Director of Security & Guest Protection

Job Information We are seeking an experienced and highly polished Director of Security & Guest Protection to lead the security and protective operations program for a confidential, 300+ acre luxury hospitality campus in the Franklin/Brentwood area of Tennessee. This is a high-impact leadership opportunity for someone who understands that exceptional security and exceptional hospitality should go hand in hand. You will be responsible for protecting guests, employees, property, and high-profile visitors while creating a security environment that is discreet, calm, professional, approachable, and reassuring. The campus includes luxury guest accommodations, private cottages, dining, spa and wellness facilities, event venues, outdoor activities, service roads, remote areas, and 24/7 operations. This role is ideal for a security leader who can confidently operate at the intersection of physical security, executive protection, emergency management, hospitality, and strategic leadership. What You'll Do Lead Security Operations: Oversee the property's physical security program, staffing, patrols, access control, risk assessments, SOPs, and security standards while advising senior leadership on risks and priorities. Protect VIP & High-Profile Guests: Lead VIP protection planning and coordinate with executive-protection teams, private staff, transportation providers, and law enforcement while maintaining strict confidentiality and discretion. Manage Events & Continuity: Develop security plans for major events and productions, including access, credentials, transportation, traffic, guest movement, emergency response, and overnight protection. Lead Emergency Response: Maintain emergency plans for fire, medical emergencies, severe weather, active threats, missing persons, suspicious activity, and other incidents. Lead internal incident command and coordinate with emergency responders. Oversee Investigations: Manage security and safety incidents, preserve evidence, prepare reports, identify root causes, assign corrective actions, and ensure issues are fully resolved. Manage Security Systems & Vendors: Oversee surveillance, access control, alarms, radios, mass notification, visitor management, and security vendors while partnering with IT, Facilities, and Engineering on system needs. Lead & Develop the Team: Recruit, coach, schedule, train, and develop security professionals while maintaining high standards for professionalism, discretion, de-escalation, guest service, and emergency readiness. Drive Strategy & Accountability: Manage budgets, staffing forecasts, security metrics, training programs, reports, SOPs, and executive communications while turning security trends into preventive improvements. What We're Looking For Required Qualifications 8+ years of progressively responsible experience in physical security, protective operations, emergency management, law enforcement, military security, hotel security, corporate security, or a comparable field. 3+ years of leadership experience managing supervisors and multi-shift security operations. Demonstrated responsibility for staffing, performance management, training, incident command, and service delivery. Experience in a luxury hospitality, private estate, resort, corporate campus, healthcare campus, entertainment venue, mixed-use property, or similarly service-sensitive environment. Experience protecting VIPs, executives, celebrities, public figures, or other high-visibility individuals. Strong experience with emergency planning, incident command, evacuation/shelter operations, fire and life-safety coordination, and emergency drills. Ability to create professional security plans, SOPs, post orders, incident reports, diagrams, dashboards, and executive presentations. Working knowledge of surveillance systems, access control, key management, alarms, radios, mass notification, visitor management, and security-reporting platforms. Excellent judgment, discretion, written communication, verbal br