Campus Security and Safety Officer in Austin, Texas at Austin Waldorf School Inc

The Campus Security & Safety Officer is responsible for supporting a safe, secure, and welcoming environment for the students, employees, families, and visitors of Austin Waldorf School. The Officer maintains a visible and approachable presence throughout the campus, monitors campus activity, supports arrival and dismissal procedures, responds to safety and security concerns, and works collaboratively with school leadership to strengthen school-wide safety practices.

An important component of this position is helping Austin Waldorf School develop and maintain a comprehensive approach to campus safety, emergency preparedness, and safeguarding. The Campus Security & Safety Officer will work closely with the Head of School and other members of school leadership to facilitate the school's safeguarding plan, support emergency preparedness, review safety procedures, and assist with training faculty and staff.

Because Austin Waldorf School is a community-centered educational environment serving children from early childhood through Grade 12, the successful candidate must combine strong situational awareness and sound judgment with warmth, professionalism, discretion, and an understanding of how to maintain security without unnecessarily disrupting the educational environment.

• Maintain a visible, professional, and approachable presence throughout the school day.

• Conduct regular patrols of the campus, including buildings, parking areas, entrances, playgrounds, athletic areas, and campus grounds.

• Monitor campus access and help ensure that visitors follow established check-in and identification procedures.

• Monitor doors, gates, access points, and other campus security measures and report concerns promptly.

• Support safe and orderly student arrival and dismissal procedures.

• Assist with traffic flow, parking, and pedestrian safety during high-traffic periods and special events.

• Respond promptly to reports of suspicious activity, unauthorized persons, safety hazards, or other security concerns.

• Assist employees and administrators in responding to situations involving student, employee, or visitor safety.

• Provide an appropriate security presence at school events, performances, athletic events, meetings, and other activities as assigned.

• Maintain appropriate documentation of security incidents, concerns, and responses.

• Communicate significant safety or security concerns promptly to the Head of School and appropriate administrators.

• Work with the Head of School and designated school leaders to facilitate, implement, and regularly review the school's safeguarding plan.

• Support the development of clear safeguarding procedures designed to protect students and promote a culture in which student safety is a shared responsibility.

• Help ensure that faculty and staff understand their responsibilities related to safeguarding, supervision, campus access, reporting concerns, and student safety.

• Assist leadership in identifying potential gaps or vulnerabilities in safeguarding practices and recommend practical improvements.

• Support appropriate documentation and reporting procedures related to safeguarding concerns while maintaining confidentiality.

• Collaborate with administrators, faculty, staff, counselors, and student support personnel when safety or safeguarding concerns arise.

• Remain knowledgeable about current best practices in school safeguarding and campus safety and bring recommendations to school leadership as appropriate.

• Assist school leadership in developing, maintaining, and regularly reviewing emergency operations and campus safety plans.

• Help coordinate and evaluate emergency drills, including fire, severe weather, evacuation, shelter-in-place, lockdown, and other emergency procedures.

• Assist with maintaining emergency supplies, communication systems, maps, procedures, and other safety resources.

• Identify potential campus safety vulnerabilities and communicate recommendations to the Head of School and appropriate administrators.

• Lead the school's emergency response team.

• Assist school leadership during emergency situations by helping coordinate campus response, communication, evacuation, reunification, or other established procedures.

• Maintain familiarity with campus buildings, access points, utilities, emergency equipment, evacuation routes, and designated emergency locations.

• Establish and maintain professional working relationships with appropriate local emergency responders and public safety agencies.

• Develop relationships with local law enforcement.

• Assist in developing and providing regular safety, security, emergency preparedness, and safeguarding training for faculty and staff.

• Participate in new employee orientation by providing appropriate training regarding campus safety procedures and emergency protocols.

• Provide refresher training throughout the school year as needed.

• Help employees understand their individual roles during emergencies and safeguarding situations.

• Assist with tabletop exercises and other scenario-based training designed to improve school preparedness.

• Provide practical guidance to faculty and staff regarding situational awareness, visitor management, student supervision, emergency response, and reporting procedures.

• Support a school culture in which employees understand that safeguarding and campus safety are shared responsibilities.

• Conduct regular reviews of campus safety practices and physical security conditions.

• Maintain records of safety concerns, incidents, drills, and follow-up actions.

• Review incidents and drills with school leadership to identify lessons learned and opportunities for improvement.

• Make recommendations regarding campus access, lighting, signage, communication systems, security equipment, traffic patterns, and other safety measures.

• Participate in safety-related committees and administrative meetings as requested.

• Work collaboratively with Facilities, Administration, Student Services, and other departments to address identified safety concerns.

• Maintain awareness of current school safety practices, relevant regulations, and professional recommendations.

• Perform other safety and security duties as assigned by the Head of School.

• Previous experience in campus security, school safety, law enforcement, emergency management, military service, security operations, or a related field strongly preferred.

• Experience working in a school, youth-serving organization, or community-centered environment preferred.

• Knowledge of school safety, emergency preparedness, safeguarding, threat recognition, and incident response practices.

• Ability to remain calm, observant, and decisive during emergency or high-stress situations.

• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to interact appropriately with children, adolescents, families, employees, visitors, and emergency responders.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

• Ability to provide effective training and communicate safety procedures clearly to employees with varying levels of experience.

• Sound judgment and the ability to respond proportionately to safety and security concerns.

• High degree of discretion and ability to maintain confidentiality regarding sensitive student, employee, and school information.

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.

• Ability to document incidents accurately and objectively.

• Ability to work independently while functioning collaboratively as part of the school's administrative and educational community.

• Willingness to participate in ongoing professional development related to school safety, emergency preparedness, and safeguarding.

• CPR, First Aid, and AED certification, or willingness to obtain certification.

• Successful completion of all background checks and other screening requirements established by Austin Waldorf School.

• Licence/permit for concealed carry

• Maintain any state required certifications

The Campus Security & Safety Officer works throughout Austin Waldorf School's multi-building 30+ acre campus and interacts regularly with students from early childhood through Grade 12, faculty, staff, families, visitors, contractors, and emergency personnel.

The position requires a regular and reliable on-campus presence and may occasionally require early morning, evening, or weekend work for school events, emergency preparedness activities, or other campus needs.

Austin Waldorf School values a campus environment that is both safe and welcoming. The Campus Security & Safety Officer is expected to approach the work with vigilance and preparedness while recognizing that the school is first and foremost a place of learning, childhood, relationship, and community. The Officer's presence should contribute to a sense of security and confidence without creating an unnecessarily institutional or intimidating atmosphere.