Director, Physical Security

EVERWISE CREDIT UNION; United States; On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Everwise Credit Union seeks a Director, Physical Security to lead the strategic vision and governance of the organization’s physical security program across campuses and data centers. You will oversee access control, CCTV/VMS, alarm systems, guard services, incident investigations, and risk management in a regulated financial environment.

You will partner with executive leadership, Legal, Compliance, Fraud, Risk, and Business Continuity teams to ensure regulatory alignment, incident response

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, security management, risk management, or related field.
• 6+ years of progressive physical security experience in financial services or similarly regulated environment.
• Experience leading a team and managing performance.
• Certifications such as CPP or PSP preferred.
• Willingness to travel to assigned sites and respond after hours.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute enterprise physical security strategy aligned with risk posture.
• Establish policies, standards, and procedures for access control, surveillance, and guard operations.
• Provide executive-level reporting on security risks, incidents, and trends.
• Oversee risk assessments, audits, and site security reviews.
• Lead investigations and coordinate with HR, Legal, and law enforcement as required.
• Manage vendor selection, contracts, and performance management.
• Ensure incident response plans and emergency preparedness programs are tested.

Skills

Physical security

Access control

Surveillance systems

Crisis management

Executive communications

Vendor management

Budgeting

Regulatory compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree in criminal justice or related field

Master’s degree preferred

CPP or PSP certification preferred

Tools

CCTV/VMS systems

Intrusion detection systems

Security incident management software

Job description

Position Summary:

The Director, Physical Security is responsible for the strategic vision, leadership, design, risk, and oversight of the organization’s physical security program across all facilities and operations. This role ensures the protection of employees, customers, facilities, and critical assets through effective governance of access controls, surveillance systems, alarms, guard services, investigations, and risk management practices. The Director, Physical Security partners closely with executive leadership, Legal, Compliance, Fraud, Risk, and Business Continuity teams to ensure alignment with regulatory expectations and enterprise risk tolerance within a financial services environment.

Primary Responsibilities & Duties:

Develop and execute the comprehensive enterprise physical security strategy aligned with organizational risk posture and regulatory requirements. Establish and maintain physical security policies, standards, and procedures governing access control, surveillance, alarm systems, and guard operations. Provide executive-level reporting on security risks, incidents, trends, and mitigation efforts. Oversee enterprise-wide physical security risk assessments, vulnerability analyses, and site security audits. Ensure protection of critical infrastructure, cash facilities, data centers, branches, and corporate offices. Partner with Enterprise Risk Management to identify, assess, and mitigate physical security threats. Direct the selection, implementation, governance, and lifecycle management of surveillance (CCTV/VMS), access control, intrusion detection, and alarm monitoring system technologies. Ensure system configurations, retention practices, and monitoring align with legal, privacy, and compliance requirements. Define standards for contract guard services, including post orders, deployment models, performance metrics, and escalation protocols. Oversee vendor selection, contract negotiation, and ongoing performance management. Ensure appropriate staffing models and coverage at high-risk and critical locations. Establish onboarding and ongoing training programs for security personnel, guards, and relevant employees. Promote a culture of security awareness throughout the organization. Lead or oversee internal investigations related to physical security incidents, workplace violence, theft, fraud support activities, and policy violations. Coordinate with HR, Legal, Compliance, Fraud, and law enforcement as required. Ensure incident response plans, crisis management, and emergency preparedness programs are tested and maintained. Assume additional responsibilities as necessary for the continued growth and advancement of the Credit Union.

Knowledge/ Skills:

Deep knowledge of physical security frameworks, industry best practices, and financial institution risk environments. Expertise in access control, surveillance, alarm systems, and security operations center (SOC) functions and technologies. Strong understanding of regulatory expectations, privacy requirements, and evidence-handling standards. Demonstrated leadership in crisis management, investigations, and executive communications. Strong vendor management, contract negotiation, and budgeting skills. Ability to balance risk mitigation with business operations and customer experience. Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills. Proficient with Microsoft Office, Excel, Word, PowerPoint.

Minimum Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, Security Management, Risk Management, or a related field. Master’s preferred 6+ years’ experience progressive physical security experience within a financial institution or similarly regulated environment. 4+years’ experience leading, coaching, developing a team and managing employee performance. Experience managing enterprise security systems and contract guard services. Relevant certifications such as Certified Protection Professional (CPP) or Physical Security Professional (PSP) preferred. Must be able to travel regularly to assigned site locations and respond to after-hours incidents, as needed.

Everwise is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Welcome to Everwise Credit Union Careers! Everwise Credit Union puts people’s needs first, so no matter your story or your money savvy, we meet you where you are and equip you with the confidence and tools you need to get ahead—wherever you’re going. Originally founded as Teachers Credit Union, helping people understand and manage their financial future has always been central to what we do, even as we’ve expanded our community beyond teachers. Today, we serve more than 300,000 members across nearly 60 locations in the heart of the Midwest. Through personalized resources, services, tools and unparalleled access to innovative technology, we help everyone—teenagers to retirees, business leaders to the under‑served—feel more in control of their money and their future. With every interaction, we seek to fulfill our purpose of helping people grow into their dreams. Everwise is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.