About Achievement First

Achievement First (AF) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization supporting 41 public charter schools across New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. For more than 25 years, AF has been recognized as one of the top tuition-free public charter school networks in the country. We are committed to creating schools of academic excellence within nurturing environments — schools that prepare students to be college-ready and to pursue and succeed in whatever paths they choose in life.

The majority of AF students are Black and Latinx children from low-income families, many of whom will be the first in their families to graduate from college. Across our network, we employ more than 2,200 staff members — 64% of whom identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color — who collectively educate nearly 15,000 students in Brooklyn and Queens, NY; New Haven, Bridgeport, and Hartford, CT; and Providence and Cranston, RI.

Our mission is to prepare every student to excel in college, career, and life; deepen their understanding of self and community; and lead lives of purpose. We believe in the limitless potential within our students and their power to shape a more just society. That belief drives our deep commitment to student achievement: we aim to set a high bar for learning and create warm, demanding classrooms where rigorous instruction is paired with the care, encouragement, and consistency every student deserves.

Your Impact

We are looking for a strategic and dynamic Director, School Safety to join our School Operations team.

As the network lead for school safety, you will ensure that our school buildings are physically safe and that all staff are trained on emergency response protocols and crisis management procedures of every type. You will be a critical member of the overall network safety team, collaborating across teams to prioritize the safety of our schools. You will consult with Principals and Directors of Operations in real time to address major safety incidents, serve as the liaison to local law enforcement and host districts’ health, safety, and security leads, and coordinate school safety compliance with federal, state, and local requirements. You will work closely with the operational program team, Associate Chiefs of Operations, Regional Directors of Operations, and school-based operations team members to implement AF’s health and safety protocols and support the work happening on the ground at our schools.

Reporting to the Managing Director, your responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Lead Emergency Preparedness and Crisis Response at Schools

• Develop emergency response and crisis response protocols to ensure smooth implementation across all schools
• Build and facilitate safety protocols training for school leaders, Regional Directors of Operations, Regional Superintendents, and other stakeholder groups (e.g., PIRs, DIRs, social workers/counselors)
• Create turn-key health and safety trainings for schools to use with staff and students
• Provide urgent support to schools when safety incidents occur
• Liaise with local law enforcement agencies and school safety experts to support schools
• Develop, document, and train school leaders, Regional Directors of Operations, and Regional Superintendents on all response protocols
• Develop protocols and questions, and manage the process for safety pressure-test walk-throughs conducted six times annually
• Participate in regular meetings held by each district/state to stay current on key updates regarding safely operating schools
• Support school leaders in implementing health and safety protocols at their campuses, including developing resources and tools, answering questions, and visiting sites to provide support

Lead Strategy for Improving Schools’ Overall Health and Safety Levels

• Develop new policies for schools that raise AF’s standard of safety
• Collaborate with facilities, legal, finance, and IT teams to determine implementation plans for school building improvements in the name of safety
• Lead the health and safety budget, determining spending plans as needed
• Develop and document new health and safety strategies, and train school leaders, Regional Directors of Operations, and Regional Superintendents on the implementation of new policies and procedures
• Maintain AF’s Emergency Response Plan and ensure school-level plans are updated annually
• Oversee the collection and analysis of health and safety data and safety implementation
• Lead safety audit strategy and conduct on-site safety walk-throughs to assess successful implementation of health and safety protocols and emergency readiness; prescribe corrective action plans in collaboration with Directors of School Operations, Regional Directors of Operations, Principals, and Superintendents
• Support and monitor schools to ensure compliance with health and safety requirements, and support external reporting

Serve as Liaison Between State and Local Districts and the Organization

• Develop relationships with key local officials, including safety and health department leaders, to aid in navigating crises
• Remain up to date on federal, state, and district health and safety requirements and best practices, and determine the pathway forward for the organization to ensure compliance
• Participate in regular meetings on updated guidelines and share information back with AF

Skills You’ll Have

All candidates for this position will support AF core values, lead innovation, and manage projects to ensure our team, like our schools, are setting a high bar in all areas and pursuing it relentlessly. Bachelor’s degree required; a background or experience in public health, school health, or emergency response is a plus.

An ideal candidate will have the following experience and qualifications:

• 5+ years of project and systems management experience
• Experience working in a school context a plus
• Trained (or willing to become trained) in school safety response and emergency response protocols
• Strong project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple work streams
• Adaptive leadership style with the ability to work across multiple teams and manage without authority
• Highly reliable organizational systems and outstanding communication skills
• Extraordinary attention to detail

In addition, the following characteristics are required to be successful on this team:

• Strong ethics and ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality
• Confident in interacting with and influencing individuals at all levels within the organization
• Ability to work autonomously as well as take direction as needed
• Effective at working across lines of difference, and skilled at building strong relationships throughout the organization
• Focused on outcomes; a flexible and critical thinker and strategic problem-solver who can unstick murky problems and drive toward outcomes
• Maturity, humility, strong work ethic, and a roll-up-my-sleeves attitude
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with a proactive communication style
• Belief in the Achievement First mission and educational model

Travel Expectations

This is a hybrid role. The expectation is that the person in this role would be able to come into the CT Network Support office at least 3 days a week. There will be additional regular travel to schools across the network — including regions outside your own — to conduct safety walk-throughs, trainings, and site visits.

Compensation

Achievement First sets salaries through a lens of equity, based on the requisite skills, education, and experience relevant to the role. The salary for this position is $117,753. In order to uphold our commitment to equity, Achievement First does not negotiate pay. Additionally, Achievement First offers to all regular, full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package that includes paid time off, medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, a 403(b) retirement benefit package with match, and paid Family Leave.