Recruitment Period: 06/18/2026- Until Filled

Status: Full-Time, 40 hours/week

Salary Information: Annual Minimum Salary-$102,700-Annual Maximum Salary-$174,600

Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU) does not sponsor employment visas. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire and for the duration of their employment with PNWU. Employment eligibility will be verified in accordance with federal law.

Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU) was founded as a 501(c) (3) non-profit medical institution in 2005 aimed at increasing access to health care in medically underserved areas of the Pacific Northwest.

The University currently offers the degrees of Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Doctor of Dental Medicine, Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences, and Master of Science in Occupational Therapy enrolling over 550 students annually. Interprofessional education partnerships with other universities adds another 100 students to the population. The campus includes 300 employees with academic programming spread over a five-state region.

PNWU is located in Yakima, WA, a city of approximately 95,000 located in the south-central part of the state near the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains in a major agricultural and outdoor recreation region. It is approximately 140 miles from Seattle, 170 miles from Portland, and 200 miles from Spokane. The Yakima Valley is a wonderful place to live, work and play. For more information, visit https://www.visityakima.com/.

General Summary:

The Director of Emergency Planning and Resiliency provides strategic and operational leadership for all aspects of emergency preparedness, campus safety, and physical security at PNWU. This role develops and sustains a comprehensive emergency preparedness and safety program that supports a secure, resilient, and welcoming environment for students, faculty, staff, and visitors. The Director serves as the University’s senior authority on campus emergency, safety and risk mitigation, overseeing security services, emergency preparedness, threat assessment processes, regulatory compliance, and coordination with external public safety partners.

The Director serves as PNWU's primary liaison to local law enforcement, fire departments, and emergency management agencies, and ensures the University's readiness to respond effectively to a broad range of safety and emergency scenarios. The role requires availability to respond in person to campus emergencies and after-hours calls, including evenings, weekends, and holidays, and regular presence across campus outside of standard business hours as needed.

The Director reports to the Vice President of Operations, serves as the senior security authority on campus, and advises executive leadership on risk mitigation, emergency and safety strategy, and operational readiness. The Director works collaboratively across the institution, supporting PNWU's commitment to a campus culture where every member of the community feels safe, respected, and cared for.

Essential Job Functions:

Duties an employee must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation.

• Oversee daily campus emergency and safety operations including patrols, access control, monitoring, incident response, visible campus presence, and supervision of security personnel and vendor performance while serving as the primary point of contact for security matters, including after-hours coordination; manage campus security technology systems such as CCTV, alarms, badge and key control, and emergency notification platforms (e.g., Rave Mobile Safety); and conduct regular safety assessments and audits, ensuring timely review of incident reports, trend monitoring, and appropriate follow-up, escalation, and mitigation strategies. Foster a campus safety culture grounded in care, dignity, and trust through an accessible, engaged presence with students, faculty, and staff, modeling values-based leadership that reflects PNWU's mission of service and commitment to an inclusive community.

• Provide strategic leadership for campus emergency response, safety, and security by setting long-range direction and developing, implementing, and maintaining training, policies, procedures, and standard operating guidelines that reflect best practices in higher education safety and align with PNWU's institutional values; align programs and policies with institutional priorities, accreditation standards, and best practices, while establishing performance metrics to drive continuous improvement and overseeing the safety budget, contracted services, and investments in safety and security technology and infrastructure.

• Serve as PNWU's emergency planning lead: develop, maintain, and annually update the Emergency Operations Plan and continuity procedures in alignment with FEMA guidance and the National Incident Management System; coordinate campus-wide emergency drills, tabletop exercises, and preparedness activities (including earthquake, hostile intruder, fire, and other all-hazards scenarios); and serve as the primary operational coordinator during critical incidents in collaboration with the President's Cabinet and Emergency Response Team.

• Collaborate with Facilities to address environmental and physical security needs including access control, lighting, and infrastructure enhancements while providing safety and security input for campus planning, construction, and renovation projects, and serving as the primary liaison with local law enforcement, fire, medical, and emergency management agencies.

• Ensure institutional compliance with applicable local, state, and federal safety regulations and standards including the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, completing all Daily Crime Log, Annual Security Report, emergency notifications, and required disclosures. Oversee security reporting, policy updates, and audit readiness.

• Design and deliver a comprehensive campus training and education program for students, faculty, and staff covering de-escalation techniques, hostile intruder/active threat response, earthquake and other natural disaster preparedness, fire and evacuation procedures, and general emergency response protocols; develop training materials, schedules, and tracking systems, and regularly evaluate and update curriculum to reflect current best practices and emerging threats.

• Advice the Vice President of Operations and senior leadership on emerging safety trends, shifts in the risk landscape, and institutional needs.

• Assist with budget planning, resource allocation, purchasing, and vendor oversight related to safety and security operations.

• Performs other related duties as assigned and based on departmental need.

Standard Institutional Requirements :

• Performs job duties in accordance with safety, legal, and regulatory requirements; University policy and procedures; and accepted business practices.

• Acts with the highest level of professional ethical standards in all aspects of job performance, in accordance with the mission and values of PNWU.

• Understands and adheres to accreditation standards and expectations specific to the department.

Education:

• Required: Bachelor’s Degree in criminal justice, public safety, emergency management, public administration, or closely related field  

Experience:

• Required: Minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible experience in emergency management, campus safety, law enforcement, or institutional security with at least three years in supervisory or leadership role

• Required: Experience participating in threat assessment, behavioral intervention or multidisciplinary safety teams

• Preferred: Prior experience conducting emergency management and personal safety training Prior experience in a higher education or health sciences environment

• Preferred: FEMA Professional Development Series certification or equivalent emergency management credential

• Preferred: Experience managing a transition from contracted to in-house security operations

• Preferred: Familiarity with behavioral threat assessment models such as NABITA

Desired Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities:

Demonstrated leadership, independent decision-making, and sound judgment in complex and high-pressure situations; demonstrated experience building, significantly restructuring, or leading substantial change within a safety, security and or emergency planning function; knowledge of Clery Act reporting requirements and campus emergency management frameworks; working knowledge of the Clery Act, NIMS/ICS frameworks, and higher education safety standards; familiarity with behavioral threat assessment models such as NABITA or equivalent; strong skills in managing personnel, schedules, and day-to-day security operations; experience with security technology systems including CCTV, access control, alarms, and emergency notification platforms; ability to remain calm, professional, and decisive in emergency and high-stress situations; strong written and verbal communication skills, including report writing, executive briefings, and campus communications; demonstrated relationship-building skills with law enforcement, fire, and emergency management partners; ability to coordinate effectively across academic, clinical, operational, and student-facing departments; knowledge of risk management, incident investigation, and after-action review practices; strong organizational, problem-solving, and situational awareness skills

To ensure full consideration submit:

• A letter of introduction outlining background and qualifications for the position

• Detailed resume

• Contact information for three professional references

The job announcement above is not the full job description but represents the job responsibilities and requirements. A full job description can be provided upon request.

PNWU offers a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees first of the month following date of hire and competitive salary.

Benefit Package (benefit eligible is at least .5 FTE):

• Health Benefits - Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance
• Paid Time Off
• 403b with Roth Option
• Paid Holidays

For information about life in Yakima visit our PNWU page.

PNWU is a drug-free workplace, equal opportunity employer and educational institution. To request this publication in an alternative format, or to apply in an alternative format, please call Human Resources, 509.452.5100.