Safety and Operations Coordinator

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts•Philadelphia, PA

About The Position

The Safety and Operations Coordinator provides day-to-day administrative and operational support for PAFA’s safety, security, and operational functions. Reporting to the Chief Operations Officer (COO), the position helps maintain a safe, secure, and well-organized environment for employees, students, visitors, collections, facilities, and institutional activities. It coordinates routine activities involving security coverage, housekeeping services, event support, access control, vendors, and incident documentation, and serves as a day-to-day communication link between the COO, PAFA departments, contracted service providers, and vendors.

Requirements

Minimum of 2–4 years of relevant experience in security, operations, facilities support, event operations, or a related field.
General knowledge of security operations, access control, emergency procedures, incident reporting, event support, or facilities operations.
Ability to follow established policies and procedures, manage routine operational responsibilities, prioritize assignments, and recognize when an issue requires management attention.
Ability to exercise sound judgment and remain composed in urgent or challenging situations.
Strong communication, organizational, customer-service, and interpersonal skills.
Ability to work collaboratively with employees, contractors, vendors, visitors, students, and external partners.
Proficiency with standard office software and ability to learn access control, incident reporting, scheduling, and other operational systems used by PAFA.
Availability for schedule adjustments, including evening and weekend assignments, based on event schedules, security coverage requirements, and operational needs; occasional after-hours operational or emergency assistance may be requested.
Ability to move throughout PAFA’s campus and historic facilities and respond promptly to operational and security situations.
Ability to undertake periods of standing and walking and move between buildings, galleries, offices, and event spaces.

Nice To Haves

Associate degree or relevant post-secondary education; an equivalent combination of education, training, and relevant experience will be considered.
Experience within a museum, higher education, cultural, or other public-facing institutional environment.
Experience working with contractors, vendors, or third-party service providers.

Responsibilities

Coordinate daily security staffing and coverage according to established schedules, protocols, and procedures, and notify the COO of coverage issues or significant concerns.
Serve as a day-to-day contact for contracted security and housekeeping providers, communicate service expectations, identify service issues, and refer performance concerns to the COO.
Conduct routine walkthroughs of PAFA spaces to identify security, access control, housekeeping, life-safety, and operational concerns, and report issues to the appropriate department or the COO.
Assist with incident and emergency response in accordance with established procedures, including documentation, notification, communication, and follow-up.
Respond to security, building, life-safety, and other emergencies according to established procedures; contact emergency personnel when necessary and promptly notify the COO or other designated leadership.
Coordinate access for police, fire, emergency responders, contractors, vendors, and other authorized personnel when necessary.
Coordinate routine administration of access control systems, keys, identification cards, visitor sign-in procedures, and other established security programs.
Coordinate with Visitor Experience, Museum and Events, Facilities, and other departments on security and operational coverage for exhibitions, programs, facility rentals, special events, and other institutional activities.
Assist with setup, support, and breakdown of internal and external events, including room configurations, furniture and equipment placement, vendor access, security coverage, housekeeping services, and restoration of spaces.
Provide on-site operational support during assigned events and escalate significant concerns to the COO or other designated staff.
Assist with maintaining security, emergency, and operational procedures, records, forms, and related documentation.
Coordinate vendor and contractor access to PAFA facilities as assigned and communicate scheduling and access requirements to appropriate departments.
Support the COO and Facilities team with capital projects, renovations, maintenance activities, and facilities work by coordinating access, security coverage, scheduling, and other assigned logistics.
Maintain appropriate incident and operational records and assist with follow-up activities as directed by the COO.
Perform other related duties as assigned by the COO.