Director, Campus Security

Title: Director, Campus Security

Department/Location: Campus Security, St. Louis

Position Type: Full-Time, 12-month

Summary

The Director of Campus Security advances Principia School by providing leadership for campus security, emergency preparedness, and the safety of students, employees, and visitors. Reporting to the Assistant Head of School, Business & Operations, this role leads the Campus Security team while also regularly performing the duties of Campus Security Officer, including patrol, daily and event traffic control, incident response, and other day-to-day security responsibilities. The Director works closely with School leadership, Facilities, Athletics, Workplace Safety, and the Principia College Security Department to support a safe, welcoming, and well-prepared campus environment.

The Director serves as a member of the Threat Assessment Team, Safety Committee, and Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) Committee and serves as the School’s Incident Commander for security-related emergencies and incidents. The Director maintains strong relationships with local law enforcement, fire, and emergency response agencies and helps ensure the School is prepared to respond effectively to emergencies and evolving security needs.

Success in this role requires sound judgment, strong situational awareness, calm decision-making under pressure, collaborative leadership, discretion, and the ability to balance effective security practices with the unique needs and culture of a school community.

Who We Are

At our award-winning Early Childhood through grade 12 Principia School in St. Louis, Missouri, and top-ranked Principia College in Elsah, Illinois, Principia faculty and staff make up a close-knit community of educators, coaches, and professionals taking a distinct approach to education—blending academic excellence with Christian Science-based character education. Principia’s team of over 500 employees supports not only Principia School and Principia College, but also a worldwide network of alumni and friends. 

At Principia School, our core value is LOVE. Love and its attributes underpin our foundational beliefs as well as our educational approach. We focus on developing the whole child—intellectually, physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually, preparing students for the next steps in life. We foster a challenging yet supportive environment where character unfolds naturally, and talent is cultivated through boundless opportunities. Character education plays an essential role in every aspect of the student experience, and classroom work is augmented by character trips, leadership development, and real-world, hands-on, project-based learning.

Principia employees are part of an engaging academic community preparing students to be tomorrow’s leaders, thinkers, and changemakers. We strive to create a collaborative and inclusive environment where everyone feels they belong and are valued.

Primary Responsibilities

• Provides strategic and operational leadership for Campus Security, including student and community safety, customer service, asset protection, and security operations
• Leads, develops, schedules, and trains Campus Security staff to maintain effective coverage and consistent implementation of departmental policies, procedures, and safety practices, including 24/7 coverage when boarding students or overnight campers are present
• Regularly performs Campus Security Officer duties, including campus patrol, morning arrival and afternoon dismissal traffic control, traffic and parking control for athletic contests and other campus events, responding to calls and incidents, supporting students, employees, families, and visitors, and providing direct security coverage as part of the department’s day-to-day operations
• Oversees and participates in security-related investigations, including response and documentation, and coordination with School leadership, Workplace Safety, local law enforcement, and other appropriate partners
• Leads the School’s security and emergency response efforts, serving as Incident Commander in security-related emergencies and coordinating responses to significant incidents, weather emergencies, fire alarms, and other campus emergencies
• Develops, reviews, and implements security policies, procedures, and standards based on evolving School programs, campus needs, industry best practices, and conditions in the surrounding community
• Oversees campus access, physical security, and emergency management systems and practices, including Raptor and other security and emergency management technologies, visitor management, security cameras, access control, front gate operations, excluded-person protocols, and related security systems
• Maintains strong working relationships with local law enforcement, fire departments, emergency management agencies, and other first responders and coordinates closely with the Town & Country Police Department
• Supports Principia's Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP), serves on the COOP and Safety Committees, and collaborates with Workplace Safety and Principia College Campus Security on institutional emergency preparedness, including the effective use of Raptor emergency management in support of the School’s emergency response processes
• Ensures appropriate security support for the School’s residential and overnight programs, coordinating with appropriate School departments to address safety and security needs involving boarding students, camps, and other overnight activities
• Develops and coordinates security drills, emergency preparedness training, and safety assessments for the School community and ensures Campus Security staff maintain required training and certifications, including First Aid, CPR/AED, Stop the Bleed, emergency response, active shooter/intruder response, traffic control, and other training appropriate to the School security environment
• Leads an annual internal campus safety and security assessment and coordinates an external security assessment every three years
• Oversees departmental budget planning, security resources, vehicles, equipment, and readiness and ensures required security officer licensing and training standards are maintained
• Serves as the 24/7 on-call Campus Security leadership contact, responding to significant campus emergencies or ensuring appropriate security coverage is available