Deputy Director, Field Safety & Security

This is a Full Time Job

OVERVIEW

Intro to Position

NPR is seeking a seasoned professional to help ensure the safety of NPR’s journalists around the globe. The successful applicant for this critical role will be the Senior Director for Field Safety and Security’s deputy, and will help secure the physical, online and emotional safety and security of NPR’s journalists and those who support them in the field, including in hostile environments from warzones and civil conflicts to locations with varying degrees of rule of law. The successful applicant will also play an important role in promoting journalists’ digital hygiene and device security, while proactively helping identify, track, triage and address online risks, threats and harassment.

This is an NPR editorial role covered under the terms of the NPR Ethics Handbook. All editorial staff are bound by this guidance. Editorial staff are defined as staff members who play a role in shaping the journalistic or creative direction of NPR's content, including events.

Responsibilities
• Support Senior Director for Field Safety and Security in 24/7/365 global function keeping NPR journalists, freelancers and support staff around the world safe
• Serve as the designated Deputy to the Senior Director, Field Safety & Security
• Conduct risk assessments and develop mitigation strategies for domestic and international journalism assignments
• Draft and maintain security protocols, emergency response plans, and Cybersecurity Handbook updates.
• Advise desks, shows and individual correspondents on all security-related matters around deployments and assignments
• Lead pre-assignment security briefings and manage 24/7 global check-ins during field coverage
• Help plan and execute hostile environment training sessions, digital hygiene webinars, and ad hoc safety training for editorial staff
• Hire and supervise deployments of third-party security advisors in high-risk environments and provide direct support to field teams
• Help identify, track, triage and address online risks, threats and harassment with the support of third-party vendors
• Provide staff with cybersecurity, device safety and online safety support
• Manage global inventory and lifecycle of personal protective equipment, including procurement, maintenance and vendor relationships

The above duties and responsibilities are not an exhaustive list of required responsibilities, duties and skills. Other duties may be assigned, and this job description can be modified at any time.

Minimum Qualifications
• 10 years of hands-on experience in high-risk or hostile environments such as journalism, military service, international development, field security or related risk and threat analysis work
• Solid understanding of the unique threats, risks and security concerns journalists face in domestic and international environments
• International field experience
• Strong communication and organizational skills, including comfort with cross-functional coordination
• Familiarity with PPE use, maintenance, tracking and high-risk safety protocols
• Proficiency in cybersecurity and digital hygiene fundamentals, and online risk mitigation strategies
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Demonstrated interest in political and international news
• Ability to work under time pressure and multi-task in high-stress, fast-paced environments across time zones
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Strong attention to detail

Preferred Qualifications
• Prior experience supporting editorial teams or media organizations
• Training in high-risk travel logistics, emergency first aid, hostile environment preparation or emergency planning
• Experience running training sessions for adults
• Language skills other than English
• Experience supporting people with compassion during traumatic or high-stress situations

Education Requirements
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in work experience

Work Location
• Remote Permitted: This is a remote permitted role. This role is based out of our Washington, DC office but the employee may choose to work on a remote basis from a location that NPR approves. You will have the option of working (a) remotely from a location of your choosing within the United States that is supported by NPR; (b) on-site at an NPR facility, based on the availability of desks and approval from NPR; or (c) a combination of both. Regardless of where you choose to work from, you may be expected to travel to other locations from time to time to perform the duties of your position.
• The position will be US-based, but we are open to individual conversations about working from either Dubai or the UK.

Work Type
• This is a full time, exempt position.

Compensation

Salary Range: The US-based anticipated salary range for this opportunity is $125,000-$140,000 plus benefits. The range displayed reflects the minimum and maximum salaries NPR expects to provide for new hires for the position across all US locations.

Benefits: NPR offers access to comprehensive benefits for employees and dependents. Regular, full-time employees scheduled to work 30 hours or more per week are eligible to enroll in NPR’s benefits options. Benefits include access to health and wellness, paid time off, and financial well-being. Plan options include medical, dental, vision, life/ accidental death and dismemberment, long-term disability, short-term disability, and voluntary retirement savings to all eligible NPR employees.

Does this sound like you? If so, we want to hear from you.

The range displayed reflects the minimum and maximum salaries NPR expects to provide for new hires for the position across all US locations.

NPR Pay Range

$125,000 - $140,000 USD


If you are a person with a disability needing assistance with the application process, please reach out to employeerelations@npr.org.

You may read NPR’s privacy policy to learn about how NPR may handle information you submit with any application.

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