Director Of Safety & Security

Position: Director of Safety & Security

Overview of Cambridge Public Schools:

Cambridge Public Schools, in partnership with our families and community, will provide all students with rigorous, joyful, and culturally responsive learning as well as the social, emotional, and academic supports each student needs to achieve their goals and post-secondary success as engaged community members. CPS students and staff, as members of a learning organization engaged in continuous improvement, will demonstrate a growth mindset and embrace risk taking and innovation.

About 7,000 students choose Cambridge Public Schools (CPS) each year, and our diverse student enrollment continues to rise. Over 30% of CPS students speak a language other than English at home, and over 65 languages are spoken by our families. Among the most common are Spanish, Haitian Creole, Amharic, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, and Portuguese. Our schools proudly embrace this diversity.

The structure of our school system supports the developmental growth of students over time. Twelve small elementary schools feed into five “Upper School” programs, bringing together enough students to allow for greater choice and differentiation without sacrificing the safe feeling of a relatively small environment. The Upper Schools then feed into one high school, the eclectic and innovative Cambridge Rindge and Latin School.

The Role:

Under the supervision of the Chief Operating Officer, the Director of Safety and Security oversees a department of approximately nine (9) safety specialists and one administrative support position. With primary responsibility for a comprehensive safety program encompassing all 18 schools in the district, this position is a key role in ensuring that the Cambridge Public Schools is equipped to provide a safe and secure learning environment for all children and staff.

Specific responsibilities include:

• Coordinates security coverage for out of school athletic and social events.
• Directly supervises all aspects of the Safety and Security Department for Cambridge Public Schools.
• Communicates with other school systems on matters related to school safety.
• Interacts and advises all PK-5, 6-8 and high school principals in the development of individual school crisis management/emergency response plans as part of each school’s safety plan.
• Directs/coordinates the periodic assessment/audit of school facilities and grounds to determine safety and security issues.
• Coordinates with site-based administrators and the Facilities Department to address and correct safety/security issues in school buildings or on school grounds.
• Works directly with local law enforcement agencies during critical incident situations and follow-up.
• Participates in the development and maintenance of a district level crisis response plan.
• Updates and coordinates a comprehensive security/school safety program.
• Implements training programs pertaining to matters of safety and security for site-based administrators and bus supervisors.
• Liaison to court, State Law Enforcement Agencies including District Attorney’s Office.
• Serves as a liaison to Cambridge Police Department (CPD) to coordinate the daily operation of the Youth Resource Officer (YRO) program and other law enforcement issues on school grounds.
• Receives all reports of criminal incidents occurring on school property and maintains statistics regarding this information.

Your Skill Set:

As an applicant for Director of Safety and Security, you may possess many, though perhaps not all, of the following characteristics and qualifications:

• Previous experience supervising team members distributed across multiple locations.
• Strong verbal, writing and interpersonal skills with the ability to understand competing points of view.
• 5+ years experience serving as liaison to external agencies, including but not limited to law enforcement, community partners, and emergency responders.
• Background in a relevant field including education, counseling, management, or public safety preferred.
• Previous leadership experience in an educational, public safety or other governmental organization, including human services and youth programs.

Cambridge Public Schools is committed to slowing and/or stopping the spread of COVID-19. Therefore, as a condition of employment with Cambridge Public Schools, all new hires will be required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 no later than their first day of work. Written requests for either a religious exemption from this requirement based on sincerely held religious beliefs, or for a medical exemption based upon clear documentation from a medical provider should be submitted to the attention of the Chief Talent Officer.

PS# 0091

Terms of Employment: 40 hours per week, 12 months per year. Start date July 1, 2023 or before.

Salary: $116,658 - $131,239, commensurate with qualifications and experience, along with a generous benefits package.

How to Join Our Team:

Please upload a resume and thoughtful cover letter, outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position and stating how you heard about this opportunity. Review of applications will begin immediately, however, positions may be considered open until filled.

At the Cambridge Public Schools, we are committed to cultivating an environment where diverse perspectives and backgrounds are embraced, acknowledging that a team reflecting diversity of race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital/domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, and veteran status allows us to serve our communities better. To that end, we welcome and encourage applicants to bring their authentic selves when considering employment opportunities within our school district.