Chief Safety Officer (CSO)

InsideHigherEd; Abu Dhabi; On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

InsideHigherEd seeks a Chief Safety Officer for NYU Abu Dhabi responsible for overseeing all campus safety functions. The role requires strong leadership in crisis management, policy compliance, and community engagement to foster a secure environment for students. Ideal candidates will have a master’s degree and extensive experience in safety or law enforcement, particularly in a multicultural context.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 12-15 years in campus or public safety leadership.
• Experience in multicultural environments, preferably in higher education.
• Understanding of safety models and emergency management.

Responsibilities

• Lead the strategic and operational safety initiatives at campus.
• Ensure compliance with UAE safety regulations.
• Collaborate with Student Affairs for student wellbeing.

Skills

Crisis Management

Risk Assessment

Community Engagement

Multicultural Leadership

Education

Master's degree in Criminal Justice or related field

Job description

NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) seeks to appoint a Chief Safety Officer (CSO) reporting to the Chief Operating Officer (COO).

The Chief Safety Officer (CSO) at NYU Abu Dhabi is a senior executive responsible for the strategic direction, operational excellence, and comprehensive integration of all campus safety functions. Reporting directly to the COO and working closely with NYU s Global Campus Safety leadership, the CSO oversees critical areas including risk management, emergency preparedness, threat assessment, community engagement, and 24 / 7 safety operations.

This role is paramount in cultivating a trusted, student-centered, and globally aligned safety environment. The CSO will lead a newly modernized Campus Safety Department, operating under a Hybrid Strategic-Operational Model, ensuring a proactive and responsive approach to campus security.

Key Responsibilities :

Strategic Leadership & Vision

• Set and implement a comprehensive campus safety strategy that aligns with NYUAD s mission, global standards, and local context.
• Lead strategic planning initiatives to proactively identify trends, gaps, and opportunities across risk, threat, and safety domains.
• Collaborate with NYU Global to ensure alignment with international campus safety protocols, standards, and systems.
• Promote a culture of preparedness, continuous improvement, and data-informed decision-making across the safety function.

Operational Excellence & Emergency Management

• Oversee all campus safety functions, including Operations, Risk & Threat, Emergency & Continuity, and Community Engagement.
• Ensure robust 24 / 7 coverage through operational readiness, shift supervision, incident response protocols, and dispatch coordination.
• Direct the design, testing, and evaluation of emergency preparedness plans, including evacuation, lockdown, shelter-in-place, and business continuity strategies.
• Serve as the university s Incident Commander during major safety events and crises, coordinating with local authorities and NYU s global risk network.

Student-Centered Safety & Campus Engagement

• Foster a visible and responsive Campus Safety presence within the NYUAD community, ensuring services are accessible, inclusive, and equitable.
• Partner with Student Affairs to support holistic student wellbeing, mental health referrals, and early intervention practices.
• Lead or co-chair safety-related working groups on student conduct, campus climate, and bystander intervention.
• Champion educational programs on personal safety, emergency awareness, and harm reduction.
• Direct the integration of behavioral threat assessment with enterprise risk management strategies.
• Monitor and interpret threat data, intelligence reports, and emerging risks; communicate findings to senior leadership.
• Oversee case management processes for individuals of concern, including interdepartmental coordination and follow-up actions.
• Promote a university-wide culture of situational awareness, risk anticipation, and responsible reporting.

Compliance, Policy, and External Liaison

• Ensure campus compliance with applicable UAE safety regulations and institutional protocols.
• Develop, review, and maintain campus safety policies, Clery-like disclosure standards, and reporting structures.
• Act as primary liaison to local and federal UAE authorities, including law enforcement, civil defense, and emergency services.
• Represent NYUAD in regional and global safety forums; build relationships with peer institutions and professional bodies.

Required Education :

• Advanced degree (Master s or higher) in Criminal Justice, Public Safety, Emergency Management, Public Administration, or a related field

Required Experience :

• Minimum 12 15 years of progressively responsible experience in campus safety, public safety, or law enforcement, including senior leadership roles.
• Demonstrated success leading in multicultural and international environments, preferably within higher education or mission-driven institutions.
• Expertise in behavioral threat assessment, enterprise risk management, emergency planning (NIMS / ICS), and community policing.
• Deep understanding of higher education dynamics, student affairs integration, and community safety models

Preferred Experience :

• Certified Emergency Manager (CEM), Certified Protection Professional (CPP), or equivalent.
• FEMA / NIMS ICS Certification (100 800 level).
• Internal Affairs, Clery Act, or relevant Title IX policy experience is an advantage.
• Bilingual fluency in English and Arabic is highly desirable
• Must be well versed in quality data collection to ensure adequacy, accuracy and legitimacy of data in NYU systems and be able to strictly follow data privacy and security procedures for data handling and analysis to ensure adherence to legal and institutional standards.

Other Information About NYUAD

NYU Abu Dhabi is a degree-granting research university with a fully integrated liberal arts and science undergraduate program in the Arts, Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, and Engineering. NYU Abu Dhabi, NYU New York, and NYU Shanghai, form the backbone of NYU s global network university, an interconnected network of portal campuses and academic centers across six continents that enable seamless international mobility of students and faculty in their pursuit of academic and scholarly activity. This global university represents a transformative shift in higher education, one in which the intellectual and creative endeavors of academia are shaped and examined through an international and multicultural perspective. As a major intellectual hub at the crossroads of the Arab world, NYUAD serves as a center for scholarly thought, advanced research, knowledge creation, and sharing, through its academic, research, and creative activities.