DCS CORPORAL - 11042026-82518

Full-time position with the Tennessee Department of Children's Services in Somerville, TN (Fayette County). Application window: November 4, 2026 – November 10, 2026. Monthly salary: $4,098 – $6,160 ($49,176 – $73,920 annually).

About the role

Under general supervision, performs children's services supervisory work of routine difficulty; and performs related work as required. This is the first supervisory class in the DCS Officer sub-series. An employee in this class supervises a small staff of DCS Officers in an institutional setting or may perform certain specific non-supervisory assignments. An employee in this class may be assigned to work on a fixed or rotating schedule. This class differs from DCS Officer in that an incumbent of the latter performs non-supervisory children's services duties at the working-level. This class differs from DCS Sergeant in that an incumbent of the latter is a second line supervisor and may function as an assistant shift supervisor at a large institution or a supervisor of two shifts at a small institution.

Responsibilities

• Coordinates staff to ensure institutional schedule is being followed properly in a timely manner without compromising the safety and security of the institution.
• Supervises a small staff of DCS Officers.
• Assists shift supervisors with shift operations.
• Advises superiors of events that require immediate attention.
• Addresses and resolves youth and/or staff conflicts immediately before situations escalate.
• Communicates institutional needs to staff throughout a shift.
• Ensures visitors are authorized on facility.
• Verifies the youth counts recorded by the Central Operation Center.
• Observes all areas for any unusual activities and/or procedure violations by youth and/or staff.
• Performs searches on youth, staff and areas to prevent and detect any contraband.
• Ensures youth and staff comply with behavior expectations.
• Addresses and corrects inappropriate youth and staff behaviors.
• Completes facility incident reports, injury reports, disciplinary reports, chemical bin cards, maintenance requests and tool inventories.
• Maintains daily dormitory logbooks: youth counts, unusual events (i.e. fights, medical emergencies, etc.), any person movement, deficiencies, receiving and issuing youth mail, and chemical counts.

Qualifications

Education and Experience: Education equivalent to graduation from a standard high school and experience equivalent to one year of full-time children's services work in a residential setting.

Necessary Special Qualifications: Applicants for this class must:

• Be at least twenty-one (21) years of age on the date of application.
• Be a citizen of the United States.
• Possess a valid driver's license prior to and during employment.
• Have a good moral character, as determined by investigation.
• Complete a criminal history disclosure form in a manner approved by the appointing authority.
• Have no conviction for a felony.
• Agree to release all records involving their criminal history to the appointment authority.
• Supply a fingerprint sample in a manner prescribed by the TBI for a fingerprint based criminal history records check.
• Submit to and pass a pre-employment screening test for use of illegal drugs.
• Submit to and pass a pre-employment physical exam administered by a licensed physician that relates to the essential functions of the position.

This position requires a criminal background check. Therefore, you may be required to provide information about your criminal history in order to be considered for this position.

Competencies

Competencies: