Director of Student Safety Investigations

SALARY DETAILS

APPLICATION FILING DATES

December 12th, 2025 - December 29th, 2025

INFORMATION ABOUT LAUSD

We are LAUSD. We are at the forefront of innovation in public education, focused on a clear and inspiring vision of the future for all of our students as they venture forward on their journey as lifelong learners. Here, you will have the opportunity to exercise your potential in a role supporting the business of education. Our work directly contributes toward the goal of ensuring that our students graduate ready for the world – ready to thrive in college, career and life. LAUSD is the second largest school district in the nation with an enrollment of nearly 575,000 students. We serve an area totaling 710 square miles, with over 1,190 schools and educational centers, and we employ over 74,000 individuals, making us one of the largest employers in our city.

LAUSD EMPLOYEES: Please be advised that all LAUSD employees must sign in to the GlobalProtect Virtual Private Network (VPN) in order to submit an application from an external network outside of an LAUSD location. For assistance with installing the GlobalProtect virtual network, please contact Information Technology Services at (213) 443-1300 or (213) 241-5200 or via their page (https://www.lausd.org/helpdesk)

BENEFITS

Insurance: District paid premiums for your choice of several medical, dental, and vision for you and your dependents; and life insurance plans. 

Retirement: Membership in the California Public Employee Retirement System (CalPERS). 

Vacation: 24 days each year. 

Paid Holidays: Up to 13 days

JOB DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

The Director of Student Safety Investigations plans, develops, and directs the operations of the Student Safety Investigations Unit (SSIU) andoversees staff engaged in complex and sensitive investigations of employee misconduct involving students.

Typical duties for this position include:

• Directing, planning, and coordinating employee misconduct investigations involving violations of District policies.
• Directing and overseeing the establishment and effectiveness of policies, guidelines, requirements, and strategies for employee misconduct investigations.
• Ensuring that the investigations are thorough, timely, and conducted with the highest level of integrity and discretion.
• Directing the department in analyzing cases, establishing timelines, gathering and examining evidence, interviewing witnesses or person(s) of interest, and accurately writing the reports.
• Directing and supervising the District’s forensic unit.
• Reviewing all preliminary and final investigative reports, summaries, and statements to ensure compliance with investigative protocols, standards, and guidelines.
• Ensuring the protection, storage, and confidentiality of all documents and information concerning the parties and witnesses involved in investigations consistent with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and Public Records Act (PRA).
• Serving as the District lead in State Audits of Reassigned Employees under investigation for allegations of misconduct.
• Supervising and coordinates the external contracted bench of investigators.
• Coordinating with law enforcement agencies and the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to release information for employee criminal cases.
• Consulting and advising District management and local district and school administrators to resolve discrepancies identified in investigations and improve management and operational controls and procedures.
  
  

The full class description can be found at https://bit.ly/4rTDw50

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Education: Graduation from a recognized college or university with a bachelor’s degree. Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis, provided that the requirement of a high school diploma or evidence of equivalent educational proficiency is met. 

Experience: Five years of experience conducting investigations pertaining to background, fraud, employee misconduct, or abuse in a public agency, including three years of supervisory or management experience. 

Special: A valid driver’s license to legally operate a motor vehicle in the State of California and the use of a motor vehicle. 

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate for Director of Student Safety Investigations is a highly skilled and strategic leader with extensive experience managing and directing complex, sensitive, and high-stakes investigations in a large public-sector environment. This individual brings a deep understanding of investigative procedures, theories, and techniques, along with strong working knowledge of child abuse reporting requirements and the State and federal laws—particularly the Education Code and Government Code—that govern school district operations.

The ideal candidate demonstrates mastery of laws, rules, regulations, court decisions, and legal interpretations related to employee misconduct, as well as familiarity with legal terminology, administrative hearing processes, rules of evidence, and expert witness protocols. They possess a strong grasp of District organizational structures, programs, and operational procedures and employ effective office management methods to support efficient investigative workflows.

This leader excels in setting investigative priorities, assigning and guiding investigative personnel, and ensuring that all casework is conducted with the highest level of accuracy, confidentiality, and professional integrity. They are adept at analyzing and interpreting sensitive and complex data and communicating findings clearly and persuasively—both orally and in writing—to a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders.

The successful candidate will be skilled in developing, interpreting, and implementing regulations, policies, and procedures, as well as creating strategic plans that strengthen investigative processes and promote student safety. They will demonstrate the ability to prepare and supervise the preparation of clear, concise, and conclusive investigative reports while maintaining strong working relationships with District staff, administrators, legal representatives, and the public.

A commitment to public service, sound judgment, strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to maintain strict confidentiality of investigative records are essential qualities for success in this role.

EMPLOYMENT SELECTION PROCESS

The selection process for this position will tentatively consist of a Training and Experience (T&E) evaluation and an interview. In a typical T&E, the education, training, and experience shown on your application materials is evaluated in relation to the background, experience, and competencies identified for successful performance in this job. The T&E process is intended to measure your job-related experience and evaluate your qualifications beyond the minimum requirements. For this reason, it is recommended that your application materials clearly show all of your relevant background and specialized knowledge, skills, and abilities. Also, please make sure you upload a professional resume highlighting relevant education and experience applicable for this position. Please be sure to include correspondence from @lausd.net AND @successfactors.com as approved senders to prevent our correspondence from accidentally being placed into your spam or junk e-mail folder. We anticipate receiving a number of well qualified applicants for this position; therefore, there will be a competitive process. The hiring departments have requested that we proceed with the selection process in an expeditious and timely manner. To honor this request we will be adhering to a pre-planned employment assessment schedule. We encourage you to visit our website, http://www.lausdjobs.org periodically to check for the next recruitment and we encourage you to apply again. For more information about the LAUSD employment assessment process, visit the hiring process section of our website at http://www.lausdjobs.org.

If you have questions regarding the employment selection process, please contact Jessie Leanos at Jessie.Leanos@lausd.net.

APPLICATION PROCESS

DO YOU NEED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WITH THE ON-LINE APPLICATION? Email us at helpmeapply@lausd.net

To find out whether the application deadline has been extended, visit the website at: http://www.lausdjobs.org . The Los Angeles Unified School District intends that all qualified persons shall have equal opportunities for employment and promotion. Reasonable accommodations in completing an application and testing are available to individuals with disabilities. Please call (213) 241-3455 for more information.

ADDITIONAL POSTING INFORMATION

The Los Angeles Unified School District is committed to providing a working and learning environment free from discrimination, harassment, intimidation, abusive conduct, or bullying. The District prohibits discrimination, harassment, intimidation, abusive conduct or bullying based on actual or perceived race or ethnicity, gender/sex (including gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding/lactation status and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, religion, color, national origin (including language use restrictions and possession of a driver’s license issued under Vehicle Code), ancestry, immigration status, physical or mental disability (including clinical depression and bipolar disorder, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, epilepsy, seizure disorder, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and heart disease), medical condition (cancer related and genetic characteristics), military and veteran status, marital status, registered domestic partner status, age (40 and above), genetic information, political belief or affiliation (unless union related), a person's association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law, ordinance, or regulation in any program or activity it conducts or to which it provides significant assistance. For inquiries or complaints contact our Equal Opportunity Section, (213) 241-7685. 

Selection and promotion are based on a competitive employment assessment process. Candidates who pass all parts of the assessment process are placed on a hiring (eligibility) list based on their assessment score. Hiring departments may make job offers to candidates on the top three ranks of the hiring list. Eligibility typically lasts for 12 months. The hiring list resulting from this assessment process may be used to fill open positions in related job classifications. 

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