Analyze Job Description Security Officials - Term Paper Example

Security Foundation Report Name Institution Date Security Foundation Report Introduction Security is a fundamental provision necessary to an organization or even in residential places. The primary role of any security firm or personnel is to be able to provide the best services in the protection of life and property. It is due to this that there are certain skills, attributes, and knowledge that are necessary for security personnel for the best service provision. The lack of public information concerning the types of skills and attributes that are necessary for security personnel presents various challenges. Dhillon & Backhouse (2000) asserts that the need for the safety managers arose due to the rush for technological changes in an organization without understanding the security implications. It, therefore, becomes imperative to comprehend some of the requirements that are fundamental in particular security personnel positions. An analysis of some of the elements considered by security firms will help outline some of the qualities that they regard as important when hiring. This report will use different case studies of particular companies and government agencies that are hiring security officials. The report will analyse each job description separately while looking at some of the skills, knowledge, levels of experience and attributes that each task requires. It will also analyse some of the common themes in the requirements of these security positions. Analysis of job description Job description one: Compliance and risk management advisor The employer requires a security specialist that will be able to manage the three key areas of the National Portrait Ga1lery of Australia. These three key areas include Work health and safety, risk management and the overall protective security of the gallery. The employee will be the general security advisor concerning protective security and is expected to formulate procedures that will protect the building, its occupants, and the galleries. They will also review and manage the propensity to the risk of the agency while also maintaining the work health and environmental standards. The management of fraud and its reporting will also be one of the fundamental roles given to the advisor. Job description two: DOD security manager The security manager is tasked with complex security activities that seek to protect the defence team under the business objectives set. They will use the established framework of various legislation, work principles and procedures to manage security following the set missions. The experience of the manager coupled with knowledge of the security will be useful in develop, implement and review security policies. They will plan, lead and evaluate the human, physical and financial resources of the business that will be allocated to them. The manager will also manage stakeholder's expectations and concerns to foster self-improvement and further development of the security field. Job description three: security specialists for Jacobs company The security specialist will be working with the Jacob's company which is one of the diverse providers of technical and construction services across international frontiers. The specialist will be one of the consultants of local and national teams on a variety of projects. They will provide electronic and physical security systems designs to the company's current and new clients across different markets. One of the primary functions of the specialist will be to document the scope of the business when making the fee proposals to the clients. They will also ensure that the proposed security projects and designs are delivered appropriately within the budgeted cost. These specialists will thus be expected to have a vast experience in managing projects. Job description four: Physical Security Specialists The Physical Security Specialists will work with one of the largest utility municipalities in the US, JEA. They will be responsible for multiple duties in supporting JEA's overall security program. The formulation of safety policies and procedures and managing budgetary controls will be some of the functions of the specialists. They will also maintain the physical security and some of the fire systems while also administering the security systems contracts. The professionals will be expected to offer security training and education to the employees of the firm and provide support for sensitive security investigations in the organization. In addition, they will further the development and implementation of the physical security and fire policies of the organization. Job description five: Senior VP, head of security management The senior VP in the security department will be working in a global banking group. The person will have the mandate to coordinate the day to day security functions of the firm while also coordinating the security team at the bank. They will enforce the security framework, policies, and procedures instituted by the organization. They can also establish new security systems and technological changes while assessing and controlling any threats that these technological changes might evoke. The senior VP will ensure that the bank is kept abreast over any new technical security designs that may be suitable for the firm. Content and Thematic analysis Security management is a relatively new field that has not been fully explored by the works of literature that are available. However, it is an evolving concept that many organizations are embracing to manage and expand their security systems and designs (Borodzicz, 2005). Hunt (2003) defines knowledge as that explicit and agreed-on criteria that subject matter experts and scientists have agreed on to have been met. Knowledge in security management will thus be some of the recognized principles that the specialists in the field use while carrying out the activities of their job descriptions. Security management being a relatively new concept, therefore, presents challenges in regulations such as the level of knowledge acceptable for a person to be considered as an expert (Prenzler, 1995). McGee (2006) further propagates this concept by arguing that there is a lack of a core body of knowledge which the profession bases its views. Dupont (2006) posits that one of the main effects of lacking such a body of knowledge is that making decisions becomes difficult. However, a review of the job descriptions reveals that all the organizations require a certain level of knowledge from their security managers. These managers should be able to understand the security systems and designs that these companies have and should also be in a position to review and upgrade these systems (Parkin et. al. 2010). Another essential requirement that reveals knowledge as a fundamental requirement is the need for these managers to understand security frameworks, policies and procedures of these companies (Mnsman & Flesher, 2000). These employment positions also espouse for individual skills that the candidates should possess for them to be considered for hiring. Rigby & Sanchis (2006) define skills as a combination of knowledge and experience that employees acquire before they enter employment and during their careers. One of the skills that are necessary for the job positions is project management skills. The managers should be able to coordinate all aspects of the project from the start to the finish. Leadership skills are also critical since the managers will be expected to coordinate and manage the security teams that they will be working with in the organizations. Other attributes that are necessary for the job include physical fitness, most of these positions require individuals who lack any physical impairments. Knowledge, skills, and attributes of each job description In the first job description, the position requires a high level of knowledge in protective security while they should also show proficiency in physical security. It is also important for the preferred candidate to have knowledge of business continuity management practices. Furthermore, a candidate with a firm grasp of some of the work health and safety practices knowledge would be likely to get the job as opposed to those without this knowledge. The skills necessary for this employment position include the ability to assess the security and organizational risk and to form policies that would mitigate that chance. They also needed to integrate the governing legislations in the security frameworks. There was a little influence in some of the attributes that the person should have for them to qualify for the job. The second job description presents different knowledge and skills requirements. It is necessary for the job applicant in this position to show high knowledge in some of the legislative frameworks governing the institution. It is also critical for these employees to have an extensive comprehension of the government decision process and the defence's policy requirements. Administrative skills and project management skills are some of the core competencies that are necessary for the job. Leadership skills are also fundamental for the employment position since one will be leading a team of security officials. The position requires individuals who are not physically or mentally challenged since they may not be able to perform the job suitably. As a security specialist for Jacobs, one should have extensive knowledge of Australian security industry policies and procedures. The person is also expected to hold vocational training on electrical communications and security studies. This experience coupled with skills in security planning, managing risks and creating different security strategies and designs will be useful in performing the functions that the job requires. The position does not need any particular attributes that the preferred candidate should possess. The fourth job description requires extensive knowledge in the security field and further experience working in this sector. One of the major requirements is that one should have a bachelor's degree in any field that relates to the security industry especially in the support of physical security systems and designs. The person should also have more than six years' experience in a security field whereby they were in charge of creating and managing security systems and models. This shows that the position requires a high level of experience and skills that arise from vocational training and the experience acquired in the security field. Management and leadership skills are also essential in the position since they will be controlling both physical and financial resources. There is little mention of the physical attributes associated with the job position. In the last job description, less consideration is given to knowledge of the security field and more emphasis is placed on the skills that the person should have. The job requires that the preferred candidate should have at least 15 years in corporate banking and about ten years in a position where they were managing risk. Management skills are quite necessary for the post since the person will be coaching and driving teams towards the desired business objectives. The knowledge of security systems and risks is necessary for the job position. The person should be of proper physical and mental health since the position requires a lot of physical movements. Thematic similarities and differences in these roles The analysis of these job positions reveals there are more similarities than differences in the requirements that these jobs espouse. One major similarity is the management skills that they all require. In almost all of the job descriptions, one will be managing a team where they are expected to coach them and coordinate their activities. Skills in managing these teams are quite essential in these positions and the person with high levels of experience in management is preferred. It is, however, wise to understand that these management skills are not only useful in managing people but in also managing the financial resources allocated to them (Lease, 2005). Leadership skills are also seen to be an important component of security management. These managers are placed in roles where they will be expected to interact with other departments and people in coordinating the security of the organizations (Lease, 2005). A manager that is likely to take the mantle and lead will be preferred. Furthermore, they are tasked with the responsibility of creating security systems and designs with other security personnel, and they will lead these teams. Candidates that possess leadership traits or those that have been in management positions previously will thus receive a high preference over others. Experience is also seen to be a recurring theme across all the job posts in the security management field. The organizations require a person that has a considerable amount of experience in handling security systems and designs. It is safe to conclude that this arises due to the lack of a body of knowledge that security managers are accustomed to using in their work (McGee, 2006). Prenzler (1995) claims that the high level of experience necessary for these job positions works as a replacement for the lack of a particular type of knowledge that these candidates should hold. Being a security job, one of the major attributes that are necessary for these jobs is the lack of any physical and mental impairments. These requirements may not be mentioned, but people with such disabilities may not be able to work efficiently in these positions. Most of these organizations are global or national firms that may require consistent travelling that may be a challenge to the physically disabled. There are also major differences that are spotted across the requirements of these job positions. One of this differences is that there lacks a single line of knowledge that each manager should have for those posts. While some of the organizations require educational training in a security related field, most of them bunk on the skills and experience of the person in completing the work. Expertise and experience are seen to be extremely useful in helping these organizations to choose the best candidate. It is also prudent to note that another fundamental difference is that the role of these managers varies depending on the organization that is hiring them. While the banking organization requires a security manager who has experience in the banking sector for more than ten years, this is not the same for another organization in a different industry. The DOD manager, for example, is required to have extensive knowledge and experience in how the government makes legislations and other frameworks governing the defence organization. In the third job description, the primary role of the security specialist is to provide consultancy on security matters to the national and international clients of the company. The company's needs will thus dictate the type of work and job description. Subsequently, these needs will determine the requirements that a company deems necessary in hiring security managers. Discussion The analysis of these job descriptions reveals some fundamental aspects of security management. One of the main issues that prompted the study of security management is to understand some of the qualities, skills, knowledge and attributes that are necessry in this profession. Security management being a relatively new and unexplored profession, there is little literature that outlines the role and functions of these security managers in an organization. The analysis reveals that the roles that these professionals play are entirely different in each agency that they are employed. The functions of these managers will largely vary with the needs of the organization. For example, an organization that seeks a security manager for their technical systems and designs will mostly ignore the physical aspects of the job. In advertising for such a position, emphasis is placed on the knowledge of the candidate in security systems as opposed to their physical experience in security. Other security managers work as consultants thereby limiting their functions and job requirements to this need. The scope of security management will thus be determined by the needs of the organization hiring the manager. However, there are certain similarities and differences in skills and knowledge that these organizations require from their employees. These include leadership skills, project management skills, accountability and an extensive experience in the security field. Conclusion In summary, the report seeks to find out some of the foundations of security managers while analysing their roles and functions in these positions. The report uses five employment advertisements to assess their job descriptions while looking for similarities and differences. These positions include Compliance and risk management advisor, DOD security manager, security specialists for Jacobs company, Physical Security Specialists and Senior VP, head of security management. These positions were advertised by different firms in various sectors of the economy including the banking sector, technological sector and government agencies. A variety of similarities were found in the job descriptions such as management, accountability and leadership skills. However, there were also differences in the types of skills and experiences that each firm required from their prospective employees. The differences and similarities led to the conclusion that the roles and job requirements of a security manager are largely determined by the needs of an organization hiring the specialist. References Borodzicz, E. (2005). Risk, crisis and security management. Wiley. Dhillon, G & Backhouse, J. (2000). Technical opinion: Information system security management in the new millennium. Communications of the ACM, 43(7), 125-128. Dupont, B. (2006). Delivering security through networks: Surveying the relational landscape of security managers in an urban setting. Crime, law and social change, 45(3), 165-184. Hunt, D. (2003). The concept of knowledge and how to measure it. Journal of intellectual capital, 4(1), 100-113. Lease, D. (2005). Factors influencing the adoption of biometric security technologies by decision making information technology and security managers (Doctoral dissertation, Capella University). McGee, A. (2006). Corporate security’s professional project: an examination of the modern condition of corporate security management, and the potential for further professionalization of the occupation. (Unpublished MSc dissertation). Cranfield University, UK. Mnsman, S., & Flesher, P. (2000). System or security manager’s adaptive response tool. In DARPA Information Survivability Conference and Exposition, 2000. DISCEX'00. Proceedings (Vol. 2, pp. 56-68). IEEE. Parkin, S, Van Moorsel, A, Inglesant, P., & Sasse, M. (2010). A stealth approach to usable security: helping IT security managers to identify workable security solutions. In Proceedings of the 2010 workshop on New security paradigms (pp. 33-50). ACM. Prenzler, T. (1995). Security managers' perceptions of industry regulation: an Australian study. Security Journal, 4(6), 227-234. Rigby, M., & Sanchis, E. (2006). The concept of skill and its social construction. European journal of vocational training, 37, 22. Read More