinent information. Write reports on accidents, incidents, suspicious activities, safety, and fire hazards/alarms, and other safety and security-related situations. File complete and accurate reports in a timely manner. Attend disciplinary hearings when requested.
- Assume duties of Officer, Dispatcher, or Van Driver as needed to provide assistance to students, faculty, staff, and visitors and guests. Perform safety patrols in vehicles. Secure buildings and property.
- Obtain and keep current all required certifications for all Campus Safety staff, which include but are not limited to CPR, Basic First Aid, AED, and Vermont Medical First Responder.
The College
Bennington College offers a comprehensive benefits program that includes medical, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance, retirement, and tuition benefits, including Tuition Exchange scholarships. The College also offers an on-site fitness center as well as generous time off benefits.
Bennington College is a laboratory for innovation in higher education. At Bennington, learning and making—on campus and in the field—are inseparable, and its graduates are noted for their outsized impact on the world’s stage. This campus celebrates the ongoing making of work—shared on walls, in shows and performances, in lectures and readings, and in conversations—and believes that equity, diversity, and inclusivity are vital to a collaborative community. The position reflects the ethos of this creative community.
Nestled at the foot of the Green Mountains in Vermont, the campus consists of approximately 370 acres. The College was named one of ten with the best architecture by Architectural Digest. From campus, it is a short drive to the cultural offerings of the northern Berkshires in Massachusetts, Albany, New York, and many of Vermont’s top recreational centers. New York City, Boston, and Burlington, Vermont are all within three and a half hours by car.
