Director of Security & Guest Protection

Job Information We are seeking an experienced and highly polished Director of Security & Guest Protection to lead the security and protective operations program for a confidential, 300+ acre luxury hospitality campus in the Franklin/Brentwood area of Tennessee. This is a high-impact leadership opportunity for someone who understands that exceptional security and exceptional hospitality should go hand in hand. You will be responsible for protecting guests, employees, property, and high-profile visitors while creating a security environment that is discreet, calm, professional, approachable, and reassuring.

The campus includes luxury guest accommodations, private cottages, dining, spa and wellness facilities, event venues, outdoor activities, service roads, remote areas, and 24/7 operations. This role is ideal for a security leader who can confidently operate at the intersection of physical security, executive protection, emergency management, hospitality, and strategic leadership.

What You'll Do

Lead Security Operations: Oversee the property's physical security program, staffing, patrols, access control, risk assessments, SOPs, and security standards while advising senior leadership on risks and priorities. Protect VIP & High-Profile Guests: Lead VIP protection planning and coordinate with executive-protection teams, private staff, transportation providers, and law enforcement while maintaining strict confidentiality and discretion. Manage Events & Continuity: Develop security plans for major events and productions, including access, credentials, transportation, traffic, guest movement, emergency response, and overnight protection.

Lead Emergency Response: Maintain emergency plans for fire, medical emergencies, severe weather, active threats, missing persons, suspicious activity, and other incidents. Lead internal incident command and coordinate with emergency responders. Oversee Investigations: Manage security and safety incidents, preserve evidence, prepare reports, identify root causes, assign corrective actions, and ensure issues are fully resolved.

Manage Security Systems & Vendors: Oversee surveillance, access control, alarms, radios, mass notification, visitor management, and security vendors while partnering with IT, Facilities, and Engineering on system needs. Lead & Develop the Team: Recruit, coach, schedule, train, and develop security professionals while maintaining high standards for professionalism, discretion, de-escalation, guest service, and emergency readiness. Drive Strategy & Accountability: Manage budgets, staffing forecasts, security metrics, training programs, reports, SOPs, and executive communications while turning security trends into preventive improvements.

What We're Looking For

Required Qualifications 8+ years of progressively responsible experience in physical security, protective operations, emergency management, law enforcement, military security, hotel security, corporate security, or a comparable field. 3+ years of leadership experience managing supervisors and multi-shift security operations. Demonstrated responsibility for staffing, performance management, training, incident command, and service delivery.

Experience in a luxury hospitality, private estate, resort, corporate campus, healthcare campus, entertainment venue, mixed-use property, or similarly service-sensitive environment. Experience protecting VIPs, executives, celebrities, public figures, or other high-visibility individuals. Strong experience with emergency planning, incident command, evacuation/shelter operations, fire and life-safety coordination, and emergency drills.

Ability to create professional security plans, SOPs, post orders, incident reports, diagrams, dashboards, and executive presentations. Working knowledge of surveillance systems, access control, key management, alarms, radios, mass notification, visitor management, and security-reporting platforms. Excellent judgment, discretion, written communication, verbal briefing, and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Valid driver's license and ability to meet all applicable background, licensing, and registration requirements. Ability to work on-site with schedule flexibility for evenings, weekends, holidays, VIP stays, major events, critical incidents, and emergencies.

Preferred Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Security Management, Criminal Justice, Emergency Management, Hospitality, Business, or a related field. Equivalent experience may be considered. ASIS CPP, PSP, or comparable professional certification.

FEMA ICS-100, ICS-200, IS-700, and IS-800 training. Current CPR, AED, and First Aid certification. Previous leadership experience in hotels, resorts, private clubs, private estates, executive protection, or high-end event security.

Experience managing security vendors, contracts, budgets, capital requests, and security technology implementations. Tennessee security registration or the ability to obtain it. Armed registration is preferred only if the final position requires carrying a firearm.

The Leadership Style That Will Succeed Here We're looking for a leader who: Protects without creating unnecessary friction in a luxury guest environment. Maintains exceptional discretion and confidentiality. Can turn incomplete information into clear plans, briefings, checklists, and recommendations.

Remains calm and decisive during emergencies and high-pressure events. Builds strong partnerships across Operations, Guest Services, Events, Food & Beverage, Transportation, Facilities, Grounds, People, Finance, and IT. Takes ownership from the initial issue through resolution, verification, documentation, and final closeout.

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