The Opportunity

California Institute of Technology (Caltech) seeks an experienced and community-oriented public safety leader to serve as its next chief of campus security and parking services. The expected start date is late May/early June 2022.

Caltech is a world-renowned science and engineering institute that marshals some of the world’s brightest minds and most innovative tools to address fundamental scientific questions and pressing societal challenges. The Institute enrolls 938 undergraduate and 1,299 graduate students, and students benefit from a remarkable 3:1 student to faculty ratio. A Caltech education is notable for its rigorous curriculum, close collaborations with faculty, and small class sizes. Students work toward undergraduate and graduate degrees alongside their intellectual equals in an academic environment that emphasizes interdisciplinary teamwork, critical thinking, mutual support, and a deep understanding of core concepts and principles across fields. As an independent, privately supported institution with a 124-acre campus located in Pasadena, California, Caltech’s reach extends globally with locations in Louisiana, Washington, Hawaii, and Switzerland.

The Institute manages the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for NASA, the leading U.S. center for the robotic exploration of the solar system, and together they are Pasadena’s largest employer. Caltech also owns and operates large-scale research facilities such as the Seismological Laboratory and a global network of astronomical observatories, including the Palomar and W. M. Keck Observatories, and cofounded and comanages the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO).

The Position

Role of the Chief of Campus Security and Parking Services for California Institute of Technology

Reporting to the associate vice president for facilities and a member of their senior leadership team, the chief of campus security and parking services (chief) is responsible for the leadership and administration of the Campus Security department and maintaining the safety of the Institute community. The chief has the principal responsibility for protecting the safety and security of Caltech students, faculty, staff, and visitors, as well as the physical campus and the surrounding Caltech-owned and controlled properties in Pasadena. They will provide leadership, development of training programs, oversight of investigations, management of campus parking, and design and deployment of security technologies to ensure a safe and secure campus environment. The chief manages the relationships with surrounding local law enforcement, including the Pasadena Police Department, Pasadena Fire Department, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigations, and local emergency management services. The chief will be provided with Caltech-owned housing adjacent to the campus.

Employing a community and education-based approach to their work, the chief will promote a strong culture of community engagement throughout the department, which includes five direct reports, seven uniformed special response officers, and 22 contracted patrol officers. The chief is actively engaged with the Caltech campus and works collaboratively with internal and external constituents to promote campus safety and security, including educational outreach to teaching and training faculty, staff, and students on safety, security, and emergency preparedness. Collaborations with the AVP for equity, accessibility, and inclusion initiatives; Caltech Center for Diversity; student affairs colleagues; the student CARE team; general counsel; and other key stakeholders are high priorities to ensure Campus Security’s work reflects the Institutes’ goal of building an inclusive and safe community. This senior leader will be expected to demonstrate a combination of strategic leadership, subject matter expertise, and strong relationship-building skills to lead and support an effective campus security program.

History of the Position

Victor Clay served as Caltech’s chief of campus security from June 2017 to July 2021. Greg Powell, security technology administrator, has been serving as the interim chief while Caltech is conducting this national search.

Opportunities and Challenges of the Role

Overall, this is an outstanding leadership opportunity for a campus/community security professional at one of the most distinguished institutions of higher education in the world. While it is a high-profile position with many stakeholders and broad responsibilities, the ability for the new chief to partner with a broad base of colleagues in elevating the practices, systems, and functions of the campus security department will be the foundational opportunity for the successful candidate.

Caltech stakeholders are genuinely interested in participating in discussions about the chief of campus security and parking services position, and are unified in support of identifying a talented and collegial individual who can promote and develop the campus security team; set departmental priorities; work with Institute stakeholders and colleagues on comprehensive diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives; and strategically move the department forward to its next best iteration. The following were identified as opportunities, priorities, and challenges that the new chief will encounter:

  • There are high expectations that the new chief will exemplify a culture of collaboration and partnering across campus for maximum effectiveness. It will be expected that the incumbent quickly reaches out to all key campus constituencies to build solid and mutually collaborative relationships that foster ongoing positive interactions.
  • Caltech is a close-knit and heavily academic campus, characterized by impressively high achievers amongst its faculty and students and a strong faculty governance culture. The new chief will need to take time to learn how the many relationships on campus intersect with each other and appreciate the highly relational and complex culture of Caltech.
  • The campus security team at Caltech, composed of both employed and contracted professionals, is seeking a leader to both inspire and advocate on their behalf. The team members are dedicated, hard-working individuals who want to keep the campus community safe. The new chief will find a staff willing to get involved in the positive change needed to further refine and elevate the work of the department.
  • The new chief will be expected to engage the student community in meaningful, intentional ways to promote a true understanding of their experience and needs, as well as begin to build greater trust, transparency, and systems of collaboration. This will require an individual with a great deal of empathy, strong communication skills, the ability to actively listen and a desire to support students in achieving their academic goals.
  • The new chief, working closely with campus partners, has the ability to re-think how the department plays a central and active role in the Institute’s diversity, equity, and inclusion commitments and goals.
  • It is truly an exciting time to join the Caltech community. There are several opportunities for strategic and operational improvements, and the chief will have the support of the administration and other departments and their staffs. There is a clear commitment to supporting the new chief, and the campus security department as a whole, as they chart a course for improvement and success.

Measures of Success

Caltech’s next chief of campus security and parking services will work with the associate vice president for facilities to determine specific measures of success and their respective timetables. The search committee offers the following general metrics for the position:

  • The chief has established strong relationships with key stakeholders across campus to elevate the collaborative work of public safety.
  • Vision, goals, and expectations for the department have been clearly outlined and communicated.
  • Through consistent, confident leadership the chief is regarded as an active partner in supporting the educational mission of the institution and demonstrates the highest level of integrity in support of sensitive research.
  • Campus security is fully integrated into the Caltech community in an intentional manner, and students, administration, and the broader campus community have confidence in the abilities of the department.
  • Diversity, equity, and inclusion are clear priorities that are operationalized throughout the department in its hiring, internal practices, and outreach to the broader campus in order to ensure that underrepresented and minoritized members of the community feel valued, heard, and supported.
  • Internal and external communication from the department is timely, transparent, and high-quality.
  • The chief has identified relevant benchmarks based on best practices, implemented appropriate assessment strategies, identified creative solutions to working within limited resources, and made a persuasive case for the needed resources.
  • The chief has built on existing positive working relationships with local and regional law enforcement agencies, first-responders, community associations, partners, and the Pasadena community.

Qualifications

Qualifications and Characteristics

This position is an exceptional opportunity for a forward-looking and collaborative leader with a strong knowledge of public safety and emergency response practices. The successful candidate will possess outstanding communication skills, an appreciation and vision for the unique role of public safety at a world-class residential campus, as well as a record of success advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in a public safety organization.

Minimum qualifications include a bachelor’s degree in an appropriate area of specialization (master’s preferred), or equivalent combination of education and experience, and at least ten years of progressively responsible experience in law enforcement or public safety with a minimum of five years in a campus-based environment. California POST certificate or graduation from a California POST academy or equivalent, and law enforcement leadership training from an accredited or nationally recognized organization (i.e., Northwestern University Center for Public Safety, FBI LEEDA, ASIS, etc.) are strongly preferred.

Candidates will be expected to have demonstrated experience with the application and management of state-of-the-art security systems and automated equipment; extensive working knowledge of the Safe Campus Security Act (Clery); strong working knowledge of Title IX and the Violence Against Women Act; and a record of involvement in a national or regional professional association. The search committee particularly invites applications from candidates with extensive experience in understanding and addressing the interests and needs of broadly diverse populations, including a demonstrated ability to establish trust and maintain positive, effective working relationships with students, faculty, staff, and individuals from diverse backgrounds. The successful candidate will be expected to submit to and complete a personal history examination and Defense Industrial Security Clearance at the level of Top Secret.

Institution & Location

Overview of Caltech Campus Security and parking Services

Campus Security and Parking Services aims to provide world-class customer service to the Caltech community by following the principles of service, accountability, passion, integrity and mutual respect.

Campus Security provides 24-hour patrol service, incident response, and other security-related services such as escorts and help with lock-outs, vehicular accidents, and medical emergencies on the Caltech campus and its off-campus properties.  It coordinates with outside emergency response units called to the campus, such as the Pasadena police, fire, and paramedic departments, and also develops and implements security programs and regulations; enforces parking regulations; and is responsible for Caltech’s carpool, vanpool, and other alternative transportation programs.

Mission

Caltech campus security exists to provide a stable environment for research, education, and employment in which security concerns are balanced with freedom of movement in an open campus atmosphere while protecting the life and property of the faculty, students, staff, visitors, and guests of the Institute.

Special Response Officers

Seven uniformed Special Response Officers (SRO) are certified Emergency Medical Technicians. They provide emergency medical response, respond to discretionary calls, and conduct high visibility patrols of the campus. SROs receive a minimum of six weeks of training with an experienced staff member, as well as an additional 12 weeks of more independent training.

Contract Security

Caltech Security is assisted in its mission by 22 uniformed, contract security personnel. This auxiliary force is not empowered to make arrests or carry weapons; however, they assist Caltech Special Response officers in a variety of ways such as building security, property checks, and added visibility within the community. Contract security personnel are charged with providing additional visual presence at various campus locations. They are responsible for checking faculty, student and staff identification, and conducting property checks of campus buildings. Additional officers are added to the security force as needed for special events and to maintain campus security.

Authority and Jurisdiction

Security officers can issue municipal parking citations under an arrangement with the City of Pasadena. Pasadena Police Department (PPD) has primary jurisdiction for all areas of campus and Pasadena. Caltech Security’s jurisdiction is restricted to the boundaries of the Caltech campus and campus properties.

Working Relationship with State and Local Police

Caltech maintains a close working relationship with the Pasadena Police Department. Pasadena police officers are often called upon to aid in the arrest of individuals suspected of crimes on campus. Campus Security staff work with other state and federal law enforcement agencies as necessary, including the California Highway Patrol, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Secret Service, and the Department of Justice.

Campus Security has established a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Pasadena Police Department. The MOU formalizes aspects of the working relationship between Caltech and the Pasadena Police Department, in compliance with California law. As part of that MOU, and in compliance with California law, the Institute discloses to the Pasadena Police Department reports of certain violent crimes, sexual assaults, and hate crimes.

Institutional Overview

Caltech is a world-renowned science and engineering Institute that marshals some of the world’s brightest minds and most innovative tools to address fundamental scientific questions and pressing societal challenges. Caltech’s extraordinary faculty and students are expanding our understanding of the universe and inventing the technologies of the future, with research interests from quantum science and engineering to bioinformatics and the nature of life itself, from human behavior and economics to energy and sustainability.

History

In September 1891, Pasadena philanthropist Amos Throop rented the Wooster Block building in Pasadena for the purpose of establishing Throop University, a forerunner to Caltech. In November of that year, Throop University opened its doors with 31 students and a six-member faculty. Throop might have remained simply a good local school had it not been for the arrival in Pasadena of astronomer George Ellery Hale. The first director of the Mount Wilson Observatory, Hale became a member of Throop’s board of trustees in 1907 and began molding the school into a first-class institution for engineering and scientific research and education. By 1921, Hale had been joined by chemist Arthur A. Noyes and physicist Robert A. Millikan. These three men set the school, which by then had been renamed the California Institute of Technology, firmly on its new course. Millikan and his successors have led the Institute to its current academic and scientific preeminence.

Mission

The mission of the California Institute of Technology is to expand human knowledge and benefit society through research integrated with education. We investigate the most challenging, fundamental problems in science and technology in a singularly collegial, interdisciplinary atmosphere, while educating outstanding students to become creative members of society.

About Pasadena, CA

Nestled at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, Pasadena is an oasis from the hustle and bustle of downtown Los Angeles, located a mere 10 miles away. With a population of just over 141,000, it is big enough to give a city vibe and small enough that residents still feel a sense of community. In addition to Caltech, it is also home to many scientific, educational, and cultural institutions, including Pasadena City College, Fuller Theological Seminary, ArtCenter College of Design, the Pasadena Playhouse, the Ambassador Auditorium, the Norton Simon Museum, and the USC Pacific Asia Museum, with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in nearby La Cañada Flintridge.

The word Pasadena literally means “valley” in the Ojibwa (Chippewa) Indian language, but it has been interpreted to mean “Crown of the Valley” and “Key of the Valley,” hence the adoption of both the crown and the key in the official city seal.

The Tournament of Roses annual parade of flower covered floats has been held in Pasadena since January 1, 1890. It was patterned after a European festival of roses and was meant to show off Pasadena’s natural beauty and sunny climate. Today, the 5.5 mile Tournament of Roses parade has magnificent floral floats, marching bands, equestrian units and public officials. About 1,000,000 people come to Pasadena to watch the Tournament of Roses.

Leadership

Thomas F. Rosenbaum, President

Thomas F. Rosenbaum is the ninth president of the California Institute of Technology and Professor of Physics. He is an expert on the quantum mechanical nature of materials, conducting research at Bell Laboratories, IBM Watson Research Center, and the University of Chicago, where he served as Vice President for Research and for Argonne National Laboratory and then provost, before moving to Caltech in 2014. He received his bachelor’s degree in physics with honors from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in physics from Princeton University. He serves on the Board of Governors for Argonne National Laboratory, the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board, on the Society for Science & the Public’s Board of Trustees, as General Member of the Aspen Center for Physics, and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences Los Angeles Program Committee.

Global Facilities

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

  • Founded by Caltech in the 1930s and managed for NASA since 1958
  • Current missions include the InSight, Mars Science Laboratory, Juno, Jason 3, and NuSTAR
  • More than 100 research and mission collaborations with Caltech faculty

Caltech Seismological Laboratory

  • Internationally recognized for excellence in geophysical research
  • Provides research centers for seismic studies, high-performance computing, and mineral physics
  • Preeminent source for earthquake information in Southern California and around the world

International Observatory Network

  • M. Keck Observatory, Hawaii
  • Palomar Observatory, California
  • Caltech Submillimeter Observatory, Hawaii
  • Owens Valley Radio Observatory, California
  • Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), Washington and Louisiana
  • Chajnantor Observatory, Chile

 

The Student Body

2021-22 Academic Year

  • 987 undergraduate students
  • 1,410 graduate students
  • 99 percent placed in the top tenth of their high school graduating class

Class of 2025

  • 13,026 applicants
  • 270 members of the freshman class
  • 45 percent female / 55 percent male (self-identified)

Benefits Overview

Benefits Overview

Caltech benefits include, but are not limited to

  • Medical
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • Life Insurance
  • Retirement Programs
  • Flexible spending accounts
  • Personal Accident Insurance
  • Long Term Disability
  • Business travel accident benefit
  • Auto, home and pet insurance
  • Tuition reimbursement

For a detailed look at Caltech benefits, visit the website at https://hr.caltech.edu/documents/4444/2022_Summary_of_Caltech_Benefits.pdf

 

Application & Nomination

Application and Nomination

Caltech has retained the services of Spelman Johnson, a leading national executive search firm, to assist with leading this search. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. To apply for this position please click on the Apply button, complete the brief application process, and upload your resume and position-specific cover letter. Nominations for this position may be forwarded to Michel Frendian at mrf@spelmanjohnson.com. Applicants needing reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process should contact Spelman Johnson at 413-529-2895.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement
Caltech has implemented a mandatory vaccination policy effective October 15, 2021, requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for all employees (with Institute-approved exemptions for religious or medical contraindications only). At present, an individual is deemed “fully vaccinated” when that person has received, at least 14 days prior, either the second dose in a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine series (e.g., Pfizer or Moderna) or a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine (e.g., Johnson & Johnson). As a condition of employment, employees must submit official COVID-19 vaccine documentation. More information may be found here.

Visit the Caltech website at www.caltech.edu and the Caltech Campus Security website at https://security.caltech.edu/.

Caltech is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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