Senior Director of Safety, Security, and Culture

The Senior Director of Safety, Security & Culture provides network-level leadership to ensure safe, supportive, and predictable school environments across Friendship Public Charter School. This role oversees the full safety and security portfolio while strengthening the systems, expectations, and adult practices that promote a positive school culture.

The Senior Director manages Heads of Security and provides dotted-line supervision to school-based culture leaders, including Deans and Pathways Coordinators. In this capacity, the Director sets network-wide expectations, guides professional practice, supports performance cycles, and ensures culture leaders implement systems aligned to Friendship’s safety and culture vision. The Senior Director also partners closely with Academics, School Leadership, HR, Student Support (including Special Education, Behavioral/MTSS, and SEL), and Operations to build coherent, student-centered culture systems across all campuses.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership & System Design
• Develop a network-wide safety and culture vision aligned to FPCS mission and academic priorities.
• Establish consistent policies, protocols, and behavioral expectations across all campuses.
• Lead multi-year planning and continuous improvement for safety and school culture.
• Review current staffing plans and positions to ensure alignment with safety and culture goals.
• Ensure safety and culture practices are integrated into leadership development, professional learning, and school operations.
• Provide guidance and expertise to Academics and School Leadership to ensure cross-functional alignment.
• Safety & Security Program Oversight
• Supervise and coach Heads of Security across the network.
• Oversee campus safety operations, including emergency drills, Emergency Operation Plans (EOP) implementation, access control, CCTV performance, visitor management, and facility safety reviews.
• Ensure compliance with OSSE, DC Government, DOE, health, fire, and safety regulations.
• Serve as the primary liaison to law enforcement, fire/EMS, and community safety agencies.
• Lead proactive safety assessments and risk mitigation strategies to maintain secure learning environments.
• School Culture & Climate Support (with Dotted-Line Supervision)
• Co-lead the development of a network-wide culture framework in partnership with Academics and School Leadership.
• Provide dotted-line supervision, coaching, and guidance to Deans and Pathways Coordinators on culture systems, restorative practices, de-escalation strategies, attendance interventions, and student supports.
• Partner with Principals to calibrate expectations, monitor implementation, and ensure culture leaders have the training and support to succeed.
• Guide analysis of culture data—including discipline, attendance, referrals, and engagement—and support campuses in developing proactive improvement strategies.
• Ensure alignment between culture routines (arrival, dismissal, transitions, common areas) and network safety practices.
• Crisis Response & Incident Management
• Serve as a network-level crisis response leader and support campus Incident Commanders during serious events.
• Maintain and refine crisis communication protocols to ensure timely, accurate information flows to leadership, staff, and families.
• Lead after-action reviews and ensure corrective measures are implemented across campuses.
• Oversee threat assessments, safety investigations, and follow-up plans in partnership with school leaders and mental health teams.
• Data, Compliance & Reporting Systems
• Design, build, and oversee network-wide systems for documenting:
• Behavior and discipline data
• Safety and incident reports
• Emergency drill logs
• Security staffing and coverage
• This includes creating new tools and protocols where they do not yet exist, standardizing documentation expectations, and leading implementation across campuses.
• Train school-based teams—including Deans, Pathways Coordinators, and Heads of Security—on documentation accuracy, compliance expectations, and reporting tools.
• Produce dashboards and updates for senior leadership and internal stakeholders.
• Use data to identify trends, set goals, and inform preventive culture and safety strategies.
• Talent Development & Professional Learning
• Directly manage Heads of Security through coaching, evaluation, and ongoing development.
• Provide dotted-line coaching and professional development to Deans and Pathways Coordinators aligned to the network’s culture and safety expectations.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, and role clarity for security personnel and school culture staff.
• Develop and deliver PD cycles on safety protocols, de-escalation, trauma-informed practice, restorative approaches, and crisis response.
• Partner with Talent Development and Academics to embed safety and culture competencies into leadership pipelines.
• Family & Community Engagement
• Build strong, transparent relationships with families regarding safety protocols, behavior expectations, and culture initiatives.
• Ensure clear and accessible communication during both proactive planning and emergency events. Collaborate with community groups, youth organizations, and mental health providers to enhance student experience and support.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Partner with:
• Academics on culture frameworks, student support systems, and restorative practice alignment
• Principals on culture leader performance and implementation
• HR on staff conduct, policy creation, and performance processes
• Operations on facility safety improvements
• SPED and Mental Health teams on coordinated intervention practices
• Ensure all major initiatives reflect both student experience and campus safety considerations.
  

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree
• 3–5 years of leadership experience in school safety, culture, behavior systems, or operations
• Experience supervising or coaching adults, ideally across multiple campuses
• Demonstrated ability to build strong relationships with students, staff, and families
• Experience implementing culture or safety frameworks
• Strong data analysis and action-planning skills
  
  

Preferred

• Master’s degree in education, leadership, mental/beahvior health, or related field
• Experience in urban, charter, or multi-campus environments
• Training in restorative practices, trauma-informed approaches, SEL, crisis intervention, and/or de-escalation
• Familiarity with DC school safety laws and regulatory requirements
  
  

FPCS’s policy is to provide equal employment opportunity to all qualified applicants and employees regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, veteran status, status as a special disabled veteran, or any other protected criteria as established by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to recruitment and hiring, training, promotion, compensation, benefits, transfer, layoff, termination and all other terms and conditions of employment. Employment decisions at FPCS are based solely upon relevant criteria, including an individual’s capabilities, qualifications, training, experience and suitability.