Director of School Safety

KIPP Texas Public Schools • San Antonio, TX

5d • 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 design, 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 KIPP Texas’s primary safety liaison with local law enforcement, emergency management agencies, the Texas School Safety Center, school administrators, district leadership, and other partners. The role advises school and regional leaders on high-stakes safety protocols, turns legal requirements into operational guidance, and works across departments to embed safety in broader student wellness and supportive-school initiatives.

The position oversees emergency management planning, required audits and drills, incident reviews, safety technology platforms, security infrastructure standards, grant tracking, and third-party security contracts. It also develops staff and student training, builds the capacity of campus safety leads, monitors emerging legislation, and uses safety data to guide improvements and report progress to the Board. The role is hybrid, with reporting to the central office or schools three days per week and moderate travel to campuses, 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 the ability to translate regulatory requirements into policies, procedures, and training.
• Ability to design, build, and scale a comprehensive statewide safety and emergency management program.
• Ability to build and maintain productive relationships with law enforcement and emergency management agencies and other external stakeholders.
• Ability to lead through influence and drive safety accountability across school and regional teams.
• Ability to generate and interpret safety platform data, identify trends, assess risk, and develop actionable recommendations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex safety information to executive leaders, the Board, school teams, and external partners.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity, manage competing priorities, make sound decisions under pressure, and maintain emotional control under stress.
• Proactive, self-directed approach to monitoring emerging risks and acting with urgency.
• Reliable transportation for travel between campuses.
• 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.

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

• Design, implement, and continuously improve a comprehensive statewide school safety and emergency management program.
• Use safety data to identify trends, assess risk, demonstrate compliance, inform decisions, and recommend strategic improvements.
• 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 interactions with external officials, translating legal mandates into operational guidance.
• Design and facilitate appropriately leveled safety training for staff, students, and stakeholders.
• Coordinate with School Culture, Mental Health, MTSS, and Discipline teams to embed safety programming in the Safe and Supportive School Program and student wellness initiatives.
• Build and support a statewide network of school-based safety leads, including Assistant Principals of Operations, to extend audit coverage, lead campus safety committees, and foster a proactive safety culture.
• Monitor emerging legislation and regulations and proactively align the organization with state and federal requirements and safety frameworks.
• Partner with the KIPP Foundation, TEA, and TxSSC on safety best practices and emerging frameworks.
• Collaborate with Facilities and Capital Planning to establish security infrastructure standards for construction and renovation projects.
• Research, prioritize, and track safety grant funds.
• Fulfill statutory duties 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 (MHEOPs) in compliance with Texas requirements.
• Conduct annual campus safety audits, develop improvement plans, and track remediation across sites.
• Integrate Law Enforcement Officers into campus safety structures, including facilitating campus walkthroughs and participation in safety committees; coordinate LEO partnerships as assigned.
• Guide school-based teams on crisis response and consistent application and escalation of protocols.
• Monitor required emergency drills across campuses and ensure they are completed, documented, and auditable.
• Lead formal After-Action Reviews following significant incidents, major drill failures, or emergency events; identify root causes and track corrective actions to closure.
• Establish crisis communication protocols and partner with Communications/PR to ensure timely, accurate information for 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 mandated 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, configuration, site setup, and performance.
• Audit training effectiveness and implementation across campuses, and work with instructional leadership to adapt delivery for different staff roles.
• Directly manage the statewide safety team, setting performance expectations, coaching staff, and developing organizational expertise.
• Train and support school-based Assistant Principals of Operations as safety leads.
• Build and maintain partnerships with law enforcement, emergency management agencies, TxSSC, TEA, and other external stakeholders.
• Manage third-party security service and guard contracts; audit vendor quality, staffing, 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, LifeLock identity protection, life insurance, and disability insurance.

What This Job Offers

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