Security Area Manager — Downtown Chicago — $62,400 to $72,800 annually, full-time salaried.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
All of the following are required. Applicants who do not meet each are not eligible.
- Active Illinois PERC card issued by IDFPR, active at hire. A pending application does not satisfy this requirement.
- Valid driver's license, an insurable driving record, and a reliable personal vehicle. The response range may extend approximately 100 miles from downtown Chicago, and farther where operational needs require. The distance is a general guide, not a limit on the assignments this position may be required to accept. A company vehicle is not provided and mileage is not reimbursed.
- Three years of security supervision or management experience, including scheduling and staffing. Law enforcement or military leadership experience is credited.
- Three years of client-facing or concierge-level experience in luxury retail, hospitality, corporate, or residential settings.
- High school diploma or GED.
- Legal authorization to work in the United States, documented upon hire.
- Ability to remain standing and actively engaged on post for a full shift. There are no seated posts.
- Successful completion of a pre-employment drug screening.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Camera room and CCTV monitoring experience.
- Access control, EAS, and alarm systems.
- Investigations and report writing.
- Knowledge of organized retail crime.
- CPP, LPC, LPQ, or WZ certification.
- Bilingual ability.
- Prior law enforcement or military service in good standing.
- Associate or bachelor's degree.
POSITION SUMMARY
McCray Global Protection Corp. is a family-owned security services firm serving luxury retail. MGP operates under an observe-and-report, no-touch standard: officers detect, deter, observe, and report, and do not pursue, chase, or physically engage.
This is a working manager position. The Area Manager stands post with the assigned team a minimum of 40 hours per week and coordinates daily with the client's on-site loss prevention or store management. Post duties vary by site and client requirement; staffing and monitoring a camera room is one example of an assignment that may be required where the client directs it.
The primary assignment is a flagship retail location in downtown Chicago, and most assigned sites are in downtown Chicago and the greater Chicagoland area. The Area Manager is accountable for the locations assigned to the area: the schedule seven days per week, post assignments, and the overall operation of each site. Assigned locations vary and may be added, removed, or reassigned at MGP's discretion, and some accounts are served ad-hoc rather than by a standing post schedule.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Supervises the officers assigned to the area, including monthly evaluations, coaching, and corrective action with Human Resources. Recommendations on hiring, advancement, and separation carry particular weight.
- Prepares and maintains the schedule for every post, seven days per week, sequencing breaks and meal periods so no post is uncovered. Schedules labor hours against those authorized for the account, verifies timekeeping, and approves hours.
- Establishes and maintains the call-out procedure for each location. Officers report absences directly to the Area Manager and are encouraged to arrange coverage among themselves. All shift exchanges require advance approval so coverage, licensing, and overtime are verified.
- Conducts internal team communication through company-approved channels only. Any medium used for MGP business, including messaging apps and group threads, requires the direct supervisor's advance approval, so communications are documented and retrievable. This does not restrict discussion of wages, hours, or working conditions.
- Enforces conduct standards on post: no photography, approaching notable clientele, fraternization with client staff, or personal phones and earbuds. Maintains disciplined radio communication so each officer's location is known at all times.
- Follows client protocol at each site. The client holds ultimate decision-making authority over site policy and procedure, including emergency notification, camera room access, and which client personnel may enter restricted areas. Protocols vary by location and govern contact with local authorities in an emergency; at some sites the client makes that contact. Employment matters remain directed by MGP.
- Conducts scheduled and unannounced site visits verifying uniform and post orders compliance, sign-in accuracy, and readiness; reviews incident and activity reports; and conducts emergency drills, safety inspections, key control audits, and de-escalation training per client protocols.
ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ASSIGNED LOCATIONS
Performance is measured by the assigned area as a whole, including whether client requirements across every account are met.
- Accurate time records. All time worked by an officer is recorded and paid, without exception. Officers are non-exempt, and their overtime is payable under the Fair Labor Standards Act whether or not authorized in advance; unauthorized overtime is paid first and addressed afterward as a performance matter. Overtime is reduced through scheduling, never underreporting. Directing, encouraging, or permitting an officer to work off the clock, through an unrecorded meal period, or to alter a time record is prohibited and is grounds for immediate termination.
- Confidentiality and ethics. This position handles client information, camera coverage, staffing data, and personnel information, and treats all of it as confidential. Honest reporting is expected in every record it produces. Nothing here restricts any employee from discussing wages, hours, or working conditions, which is protected by law.
- Coverage and response. Every post at every assigned location is staffed for every scheduled hour. An uncovered post is a failure of this position regardless of what produced it: it holds client management on site, is immediately visible to the client, and puts the account at risk. Call-offs, no-shows, and relief failures are addressed immediately and not deferred to Dispatch, another officer, or the client. Client requests are filled across the area, including short-notice, seasonal, event, and ad-hoc requests; an unfilled request is a failure on the same terms as an uncovered post.
- Open posts. Covering an open post personally is a requirement of this position, not an option. Where a post cannot be filled by an assigned officer, an approved relief, or an approved exchange, the Area Manager works it. This applies to every shift, including overnights, and coverage is secured before the shift begins. MGP cannot assure continued employment in this position where posts are left open.
- Overtime control. Officers are non-exempt and paid overtime for all hours over 40 in a workweek. The Area Manager is salaried and exempt and does not receive overtime. Officer overtime is avoided unless operationally necessary and is always paid when worked. Non-billable overtime, which MGP pays but cannot bill to the client, is a direct loss and is monitored continuously.
- Evaluation and corrective action. Performance is assessed on coverage rate, fill rate, non-billable overtime, post orders compliance, report accuracy, officer turnover, client feedback, and audit results. Failure to maintain coverage, to cover an open post, to respond to a coverage failure, to fill client requests repeatedly, or sustained non-billable overtime is grounds for corrective action up to and including termination. Nothing here requires progressive discipline or alters at-will employment.
SCHEDULE AND AVAILABILITY
The schedule varies and includes day, evening, and overnight shifts, weekends, holidays, and peak retail periods. An overnight on-call rotation covering MGP's other Illinois sites is required. The Area Manager responds to coverage gaps on short notice, including assuming a post. Travel between assigned sites is expected, and additional in-state and out-of-state travel may be required.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
- $62,400 to $72,800 annually, commensurate with experience, qualifications, and size of the assigned area. Full-time, salaried, exempt. This range and the benefits below are stated in compliance with the Illinois Equal Pay Act.
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage after a 90-day waiting period. MGP pays 50 percent of the employee-only medical premium; remaining tiers, dental, and vision are employee-paid by payroll deduction.
- 401(k) eligibility after one year of service (12 months and 1,000 hours).
- Employee Assistance Program, paid training, and MGP's discretionary incentive and bonus program.
ADVANCEMENT AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
MGP is expanding its Illinois operations, and this position grows with the branch.
- Promotion track. Area Managers are the primary internal candidates for Regional Manager and Operations Manager positions as accounts are added, based on documented performance: coverage results, report quality, client retention, and officer development. Criteria, scope, and compensation are reviewed during scheduled evaluations and as sites are added.
- New account development. Managers who prospect and secure new accounts contribute directly to the branch's growth, and this is weighed in advancement decisions. MGP is building a business development function to support them with proposals, pricing, and client presentation.
- Finder's fee. A finder's fee arrangement may be extended for new client business introduced by a manager, on terms established case by case and approved in advance and in writing. Any such arrangement is discretionary, is not guaranteed, does not form part of base compensation, and creates no entitlement.
- Travel assignments. Travel on behalf of MGP may arise, including establishing officer teams at new locations and evaluating sites, in-state or out-of-state, based on documented performance at management's discretion. Additional compensation may be provided for defined travel objectives, established in advance and in writing, discretionary, and not part of base compensation.
UNIFORM AND APPEARANCE STANDARDS
All black: black suit or slacks, black button-up shirt, black tie, and all-black footwear suitable for a full standing shift and not ornamental. Dress shoes are not required. Attire is clean and pressed, and grooming is consistent with a luxury flagship environment. MGP accommodates natural and protective hairstyles, religious practice, disability, and other protected characteristics through its interactive process.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
- Scrutiny and criticism. This is a high-pressure assignment under continuous observation. Client standards are exacting and applied to detail: uniform, posture, position on post, tone, and response time are watched and remarked on all day. Criticism is frequent, often delivered directly, in the moment, in front of others, and sometimes sharply, and a professional response is expected every time. Call-offs, incidents, and short-notice requests arrive without warning, often outside scheduled hours, and this position resolves them.
- What MGP controls. MGP does not control the client's premises, staff, or the manner in which client personnel communicate. MGP does control its own standards, the support it gives its officers, and its response when conduct crosses a line.
- Where the line is. Conduct by any person, including client personnel, that involves harassment or discrimination based on a protected characteristic, or that threatens an employee's safety, is reported to MGP immediately. MGP is obligated to address it and will. Retaliation for reporting is prohibited.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING CONDITIONS
With or without reasonable accommodation, this position requires the physical and mental capacity to remain standing and actively engaged on post for a full shift; operate a vehicle between sites; climb stairs and traverse uneven or slippery surfaces; use a computer and lift small objects; move at the speed a situation requires and assume a post when needed; function in stressful situations, including challenging an individual in an unauthorized area; and exercise prompt, sound judgment in emergencies. There are no seated posts.
SCREENING, BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION, AND FAIR CHANCE
This position is subject to a background investigation and a social media screening, both conducted by MGP's consumer reporting agency only after a conditional offer. No inquiry or search occurs before that point.
MGP does not ask about criminal history on the application. No inquiry or record search occurs until the applicant has been selected and notified for an interview, or has received a conditional offer, consistent with the Illinois Job Opportunities for Qualified Applicants Act. Arrests not resulting in conviction, and sealed, expunged, impounded, or juvenile records, are not considered. A conviction is never an automatic disqualification: each is assessed individually against the six factors Illinois requires, and the applicant receives written notice, a copy of the report, and no fewer than five business days to respond before any final decision.
- Consent. After the conditional offer, the applicant receives a consent package by secure electronic signature: a Disclosure, an Authorization with the Illinois notice, an Applicant Information sheet, and the CFPB Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. No report is ordered until it is signed, and the applicant is never charged for any screening step.
- Social media screening. The review is limited to content publicly visible without logging in as a connection. MGP will not request a password or login, require an applicant to open an account in another person's presence, send a friend or follow request, or request addition to a private group, and declining any such request will not affect any employment decision (820 ILCS 55/10). A designated reviewer who is not the decision maker conducts it, identically for every finalist and limited to job-related content. Content about wages, hours, or working conditions is protected by federal law and is never a basis for any decision.
- Artificial intelligence notice. The social media screening tool uses artificial intelligence to identify and categorize publicly available content, subject to human review before anything is furnished to MGP. It flags job-related behavior categories only and is not used to evaluate protected characteristics. This notice is provided under Illinois law effective January 1, 2026.
- Drug and alcohol testing. Employment is contingent upon a pre-employment drug screening. Throughout employment, all employees are subject to drug and alcohol testing at MGP's discretion. Being subject to testing does not mean an employee will be tested; an employee may or may not be selected at any given time, and not having been tested previously does not exempt an employee later. The circumstances are set out in MGP's Drug-Free Workplace Policy, available from Human Resources on request. The Illinois Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act protects lawful off-duty conduct and also permits a drug-free workplace policy and reasonable testing.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF POLICIES, HANDBOOK, AND CONSENT FORMS
Employment is conditioned on completion of MGP's documentation. An applicant who receives a conditional offer completes the consent packages at that stage. An applicant who is hired then reads, signs, and initials the remaining documents before the first shift, and again whenever one is issued or revised: the handbook and its acknowledgment, every policy in the MGP policy packet, each site post directive, and any acknowledgment issued thereafter.
- Signature and initials. Each document is signed and, where it calls for initials, initialed on every page; an initial records that the page was read. Documents are signed and initialed personally, and signing or initialing for another person is prohibited and, once employed, is grounds for termination. Time is provided to read beforehand, and questions are raised before signing.
- Why it matters. A signed and initialed acknowledgment is the record that the document was received and that each page was read and understood, and once employed it is relied upon in reviews, corrective action, and any dispute about what was communicated. Declining to sign or initial does not suspend the policy and may affect eligibility. MGP retains the documents and provides copies on request. Acknowledging a policy creates no contract and does not alter at-will employment.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Applications are submitted through this Indeed listing. Applicants should provide a resume and a brief statement identifying the experience that qualifies them against the minimum qualifications above: relevant security, hospitality, or other client-facing experience, officers supervised, sites managed, current Illinois PERC status, and availability. Questions: [email protected].
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
MGP is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on job-related qualifications, without regard to race (including hair texture and protective hairstyles, under the CROWN Act), color, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship or work authorization status, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, age 40 and over, disability, marital status, family responsibilities, reproductive health decisions, military status or unfavorable discharge, order of protection status, status as a victim of domestic, sexual, or gender violence, genetic information, arrest records, or sealed and expunged records.
Reasonable accommodations are available through MGP's interactive process: [email protected] or 833-832-6647. This description is not a contract of employment and does not alter the at-will employment relationship.
Pay: $62,400.00 - $72,800.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Professional development assistance
- Referral program
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply
Work Location: In person
