What are the Duties of a Corporate Security Officer?

<h3 id="section---CareerDefined">Career Defined</h3> <p>As a corporate security officer, it's your responsibility to oversee the protection of the physical and intellectual assets of a business or company. You'll ensure proper security and safety measures are in place. You might control access and distribution of sensitive company information such as trade secrets, recipes, blueprints, prototypes, and other physical or intellectual property. </p> <p>Because a corporate security officer is also a general title used to describe similar types of occupations, it's beneficial to understand the basic duties performed by a chief security officer, corporate security executive, security director, and security manager. Below are descriptions of each of these occupations. </p> <h3 id="section---ImportantFactsAboutCorporateSecurityOfficers">Important Facts About Corporate Security Officers</h3> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td> Required Education </td><td> Minimum of high school diploma, or equivalent; bachelor's degree may be required</td></tr> <tr><td> Key Skills </td><td> Critical thinking; situational awareness; good judgment and decision making; physical strength and stamina</td></tr> <tr><td> Work Environment </td><td> Investigation and security services; general medical and surgical hospitals; schools; government agencies; travel accommodations</td></tr> <tr><td> Similar Occupations </td><td> Corrections officers; police officers; detectives; private detectives and investigators</td></tr> </table><h3 id="section---ChiefSecurityOfficerAndTopCorporateSecurityExecutive">Chief Security Officer and Top Corporate Security Executive</h3> <p>These are executive positions usually held in a larger organization with important or considerable assets. In this occupation, you might create and lead an organization's security strategies and programs. You'd work to reduce security risks and quickly respond to security issues that affect the company's physical and intellectual security and its personnel. Your main goals could be to limit the company's exposure to liability risks and to properly protect intellectual property, physical assets, and company employees. </p> <h3 id="section---SecurityDirector">Security Director</h3> <p>As a security director, you'll oversee security policies needed to protect a company's assets. In this position, you'll perform both administrative and managerial duties. You'll typically be in charge of a security team. As a director, you could develop a budget for security operations, which include the equipment your security personnel employ. When necessary, you'll act as the company's liaison with law enforcement. </p> <h3 id="section---SecurityManager">Security Manager</h3> <p>As a security manager, you'll lead a security team or detail that enforces security and safety regulations within an office building, warehouse, manufacturing plant, or other business property. You may report to a security director whom you'd inform of any security needs or developments. </p> <h3 id="section---SalaryInformation">Salary Information</h3> <p><i>Salary.com</i> reported several salaries for corporate security positions in July 2019. Top corporate security executives earned a median annual salary of $182,477. Security directors took home a median annual income of $126,250, while security managers received a median salary of $92,220 per year.</p>