Director of Campus Safety

JOB STATUS: Full-time, calendar year

REPORTS TO: Director of Facilities Services

Position Summary:

Miss Porter’s School seeks a dedicated, proactive, and collaborative Director of Campus Safety to lead daily campus safety operations and help maintain a safe, secure, and welcoming environment for students, faculty, staff, families, and visitors.

Reporting to the Director of Facilities Services, the Director of Campus Safety provides leadership and oversight of the Campus Safety Team, coordinates staffing and training, oversees campus security systems, and supports emergency preparedness and fire and life safety compliance. This position works closely with school administrators, campus departments, and local emergency responders to promote a culture of safety, preparedness, and care within a dynamic residential school community.

Key Responsibilities

• Supervise and support the Campus Safety Team, coordinate schedules and shift coverage, conduct performance evaluations, and promote professional standards and accountability.

• Maintain a visible, approachable presence as a resource for the school community, including performing Campus Safety Officer responsibilities as required.

• Participate in recruiting and hiring Campus Safety staff; train, supervise and evaluate staff and foster a supportive, accountable work environment that promotes professional growth and success.

• Monitor alarms and safety concerns, coordinate incident response, support investigations, review incident reports, and plan and conduct emergency drills and preparedness exercises.

• Oversee keycard access, permissions, video surveillance, alarm monitoring, and related security technologies while maintaining accurate records and protecting confidential information.

• Coordinate required departmental training. Lead safety discussions, deliver presentations and provide instruction to students and employees as needed.

• Develop and implement campus safety policies, establish departmental goals and priorities, and stay informed about emerging and evolving security practices and opportunities to improve campus safety.

• Maintain relationships with local police, fire, and emergency medical services; collaborate with school departments; and lead the school’s Safety Committee.

• Assist with departmental budgets, equipment and inventory management, operational planning, fire and life safety compliance, and campus security improvements.

• Participate in a rotating on-call schedule to provide supervisory support and respond to campus safety concerns outside regular working hours.

Required Qualifications

• Valid Connecticut Security Officer License (Guard Card), maintained in good standing as required for the position.

• Valid driver’s license and satisfactory driving record.

• Current First Aid, CPR, and AED certifications.

• Degree in criminal justice, law enforcement, emergency management, public safety, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.

• Demonstrated supervisory or team leadership experience, preferably in campus safety, security, law enforcement, or public safety.

• Strong written and verbal communication, organizational, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills.

• Ability to exercise sound judgment, respond calmly in emergencies, manage competing priorities, and maintain confidentiality.

• Commitment to teamwork, accountability, continuous improvement, and a student-centered, service-oriented approach to safety.

• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, special events, and rotating on-call assignments as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in an independent school, boarding school, college, university, or other residential educational setting.

• Experience supervising campus safety, security, law enforcement, emergency services, or public safety personnel.

• Experience coordinating emergency drills, preparedness training, and fire and life safety compliance.

• Familiarity with electronic access control, CCTV, video management systems, alarm monitoring, incident reporting, and digital evidence handling.

• Experience with staff scheduling, performance management, and departmental operations.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to walk extensively throughout campus, including indoors and outdoors, in varying weather conditions.

• Ability to stand for extended periods, climb multiple flights of stairs, and navigate campus buildings and grounds.

• Ability to move quickly or run when responding to emergencies or urgent safety situations.

• Ability to bend, stoop, reach, and perform other physical movements necessary to carry out campus safety responsibilities.

• Ability to work in a variety of environments, including outdoors, during evening and weekend hours, and during emergencies or adverse weather conditions.

• Ability to respond promptly to alarms, incidents, and other urgent campus safety needs, including outside regular business hours.

The physical requirements described above reflect the general demands of the position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

About the Role

The ideal candidate is an approachable and dependable leader who demonstrates professionalism, discretion, and sound judgment. This individual will play an important role in supporting the well-being of the school community through effective leadership, proactive risk management, strong collaboration, and a commitment to maintaining a safe and welcoming campus.

The essential responsibilities and basic skills have been included. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all functions, responsibilities, skills, and abilities. Additional functions and requirements may be assigned by supervisors as deemed appropriate.