Head of High School Security Security

Meridian Charter Schools•Chicago, IL

3d•$54,212 - $62,259•Onsite

About The Position

Under the direction of the administrative team or designee, the Head of Security directs the work of the security team to promote a safe and secure school environment, foster an optimal learning environment and act as a deterrent to unsafe or poor behavior. The Head of Security supports campus safety by ensuring that school grounds are patrolled thoroughly, student behavior is monitored in keeping with school protocols, network and school policies are enforced, physical and verbal encounters are addressed to prevent or mitigate injury, security systems are functioning optimally, visitor policies are followed, and unsafe or unhealthy conditions are clearly reported to the appropriate personnel. The Head of Security maintains campus security and protects school property against vandalism, illegal entry, fire, and theft; enforces school protocols in response to emergency situations. In addition, the Head of Security is required to reflect the school’s mission and vision in interactions with students, staff, families, and stakeholders and elevate the school’s image in the eyes of the community. Further, the Head of Security forms positive, professional relationships with the entire school community, supports restorative practices, and collaborates with the administration on campus safety, security, and climate. Varying work hours are required including days, evenings, and weekends. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are generally representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED (Required)
A minimum of 5 years of experience as a security officer, school security officer, campus supervisor, or other position involving safeguarding the security of a community or youth (Required)
Experience leading, training, or supervising other employees in security (Required)
Ability to use and troubleshoot technological equipment and platforms (camera system, laptops, desktop computers, social media platforms - Required)
Ability to operate functionally in a digital environment for communication purposes (i.e. email)

Nice To Haves

Associate’s Degree or higher (Strongly Preferred)
Successful record of working professionally, compassionately, and effectively with school aged youth and families (Strongly Preferred)
Bilingual Spanish/English; Arabic/English; Urdu/English (Strongly Preferred)
Experience managing logistics in order to promote safety and security.

Responsibilities

Develops protocols and coordinates the actions of the security team to promote campus and student safety and security.
Directs the security staff’s patrols and monitoring of the campus and surrounding areas, bus stops, parks, and other public and unsupervised places to ensure the safety and well-being of students and staff and the security of the school environment.
Coordinates security staff actions when situations requiring intervention arise in order to prevent, stop, or mitigate disruption or injury. Directs students to refrain from such conduct.
Advises administration on best practices for managing student movement throughout the day and at dismissal and arrival.
Ensures a smooth traffic flow of students through the hallways, assisting students with on time arrival to class and to assigned locations.
Assists with supervision in the breakfast and lunch periods and with morning arrival and afternoon dismissal of students.
Advises security team on procedures pertaining to removal of disruptive students from classes when needed.
Leads security efforts to assist the administration, Deans, or other designated personnel with investigations of student or staff incidents.
Assists the administration, staff, police, and emergency personnel in handling emergencies or disruptive situations.
Ensures that exits and entrances are properly monitored throughout the day.
Assists visitors with directions and securing proper identification. Intercepts unauthorized visitors and escorts them to exits.
Reports any discipline infractions, unauthorized visitors, and acts of vandalism to the building administration or designees.
Notifies the building administration, police, and/or appropriate emergency personnel of any emergency, potentially dangerous or unusual situations.
Participates in home visits, when deemed necessary.
Inspects and monitors the security of doors, windows and gates; resets and tests alarm systems; detects and reports fire and safety hazards to the facilities manager and administration; responds to alarms.
Prevents illegal parking, tampering with vehicles and loitering in school parking lots according to established procedures.
Schedules or assists the administration in scheduling security personnel and assigning responsibilities at special school events. Attends special events as assigned.
Advises the administration on optimal scheduling for the security team.
Performs other duties and responsibilities that are within the scope of employment, as assigned by their administrator or designated supervisor, and not otherwise prohibited by law or regulation.
Supports the mission, vision, goals, and needs of the school by demonstrating ethics, compassion, diligence, and improvement in professional practice.
Attends and facilitates parent meetings pertaining to campus/student safety and security, informing parents about school procedures and protocols.
Helps plan, facilitate, and supervise safety drills.
Promotes student responsibility for behavior and attitude by serving as a role model and modeling appropriate language, interactions, response to conflicts, etc.
Participates in appropriate in-service training and workshop programs. Trains security team on new practices and approaches to school and student safety.
Knows, follows, and implements school rules and procedures.
Supports the student code of conduct and assists the security team in supporting the code of conduct.
Protects confidentiality of records and information about students and staff, and uses discretion when sharing any such information within legal confines.
Follows all timekeeping and PTO protocols; Maintains strong attendance.
Checks and responds to electronic communications in a timely manner.
Communicates with students, families, and the public to explain school policies and protocols related to general expectations, school functions and programs, the daily schedule, attendance and timeliness protocols, procedures, etc.
Routes families and stakeholders to the appropriate school personnel.
Leads the security team and fosters a sense of teamwork.
Provides insights into performance evaluations for the security team.
Communicates concerns to the administration pertaining to safety procedures, etc.
Demonstrates preparation and skill in working with students from diverse cultural, economic and ability backgrounds.
Supports the creation of inclusive, identity-affirming spaces for students.
Implements professional practice and responsibilities, demonstrating cultural competence.
Implements D.E.I principles in interactions with members of the school community.