Job details

Police Commander

Position Number: 6657625
Location: Boulder, CO
Position Type: Campus Safety and Police

Police Commander

Requisition Number: 68052
Location: Boulder Colorado
Employment Type: University Staff
Schedule: Full Time
Posting Close Date: 26-Oct-2025
Date Posted:

Job Summary

The Police Commander position is responsible for administrative, operational, and fiscal oversight of a broad range of police and safety related services to the University of Colorado Boulder. Additionally, this position is responsible for advising and reviewing the work of commissioned and non-commissioned personnel performing law enforcement and support activities within the Police Department. This could include areas such as the Residential Services Unit, Patrol, the Professional Standards & Training Division, and the Investigations Division, and areas of responsibility could be assigned on rotation.

The CU Boulder Police Department (CUPD) is part of the Division of Public Safety (DPS), which seeks to facilitate and coordinate a culture that supports the Boulder campus' commitment to maintain the highest level of ethics, integrity, and safety in the conduct of its operations.
CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

The members of the University of Colorado Boulder Police Department (CUPD) are dedicated to providing the highest quality police services in order to improve community safety, protect life and property, and reduce crime and the fear of crime. To do this, we pledge to develop a partnership with the community, to lead a community dedication to resolve problems, and to improve the quality of life for all CU affiliates through fair and impartial, transparent, and consistent policing. . The CUPD is a full-service police agency with 46 sworn and 36 non-sworn employees providing community-based public safety services to a diverse community of 36,000 affiliates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year long. Every year the department responds to approximately 20,000 calls for service and ensures the safety and security for all of their BIG-12 Conference athletic events with attendance at football games exceeding 50,000 fans. Patrolling the campus by foot, bicycle, motorcycle, and vehicle, the CU Boulder Police work diligently with the University community and surrounding agencies to ensure a timely and coordinated law enforcement response.

Learn more about our community: CU Student Involvement in CUPD Recruitment, Collaboration with the Campus Community, and our recent national accreditation.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

Management and Leadership Supervision

Responsible for the development of strategies and plans to improve work process efficiencies for the assigned divisions and units.
Gives timely direction to staff; shares performance expectations and goals with subordinates to ensure understanding of priorities and philosophies in support of goal completion. Provides oversight of employee performance and policy compliance to ensure positive commendation and discipline is maintained.
Appropriately delegates authority and responsibility and develops strategic goals and visions.
Evaluates the performance of assigned staff and initiates measures to promote accountability and corrective action, in partnership with supervisors and Human Resources; coaches and mentors personnel to ensure staff retention and staff wellness; investigates citizen complaints, department-generated inquiries, or similar strategies designed to appropriately manage the conduct of officers and members of the department.
Monitors budgetary expenses, and assists in the preparation of department budgets.
Assists in criminal investigations, as needed.

Unit Oversight and Direction:

Supervises Lieutenants, Sergeants, Officers, and other Police Supervisors by advising the daily work efforts of the individuals assigned to the unit.
Responsible for the quality of work products and reporting completed by unit personnel.
Represents their assigned division at the department level, with other criminal justice agencies and in the community, including press releases and grant project opportunities.
May provide leadership to one or more units of police responsibility, including:

Patrol Unit

Responsible for oversight of Patrol units working variable shifts.
Provides effective leadership and direction for community service oriented police operations and programs; ensures that the progress towards use of critical initiatives in support of overarching goals.
Maintains situational awareness of efforts undertaken at the line level for potential service adjustments to meet the needs of the community and/or crime suppression, investigations and safety programs.
Responds to large-scale incidents or events and assists with complex investigations as needed.
May be assigned to work in the absence of a sergeant as the on-duty supervisor in a uniformed capacity, as needed. May work as the Night Watch Commander, including weekends, depending on rotational assignment.

Investigations Division

Supervise criminal and administrative investigations into alleged violations of law that occur within its statutory jurisdiction.
Coordinate with university, state, county, and municipal resources for appropriate service delivery including victim assistance.
In collaboration with other local and state agencies, functions as a member of the county critical investigations team, including conducting investigations in other areas beyond the University community, when the need arises.
Partners with the City of Boulder Police Department, Boulder County Sheriff's Office, the Boulder County District Attorney's Office, and various other state and federal agencies.

Residential Services Unit (RSO)

Responsible for oversight of the RSO Unit to ensure safety and operations related to the community and delivery of safety focused and community focused engagement.
Provides oversight for partial-commissioned officers that enforce underage alcohol and marijuana enforcement along with code enforcement within the variety of housing communities servicing a residential population of approximately ten thousand community members.

Professional Standards and Training Division

Manages the Professional Standards and Training Division, which conducts internal and administrative investigations, performance audits, department accreditation, and pre-employment background processes for new hiring.
Additionally, has oversight for the CUPD Training Center and ensures all employees are properly trained to meet and exceed required standards of the CU community. Identifies training needs in the department and assesses efficacy of current programs.

University Safety and Emergency Management Response, Planning, Training, and Communications

Collaborates with university officials, police department personnel and members of the campus and broader community for the development and implementation of:
Programs, policies and procedures promoting campus safety.
Plans and actions for providing security and safety of events held at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Plans and actions providing for police support of emergency and disaster preparedness strategies.
Assessment of, and planning responses to, threats directed at the community.
Manages federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to support the campus community's safety/security, and investigates criminal occurrences affecting CU and the community.
Establishes a unified command to address emergencies arising from unplanned and planned incidents within the community.
Responds to emergency situations by collecting information, evaluates for Clery Act and CU notification criteria, composes Emergency Warning notifications, and initiates those communications via the specified computer system when required.

Other Duties

Stays apprised and current on relevant University and State of Colorado policies and procedures.
Participates in professional development activities and serves on DPS or campus committees as applicable.

What You Should Know

The incumbent will work a variety of business and non-business hours, various days of the week, including weekends, nights, and holidays depending upon assignment. On-Call command duty assignments are typically for a seven (7) day period and may include several weeks per month, as needed. At a minimum, six (6) home football games and at a minimum four (4) concerts or other significant uniformed events are assigned per year.
This position is designated as Essential Services and as a Campus Security Authority.

What We Can Offer

Starting salary range is $150,000 - $165,000.

Benefits

At the University of Colorado Boulder, we are committed to supporting the holistic health and well-being of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition assistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for local transit. As one of Boulder County's largest employers, CU Boulder offers an inspiring academic community and access to world-class outdoor recreation. Explore additional perks and programs through the CU Advantage program.

Be Statements

Be brilliant. Be successful. Be Boulder.

What We Require

Education and Experience:

Bachelor's degree (equivalent law enforcement experience may substitute for the required education on a year-for-year basis).Positions at this level typically require at least 4+ years of job related experience, including lead or supervision experience.
One year of experience at the Colorado POST-certified Lieutenant level or higher, including experience supervising subordinate peace officers in patrol.

Special Requirements:

Must maintain a physical condition that allows successful completion of required job performance testing and sustain CO POST Certification.
Internal applicants must pass a promotional background check.

What You Will Need

Exceptional interpersonal and leadership skills in dealing with subordinates, supervisors and the general public.
Knowledge of the methods and practices of university law enforcement, including knowledge of criminal laws, rules of evidence and community policing principles.
Knowledge of Clery Act, FERPA, applicable sections of title VII, IX, and other federal rules and regulations and how they relate to the operations of a university police department.
Knowledge and experience of supervisory techniques, management principles, and police organizational leadership.
Knowledge of physical security technology.
Ability to develop, implement, and assess goals and departmental objectives and to communicate through written policies and procedures.
Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment and exhibit leadership in sensitive and emergency situations and making critical decisions.
Ability to develop, implement, and assess goals and departmental objectives and to communicate through written policies and procedures.
Ability to plan, direct, and evaluate the work of subordinate police officers.
Ability to think and act quickly and calmly in emergencies.
Ability to pass the police job performance test.
Ability to work a flexible schedule that includes working regular shifts or events on days, evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays, as assigned.

Special Instructions

To apply, please submit the following materials:

A current resume.
A cover letter that specifically tells us how your background and experience align with the requirements, qualifications, and responsibilities of the position.

We may request references at a later time.

Please apply by October 26, 2025, for consideration.

Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, please apply through CU Boulder Jobs.

In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.

To apply, visit https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail/Police-Commander/68052