Executive Protection Detail Leader

Vanguard; Malvern (Chester County); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Vanguard seeks an Executive Protection Chief to lead protective operations, ensuring discretion, sound judgment, and trusted relationships with senior leaders and staff. The role demands high-trust communication and operational excellence to enable safe, efficient business activities.

The position oversees protection for the CEO, President, and Managing Directors, coordinating with Global Security, Legal, HR, and Facilities to maintain readiness and incident response capabilities.

Qualifications

• Experience leading protective teams for senior executives in complex environments.
• Strong understanding of advance work, travel security, and emergency response.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team of executive protection professionals supporting senior leaders.
• Oversee daily protective operations, advance planning, secure movements, travel security, event support, and incident response.
• Build trusted relationships with senior executives, assistants, staff, and external security stakeholders.
• Deliver protection services with discretion, professionalism, and minimal business disruption.

Skills

Leadership

Executive protection

Team management

Threat assessment

Communication

Discretion

Job description

The Executive Protection Chief will be responsible for leading protective operations with professionalism, discretion, and sound judgment while building trusted relationships with senior leaders, executive offices, and support staff. The successful candidate must be able to operate in a high-trust environment, communicate effectively, and ensure protection services are delivered in a manner that enables leadership to conduct business safely, efficiently, and with confidence.

Core Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team of executive protection professionals supporting the CEO, President, and Managing Directors.
• Oversee daily protective operations, advance planning, secure movements, travel security, event support, and incident response activities.
• Build, maintain, and strengthen trusted relationships with senior executives, executive assistants, support staff, internal partners, and external security stakeholders.
• Ensure protection services are delivered with discretion, professionalism, confidentiality, and minimal disruption to business activities.
• Develop clear operating expectations, communication protocols, staffing plans, and accountability standards for the Executive Protection team.
• Coordinate with internal partners, including Global Security, Legal, Human Resources, Facilities, Communications, and business continuity teams, as needed.
• Assess risk, threat, vulnerability, travel, and event conditions to determine appropriate protective posture and resource requirements.
• Provide leadership during elevated-risk situations, security incidents, emergencies, and rapidly changing operational conditions.
• Review operational performance, after-action reports, and lessons learned to strengthen team readiness and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years experience in executive protection, corporate security, law enforcement, military protective operations, or a closely related security leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience leading protective teams, managing operational planning, and supporting senior executives in complex environments.
• Strong understanding of executive protection principles, advance work, threat assessment, secure transportation, travel security, event security, and emergency response.
• Proven ability to build trust, maintain confidentiality, and develop strong working relationships with senior leaders and their support staff.
• Excellent communication, judgment, discretion, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to remain flexible and composed while adapting to changing schedules, environments, priorities, and threat conditions.
• Experience coordinating with internal business partners, law enforcement, vendors, and external security providers.
• Relevant executive protection, protective driving, medical, incident command, or security certifications are preferred.

Sponsorship

Vanguard is not offering visa sponsorship for this position.

About Vanguard

At Vanguard, we don't just have a mission—we're on a mission. To work for the long-term financial wellbeing of our clients. To lead through product and services that transform our clients' lives. To learn and develop our skills as individuals and as a team. From Malvern to Melbourne, our mission drives us forward and inspires us to be our best.

How We Work

Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.