Position Summary:
This role focuses on the evening/overnight security operations within residential buildings while fostering a supportive and responsible community. The Overnight Safety Specialist oversees the nightly building access and security program for GVSU residence halls by supervising and scheduling a team of Overnight Safety Student Assistants who monitor entrances, enforce access protocols, and assist residents and guests. Primarily working overnight and on a rotating schedule that includes weekdays and weekends, the specialist ensures proper staffing, responds to safety and behavioral concerns, and coordinates with Housing & Residence Life staff, campus security and police, and other university partners.
Salary & Benefits:
Minimum starting salary of $44,000 commensurate with experience.
Limited benefits package including medical, life insurance, wellness resources and tuition waiver effective on date of hire.
Primary Duties:
- Provide professional oversight of nighttime access and security operations across residential buildings.
- Conduct regular rounds among residential locations to provide visible professional support, assess operations, and assist Overnight Safety Student Assistants.
- Ensure student staff consistently follow established procedures for residents, guests, and individuals who do not have authorized building access.
- Respond to situations that exceed the role or authority of Overnight Safety Student Assistants and determine when concerns should be referred to Housing & Residence Life on-call staff, campus police/security, emergency services, or other university resources.
- Recruit, select, train, supervise, schedule, and evaluate a team of paid Overnight Safety Student Assistants. Provide regular supervision, coaching, feedback, recognition, and accountability for student employees.
- Create and maintain weekly and semester staffing schedules and ensure adequate coverage during established overnight safety operating hours. This includes managing call-offs, vacancies, substitutions, and unexpected staffing shortages.
- Serve as the professional point of contact for Overnight Safety Student Assistants when situations require consultation, additional support, or escalation.
- Assess safety concerns and determine appropriate next steps within established university protocols.
- Ensure appropriate documentation of significant access issues, guest concerns, policy violations, unusual circumstances, and safety incidents.
- Coordinate with Housing & Residence Life on-call team, or campus police, when circumstances or resident issues require continued follow-up.
- Develop and maintain written overnight safety operating procedures, expectations, training materials, shift protocols, and escalation procedures.
- Collaborate with Housing & Residence Life leadership to assess appropriate deployment of Overnight Safety staff based on building population, entrance configuration, incident history, and identified risk.
- Develop effective working relationships with all Housing & Residence Life staff including student staff and Resident Assistants, campus police, and other university partners.
- Participate in Housing & Residence Life safety planning, emergency preparedness, and operational meetings as appropriate.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Bachelor's degree, or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
- Experience supervising, mentoring, coordinating, or providing leadership to employees, student employees, volunteers, or comparable teams.
- Demonstrated experience responding to challenging interpersonal, behavioral, safety, or customer-service situations.
- Ability and willingness to maintain a regular evening/overnight work schedule.
- Commitment to GVSU’s culture of Educational Equity.
Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Ability to supervise, train, motivate, and hold student employees accountable.
- Strong organizational skills and demonstrated ability to manage complex employee scheduling.
- Ability to maintain appropriate professional boundaries and confidentiality.
- Strong interpersonal communication and conflict-management skills including critical thinking, deescalation, and crisis response.
- Ability to analyze operational information and identify patterns or areas requiring intervention.
- Ability to navigate online systems and software, and proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and other relevant technical software.
- Ability to work independently during evening and overnight hours while maintaining effective communication with departmental staff and leadership.
- Ability to establish collaborative relationships with Housing & Residence Life staff, campus police/security, and university partners.
- Ability to work effectively with students and community members from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences.
How to Apply:
Attach your cover letter and resume. The system will allow you to attach these documents electronically. If you have questions about the position or the posting, please contact Adam Tate at tateam@gvsu.edu. If you need technical assistance, please contact Human Resources at hro@gvsu.edu.
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States and must not require sponsorship now or in the future.
Application Deadline:
Application review begins October 20th. This posting may be closed at any time at the discretion of the University.
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Must have the physical stamina to work long hours and/or more than 5 days per week. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act as amended by the ADA Amendment Act (2008), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and other applicable federal and state laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability. GVSU will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. See www.gvsu.edu/equalopportunity/. TDD Callers: Call Michigan Relay Center at 711 (in State) or 1-800-833-7833 (out of State).
Grand Valley State University is an Antidiscrimination/Equal Opportunity Employer, which includes providing equal opportunity for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. University policy extends protections to additional identities.
