Director of Protective Services in Medora, North Dakota at Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation

Director of Protective Services

Medora, ND

THE THEODORE ROOSEVELT PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY FOUNDATION

“Believe you can, and you’re halfway there.” -Theodore Roosevelt

Since 2014, the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation (TRPLF) has been planning and building a new, ambitious kind of presidential library and museum. Other presidential libraries tell the story of a single individual, but the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library (TRPL) – being built more than a century after T.R.’s death – will do more than preserve history. The TRPL will be a people’s library, bringing Roosevelt’s values and relentless spirit to life at a critical time in our nation and world, while simultaneously championing the stories of all who “dare greatly, think boldly, care deeply, and live passionately.”

The library is currently being constructed in Medora, North Dakota, with a milestone planned for July 4, 2026 – America’s 250th anniversary. Participants at the TRPL will learn from – not just about – Roosevelt’s story, being transformed into the same stunning Badlands that served as the fulcrum in T.R.’s incredible life story.

Guided by the pillar principles of leadership, citizenship, and conservation, the Foundation has partnered with innovative partners – like the award-winning architecture firm, Snøhetta, and the best-in-class story crafters, the Future of Storytelling – to build an institution like no other. With plans to be the most sustainable presidential library and campus ever, a revolutionary approach to interpretive design, and programming that will spread the library’s message into neighboring Theodore Roosevelt National Park and beyond across the globe, the opportunity to join a talented team in building and opening this institution is truly unique.

About the Role

The Director of Protective Services will provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library’s comprehensive protective services program — ensuring the safety and security of visitors, staff, volunteers, artifacts, collections, distinguished guests, and campus infrastructure. This is a rare opportunity to help build and lead a world-class protective services operation at one of the nation’s most ambitious cultural institutions, located in the rugged beauty of North Dakota’s Badlands.

This role serves as the senior leader responsible for protective services strategy, emergency preparedness, risk management, physical security systems, investigations, and operational resilience across the Library campus and related properties. The Director will lead a growing protective services department, including managers, supervisors, officers, contractors, and external security partners, while helping shape the long-term safety culture of the organization.

This position is charged with protecting people, places, collections, and reputation — from daily visitor operations to highly complex events involving presidents, heads of state, dignitaries, donors, public officials, and nationally recognized guests. The Director of Protective Services will oversee protective operations not only for the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library campus, but also for select Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation events, programs, traveling exhibitions, and executive engagements across North Dakota and throughout the United States.

The Director serves as the organization’s senior security and protective operations leader and works closely with executive leadership, operations, facilities, visitor experience, exhibitions, events, information technology, and external agencies to ensure a secure, welcoming, and mission-aligned environment. This role requires balancing sophisticated protective operations with hospitality, accessibility, discretion, and public trust.

The ideal candidate is a calm, strategic, and highly collaborative leader with experience operating in complex public-facing environments where security, executive presence, logistics, visitor experience, and interagency coordination must work seamlessly together.

This is more than a leadership role—it's an opportunity to lead a world-class protective services program at one of America's most ambitious cultural institutions. If you're ready to make a lasting impact while helping shape a legacy that will inspire generations, we encourage you to apply.

Core Competencies

• Strategic Leadership & Department Development: Demonstrated ability to build, lead, and evolve complex protective services operations, including organizational design, staffing models, budgeting, policy development, and long-range planning
• Emergency Preparedness & Incident Command: Deep experience leading emergency planning, crisis response, business continuity, and coordination with law enforcement, fire, EMS, emergency management, and federal agencies including the United States Secret Service
• Security Operations & Infrastructure: Advanced understanding of integrated security technologies and operational systems, including CCTV/AI analytics, access control, intrusion detection, communications systems, dispatch, credentialing, and control room operations
• Executive Protection & High-Profile Event Security: Experience coordinating protective operations for distinguished visitors, elected officials, dignitaries, executives, donors, public figures, and nationally significant events in partnership with federal, state, and local agencies
• Multi-Site & Special Event Operations: Ability to oversee protective services planning and operational coordination across multiple venues, temporary events, traveling programs, and offsite institutional engagements throughout the United States
• Executive Presence & Interagency Coordination: Proven ability to operate effectively with senior executives, elected officials, law enforcement leadership, federal agencies, and community stakeholders
• Leadership & Team Development: Strong leadership capability with experience recruiting, mentoring, developing, and holding accountable both in-house and contracted protective services personnel
• Crisis Management & Decision Making: Ability to remain composed under pressure, manage rapidly evolving incidents, and make sound operational decisions in high-stakes environments
• Risk Assessment & Mitigation: Experience identifying vulnerabilities and implementing layered security strategies across physical, operational, reputational, and event-related risks
• Policy & Compliance Management: Experience developing and implementing policies, SOPs, emergency response plans, investigations protocols, and compliance frameworks aligned with OSHA, ADA, NFPA, FEMA/NIMS, and museum standards
• Visitor-Centered Security Philosophy: Ability to balance protective measures with exceptional guest experience, accessibility, and hospitality in a public-facing institution
• Cultural Institution & Collections Awareness: Understanding of the unique operational and security needs of museums, libraries, archives, public institutions, and cultural collections
• Discretion & Integrity: Exceptional judgment, professionalism, and ability to manage sensitive or confidential matters with integrity and discretion

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for all protective services functions across the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library campus and related properties
• Lead, mentor, and manage the Protective Services leadership team, including managers, supervisors, officers, contractors, and external partners
• Develop and execute the Library’s long-term protective services strategy, policies, standards, and operational roadmap
• Serve as the Library’s senior liaison with law enforcement, fire/rescue, emergency management, federal agencies, and the United States Secret Service
• Lead protective operations and security planning for distinguished visitors, executive leadership, donors, dignitaries, public officials, and nationally recognized guests
• Oversee security planning and operational coordination for Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation events and programs both onsite and at external venues across North Dakota and the United States
• Coordinate advance planning efforts, venue assessments, protective intelligence considerations, transportation coordination, emergency response planning, and interagency communication for high-profile events and visits
• Lead security planning and operational coordination for protests, demonstrations, executive visits, public gatherings, and nationally significant events
• Oversee all security technologies and systems, including surveillance, access control, intrusion detection, emergency communications, dispatch, and digital credentialing
• Ensure effective management of physical access control systems, key control, credentialing, and restricted area security
• Lead enterprise-wide emergency preparedness initiatives, including emergency operations planning, tabletop exercises, drills, continuity planning, and after-action reviews
• Oversee investigations, incident response, reporting, evidence management, and digital forensics activities as appropriate
• Partner closely with Facilities, IT, Visitor Experience, Events, Exhibitions, and Executive Leadership to integrate security and resilience into all operations
• Collaborate with architects, engineers, and operational teams to ensure protective services considerations are embedded into campus infrastructure and future development
• Develop scalable protective services protocols capable of supporting temporary venues, traveling events, donor engagements, executive travel, and nationally significant gatherings
• Ensure compliance with all applicable regulations, safety standards, accreditation requirements, and industry best practices
• Develop department budgets, staffing plans, operating procedures, and performance metrics
• Foster a proactive culture of safety, preparedness, professionalism, accountability, and hospitality across the organization
• Ensure the protection and emergency recovery readiness of collections and cultural assets in coordination with museum and conservation standards
• Develop and oversee training programs related to emergency response, situational awareness, workplace violence prevention, de-escalation, active threat response, executive protection coordination, and operational readiness
• Maintain comprehensive documentation for incident reports, investigations, training records, certifications, emergency exercises, and compliance activities
• Participate as a key member of the Library’s operational leadership structure and emergency management team

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, emergency management, homeland security, public administration, security studies, or related field required
• Master’s degree or advanced professional certifications preferred (CPP, PSP, CHPA, EMT, FEMA ICS/NIMS, etc.)
• Minimum 8–10 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in protective services, law enforcement, military, emergency management, executive protection, or related fields
• Experience leading complex security operations for cultural institutions, museums, government facilities, large public venues, presidential or political events, hospitality environments, universities, conventions, or nationally significant public events strongly preferred
• Experience coordinating with federal protective agencies and executive protection operations strongly preferred
• Experience managing teams, budgets, vendors, and cross-functional operational partnerships required

Requirements

• Onsite work location in Medora, North Dakota
• Periodic travel within North Dakota and throughout the United States may be required in support of Foundation programs, executive travel, public events, and special operations
• Status: Full-time, salary (exempt) position
• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk, working on a computer, and monitoring security systems
• Daily standing, walking, climbing stairs, and accessing operational areas across the campus
• Ability to work in various environmental conditions, including extreme outdoor weather conditions common to North Dakota
• Ability to respond to emergencies and operational incidents across the campus as needed
• On-call responsibilities required
• Evening, weekend, holiday, and event support may be required based on operational needs
• Mustresidewithin a reasonable distance of Medora, ND (less than an hour's drive or within 60 miles).
• Proper use of provided PPE in accordance with safety protocols

Benefits

Full benefits include 403(b), medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, life insurance, short-term and long-term disability, as well as 20 days of paid time off and 10 days of holidays. Salary commensurate with experience.