Safety & Security Manager

Love nature? Then you’re going to love The Nat.    

The San Diego Natural History Museum (The Nat) was founded by amateur naturalists in 1874 and has played a major role in the conversation of our region. The Museum recently celebrated its 150th anniversary and completed a strategic plan focused on encouraging a love for nature, levering science and collections for conservation, and using our own voice to be here for nature.

The San Diego Natural History Museum seeks a thoughtful, steady, and mission-driven individual to serve as Safety & Security Manager. This position is responsible for leading daily security operations while overseeing museum-wide safety, emergency preparedness, and risk management efforts. The role ensures a safe environment for staff, visitors, volunteers, and collections, and serves as a visible, trusted leader during regular operations, weekends, evenings, and large-scale events.

The Safety & Security Manager is responsible for hiring, training, scheduling, and supervising Security staff; managing access control systems; overseeing incident response and reporting; chairing the Museum’s Safety Committee; and ensuring OSHA compliance. This role works closely with their home department in Facilities, as well as Visitor experience, Exhibitions, Science & Research, and external partners throughout Balboa Park. The position reports to the Deputy COO.

This position follows a Tuesday – Saturday work schedule and requires consistent weekend presence, evening availability for Friday and Saturday events, and on-call response for incidents and alarms.

Specific Responsibilities:

Safety Leadership & Emergency Preparedness:

• Lead the Museum’s overall approach to safety, emergency preparedness, and risk management.
• Serve as the primary safety and security authority during incidents, guiding response and decision-making.
• Establish and advance annual safety priorities that strengthen preparedness, compliance, and organizational resilience.
• Chair the Museum’s cross-department Safety Committee and guide continuous improvement in safety practices.
• Ensure safety plans, documentation, and preparedness efforts are current, practical, and aligned with Museum operations.

Security Operations & Staffing:

• Oversee all elements of the Museum’s security operations, including management, hiring, training, and development of security staff.
• Create and manage Security schedules for daily operations, weekends, evenings, special events, and large-scale programs.
• Provide managerial presence and serve as the primary first response for safety and security matters at large-scale special events, evening programs, and Museum activities.
• Set expectations for high-quality, visitor-centered security services that support a welcoming and safe museum environment.
• Maintain functional knowledge of the Museum’s emergency systems and response capabilities to ensure operational readiness.

Administrative:

• Manage security-related budgeting, purchasing, invoicing, and administrative processes in alignment with departmental priorities.
• Maintain, update, and communicate clear security, safety, and emergency policies and procedures to staff on an ongoing basis.
• Represent the Museum in external safety and security forums, including Balboa Park Safety Committee.

Access Control & Security System Oversight:

• Provide oversight of the Museum’s access control systems, including keys, credentials, and electronic security systems.
• Partner with Facilities leadership to ensure access needs are coordinated with staffing changes and operational requirements.
• Work with IT personnel to ensure security systems and technology are evaluated and maintained to support effective operations.

Incident Management & Reporting:

• Lead the Museum’s response to safety and security incidents, ensuring appropriate escalation, documentation, and follow-up.
• Oversee incident reporting practices to support accuracy, consistency, and organizational learning.
• Review incident trends and recommend improvements to reduce risk and strengthen preparedness.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Minimum of five years of supervisory experience in safety and security operations.
• OSHA certification required.
• Proven experience supervising staff and managing schedules in an operational setting.
• Demonstrated experience implementing safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and incident response protocols.
• Strong leadership and team-building skills with the ability to address performance issues constructively.
• Ability to remain calm, decisive, and clear-headed in emergency or high-stress situations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Computer proficiency with Windows, Outlook, Word, and Excel.
• Ability to multitask, prioritize, and manage competing operational needs.
• CPR and First Aid certified (or willingness to obtain).
• Active Guard Card certification (or willingness to obtain)
• Bilingual (Spanish/English) preferred.
• Experience in a museum, cultural institution, campus, or similar public-serving environment is a plus.

Requirements:

• Able to work on a Tuesday-Saturday schedule.
• Must maintain evening availability for Friday and Saturday events and other large-scale programs as required.
• Able to work on a flexible schedule that may include early morning, late evenings, or as needed on-call response.

Pay: $70,304 annually

This is a full-time, exempt position with benefits such as health insurance, vacation, sick-time, 15 paid holidays, free admission into all of Balboa Park’s museums, and more.