Safety / Security Position Director of Safety and Security

Job Description:

WORK YEAR: 10-month position (mid-August through mid-June)

START DATE: Mid-August

SALARY: $85,000, excellent benefits package

POSITION OVERVIEW: Newtown Public Schools seeks an experienced, collaborative, and highly responsive safety leader to direct a comprehensive districtwide school safety and security program. The Director will oversee security personnel and lead prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery efforts across seven schools, as well as district offices. The successful candidate will combine strong operational judgment with an understanding that effective school safety must also support a welcoming educational environment. The successful candidate will also be visible in schools, responsive to administrators and staff, comfortable addressing gaps directly, and committed to learning from incidents and exercises.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Advise the Superintendent and school/district leadership on school safety, security, emergency management, and risk-reduction priorities.
• Supervise, schedule, train, support, and evaluate district armed and unarmed security personnel; establish consistent expectations and accountability across all schools.
• Develop, maintain, and annually update district and school-specific all-hazards safety and security plans in alignment with Connecticut requirements and current professional standards.
• Coordinate required drills, tabletop exercises, emergency training, and security and vulnerability assessments; lead after-action reviews and ensure corrective actions are completed.
• Work in close partnership with the Superintendent, Newtown Police, fire services, EMS, emergency management, public health, and appropriate state agencies to coordinate planning and operations while supporting the Superintendents direct relationships with public-safety leadership.
• Lead the District Safety and Security Committee and support school-level security and safety committees.
• Coordinate a multidisciplinary behavioral threat assessment and management process, including clear procedures for reporting, evaluating, managing, documenting, and monitoring safety concerns.
• Conduct regular school visits and security walkthroughs; work closely with principals to identify needs, strengthen practices, and ensure districtwide consistency.
• Oversee physical-security systems and equipment, including access control, visitor management, video surveillance, alarms, radios, keys, credentials, and related maintenance and training.
• Develop security and emergency plans for major events, athletics, performances, and community use of school facilities.
• Manage the safety and security budget, grants, equipment, records, compliance calendar, and required state submissions.
• Respond to significant incidents, support incident command, communicate promptly with district leadership, and help guide recovery and improvement efforts.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelors degree in emergency management, public safety, criminal justice, education, or a related field; an equivalent combination of education and highly relevant experience may be considered.
• Substantial progressively responsible experience in school safety, emergency management, law enforcement, public safety, or a closely related field, including personnel supervision.
• Demonstrated knowledge of K-12 operations, all-hazards emergency planning, NIMS/ICS, behavioral threat assessment and management, physical security, and the legal and ethical considerations of working in schools.
• Strong leadership, communication, training, investigative, organizational, and crisis-management skills.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, exercise sound judgment under pressure, follow through consistently, and build trust with students, staff, families, administrators, and public-safety partners.
• FEMA IS-100, IS-200, IS-700, and IS-800 completion, or willingness to complete these courses within a district-established period after appointment.
• Valid drivers license and ability to satisfy all legally required school-employment background checks.
• Any license, credential, or statutory qualification required for duties assigned to the position must be obtained and continuously maintained.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Advanced degree or recognized certification in emergency management, school safety, threat assessment, or physical security.
• Experience leading safety and security in a public-school district or similarly complex youth-serving organization.
• Experience with exercise design, emergency communications, security technology, capital planning, grants, and budget management.

APPLICATION: Please apply on line through the following link:

https://www.applitrack.com/newtown/onlineapp