Exec Dir - School Safety

Jeffco Public Schools (Jeffco) is located in Jefferson County, Colorado. It is the second largest school district in Colorado serving 69,000 students across 155 schools. With 14,000 employees, the district is the largest employer in Jefferson County and has provided educational excellence for more than 70 years.

Jeffco embraces the spirit of the West and the natural beauty of the Rocky Mountain region with the county spanning more than 770 square miles running the length of the western edge of the Denver metropolitan area. The district is diverse in both population and geography, from urban to rural, including the mountain communities in the foothills west of Denver.

Overall, Jeffco has 31% of students that qualify for free and reduced lunch, an indicator of poverty, and 34% minority (25% Hispanic) student population. The district is implementing a new strategic plan, Jeffco Thrives 2025 that is focused on providing a world-class education that prepares all Jeffco students for bright and successful futures as local and global citizens. Come join us!

Jeffco Public Schools is a Single-State Employer. All candidates hired by Jeffco Public Schools must reside within the state of Colorado.

Desired Start Date: 04/05/2026

Exec Dir - Strategic Initiativ
Annual Position
FLSA: Exempt
FTE: 1.00000 , Hours/Day: 8.000 , Days/Year: Year Round
Salary Plan, Grade, Step: JCA - Administrator - 229 days , G12, 1
Min-Mid Annual Salary Range: $129,902.00 - $155,252.00 Effective as of: 06-16-2025

The successful new hire or rehired candidate will be responsible to complete and incur the fingerprinting and processing fee of $54.50 through an appropriate fingerprinting vendor and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, within 48 hours of offer acceptance.

SUMMARY Provides executive leadership for Jeffco Public Schools' comprehensive school safety, security, and emergency management enterprise. Develops and oversees the district's school safety strategy, integrating prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery across 168 campuses over 774 square miles and serving approximately 74,000 students and 14,000 employees. Directs a complex, 24/7 Department of School Safety with responsibility for strategic planning, business operations, workforce management, and performance oversight. Serves as the district's senior safety advisor to the Superintendent, Cabinet, and Board of Education and as the primary executive liaison to the district's multiple municipal and county public safety partners, ensuring that safety and security practices support welcoming school environments, student well-being, equity, and public trust.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Develops, implements, and oversees the districtwide school safety strategy, integrating prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery and establishing clear priorities, standards, and expectations for schools and departments.

Directs the Department of School Safety as a multi-division, 24/7 operation, including Campus Security, Armed Patrol, Dispatch, Emergency Management, and Judicial Services/Behavioral Threat Management, through the leadership of senior managers and supervisors.

Provides executive oversight of the district's School Resource Officer (SRO) program and agreements, ensuring role clarity, alignment with district expectations, and effective collaboration with law enforcement partners.

Establishes and enforces professional standards, training requirements, and operational expectations for armed and unarmed officers, dispatch personnel, and safety staff to ensure consistent, lawful, and effective practices across the district.

Oversees districtwide governance for emergency management and preparedness, ensuring emergency operations planning, training, exercises, and improvement processes meet district standards and are consistently implemented at all sites.

Provides executive oversight of the district's Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management framework and school-based judicial services to ensure proactive identification, assessment, and mitigation of safety risks.

Leads major incident response and serves in an executive incident command role during critical events, ensuring coordinated response, communication, and recovery across schools and departments.

Provides executive oversight of business operations, including stewardship of an approximately $13 million annual budget, multi-year staffing and resource plans, fleet and equipment management, and sustainable workforce models for more than 180 safety and security personnel.

Monitors readiness, response capability, staffing, training compliance, and operational effectiveness, and uses data, audits, after-action reviews, and performance metrics to drive continuous improvement.

Develops, implements, and maintains district policies, procedures, and governance structures related to school safety, security, emergency management, and officer operations to ensure regulatory compliance and risk mitigation.

Serves as the senior safety advisor to the Superintendent, Cabinet, and Board of Education, translating safety risks, trends, and operational realities into strategic options and recommendations.

Represents the district with law enforcement, emergency management, and public safety partners, ensuring coordinated planning, interoperability, and strong interagency relationships while maintaining executive-level oversight rather than routine operational control.

Represents the district as a subject-matter expert on school safety, security, and emergency management with community stakeholders, providing informed leadership and building public understanding, confidence, and trust in the district's safety approach.

Be available during scheduled on-call periods and respond promptly and in-person to critical incidents or emergencies district-wide, providing leadership, direction, and support to staff and first responders.

Carry and maintain a firearm in accordance with district policies, state law, and training requirements.

Respond to critical incidents as an armed member of the district's safety and security team, following district protocols and emergency response procedures.

Perform other duties as assigned.

EXPERIENCE 7 years of experience of senior leadership experience in public safety, law enforcement, emergency management, or a comparably complex organization, including senior-level responsibility for a multi-faceted safety, security, or emergency management function. Experience in an education system desirable.

EDUCATION & TRAINING Bachelor's degree required. Preferred field of study of emergency management or criminal justice. Additional years of experience may be accepted in lieu of degree. Advanced professional training in the areas of Disaster and Emergency Management, Preparedness, and Training Coordination preferred.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS Certification in National Incident Management System (NIMS) Incident Command System (ICS) and Emergency Management Institute (EMI) and Professional Development Series required. Police Officer Standard Training (POST) in firearms, Arrest Control, Single Officer Response to an Active Shooter, and Rapid and Immediate Deployment (RAID) training is required. Driver's license required with good driving history required. Subject to random/post accident/reasonable suspicion drug and alcohol testing.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES Knowledge of districtwide school safety and security systems, including emergency management governance, incident command principles, operational standards for armed and unarmed officers, dispatch operations, and coordination with law enforcement and first responders. Knowledge of applicable laws, regulations, and professional standards related to school safety, use of force, emergency management, student privacy, employee conduct, and risk mitigation in public sector environments. Knowledge of risk assessment, behavioral threat assessment and management, prevention strategies, and districtwide emergency preparedness practices in educational settings. Skill in providing executive leadership for complex, multi-division safety organizations; establishing standards and expectations; planning, organizing, and evaluating safety and security operations; and leading coordinated responses during critical incidents or emergencies. Skill in executive-level communication, interagency collaboration, public representation, and crisis leadership consistent with district protocols and community expectations. Ability to exercise sound judgment in high-risk situations; translate safety risks and operational realities into strategic recommendations; manage multiple priorities; and remain composed and effective under pressure.

SPAN OF CONTROL Oversees a multi-division, 24/7 Department of School Safety comprised of more than 180 personnel, including Campus Security, Armed Patrol, Dispatch, Emergency Management, and Judicial Services/Behavioral Threat Management, through the leadership of managers and supervisors. Directs and enforces districtwide safety and emergency preparedness standards for schools and departments. Serves as an authorized public representative of the district on matters of safety, security, and emergency management.

The physical demands, mental functions, and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS Ability to perform work in a variety of environments, including office settings and active school, campus, and field locations. Requires the ability to stand, walk, sit, and move about facilities for extended periods; operate a motor vehicle; and occasionally climb stairs, bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, and reach. Must be able to respond physically to emergency situations, including rapid movement to and within school sites, prolonged standing or walking during incidents, and the ability to physically intervene or provide assistance as required by district protocols. Requires sufficient visual, auditory, and physical acuity to observe conditions, operate equipment, communicate effectively, and safely carry and use required equipment, including firearms and ballistic vests, consistent with training and certification requirements.

MENTAL FUNCTIONS Ability to plan, direct, and evaluate safety and security operations and exercise sound judgment in applying policies, procedures, and legal requirements in daily decision-making. Requires sustained attention and concentration and the ability to manage multiple priorities. Ability to make effective decisions under pressure during critical incidents, including assessing rapidly evolving situations, identifying risks, prioritizing response actions, and directing emergency response activities. Requires the ability to remain calm and effective in high-stress, time-sensitive, and emotionally charged situations; process information quickly; and respond appropriately in accordance with district protocols and emergency response procedures.

WORK ENVIRONMENT Work is performed primarily in a semi-secured office building, with frequent presence at elementary and secondary school campuses and other district facilities. Regularly requires regular travel throughout the county in a district-issued patrol vehicle to support operational oversight, site visits, meetings, and incident response. Work may occur during normal business hours as well as evenings, nights, weekends, or holidays as required to support safety operations and emergency response activities. Expected to respond to critical incidents and emergencies as required. The work environment may include exposure to stressful or emergency situations, inclement weather, and varied indoor and outdoor conditions.

Jeffco Salary Schedules

Jeffco Benefits

The Jefferson County School District does not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, color, creed, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, pregnancy, or gender.