Role Summary
The Associate Director, Physical Security leads the firm's dedicated physical security function owning physical security standards and programs across the firm's offices - access control, badging, surveillance, workplace safety, crisis management and emergency preparedness, travel risk support, and incident response for physical locations. The Associate Director sets global standards, provides security design input for new and changing offices, leads a small hands-on physical security team, and partners with Workplace Operations and Regional Managers for local execution.
Key Responsibilities
Strategy & Standards- Define global physical-security standards, policies, and programs across all offices
- Establish a risk-based approach to site security, prioritizing by location profile and threat level
- Establish crisis management and emergency/business continuity preparedness expectations, including emergency protocols, crisis coordination, and physical incident response procedures for evacuation, shelter-in-place, and active-threat scenarios
- Partner with Information Security to ensure clear lanes and coordinated response where physical and cyber risks intersect
- Define physical security design standards and provide input for new offices, builds, renovations, and security technology deployments
- Continuously evaluate and propose automation and AI adoption opportunities within physical-security operations, partnering with Global Transformation & Integration on centralized prioritization and delivery
Security Operations- Own access control, badging, visitor management, and surveillance (CCTV) standards and systems
- Lead physical-security incident response, investigations, and escalation management for firm locations
- Monitor workplace violence risk, lead threat assessments, and coordinate appropriate prevention, escalation, and response actions with firm stakeholders
- Coordinate workplace safety, travel risk assessments, and executive support for the Executive Committee (EC) where appropriate
Data, Analytics & Performance- Establish metrics and targets for efficiency, cost, and customer satisfaction across physical-security operations
- Build, monitor, and act on reports and dashboards that track performance and progress against targets, elevating the function's data, analytics, and business-intelligence maturity
- Example metrics:security incident volume and severity, incident response and resolution times, access-control compliance rates, site risk assessments completed, and guarding/technology provider performance
- Use data-driven insights to inform decisions, prioritize improvements, and demonstrate value to firm leadership
Provider & Regional Delivery- Manage guarding and security-technology providers, including performance and service delivery
- Deliver execution regionally in partnership with Workplace Operations and Regional Managers
- Lead a small physical security team with a hands-on operating style, staying actively involved in day-to-day priorities, escalations, and execution
Leadership & Stakeholder Management- Build awareness and training programs to strengthen a security-conscious culture
- Advise firm leadership on physical-security risk and mitigation
- Represent the function with strong executive presence, delivering clear, concise, and executive-ready communications and deliverables
- Co-design the function's detailed target model with the Global Administrative Services Leader
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in security management, criminal justice, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
- 10+ years of corporate physical-security experience, including program leadership
- Experience with access-control, surveillance, incident-response, emergency preparedness, threat-assessment, and travel-risk processes
- Relevant certification (e.g., CPP) a plus
- Strong provider-management, stakeholder-management, and communication skills
- Ability to operate across a multi-site, multi-country footprint
Success Measures
- Consistent physical-security standards implemented across offices
- Effective incident prevention, response, and resolution
- Crisis management, emergency preparedness, workplace violence monitoring, and threat-assessment processes established and regularly exercised
- Strong provider performance and service quality
- Improved security awareness and reduced site risk over time
- Metrics, targets, and dashboards established for efficiency, cost, and customer satisfaction, with demonstrable progress tracked over time
- Automation and AI opportunities identified, proposed, and adopted within the function, in coordination with Global Transformation & Integration
The base salary range for this position is between $152,000 and $228,000. Placement within the pay range is at Grant Thornton's discretion, and it is based on multiple factors, including but not limited to, job -related knowledge/skills, experience, business needs, progression within the role, geographic location, and internal equity. At Grant Thornton, compensation decisions are dependent upon the facts and circumstances of each position and candidate.
