Executive Director, Community Safety

About the role

York University, one of Canada's largest universities, is hiring an Executive Director of Community Safety for the Greater Toronto Area, advertised by Odgers. The role provides strategic leadership and subject-matter expertise for community safety services, working with senior management and many internal and external offices to lead an evidence-informed, relationship- and community-centred safety model that supports the University's commitment to decolonization, equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility.

Key responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive direction for the Community Safety department, aligning its work with the University's strategic objectives and shared values of mutual trust, transparency, accountability and coordinated response.
• Build and sustain relationships with students, faculty, staff, senior leaders, campus partners, the public, community organizations, service providers, municipal and provincial agencies and other partners.
• Lead high-level community safety projects and transformation initiatives covering governance, policy, emergency preparedness, risk management, service coordination and operational practices.
• Balance strategic priorities, operational needs and institutional risk while advancing an inclusive, evidence-informed and community-centred approach to safety and security.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline such as emergency management, criminology, public administration or community development.
• Leadership experience in community safety, emergency management, security services, risk management or a comparable field.
• Strong strategic, operational and people leadership capabilities, and the ability to build trusted relationships across diverse communities and partners.
• Grounded in inclusive, trauma-informed, anti-racist and human rights-informed approaches to issues such as mental health, gender-based violence, sexual violence, systemic racism and related equity, inclusion and accessibility risks.
• Skilled communicator and collaborator who can lead organizational change and make sound, evidence-informed decisions in high-pressure situations.

What we offer

• Compensation band of $181,418 - $196,945.
• Competitive benefits.