DCS SERGEANT - 08252026-80547

Location: Somerville, TN – Department of Children's Services, Fayette County. This role supports the 2nd shift of the work site.

Pay

• Monthly salary: $4,057.00
• Annual salary: $48,684.00

Requirements

• Education equivalent to graduation from a standard high school.
• Two years of full-time increasingly responsible youth or adult security work, including at least one year of residential youth security work.
• Qualifying full-time employment in the youth security field with the State of Tennessee may substitute for the required education on a year-for-year basis.
• Must be at least twenty-one (21) years of age on the date of application.
• Must be a citizen of the United States.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license prior to and during employment.
• Must have a good moral character, as determined by investigation.
• Must complete a criminal history disclosure form in a manner approved by the appointing authority.
• No conviction for a felony.
• Must agree to release all records involving criminal history to the appointing authority.
• Must supply a fingerprint sample for a fingerprint-based criminal history records check.
• Must submit to and pass a pre-employment screening test for use of illegal drugs.
• Must submit to and pass a pre-employment physical exam administered by a licensed physician that relates to the essential functions of the position.
• For the past five years, the candidate's driver record must not include: DUI, reckless driving, license suspension for moving violations, or more than 4 moving violations.

About the Role

This classification performs supervisory children's services work of average difficulty in an institutional setting. It is the second supervisory class in the DCS Officer sub-series. Employees in this role act as assistant shift supervisors at a large institution or supervisors of two shifts at a small institution, working on a fixed or rotating schedule.

This role differs from DCS Corporal, which involves supervisory duties of lesser scope or a specific non-supervisory capacity, and from DCS Lieutenant, which supervises all employees on a shift at a large institution or provides 24-hour supervision at a small institution.

Responsibilities

• Coordinates staff to ensure the institutional schedule is followed properly without compromising safety and security.
• Supervises a small staff of DCS Officers and DCS Corporals, acting as shift supervisor in the absence of the DCS Lieutenant or assisting with shift operations.
• Assigns staff to posts according to institutional needs and monitors all security posts daily to ensure compliance with procedures and address youth needs.
• Observes all areas for unusual activities and/or procedure violations by staff and/or youth.
• Provides constant supervision of institutionalized youth by maintaining security.
• Authorizes searches on youth, staff, and areas to prevent and detect contraband.
• Documents significant events in the shift report (e.g., fights, medical emergencies).
• Advises superiors of events requiring immediate attention.
• Addresses and resolves youth and/or staff conflicts immediately to prevent escalation.
• Verifies youth counts recorded by the Central Operations Center.
• Authorizes transporting youth off campus for appointments (e.g., court, medical).
• Explains appropriate behavior expectations to youth and staff and corrects inappropriate behaviors.

Skills

• Decision Quality
• Directs Work
• Communicates Effectively
• Action Oriented
• Self-Development
• Administration and Management
• Public Safety and Security
• Law and Government
• Complex Problem Solving
• Time Management
• Writing
• Critical Thinking
• Speaking
• Deductive Reasoning
• Inductive Reasoning
• Reaction Time

Tools & Equipment

• Telephone
• Video Recording Equipment
• Handheld Radio
• Computer