Director of Campus Safety

Job title: Director of Campus Safety

About the Role The Director of Campus Safety holds full authority over the College's safety and security functions, directing strategic direction, daily operations, and regulatory compliance. This role serves as the Incident Commander during emergencies, the primary liaison to local, state, and federal law enforcement and emergency services, and the senior advisor to College leadership on physical security, risk mitigation, and crisis response. Operating within the heart of New York City, this role requires deep familiarity with NYPD precinct coordination, FDNY protocols, and the unique security demands of an urban campus environment.

What You'll Do

• Direct enterprise-level emergency preparedness, continuity planning, and disaster readiness efforts, including developing and testing lockdown and shelter-in-place protocols.
• Act as Incident Commander during emergencies and crises; manage the campus mass-notification and emergency alert system.
• Conduct risk and threat assessments across the College, identifying physical, chemical, environmental, and cyber-related vulnerabilities, and lead development of mitigation strategies.
• Actively participate in a Behavioral Intervention/CARE Team, coordinating with counseling and health services on at-risk students or employees.
• Maintain a documented workplace violence prevention plan consistent with NY State requirements; develop protocols for managing campus protests, demonstrations, and other high-visibility public assemblies.
• Coordinate with the Offices of General Counsel and Student Affairs on federal Clery Act reporting and ensure timely, accurate disclosures.
• Ensure compliance with Title IX (particularly where security investigations intersect with Title IX matters), the NY Enough is Enough Act, ADA/Section 504 accessibility in emergency evacuation planning, FERPA in handling investigative records, and OSHA workplace safety standards.
• Conduct regular security audits and risk assessments to confirm regulatory compliance and identify vulnerabilities; maintain awareness of evolving federal, state, and local safety regulations and adjust departmental policy accordingly.
• Provide strategic guidance and expert counsel to senior College leadership on public safety priorities, emerging risks, and resource needs; lead execution of the College's Public Safety Strategic Plan.
• Serve as the primary liaison with NYPD precincts, FDNY, NYC Office of Emergency Management, and other local agencies; maintain relationships with Federal and State Homeland Security, the FBI, or other agencies as appropriate.
• Where applicable, oversee administration and compliance reporting for any relevant grants.
• Manage and oversee the selection, training, and performance of any outsourced/contracted security firm and its guard staff; supervise maintenance of CCTV, access control, radio systems, and other security technology infrastructure; lead RFPs for new security technology.
• Oversee certification and training requirements for all appointed private college security officers; coordinate with IT on physical-cyber security convergence and insider threat considerations; coordinate with the Facilities Department and with Residence Life as applicable.
• Personally interview complainants and lead investigations into stolen property, criminal activity, and other security incidents; conduct root cause analyses and develop corrective action plans to minimize recurrence.
• Develop professional analyses and statistical reporting on security operations to inform continuous improvement; support the institution's Title IX Coordinator and Title VI Coordinator where security response, bias incidents, or discrimination complaints intersect with institutional Title IX and Title VI obligations.
• Partner with Residential Life and Facilities to coordinate fire safety standard notifications for all college-owned or college-operated housing.
• Cultivate relationships with campus community members, partner organizations, and external stakeholders; develop and deliver College-wide security awareness programs and training for employees, staff, and students.
• Communicate public safety goals, policies, and emergency protocols across the College; serve as spokesperson during emergencies, providing timely and accurate communication to leadership.
• Partner and coordinate with Human Resources and Risk Management on workers' compensation reporting and follow-up; coordinate with Student Affairs to ensure bias-related, hate crime prevention, and Title IX/129-B programming is delivered to students each semester.
• Health, Safety & Laboratory Compliance: Ensure institution-wide compliance with applicable OSHA general industry standards across all non-academic operations, focusing on Hazard Communication and Bloodborne Pathogens; maintain OSHA-required injury and illness recordkeeping.
• Conduct or commission periodic workplace safety audits across campus facilities and ensure corrective action plans are tracked to completion; maintain the campus security advisory committee required under NY Education Law Article 129-A; ensure annual crime statistics reporting and certification filings to NYSED by the July 1 deadline.
• Oversee and execute the annual aggregate data reporting obligation to NYSED under Article 129-B ("Enough is Enough"), ensuring submission by the October 1 deadline; coordinate with academic deans responsible for chemical inventory management, hazardous waste disposal, and lab-specific training to ensure compliance with chemical safety and related regulatory requirements.

What We're Looking For

• Proven leadership of campus safety or equivalent safety operations within an urban university setting; strong incident command experience.
• Deep knowledge of regulatory requirements including the Clery Act, Title IX, ADA/Section 504, FERPA, and OSHA; ability to translate requirements into actionable programs.
• Excellent strategic thinking, risk assessment, and interagency relationship-building skills; ability to communicate clearly with senior leadership and external partners.
• Demonstrated ability to manage security technologies, vendor relationships, and training programs; experience coordinating with IT, Facilities, Residence Life, HR, and Risk Management.
• Strong investigative capability with experience interviewing complainants and conducting security investigations; ability to analyze root causes and implement corrective actions.
• Superior written and spoken communication skills; capable of serving as a spokesperson during emergencies and delivering campus-wide safety education.
• Commitment to campus safety in an urban environment, with sensitivity to bias-related incidents and inclusive, compliant risk mitigation.
• Familiarity with the NYPD/FDNY and other local agencies; experience in federal and state grant reporting is a plus.
• Ability to navigate complex regulatory changes and adjust policies accordingly; comfortable working with General Counsel, Student Affairs, and other stakeholders.