Sergeant – Special Events Assignment

About the Work Unit:

Vanderbilt University Public Safety (VUPS) is led by the Office of the Chief of Police in the Division of Administration. VUPS is a dedicated team of over 400 professionals united by a shared commitment to fostering a safe, secure, and welcoming environment for all in the Vanderbilt community, as well as the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Organized into several specialized units, our department includes commissioned officers, security professionals, and skilled administrative staff—all working collaboratively to uphold the highest standards of community-based policing.

Special Events Sergeant

• Reports to the Police Inspector or designee.

• Leads the planning and coordination of police and security services and structure for all VUPS special event requests.

• Serves as the immediate supervisor for the Special Events Administrative Specialist.

• Manage incoming event requests for security and traffic mitigation for the university, medical center, and University School of Nashville campuses.

• Meet and collaborate with stakeholders to develop and implement security and traffic plans that align with best practices.

• Assess staffing needs and coordinate scheduling via PowerDetails and third-party vendor requests.

• Oversee daily traffic mitigation operations for campus and medical center activities.

• Coordinate with vendors and government partners to obtain necessary resources, permits, or approvals.

• Act as liaison between third-party vendors and event coordinators.

• Monitor and evaluate third-party vendor performance to ensure compliance with safety and operational standards.

• Serve as Incident Commander or occupy other Incident Command System (ICS) roles during planned or unplanned events per ICS protocols, both in the field or within the Emergency Operations Center.

• Prepare and deliver briefings as needed for events, including large-scale ones such as Commencement and football games.

• Draft and update operational programming manuals.

• Oversee daily and monthly budget planning and tracking for special event operations and other shift operations.

• Oversee vendor payment and invoice processes managed by the Special Events Administrative Specialist to ensure accuracy, timeliness, and adherence to departmental standards.

• Maintain accurate event records and provide a weekly report to the Major of Auxiliary Services.

• Must be able to work weekends and evenings for special events as needed.

• Must have proficiency in Microsoft Teams, Excel, Microsoft Word, Outlook.

• Must be able to operate effectively in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple events simultaneously.

• Must be able to communicate promptly and courteously with internal and external parties to ensure security and traffic mitigation needs are met.

• Must assist with patrol duties as needed.

Supervisory Relationships:

This position does have supervisory responsibility over assigned administrative support staff and officers in the unit, and this position reports administratively and functionally to the Police Inspector or designee.

Education and Certifications:

• High School Education or G.E.D required.

• Must have and maintain a valid driver's license and a satisfactory driving record. 

  • Vanderbilt University engages a third party to provide up-to-date notifications regarding negative changes to motor vehicle records.

• Graduate of an accredited, approved Police Academy required.

• Certified police officer meeting all of the requirements for P.O.S.T. certification in Tennessee or be eligible for certification immediately upon hire required.

• Meet standards to receive a commission from the Metropolitan Police Department necessary.

Experience and Skills:

• Three (3) years of experience as a Police Officer is required.
• Prior law enforcement experience as a certified officer must be within the past five (5) years.

Physical Requirements

In addition to meeting P.O.S.T. requirements officers must be able to: 

• Stand for long periods.

• Walk, climb, and lift.

• Meet written departmental standards on appearance/grooming.

• Pass a thorough background investigation that demonstrates –

• Good moral character,

• Good driving record, and

• No prior criminal convictions that would prohibit the individual from meeting the standards set forth by the State of Tennessee to become a law enforcement officer.

• Pass a medical examination including vision screening and drug testing; must obtain immunizations and medical tests as required to be able to work in patient care and high-risk areas.

• Pass a Psychological Evaluation 

Working Requirements

• Required to work nights/weekends/holidays.

• Must be able to work in inclement weather or weather extremes.

• May be confined to a patrol car for an entire shift. 

• May be exposed to hazardous materials, infectious diseases, blood-borne pathogens, steam, car battery acid, loud noises, smoke, and fire.

• Required to be knowledgeable and able to correctly use a TB Mask and other precautionary equipment.