School Safety Section

Phoenix Location

Salary: $65,000 - $71,000 

Grade: 21

Closing Date: 03/18/2025

• The School Preparedness Specialist is responsible for providing programmatic coordination, development, implementation, and planning of the School Preparedness Program.
• The School Preparedness Program supports school communities statewide in promoting safe and effective learning environments that account for the needs of the whole school community through all phases of emergency management, including the mental and physical well-being and safety of students. Frequent in-state and out-of-state travel is required for this position.

• Develop and implement the annual work plan and allowable activities to ensure achievement of program deliverables and agency goals
• Evaluate and report on program activity progress, quarterly budget, and work plan updates
• Develop and revise guidance documents and resources to support best practices in emergency planning, preparedness, response, and recovery
• Develop, coordinate, and facilitate training and workforce development programs for school-level and organization-level personnel on emergency operations planning
• Develop and oversee processes for data collection
• Collaborate with partner agencies to drive priority initiatives and coordinate the School Preparedness Advisory Council
• Synthesize and evaluate needs and trends in K-12 school safety and emergency preparedness across Arizona to include related reporting to promote safe Arizona schools; oversee processes for data collection
• Respond to technical assistance requests from schools across Arizona on the development and implementation of effective school/district emergency operations plans
• Collaborate with key partners to align activities with priority focus areas in support of school preparedness and emergency operations planning through regional school safety and emergency preparedness consortia

Knowledge in:
• School emergency preparedness program development, implementation, and evaluation
• Evidence-based practices in comprehensive school safety to include prevention, intervention, and post-vention strategies
• Multi-tiered systems of support
• Laws and policies pertaining to school safety
• Adult learning techniques, methods, and instructional strategies for in-person and virtual trainings
• A Bachelor's degree in Public Safety, Public Health, Education, School Psychology, Social Work, School Counseling, Nursing, or related field of study, or equivalent experience to substitute for the degree, is required

Skills in:
• Training adult learners
• Facilitation of meetings with diverse stakeholders
• Organizational, time-management, and multiple project/task management
• Interpersonal
• Presentation
• Oral and written communication
• Intermediate skills in using Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

Ability to:
• Communicate with a variety of stakeholders including educators, administrators, state agencies, law enforcement personnel, and the public
• Operate successfully in a team environment
• Guide and support Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and schools in designing, implementing, and evaluating effective school safety systems
• Absorb technical, specialized knowledge related to school safety
• Research and draw meaning from public laws and rules

Preference will be given to those applicants with:
• A Master's Degree in Public Safety, Public Health, Public Administration, Educational Leadership, School Psychology, Social Work, School Counseling, Nursing, or related field of study
• Experience supporting or directing school safety within a K-12 school or district

• (Early Childhood positions) Applicants must have a valid Arizona Fingerprint Clearance Card or the ability to obtain one prior to employment start date.
• Offers are contingent upon successful completion of all background and reference checks, required documents and, if applicable, a post-offer medical/physical evaluation.

If this position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job to conduct State business, then the following requirements apply: Driver’s License Requirements.

All newly hired State employees are subject to and must successfully complete the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).

The State of Arizona provides an excellent comprehensive benefits package including:

• Affordable medical, dental, life, and short-term disability insurance plans
• Top-ranked retirement and long-term disability plans
• Ten paid holidays per year
• Vacation time accrued at 4.00 hours bi-weekly for the first 3 years
• Sick time accrued at 3.70 hours bi-weekly
• Paid Parental Leave-Up to 12 weeks per year paid leave for newborn or newly-placed foster/adopted child (pilot program).
• Deferred compensation plan
• Wellness plans

Learn more about the Paid Parental Leave pilot program here. For a complete list of benefits provided by The State of Arizona, please visit our benefits page

You will be required to participate in the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) upon your 27th week of employment, subject to waiting period. On or shortly after, your first day of employment you will be provided with enrollment instructions and effective date.

The State of Arizona is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation such as a sign language interpreter or an alternative format by calling (602) 542-3186 or emailing Human.Resources@azed.gov. Requests should be made as early as possible to allow sufficient time to arrange the accommodation.