Chief of Police

Minimum Requirements:

Bachelor's degree in a related field and ten (10) years of relevant experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Grade 14 (Salaried).

Position Description:

The Chief of Police position manages all police operational areas under the Vice President of Operations/Chief of Staff including police services, emergency management, Clery compliance, security systems, fire safety, and 9-1-1 communications.

The Chief of Police provides strategic and operational leadership for the police department, ensuring professionalism, accountability, trust, and operational excellence. The position oversees all day-to-day law enforcement operations, including patrol, investigations, dispatch, training, emergency response, and community relations. Responsibilities include directing command staff, allocating personnel and resources, analyzing crime trends and operational data, managing departmental budgets and expenditures, responding to critical incidents, ensuring compliance with departmental procedures, and supporting organizational goals through effective planning, reporting, and leadership development.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead public safety operations, including Clery compliance, emergency management, access control, security systems, fire safety, and 9-1-1 communications.
• Provide strategic leadership and oversight for police operations, ensuring effective service delivery, risk management, and regulatory compliance.
• Direct day-to-day law enforcement activities, including patrol, investigations, dispatch, training, community relations, and emergency response.
• Analyze crime trends, operational data, and performance metrics to guide resource allocation, staffing, and operational improvements.
• Manage departmental budgets, expenditures, and long-range planning initiatives.
• Foster a culture of professionalism, accountability, fairness, and unbiased public safety services.
• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with students, faculty, staff, community members, university departments, and external law enforcement agencies.
• Oversee internal investigations, maintain public safety policies and procedures, and provide guidance on legal and crime-related matters.
• Develop and implement strategic communication, service, and operational plans that support university goals and stakeholder needs.
• Serve as a public-facing representative of the department, maintaining partnerships, memorandums of understanding (MOUs), and community engagement efforts.
• Participate in required training, support special projects, and perform other duties as assigned by university leadership.
• Serve on shared governance and other university committees.
• Special projects and other duties as assigned by the Vice President of Operations/Chief of Staff.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• BS/BA or MS in Criminal Justice or related field

Target Compensation Maximum:

$208,970.00

Target Compensation Minimum:

$139,313.00

Compensation will be commensurate to candidate experience.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of Louisville is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. The University strives to provide equal employment opportunity on the basis of merit and without unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, sex, age, color, national origin, ethnicity, creed, religion, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, veteran status, marital status, or pregnancy. In accordance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Vietnam Era Veteran Readjustment Act of 1974, the University prohibits job discrimination of individuals with disabilities, Vietnam era veterans, qualified special disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, and other protected veterans. The University acknowledges its obligations to ensure affirmative steps are taken to ensure equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants for employment. It is the policy of the University that no employee or applicant for employment be subject to unlawful discrimination in terms of recruitment, hiring, promotion, contract, contract renewal, tenure, compensation, benefits, and/or working conditions. No employee or applicant for employment is required to endorse or condemn a specific ideology, political viewpoint, or social viewpoint to be eligible for hiring, contract renewal, tenure, or promotion.

Consistent with applicable law, demographic information is collected for aggregate reporting requirements. Demographic information provided through this application is not available to hiring managers/committees and is not considered in hiring or employment decisions.

Assistance and Accommodations

Computers are available for application submission at the Human Resources Department located at 2315 South First Street Walk, Room 02C - Louisville, Kentucky 40292.

If you require assistance or accommodation with our online application process, please contact us by email at [email protected] or by phone 502-852-6258.