Director of Safety, Compliance & Safeguarding (North America)

BrightPath Early Learning & Child Care•Westlake, TX

3d•Remote

About The Position

Build your career in the early childhood education field and become a valued member of our team at BrightPath Kids! As a proud member of the Busy Bees global childcare community, we offer exceptional opportunities for your career to thrive. Join our diverse community of over 5,000 dedicated employees, and experience competitive pay and benefits, including a childcare discount. With our rapid growth, now is the perfect time to apply and shape an extraordinary future with us. Unleash your potential and join BrightPath! The Director of Safety, Compliance & Safeguarding North America is responsible for leading and advancing the organization’s safeguarding, child protection, regulatory compliance, health and safety, and risk management strategies across all North American operations. This role ensures the organization maintains the highest standards of child safety, operational compliance, ethical conduct, and regulatory accountability while fostering a culture centered on safety, wellbeing, professionalism, and continuous improvement. The Director partners closely with operational leaders, field teams, human resources, licensing agencies, legal counsel, and executive leadership to strengthen organizational practices, mitigate risk, oversee investigations, and ensure compliance with all applicable provincial, state, and federal requirements.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Education, Human Services, Social Work, Psychology, Business, Occupational Health & Safety, Risk Management, or related field required
Minimum 7–10 years of progressive leadership experience in safeguarding, compliance, safety, childcare operations, education, healthcare, or another regulated environment
Experience managing investigations, critical incidents, and regulatory matters required
Experience developing organizational policies, training programs, and compliance frameworks
Strong knowledge of: Child safeguarding and protection practices, Licensing and regulatory compliance, Workplace health and safety standards, Incident investigation methodologies, Risk management principles, Crisis management and emergency response, Documentation and reporting requirements
Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills
Strong judgment, discretion, and decision-making capabilities
Ability to manage highly sensitive and confidential matters professionally
Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills
Ability to work effectively in fast-paced, high-accountability environments
Ability to travel regularly throughout North America
Valid driver’s license and ability to travel between locations
Successful criminal record and vulnerable sector screening required
Ability to respond to urgent and critical incidents outside regular business hours when necessary

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree considered an asset
Minimum 3–5 years of multi-site leadership experience preferred
Experience within early childhood education, childcare, K–12 education, or child-serving organizations strongly preferred
Passion for child safety and high-quality early learning environments
High emotional intelligence and professional maturity
Strong ethical leadership and integrity
Ability to lead through complexity, change, and sensitive situations
Collaborative and solutions-oriented leadership style
Commitment to continuous improvement and operational excellence

Responsibilities

Lead the organization’s safeguarding and child protection strategy across all locations
Develop, implement, and maintain safeguarding policies, procedures, standards, and response protocols
Ensure consistent implementation of child protection practices and supervision standards
Lead and oversee serious incident reviews, safeguarding investigations, and corrective action planning
Monitor organizational safeguarding trends and identify proactive risk mitigation strategies
Partner with operations and HR teams to ensure timely escalation and resolution of concerns related to child safety and employee conduct
Ensure mandatory reporting obligations are met in accordance with jurisdictional requirements
Oversee compliance with childcare licensing regulations, accreditation standards, health regulations, and organizational policies across multiple jurisdictions throughout North America
Conduct compliance audits, operational reviews, and risk assessments to ensure adherence to regulatory and company standards
Develop and maintain compliance monitoring systems, reporting tools, and documentation practices
Support centers and field leadership during licensing visits, investigations, inspections, and corrective action processes
Maintain awareness of evolving legislation, regulatory requirements, and industry best practices
Lead enterprise-wide health and safety initiatives for schools, centers, offices, and operational environments
Develop and implement emergency preparedness, crisis response, and incident management protocols
Monitor workplace safety trends, injuries, incidents, and environmental risks
Partner with operational teams to strengthen safe practices, supervision, transportation safety, visitor management, and security protocols
Oversee organizational risk mitigation planning and continuous improvement initiatives
Lead or support investigations involving child safety concerns, policy violations, employee misconduct, workplace safety incidents, and regulatory
Ensure investigations are conducted professionally, objectively, confidentially, and in accordance with company policies and legal requirements
Prepare executive summaries, recommendations, corrective actions, and follow-up plans
Collaborate with legal counsel, HR, licensing agencies, and external authorities as required
Develop and oversee organization-wide training related to: Child safeguarding and protection, Health and safety practices, Compliance and licensing standards, Incident reporting and documentation, Professional conduct and ethical responsibilities, Emergency preparedness and crisis response
Support the development of a strong organizational culture focused on accountability, safety, transparency, and child wellbeing
Coach and support operational leaders in strengthening compliance and safeguarding practices
Serve as a strategic advisor to executive leadership regarding risk, compliance, safeguarding, and safety matters
Lead cross-functional initiatives and organizational improvement projects
Develop metrics, dashboards, and reporting mechanisms to monitor compliance and safeguarding performance
Support due diligence activities, acquisitions, integrations, and organizational growth initiatives related to safety and compliance
Participate in executive meetings, operational reviews, and crisis management activities as required