Director of School Safety

KIPP Texas Public Schools • Austin, TX

6d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of School Safety reports to the Managing Director of School Operations Support & Safety and serves as KIPP Texas’s designated District Safety Officer and Emergency Management Coordinator. The role leads the creation, implementation, and continuous improvement of a comprehensive statewide school safety and emergency management program, incorporating Texas legislative mandates, industry best practices, and proactive risk mitigation to support safe physical and virtual learning environments for students and staff.

The Director leads Board, district, and city safety committees; manages the statewide safety team; and serves as the organization’s primary safety liaison with law enforcement, city and county emergency management agencies, the Texas School Safety Center, school administrators, district leadership, and other partners. The position oversees emergency planning, compliance, audits, drills, safety technology, training, safety data and reporting, external security services, and development of campus safety leadership. The role is hybrid, with reporting to the central office or schools three days a week and moderate travel to school sites, regional offices, and external locations.

Requirements

• At least five years of progressive leadership experience in school safety, emergency management, law enforcement, or a closely related field.
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.
• Demonstrated experience designing and implementing complex safety or emergency management programs across multiple concurrent priorities in a large, multi-site organization.
• Demonstrated experience in adult learning, facilitation, and safety training delivery.
• Knowledge of Texas school safety legislation, including SB11 and HB 496, and ability to translate regulatory requirements into policies, procedures, and training.
• Ability to design, build, and scale a comprehensive statewide safety and emergency management program.
• Strong law enforcement and emergency management partnership skills.
• Ability to lead through influence and drive safety accountability across school and regional teams.
• Ability to interpret safety platform data, identify trends, assess risk, and develop actionable recommendations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for presenting complex information to executive leadership, the Board, school teams, and external partners.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity, manage competing priorities, and make sound decisions under pressure.
• Proactive, self-directed approach to monitoring emerging risks and addressing them with urgency.
• Commitment to KIPP Texas’s mission and safe learning environments for every student and staff member.
• Reliable transportation for travel between campuses.
• Ability to maintain emotional control under stress and work with frequent interruptions.
• Ability to move about inside and outside a school throughout the workday and attend conferences, meetings, and training sessions virtually and in person within the region.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree.
• At least three years of experience supporting K-12 school systems and demonstrated understanding of safety functions, processes, and challenges in school environments.
• Previous law enforcement or emergency management experience.
• FEMA Incident Command System (ICS) certification; additional FEMA emergency management certifications are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and continuously improve a comprehensive statewide school safety program, integrating it across organizational operations.
• Use safety data to identify trends, inform strategic improvements, demonstrate compliance, and advise Operations and Board leadership.
• Partner with threat assessment and student culture teams to identify trends, potential threats, and reporting needs.
• Prepare and deliver quarterly safety dashboard reports to the Board of Directors, including audit findings, corrective action progress, drill compliance, and resource allocation.
• Advise school and regional leaders on high-stakes safety protocols and external-official interactions, translating legal mandates into operational guidance.
• Design and facilitate safety training for staff, students, and stakeholders, and assess training effectiveness and implementation across campuses.
• Coordinate with School Culture, Mental Health, MTSS, and Discipline departments to embed safety programming in the Safe and Supportive School Program and student wellness initiatives.
• Develop a statewide network of school-based safety leads and build their capacity to extend audit coverage, lead campus safety committees, and support a proactive safety culture.
• Monitor emerging legislation and regulations and work with the KIPP Foundation, TEA, and TxSSC to align the program with state and national practices.
• Collaborate with Facilities and Capital Planning on security infrastructure standards for new construction and renovation projects.
• Research, prioritize, and track safety grant funds.
• Fulfill statutory District Safety Officer and Emergency Management Coordinator responsibilities, including law enforcement liaison functions, TEA reporting, and compliance with SB11 and HB 496.
• Develop and maintain district and campus Multi-Hazard Emergency Operating Plans; conduct annual campus safety audits, create improvement plans, and track remediation.
• Integrate law enforcement officers into campus safety structures, including arranging campus walkthroughs and participation in safety committees; coordinate law enforcement partnerships as assigned.
• Guide school-based teams on crisis response and appropriate escalation; monitor completion, documentation, and auditability of required emergency drills.
• Lead After-Action Reviews following significant incidents, major drill failures, or emergencies; identify root causes and track corrective actions to completion.
• Establish crisis communication protocols and partner with Communications/PR to provide timely, accurate information to families, staff, and external stakeholders.
• Lead the design and completion of the TEA three-year safety audit process and prepare schools for intruder detection, vulnerability, and other mandated audits.
• Participate in city-level weather and emergency management coordination calls and share relevant information and actions with district leaders.
• Manage Sentinel, Silent Panic Alert Technology, visitor management, and other statewide safety technology platforms, including accounts, configurations, site setup, and performance.
• Generate actionable and auditable analysis from safety platform data to guide improvement decisions, demonstrate compliance, and inform strategic priorities.
• Directly manage the statewide safety team, set performance expectations, coach team members, and build organizational safety expertise.
• Train and support school-based Assistant Principals of Operations serving as safety leads.
• Build and sustain partnerships with law enforcement, emergency management agencies, TxSSC, TEA, and other external stakeholders.
• Manage third-party security service and guard contracts and operations; audit vendor quality, staffing consistency, conduct, and compliance with KIPP Texas standards and SLAs.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans with coverage options for employees and their families.
• Competitive vacation and flexible paid time off (PTO) policies.
• Paid family leave.
• Flexible spending account or high-yield HSA.
• Employee assistance programs.
• Employee-paid legal plans, LifeLock identity protection, life insurance, and disability insurance.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director