Executive Director, Security

Albert Einstein College of Medicine is a mission-driven academic medical college focused exclusively on medical education and biomedical research. Our campus includes advanced laboratory facilities (including high-containment environments), academic buildings, velarium facilities, student spaces, and administrative operations.

 

We are committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and collaborative environment that empowers discovery and develops the next generation of physician-scientists and researchers.

 

Albert Einstein College of Medicine seeks a strategic and forward-thinking Executive Director of Security to lead and modernize security operations for a premier private academic medical college dedicated to medical education and research.

 

This is a highly visible leadership role responsible for safeguarding our students, faculty, researchers, staff, and institutional assets while preserving the openness essential to academic excellence and scientific innovation.

 

The Executive Director of Security will design and lead a comprehensive, enterprise-wide security strategy that strengthens student safety, protects high-value research, enhances emergency preparedness, and mitigates emerging risks in an evolving higher education and research environment.

The Executive Director of Security serves as the institution’s senior security executive and trusted advisor to leadership. This role provides strategic oversight of all security operations, risk management initiatives, emergency preparedness programs, regulatory compliance efforts, and behavioral threat assessment processes.

 

The Director will build a proactive, intelligence-informed security function that supports student well-being, protects research integrity, and ensures institutional resilience.

 

Key Areas of Leadership:

 

Student Safety & Campus Risk Management

• Champion a student-centered approach to safety across academic, campus, and housing environments.
• Lead behavioral intervention and threat assessment strategies in collaboration with Student Affairs and senior leadership.
• Oversee Clery Act compliance and campus safety reporting.
• Develop initiatives that enhance after-hours safety, emergency communications, and violence prevention.

Research & Laboratory Security

• Protect sensitive biomedical research, high-containment laboratories, controlled substances, and intellectual property.
• Partner closely with Environmental Health & Safety and Research Compliance to mitigate operational and regulatory risk.

Emergency Preparedness & Crisis Leadership

• Lead the institution’s Emergency Operations Plan and enterprise-wide preparedness strategy.
• Serve as senior executive security lead during crises.
• Oversee drills and exercises addressing active threats, laboratory incidents, natural disasters, and civil disruptions.
• Strengthen institutional resilience through strategic planning and risk forecasting.

Operational & Strategic Oversight

• Direct 24/7 campus security operations and integrated security technologies (access control, surveillance, visitor management).
• Manage a multi-million-dollar security contract.
• Manage student transportation, locksmith services and campus parking.
• Develop & implement all campus and housing security policies and procedures.
• Modernize security systems and leverage data-driven performance metrics.
• Develop and manage departmental budgets and capital planning initiatives.
• Build and lead a high-performing security team aligned with institutional values.

 The Ideal Candidate

The successful candidate will be a seasoned security executive with experience in complex, highly regulated environments such as higher education, academic medicine, biomedical research, or similarly sophisticated institutions.

They will demonstrate:

• Strategic vision and executive presence
• Deep expertise in campus, student housing and research security
• Experience leading behavioral threat assessment programs
• Strong crisis leadership and emergency management capabilities
• Ability to balance open academic culture with appropriate safeguards
• Collaborative leadership style with exceptional judgment and discretion
• Be able to manage security contracts and provide financial oversight of the security budget

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum 10 years of progressive security leadership experience.
• Experience in higher education, research-intensive institutions, or comparable environments strongly preferred.
• Professional certifications such as CPP (Certified Protection Professional) and PSP (Physical Security Professional).

In compliance with NYC's Pay Transparency Act, the annual base salary range for this position is listed below. Albert Einstein College of Medicine considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, as well as, market and organizational considerations when extending an offer.

USD $175,000.00/Yr.

USD $190,000.00/Yr.