Senior Security Manager

Job Summary

The King County Housing Authority (KCHA) is seeking a Senior Security Manager (SSM) to provide operational leadership for safety and security operations organization-wide. Reporting to the Vice President of Safety and Security, the SSM is responsible for managing complex security operations, leading incident and threat response, overseeing physical security technologies and projects, and supporting agency-wide and community-based safety initiatives.

This position is based at KCHA’s Central Office in Tukwila, Washington, and requires occasional after-hours availability to support emergency response and critical incidents.

The King County Housing Authority 

King County Housing Authority (KCHA), an independent municipal organization, is a high performing nationally recognized leader in affordable housing. To learn more about KCHA and our Mission visit this link. 

Please note this position is open until filled; however, to ensure consideration applications should be received by May 19, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. 

Essential Functions

Core Operational Leadership

• Provide operational leadership for KCHA’s enterprise safety and security program, ensuring consistent standards, governance, and execution across Central Office and KCHA properties.
• Oversee day-to-day safety and security operations, including guard force oversight, security vendor management, and field-level support for site-specific and emergent needs.

Team & Vendor Management

• Provide direct supervision to assigned staff, including the Site Security Lead, and indirect oversight of contracted security services; establish performance expectations, conduct performance evaluations, and support professional development.
• Oversee security-related contracts, vendor performance, invoice review, and contribute to security budget planning and resource allocation.

Physical Security & Projects

• Serve as the operational owner of KCHA’s physical security technology ecosystem, including video surveillance, access control, key management, mobile applications, audits, and lawful access governance.
• Act as project manager for security integration and safety enhancement initiatives, coordinating with internal teams, vendors, and integrators to plan and deliver upgrades in occupied, public-facing environments.
• Partner with internal teams and law enforcement to apply Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles in site planning, renovations, and environmental design.

Incident Management, Analysis & Reporting

• Oversee KCHA’s safety and security incident reporting program, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, quality control, and defensibility.
• Analyze incident and threat data to identify trends, emerging risks, and resource needs; use findings to inform deployment strategies and coordinated responses.
• Prepare incident summaries, trend analyses, and performance metrics for leadership, executive briefings, and Board of Commissioners presentations.

Threat Assessment & Emergency Coordination

• Lead KCHA’s Threat Assessment Group, convening stakeholders and external partners during security escalations and credible threats.
• Ensure compliance with approved charters, documentation standards, privacy requirements, and follow-through actions.
• Provide on-site support and serve as the operational on-call lead during critical incidents and after-hours emergencies.
• Coordinate closely with Emergency Preparedness, People & Culture, Risk Management, Compliance, and Training to align threat, safety, training, and emergency response programs.

Qualifications and Competencies

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree AND
• Considerable experience overseeing and coordinating safety and/or security operations including incident management and coordinated response OR
• An equivalent combination of experience and education that provides the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 

• Prior law enforcement or public safety experience is preferred

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Understands technical aspects of the position and continuously builds knowledge, keeping up to date on the substantive and procedural aspects of the position including the ability to:
  • Proficiency in utilizing security equipment and systems.
  • Proficiency in emergency management procedures, including the NIMS Incident Command System.
  • Proficiency in collecting and analyzing threat intelligence.
  • Skill in reviewing, assessing, and making security recommendations.
  • Ability to read and interpret floor plans and site layouts.
• Experience supervising staff including coaching and mentoring to support employees in achieving Authority and individual goals; demonstrated ability to provide strong leadership in a dynamic, highly regulated work environment.
  • Proven success in building productive and engaged work teams with a focus on mentoring and nurturing staff development.
• Ability to plan, organize, and control projects, ensuring efficient utilization of technical and administrative resources to achieve project objectives.
• Skilled in effective self-management practices and ability to manage multiple concurrent projects, groups, or activities, making effective judgments as to prioritizing and time allocation.
• Clearly and effectively communicates both verbally and in writing by actively listening and sharing relevant information.
  • Ability to compose and prepare correspondence; demonstrates strong proofreading and editing skills;
  • Ability to create informative presentations using PowerPoint and digital reports.
  • Ability to understand, interpret and explain difficult materials with complicated information that may contain excerpts from regulatory and/or legal documents to all levels of the organization. 
• Cultural sensitivity and competency, which is essential in serving economically disadvantaged, diverse populations, including homeless and special needs households, with a particular focus on households that often fall through the community-based safety net.
• Effective interpersonal skills with the ability to work collaboratively to garner the trust, respect, and confidence from others; can be relied upon to achieve excellent results; ability to work effectively under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
• A collaborative team member who is also a strong leader with well-developed organizational and time management skills; ability to develop effective working relationships; works cooperatively, exchanges ideas, and addresses issues in a constructive manner. 
• Demonstrated skill with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, Access, Project and Outlook).

Special Requirements:

Consent to and pass a driver's and criminal records background check.

Must possess a valid driver's license in order to travel regularly to KCHA sites as required.

Obtain National Incident Management System (NIMS) Incident Command System (ICS) certification within one year of hire.

Position Information and Application Process

Application Requirements:
To be considered for this opportunity, you must:

• Complete the online application profile in its entirety.
• Upload a cover letter that addresses how your experience and education qualifies you to perform the essential functions listed in the job announcement. (Cover Letter)
• Upload a detailed résumé of all educational and professional experience. (Résumé)

Salary & Benefits:
The salary range is $108,738.15 to $152,233.00 with a midpoint of $130,485.58. New hires typically receive between minimum and midpoint; however, we may go slightly higher based on experience, internal equity and market. Salary is negotiable. Performance based merit increase opportunities and Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA) are reviewed on an annual basis. A comprehensive health care benefits package for you and your dependents includes medical, dental and vision insurance, life and long-term disability insurance plans, vacation, sick and personal leave, tuition reimbursement, and retirement benefits are also available. For more details regarding KCHA comprehensive benefits, please visit our benefits page.

Work Environment:
Incumbent(s) must be able to meet the physical requirements of the classification and have mobility, balance, coordination, vision, hearing and dexterity levels appropriate to the functions performed. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
 
After initial onboarding, depending upon the work assignment, this role will have the opportunity for a hybrid work schedule in accordance with the KCHA's flexible work arrangements; however, remote work conditions will be reviewed on a regular basis based on business and program need. The ability to report to the Central Office in Tukwila will be required. Some local travel may be required to support KCHA business needs.

Physical Requirements:
This work requires the occasional exertion of up to 25 pounds of force; work regularly requires sitting, speaking or hearing, using hands to finger, handle or feel and repetitive motions and occasionally requires standing, walking, climbing or balancing, reaching with hands and arms and pushing or pulling; work has standard vision requirements; vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word and conveying detailed or important instructions to others accurately, loudly or quickly; hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels and to receive detailed information through oral communications and/or to make fine distinctions in sound; work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data, operating machines and observing general surroundings and activities; work occasionally requires exposure to outdoor weather conditions; work is generally in a moderately noisy location (e.g. business office, light traffic).

Equal Opportunity:
King County Housing Authority is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.