Director of School Safety

KIPP Texas Public Schools • Houston, TX

5d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, 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 acts as KIPP Texas’s primary safety liaison with local law enforcement, city and county emergency management agencies, the Texas School Safety Center, school administrators, district leadership, and other partners. The position provides strategic guidance, oversees statutory compliance and emergency preparedness, manages safety technology and third-party security services, and develops the capabilities of campus safety leads across the network.

The position is hybrid, with reports to the central office or schools three days per week. It requires regular travel to school sites, regional offices, and other locations, with moderate travel that may increase at certain times of year. Reliable transportation is needed for travel between campuses.

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 ability to design and implement 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.
• Alignment with KIPP Texas’s mission and commitment to safe learning environments for every student and staff member.
• Ability to design, build, and scale a comprehensive statewide safety and emergency management program from inception through sustained operation.
• Deep knowledge of Texas school safety legislation, including SB11 and HB 496, and ability to translate regulatory requirements into policies, procedures, and training.
• Ability to build and maintain productive relationships with law enforcement, emergency management agencies, and other external stakeholders.
• Ability to lead through influence and promote safety accountability across school and regional teams.
• Strong facilitation and adult-learning skills for diverse audiences across a geographically dispersed organization.
• Ability to interpret safety platform data, identify trends and risk, and develop actionable improvement recommendations.
• Clear, professional written and verbal communication skills for 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.
• Ability to move about inside and outside schools throughout the workday and attend conferences, meetings, and training sessions virtually and in person within the region.
• Reliable transportation for travel between campuses.
• Ability to maintain emotional control under stress and work with frequent interruptions.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree in a relevant field.
• 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

• Own the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of a comprehensive statewide school safety program, integrating it across organizational operations.
• Use safety data to produce actionable analysis, guide safety improvements, demonstrate compliance, and inform 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 appropriately leveled safety training for staff, students, and stakeholders; evaluate training effectiveness and adjust delivery with instructional leadership.
• Integrate safety programming with School Culture, Mental Health, MTSS, and Discipline departments and broader student wellness initiatives.
• Develop a statewide network of school-based safety leads and build their capacity to conduct audits, lead campus safety committees, and support a unified safety culture.
• Monitor emerging legislation and regulations, anticipate requirements, and work with the KIPP Foundation, TEA, and TxSSC to align the program with state and national best practices.
• Collaborate with Facilities and Capital Planning on security infrastructure standards for new construction and renovation, including safety-by-design requirements.
• Research, prioritize, and track safety grant funds.
• Fulfill statutory responsibilities as District Safety Officer and Emergency Management Coordinator, 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, develop improvement plans, and track remediation.
• Integrate law enforcement officers into campus safety structures, including arranging walkthroughs and participation in campus safety committees; coordinate LEO partnerships as assigned.
• Guide school-based teams on crisis response and ensure consistent protocols and escalation across campuses.
• Monitor emergency drill completion, documentation, and compliance across campuses.
• Lead After-Action Reviews following significant incidents, 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 Audits, vulnerability assessments, and other required audits.
• Participate in city-level weather and emergency management coordination calls and share relevant information and actions with district leaders.
• Manage statewide safety technology platforms, including Sentinel, Silent Panic Alert Technology, and visitor management systems; oversee accounts, configurations, site setup, and platform performance.
• Generate auditable analysis from safety platform data to support safety improvements, compliance, and strategic decisions.
• 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 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 service-level agreements.

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.
• Employee-paid LifeLock identity protection.
• Employee-paid life insurance.
• Employee-paid disability insurance.

What This Job Offers

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