Anticipated School Security Officer

Canadian Phytopathological Society; Illinois; On-site; USD 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

The Canadian Phytopathological Society is seeking a Security Officer to help maintain a calm, safe school environment. You will patrol for unauthorized persons, enforce visitor protocols, and respond to incidents to protect students and staff.

The role requires standing or walking for long periods, ability to ascend stairs, and the capacity to work with adolescents in a dynamic setting. CPS security training and knowledge of school safety processes are expected.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• 2–3 years of related experience.
• Ability to walk or stand for long periods (up to 8 hours) and climb stairs.
• Knowledge of the CPS Student Code of Conduct.
• Familiarity with basic security methods and safety procedures.
• Excellent attendance and punctuality.
• Experience with CPS safety technology (camera/entry systems).
• Ability to work with adolescents in a positive school culture.
• Ability to follow written and oral instructions.
• Strong teamwork, collaboration, and communication skills.
• Commitment to continuous development in safety practices and cultural competency.
• Personal responsibility, accountability, and corrective action when needed.
• Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment.
• Sound judgment and ethical conduct.
• Commitment to social justice and restorative practices.
• Ability to write incident reports.
• Completion of CPS Security Training curriculum and certifications.

Responsibilities

• Fulfill duties as part of the school's comprehensive security plan and remain at post.
• Respond to incidents, fights, or safety threats and de-escalate as needed.
• Perform hall sweeps and monitor school property for unauthorized access.
• Patrol on foot or mobile to secure the building and escort unauthorized persons.
• Report unusual activity to Security Supervisor or administration promptly.
• Complete incident and misconduct documentation.
• Produce and deliver reports assessing safety progress against metrics.
• Assist with organization and distribution of student lockers and searches.
• Monitor entrances and ensure visitors follow protocol and triage requests.
• Participate in professional development to grow security skills.
• Support safe entry and dismissal processes for students.
• Build positive relationships with students to maintain a safe learning environment.
• Demonstrate dignity, respect, and supportive behavior with students.
• Lead efforts to de-escalate inappropriate student behavior and maximize learning time.
• Serve as a primary participant in emergency responses (fire, tornado, active shooter).

Skills

Patrolling

Incident reporting

Communication

Teamwork

Ethical practice

Cultural awareness

De-escalation

Crisis response

Multi-tasking

Punctuality

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

CPS security systems

Job description

Reports to:Security Supervisor/Principal

Purpose of the Position:Security Officers are responsible for the overall safety and security of the school. The security team plays a critical role in the school’s culture and climate. A calm, structured, and positive learning environment is top priority for the security team. Security personnel actively engage in supporting students in order for them to be successful in the classroom and school community. The role of a security officer is physically demanding as they are the first line of defense to defuse and de-escalate student misconduct and/or serious incidents and must respond urgently.

Principal Accountabilities & General Responsibilities:

• Fulfill duties associated with the post assigned as part of the school’s comprehensive security plan; maintain an orderly post and remain at the post at all times unless otherwise directed by a supervisor
• Actively respond to incidents, fights or other issues in the school that threaten the safety of students, staff, and/or guests utilizing Safety Care skills up to and including momentary physical intervention if warranted by the safety risk
• Fulfill duties assigned related to Hall Sweeps
• Patrol (foot or mobile) and monitor school property for unauthorized persons. If needed, redirect or escort from property
• Report unusual activity or suspicions of safety issues to the Security Supervisor or administration in a timely fashion
• Complete proper documentation related to incident reports and misconduct reports
• Produce and deliver reports to show progress against key metrics
• Assist with the organization and distribution of student lockers and locker searches
• Monitor school grounds and school entrances to ensure only authorized personnel and authorized visitors access the school; if assigned to the main entrance, ensure all guests follow visitor protocol and triage visitor requests
• Actively participate in professional development training to ensure ongoing growth and to advance skills
• As assigned, monitor the student entry and dismissal process to ensure safety
• Build positive and professional relationships with students and leverage those relationships to establish and maintain productive and safe learning environments and common areas of the building
• Exercise dignity and respect when interacting with students at all times
• Lead efforts to de-escalate inappropriate student behaviors and assist students with maximizing their time on task in classrooms
• Serve as a primary participant in emergency response during crisis situations including but not limited to fire, tornado and active shooter incidents

Key Performance Indicators

• Meeting school’s expectation for school-wide average attendance
• Meeting school’s expectation for reduction in serious misconducts
• Stakeholder perception of a safe school climate and culture
• Adherence to CPS Office of Safety and Security Accountability Standards

**Qualifications/Skills:**

• High school diploma or GED required
• A minimum of 2-3 years of highly successful related experience
• Actively patrolling school property is critical in securing the building and maintaining a safe environment for students and staff. Applicants must be able to walk or stand for long periods of time (up to 8 hours) and quickly ascend/descend stairs.
• Knowledge of the CPS Student Code of Conduct
• Knowledge of basic methods of providing site security and safety
• Solid attendance and punctuality
• Experience with CPS technology systems utilized for school safety processes (i.e. camera systems or entry screening systems)
• Ability to work with adolescents in maintaining a positive and safe school culture
• Ability to read and adhere to written and oral instructions
• Proficient with teamwork and collaborating with colleagues and administration
• Exhibit passion and the ability to thrive amidst change and challenging conditions while maintaining a positive outlook and forward looking perspective
• Possess an attuned appreciation for cultural awareness and competency and a staunch commitment to continuously develop insight and proficiencies related to such matters
• Takes personal responsibility for mistakes and learns from them, while consistently following up with analysis and corrective action
• Demonstrated ability to keep up with fast paced environments and to multi-task
• Sound judgment and ethical practice
• Commitment to social justice and restorative justice practices
• Strong oral communication skills, human relations and interpersonal skills
• Ability to write incident reports
• Impeccable attendance and punctuality
• Successful completion of CPS Security Training curriculum with associated certifications