Director Community Safety

Position Title: Director of Community Safety

Location: Wilmington, NC (In Office)

Position Type: Full-Time, Permanent

Position Overview: The New Hanover Community Endowment (the Endowment) is seeking a dynamic, results-driven, and forward-thinking Director of Community Safety to shape and lead our public safety initiatives, strengthen community trust, foster collaborative approaches to problem-solving, and drive positive and lasting community change. The Director will be responsible for overseeing and deploying the Endowment’s community safety-focused strategies, thought leadership, grantmaking, partnerships, initiatives, and program development, ensuring coordination with the Endowment’s other strategic pillars in social & health equity, education, and community development.

Reporting directly to the Vice President of Programs and Grants, the new Director of Community Safety will be an experienced leader and relationship builder who demonstrates a commitment to community change and creating a safer, equitable community for all residents which fosters understanding and respect for the rule of law. The Director will build and oversee a portfolio of grants and other investments, and work closely with internal functional areas, including our Community Engagement, and Research and Impact teams, and external partners to foster innovative and evidence-based solutions that promote community safety.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership; Grants and Programs Execution and Oversight

• Provide intellectual leadership to define and refine the Endowment’s theory of investment in community safety in New Hanover County.
• Lead the development, implementation, and refinement of community safety-focused strategies to improve public safety outcomes across New Hanover County, in alignment with the Endowment’s mission and strategic framework focused on impact. Measure and narrow or eliminate differences in impact between the majority of citizens and marginalized persons.
• Lead the development, deployment, and management of a diverse grants portfolio, encompassing small community, capacity-building, operating, strategic, project, capital, and social impact grants, aimed at promoting community safety.
• Collaborate with the Directors of Social & Health Equity, Education, and Community Development to identify opportunities for cross-pillar thought leadership, grants, partnerships, and initiatives.
• Identify emerging trends, key challenges, and opportunities to inform the Endowment’s grantmaking and programmatic priorities.
• Stay informed on local, state, and national policy and advocacy issues relating to law enforcement, community violence prevention, mental health, criminal justice, criminology, corrective or restorative justice that affect the Endowment’s community safety initiatives, or the field more broadly, and could inform the Endowment’s related strategies and grantmaking and programmatic priorities.
• Leverage philanthropic tools, identify funding partners, and consider recommendations for social impact investment opportunities to magnify impact on community safety.
• Promote evidence-based practices and scalable models.
• Collaborate with the Vice President of Research and Impact to establish metrics for success and ensure portfolio effectiveness through data-driven insights and continuous improvement.
• Manage portfolio budget effectively, ensuring transparent resource allocation to achieve desired outcomes.
• Present grant and program recommendations to the Vice President of Programs and Grants, senior leadership and the Endowment’s board as needed; negotiate grant agreements; oversee the management of portfolio grants, including reviewing letters of inquiry and applications, conducting due diligence and site visits, and monitoring the status and performance of grants; contribute to the ongoing maintenance of the Endowment’s grants database, grant files, and other grant-related records; prepare briefs and impact reports focused on impact.
• Ability and willingness to pivot to support other pillars’ grant reviews as directed by the Vice President of Programs and Grants.
• Additional duties as may be assigned from time to time by the Vice President of Programs and Grants or the President and CEO.

Cross-Sector Collaboration and Community Engagement

• Serve as a key ambassador for the Endowment’s community safety priorities, representing the organization in community safety-related departments, coalitions, task forces, and public forums, and promoting the Endowment’s leadership in fostering safer, more resilient communities.
• Build and nurture strong relationships with community stakeholders, including residents, local leaders, law enforcement, service providers, philanthropic leaders, and community-based organizations to advance the Endowment’s community safety initiatives.
• Facilitate collaboration across all sectors to seek comprehensive solutions for building community trust and creating safe and resilient communities.
• In collaboration with the Community Engagement team, work with the Endowment’s Community Advisory Council to gather input, prioritize community safety needs, and ensure transparency in decision-making related to community safety-related funding.
• Represent the Endowment in meetings with governmental, philanthropic, business and nonprofit leaders to influence policy, funding, and support for community safety initiatives.

Team Leadership and Development

• Build, lead, and inspire partners and staff dedicated to the Endowment’s community safety efforts.
• Help foster a collaborative, inclusive, and results-oriented culture within the Programs and Grants team.
• As the community safety team grows, mentor and develop team members to ensure professional growth and high performance.
• Collaborate with cross-pillar and cross-functional teams to ensure that community safety programs are well-integrated with the Endowment’s overall strategies and initiatives to accelerate impact.
• Drive data-driven decision-making and continuously improve programs based on grant performance, evaluation findings and community feedback.

Communication and Reporting

• Regularly update the Vice President of Programs and Grants and senior leadership on the status and impact of the Endowment’s community safety portfolio.
• Support the Endowment’s communications team in sharing the story of the Endowment’s impact on community safety, including developing reports, presentations, and case studies.
• Ensure that the Endowment’s community safety-related messaging aligns with the organization’s brand and mission.

Qualifications

• At least 10 years of experience in community safety, disaster mitigation or recovery, criminal justice, community organizing, law enforcement, or related fields. Experience in community-based safety models such as restorative justice, violence interruption, and mental health response systems preferred. A deep understanding or demonstrated commitment to ensuring that community safety initiatives enable and protect marginalized populations and law enforcement personnel. Knowledge of public policy related to criminal justice reform at the local, state, and national levels.
• Proven track record of ability to lead, guide and inspire teams and individuals at all levels, leveraging influence rather than formal authority when applicable.
• Strong strategic and analytical abilities to drive innovation and scale impact.
• Demonstrated experience in cross-sector collaboration, including working with community stakeholders, local government, law enforcement, and social service organizations to address public safety challenges and build trust.
• Strong awareness of and respect for cultural differences and a commitment to creating safe and thriving communities.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to present complex information and engage diverse community members and key partners effectively.
• Strong executive presence with the ability to earn trust and respect across diverse interests and points of view.
• Advanced degree in a relevant field (e.g., public administration, criminal justice, social work, public health, nonprofit management), or commensurate experience in community safety leadership or community safety-related philanthropy.

Other Attributes

• A passion for making a tangible positive impact on the community’s wellbeing and a fervent desire to address disparities and create safer, more inclusive environments for everyone.
• Strong emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills
• Results-driven, with a focus on achieving measurable improvements in New Hanover County.
• Familiarity with the New Hanover County area and a commitment to understanding the unique challenges and opportunities in the region will be a plus.

To Apply

Send your cover letter and resume to careers@theendowment.org and add “Community Safety Director” to the RE line. No recruiters’ fees will be paid or solicited for this position. We regret that the volume of applications will prevent us from the courtesy of individual acknowledgment. Candidates who progress in review will be contacted directly.

The New Hanover Community Endowment welcomes applications from people of all cultures, backgrounds, and experiences, and values having a diverse staff. Employment opportunities are based upon individual capabilities and qualifications without regard to age, color, disability, marital or parental status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status or any other legally protected status as established under law.