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Director of Communications - Division of Public Safety

Requisition Number:

65453

Location:

Boulder, Colorado

City

Boulder

State

Colorado

Employment Type:

University Staff

Schedule:

Full-Time

Posting Close Date:

06-Jul-2025

Date Posted:

23-Jun-2025
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Job Summary

Strategic Relations & Communications at CU Boulder encourages applications for a Director of Communications- Division of Public Safety (DPS) position! This vital role manages complex public safety-related communications and serves as the public information officer (PIO) for the Division of Public Safety, which includes the CU Boulder Police Department (CUPD). This position will create and maintain an overarching communications strategy in support of the Vice Chancellor (VC) for Public Safety to communicate safety initiatives for campus partners and the CU Boulder community. This is a safety-sensitive position, exercising a high degree of discretion, trust, and confidence.
This highly collaborative, dynamic position reports to the Director of Issues Management, Spokesperson, with a dotted line to the VC for Public Safety leads media spokesperson duties for Public Safety Division, focusing on crime prevention, investigations, emergency management, flight operations, and community safety. In this position, you will lead the management of the DPS and CUPD websites and all campus public safety social media channels. This position generates story ideas to proactively promote DPS internally and externally through multiple communication channels, including the CU Boulder Today newsletter and other internal platforms. 
The Director works formally as part of the Office of Strategic Relations and Communications (SRC) to ensure that DPS, including CUPD, and other university safety communications are in alignment with overall messaging and to take advantage of combined communication resources. This position is embedded within DPS, serves on the DPS leadership team, and collaborates regularly with DPS leadership, including the AVC for Public Safety Operations and the Chief of Police, and other campus leaders to develop public safety messaging, responses to media queries, and promotional content.
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

Strategic Relations and Communications merges critical communications, content strategy, constituent experience, and technology supporting CU Boulder’s mission.
The Division of Public Safety integrates the university’s robust public safety resources under one umbrella, strengthening existing partnerships, policies, and procedures. DPS houses the CU Boulder Police Department, Public Safety Operations, Security Services, Threat Assessment, and Finance and Administration.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

Develops and maintains overarching communications for the Department of Public Safety, including, but not limited to:
  • Developing a comprehensive annual public safety communications strategic plan in collaboration with the VC for Public Safety and Director of Issues Management. Tracks plan progress and provides regular updates to DPS and SRC leadership.
  • Leading communications strategies around major public safety initiatives and campaigns around campus in consultation with relevant campus partners.
  • Supporting DPS leadership in the education and promotion of the division within the university and externally by developing talking points, presentations and other communications.
  • Keeping the Director of Issues Management and VC for Public Safety informed of news interviews involving DPS personnel and of stories that may have an impact to DPS and the broader university.
  • Managing, monitoring and responding to inquiries on campus public safety social media channels. Leverages social media presence to promote DPS and build awareness of the division’s services and accomplishments.
  • Serving on relevant campus committees to provide guidance and strategic communications support to campus units around matters of public safety. Serves on key planning committees for major events and emergency response at the request of the Director of Issues Management and the VC for Public Safety, AVC for Public Safety Operations or designee.
  • Attending internal communications meetings to provide updates on proactive public safety messaging projects.
  • Engaging campus community members and other partners to develop integrated safety strategies that are consistent with university standards.
  • Staying abreast of critical or political issues related to public safety, providing public relations counsel to the VC for Public Safety, and DPS leadership. Provides updates to campus leadership at the direction of the Director of Issues Management.
  • Training division staff and other employees in media relations.
  • Leading the development and management of content for the DPS and CUPD websites, providing administrative oversight of their content development, structure and posting.
  • Managing internal and external DPS publications and communications, including CUPD publications, at the discretion of the VC for Public Safety. 
  • Submitting safety messaging and other relevant content to SRC for distribution through CU Boulder Today and other platforms.
Manages proactive communications for the Police Department, including, but not limited to:
  • In consultation with the Director of Issues Management and the Chief of Police or designee, setting the Police Department media relations standards and strategy. Develops and implements strategies aimed at enhancing community knowledge of, and compliance with, public safety programs.
  • Developing a comprehensive annual communications plan for CUPD. Tracks plan progress and provides regular updates to DPS, CUPD and SRC leadership.
  • Collaborating with SRC, DPS and CUPD for development of media plans and news media releases regarding major events on campus with law enforcement components, e.g., dignitary visits, Bolder Boulder, natural disasters, etc.
  • Capturing photographs and videos of department events, training, and other activities where police officers and other CUPD staff interact with the public to be used for internal and external marketing, the CUPD website and social media.
  • Overseeing the development and updating of the annual CUPD report and supporting the Clery Compliance Officer in updating the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.
  • Establishing and maintaining a visible and accessible public profile by attending public meetings as a representative of the police and through frequent contact with Boulder and Denver media representatives.
  • Manages media response and spokesperson duties related to public safety, including, but not limited to:
  • Coordinating with the Director of Issues Management, relevant leaders within DPS and other campus units on the development of media responses related to campus public safety issues. These include responses to student, local, national and international news media. 
  • Serving as the official spokesperson for CUPD in all criminal cases and public safety matters. Providing statements to and conducting interviews with broadcast and print media as appropriate.
  • Working with DPS leadership, police personnel and information systems to gather facts and determine what information can be released to the public. Coordinating effective communication during rapidly evolving situations that involve multiple agencies or departments. Writing and distributing news releases and making follow-up calls to the media to update information in collaboration with SRC and other area PIOs.
  • In coordination with the Director of Issues Management, responding to emergency scenes in a timely manner to facilitate media conferences, interviews and broadcast live shots for impactful life safety and police enforcement matters on an ongoing basis until the situation is resolved or media have left the scene.
  • Collaborating with the CUPD Records Division, CUPD Investigations Commander or designee, the Office of University Counsel and the Director of Issues Management on the production of records pursuant to the Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act or Colorado Open Records Act.
  • Assisting in writing talking points for public safety personnel and preparing public safety personnel for news conferences and interviews.
  • Developing emergency messaging for CU Emergency Alerts, CU Safety Alerts (Timely Warnings) and CU Advisories in coordination with police personnel, the Director of Issues Management and the Clery Compliance Officer. Manage media requests during an incident that requires the dissemination of a campus alert.
  • Serving on the on-call PIO rotation that requires timely responsiveness on holidays, nights and weekends, and designating an alternative spokesperson or information source when scheduled to be away from the division, or when another information source is the more appropriate contact.
  • Working preplanned signature events with DPS personnel to assist with messaging to support the event such as severe weather notifications, safety related issues, crowd management, traffic congestion, and other emergency functions. This will include having a working understanding of Incident Command Structures (ICS) and functions that occur in a command post or similar operation.
  • Participating in after-action meetings as necessary.
Collaborates with PIOs around the Denver metro region and builds on PIO skills:
  • Collaborates with PIOs from the Boulder Police Department, Boulder Fire
  • Department, Boulder County Sheriff's Office, Boulder County District Attorney's Office, Boulder County Office of Emergency Management, Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife, American Red Cross and other agencies when related messaging may involve these departments.

What You Should Know

  • This position works mainly on the CU Boulder campus with some hybrid possibilities and will be required to work some evenings, weekends, and events.
  • This position serves on the PIO weekend on-call rotation that requires timely responsiveness on holidays, nights and weekends as assigned.

What We Can Offer

  • The starting salary for this position is $85,000-$95,000.

Benefits

The University of Colorado offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO Pass. The University of Colorado Boulder is one of the largest employers in Boulder County and offers an inspiring higher education environment. Learn more about the University of Colorado Boulder.

Be Statements

Be ambitious. Be resourceful. Be Boulder.

What We Require

  • A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Journalism, Communications, Public Relations, Criminal Justice, or a related field. 
  • An equivalent combination of education and experience may substitute for the degree on a year-for-year basis.
  • 5+ years in a combination of news management for a media organization and/or institutional communications for a college, university, or public agency/entity, or equal experience working for a law enforcement agency as a public information officer
  • A valid Colorado driver's license or the ability to obtain a Colorado driver's license.

What You Will Need

  • Ability to present a calm and focused presence in print and broadcast interviews during stressful situations and to articulate complicated safety information in clear, careful, and common language.
  • Integrity and trust in dealing with confidential information, including the ability to use discretion with confidential information.
  • Highly effective oral and written communication skills, particularly when it comes to quickly synthesizing complex information and building consensus on public messages. 
  • Demonstrated history of collaborative, collegial, and cooperative working relationships with agency peers, agency leadership, professional peers, community constituencies, external agencies/entities, the media representatives, and the broader public.
  • Ability to respond to requests for information in a timely and customer-focused manner.
  • Experience using common office equipment, desktop computer hardware/software, and familiarity with common administrative/office support software applications, e.g., Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and Publisher.
  • Experience managing social media outlets/accounts in support of the employing agency's objectives.
  • Proficiency in writing and editing in Associated Press style.
  • Ability to work independently with minimal direction continually.
  • Willingness and flexibility to serve in an on-call rotation, to be the point person responding to emergency scenes on an as-needed basis, and to attend night and weekend events, as needed.

What We Would Like You to Have

  • A graduate degree from an accredited college or university in Journalism, Communications, Public Relations, Criminal Justice, or a related field.
  • 7+ years of work experience as a public information officer for a law enforcement agency or a public university, with experience in public safety as a significant part of the latter portfolio.
  • Experience working in a larger (20,000+ student population) university environment.
  • Experience conducting work pursuant to the federal Clery Compliance Act, Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act and Colorado Open Records Act.
  • Certification in Incident Command System (ICS) through ICS 400 and completion of the Public Information Officer (PIO) Program.
  • Fluency in Spanish.

Special Instructions

To apply, please submit the following materials: 
  1. A current resume. 
  2. 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 July 6, 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.

Posting Contact Information

Posting Contact Name: Boulder Campus Human Resources

Posting Contact Email: Recruiting@colorado.edu