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Gibson Dunn · 1 month ago

Director, Physical Security - International

New York, United States

Full-time

Onsite

Director/Executive

$210K/yr - $270K/yr

8+ years exp

Gibson Dunn is a leading global law firm, advising clients on significant transactions and disputes. The Director, Physical Security – International will help build and lead a newly created Physical Security department at the firm, serving as the primary architect and operator of the firm’s global physical security posture.

Law Practice

Comp. & Benefits

H1B Sponsor Likely

Responsibilities

Working closely with the US Directors of Administration (DOAs), oversee the firm’s physical access control platform (Brivo), CCTV infrastructure, and 24/7 security operations across all US office locations

Coordinate with the firm’s Human Resources (HR), Office of the General Counsel (OGC), Information Technology (IT) and Info Security (InfoSec) teams to build appropriate system integrations (e.g. access logs tied to employment data)

Provide event-based security planning and real-time response management across all US office locations

Collaborate with Physical Security Technology Lead, the firm’s InfoSec team and OGC, to ensure alignment of physical and cybersecurity policies (e.g., incident response procedures, secure server room access, log correlation)

Participate in cross-functional threat modeling with cybersecurity risk analysts

Coordinate with the firm’s IT department via the Physical Security Technology Lead on hardware and peripheral inventory protection, especially in open-plan or visitor-accessible areas

Develop insider threat response protocols where physical access intersects with data risk

Working closely with Physical Security Technology Lead, Director, Technology Management Solutions (US and Non-US) and the InfoSec team, maintain audit readiness for ISO 27001, SOC 2, and client security assessments related to physical access

Working with the Physical Security Technology Lead and the Director, Technology Management Solutions (US and Non-US), oversee, maintain and evolve the firm’s visitor management system (Maptician) and third-party vendor access procedures

Ensure alignment between Brivo and Maptician, supporting real-time space reservation insights and occupant verification

Lead internal investigations into physical theft, loss, or misconduct incidents

Collaborate with HR, DOAs, OGC, and external agencies when required (law enforcement, building security)

Manage digital forensics coordination with the firm’s InfoSec department when firm devices are involved

Working closely with the firm’s Chief Administrative Officer, build a threat intelligence and early warning program for protests and civil unrest

Working closely with the firm’s Chief Administrative Officer and the local office DOA’s, coordinate lockdown procedures, staff briefings, and emergency law enforcement engagement

Partner with the firm’s HR department and OGC to support protective measures (e.g., stalking or harassment cases)

Working closely with the firm’s Chief Administrative Officer, serve as a primary liaison with the firm’s Business Continuity Planning/Disaster Recovery (BCP/DR) team to ensure operational continuity

In collaboration with the firm’s BCP/DR team, oversee the planning for evacuation, fire, active shooter, bomb threats, and other crisis events

Working closely with the firm’s Chief Administrative Officer and the DOA’s, design and conduct tabletop physical security exercises with local/regional office leadership

In collaboration with the firm’s Chief Administrative Officer, CISO and the Director, Physical Security Non-US, develop and deliver physical security awareness training for attorneys and staff

Build reporting dashboards and analytics to track incidents and readiness

Collaborate with the firm’s IT team, InfoSec team, BCP/DR team and DOA’s to create an integrated security training framework

Working closely with the Travel Manager and the firm’s outside travel vendor, help oversee and evolve the existing travel risk management program

Provide pre-travel briefings and in-trip support for high-risk assignments

Monitor attorney movements and issue alerts for emergent threats

Qualification

Physical Security ManagementCrisis Response PlanningIncident Response ProceduresAccess Control TechnologiesSecurity Program ManagementGlobal Security ExperienceTraining DevelopmentThreat AssessmentEmergency Communication ToolsLegal IndustryDigital Forensics CoordinationTravel Risk ManagementIncident Tracking AnalyticsTabletop ExercisesCPTEDFEMA ICS/NIMSCPP CertificationPSP CertificationLeadership SkillsInterpersonal SkillsConfidentialityAdaptabilityCollaborationTime ManagementCommunication Skills

Required

Excellent interpersonal and leadership skills; ability to brief firm leadership under pressure

Ability to manage multiple concurrent objectives or activities, and effectively make judgments in prioritizing and time allocation in a high-pressure environment

Ability to collaborate with individuals at all levels of the firm and across all locations

Ability to adapt and effectively manage change

Must demonstrate the ability to maintain strict confidentiality of the firm's internal and personnel affairs

Ability to travel as needed

Minimum of eight (8) years of experience in physical security, ideally within legal, corporate, or government settings

Proven track record managing security programs

Experience developing incident response procedures and investigations

Preferred

Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice, Security Management, Homeland Security, or a related field preferred. Equivalent military or law enforcement experience will also be considered

Global security experience highly preferred

Experience working in and/or knowledge of the legal industry, including recent trends and general structure of law firms

Prior law enforcement, military, or intelligence background strongly preferred

Familiarity with access control technologies (ideally Brivo), video surveillance systems, and emergency communication tools

The following qualifications/certifications would be helpful, either to have when starting the position, or to obtain when joining the firm: CPP (Certified Protection Professional) – ASIS International gold-standard for enterprise security management, PSP (Physical Security Professional) – Strong for facilities, access control, threat assessment, FEMA ICS/NIMS (for emergency response frameworks), CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) – increasingly cited for office access planning

Benefits

Health care

Retirement benefits

Paid days off, including sick time, and vacation time

Parental leave

Basic life insurance

Flexible Spending Accounts

Discretionary, performance-based bonuses

Company

Gibson Dunn

Glassdoor4.1

Gibson Dunn is a leading global law firm, advising clients on significant transactions and disputes.

Founded in 1890

Global, US

1001-5000 employees

https://www.gibsondunn.com

H1B Sponsorship

Gibson Dunn has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)

Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship

Represents job field similar to this job

Trends of Total Sponsorships

2025 (29)

2024 (18)

2023 (19)

2022 (16)

2021 (6)

2020 (7)