The Senior Director, Security provides strategic and operational leadership for Virgin Galactic's enterprise security function to deliver on our mission with uncompromising commitment to safety. This leader is responsible for protecting our teammates, astronauts, guests, facilities, and critical assets while enabling safe, secure, and seamless operations across our aerospace manufacturing facilities, spaceflight operations, and corporate locations.
Operating at the intersection of enterprise risk, human spaceflight, and premium astronaut experience, this role translates complex security challenges into practical, risk-based solutions. The Senior Director establishes a proactive security culture, builds organizational capability, and ensures security is integrated into every stage of operational planning and execution.
Success requires exceptional judgment, disciplined execution, discretion, and the ability to balance robust protective measures with an environment that inspires trust, confidence, and a welcoming experience.
Responsibilities- Define and lead Virgin Galactic's enterprise security strategy, establishing consistent standards, policies, governance, and accountability across all company locations and operations.
- Build and develop a high-performing security organization with the expertise, operational discipline, and readiness required to support commercial human spaceflight.
- Establish a proactive, intelligence-led approach to identifying, assessing, prioritizing, and mitigating security risks.
- Partner with executive leadership, Astronaut Operations, Flight Operations, Enterprise Risk, Legal, People, IT, and Facilities to integrate security into business decisions and operational planning.
- Establish meaningful performance measures and provide executive leadership with clear assessments of security posture, operational readiness, emerging threats, and corrective actions.
- Lead security planning and execution across spaceflight missions, astronaut training, expedition activities, and associated ground operations at Spaceport America.
- Ensure security readiness is integrated into mission planning, operational reviews, rehearsals, and post-mission assessments.
- Oversee the Spaceflight Expedition Readiness Review program for prospective astronauts, ensuring appropriate screening, risk assessment, confidentiality, and escalation.
- Develop coordinated security plans across astronaut accommodations, ground transportation, training facilities, guest activities, and spaceport operations.
- Partner closely with the Astronaut Office and Astronaut Experience teams to deliver security that is rigorous yet discreet, building astronaut confidence without compromising the quality or personal nature of the experience.
- Anticipate operational security needs as flight cadence increases, ensuring the organization, systems, and service partners are prepared to scale.
- Direct physical security across corporate offices, aerospace manufacturing facilities, hangars, warehouses, and operational sites.
- Establish risk-based protection standards for personnel, facilities, critical infrastructure, intellectual property, and company assets.
- Oversee access control, surveillance, visitor management, alarm systems, and other physical security infrastructure.
- Lead periodic site security assessments, inspections, and mitigation planning, ensuring identified risks have accountable owners and timely resolution.
- Integrate security considerations into new facility development, infrastructure changes, operational expansion, and asset protection planning.
- Maintain strong working relationships with law enforcement, emergency response organizations, and relevant government agencies.
- Lead an intelligence-informed security program that identifies emerging threats and enables proactive risk mitigation.
- Oversee threat assessment, insider threat, workplace violence prevention, and management of persons of concern, with appropriate confidentiality and escalation.
- Direct executive protection and security planning for Board activities, high-profile visitors, international travel, corporate events, and other sensitive engagements.
- Ensure protective measures are proportionate to risk, professionally delivered, and appropriately integrated into business and guest-facing activities.
- Provide timely, actionable intelligence and recommendations to senior leadership.
- Lead the security response to incidents and contribute to enterprise crisis management and business continuity planning.
- Establish clear incident command interfaces, escalation protocols, communication procedures, and response accountability.
- Develop and validate security readiness through realistic exercises, operational simulations, and coordinated response training.
- Partner with Flight Operations, Safety, People, Facilities, and external response agencies to ensure integrated incident response.
- Promote a culture of continuous improvement through disciplined incident reviews, lessons learned, and verified corrective actions.
- Own security budgets, resource planning, investment priorities, and vendor performance.
- Build risk-based business cases for security investments, balancing operational requirements, effectiveness, and financial discipline.
- Establish clear performance expectations and accountability for contracted security providers and specialist partners.
- Ensure security resources, systems, and organizational capabilities evolve in line with Virgin Galactic's operational needs.
Required Skills and Experience- 12+ years of experience with significant progressive leadership experience in corporate security, protective operations, law enforcement, military security, or related disciplines, including responsibility for complex, multi-site operations.
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
- Demonstrated ability to establish enterprise security strategy while maintaining hands-on accountability for operational execution.
- Proven success building and leading high-performing teams, developing organizational capability, and managing external security partners.
- Broad expertise across physical security, intelligence and threat assessment, executive protection, incident response, and crisis management.
- Experience operating in complex, high-consequence environments where safety, security, operational continuity, and disciplined execution are essential.
- Strong executive presence, sound judgment, and demonstrated ability to make risk-based decisions under pressure.
- Excellent cross-functional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
- Strong financial and commercial acumen, including budget management, vendor oversight, and investment prioritization.
- Demonstrate willingness to adjust thinking and behavior.
- Ability to communicate in a manner that is timely, respectful, and open to other ideas.
Preferred Skills and Experience- Experience in aerospace, aviation, critical infrastructure, or other safety-critical operational environments.
- Experience supporting high-profile individuals, premium customer experiences, and complex events.
- Relevant professional security certifications, such as Certified Protection Professional (CPP) or Physical Security Professional (PSP).
- Experience scaling security operations in a dynamic, evolving business environment.
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The annual U.S. base salary range for this full-time position is $154,900.00-$247,750.00. The base pay actually offered will vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, location, and experience and take into account internal equity. Other forms of pay (e.g., bonus or long term incentive) may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and other benefits, dependent on the position offered. For more information regarding Virgin Galactic benefits, please visit https://vgcareers.virgingalactic.com/global/en/benefits
