Lieutenant

About the Role

The Lieutenant assists in the strategic planning and implementation of facility operational procedures while maintaining compliance with agency policy, Federal, and State Law. This position ensures orderly facility operations and the safety and well-being of all youth and staff, contributing positively to the youth's overall rehabilitative process through a positive youth development framework.

Responsibilities

• Engages with youth throughout the day to ensure their safety, security, rehabilitation, and well-being.
• Ensures frequent and helpful communication with youth throughout the day.
• Physically responds appropriately to emergency situations.
• Conducts routine and unannounced security inspections per agency policy.
• Conducts routine and unannounced frisk searches of the youth after all youth movements.
• Ensures that each youth has their basic needs met and remains knowledgeable of the security status of all youth assigned.
• Supervises, manages, leads, trains, and mentors all Security Staff assigned to the unit in a secure environment.
• Monitors living units to ensure compliance with safety, security, sanitation, and maintenance regulations.
• Assists in maintaining the shift schedule and coordinates staff coverage when necessary.
• Supervises/attends daily shift briefings periodically to ensure proper communication and teamwork.
• Maintains inventory of all security equipment, including keys, vehicles, and security devices.
• Evaluates staff's performance, instructs and counsels staff on required performance standards, and initiates corrective/disciplinary action when necessary.
• Mediates disputes between youth and Juvenile Correctional Officers (JCOs).
• Complies with agency policy to complete required reports concerning youth and/or employee-related incidents.
• Ensures all reports are accurate and submitted to the appropriate person at the end of the shift.
• Ensures all subordinate staff complies with agency policy, procedure, and Federal and State Law.
• Performs other security-related duties when required.
• Serves as a member of the On-Call management team and responds to the needs of the facility.
• Performs other duties and tasks assigned by a supervisor to support the agency's mission and values.

Requirements

• Must be 21 years of age with a valid driver's license and a high school diploma or equivalent.
• Must have 3 years of experience in correctional, security, military, or police work, including at least 1 year of supervisor experience.
• Must attend, pass, and maintain all required DJJ training courses.
• Must be an officer compliant with and certified under CLEE (Continuing Law Enforcement Education) within six (6) months of employment.
• Must achieve an 80% rate on competency/proficiency exam and possess supervisor and teaching skills.
• Considerable knowledge of state law, secured facility rules, regulations, and requirements for the control of youth, and compliance with SC Child Abuse Statutes.
• Considerable knowledge of purposes, methods, and operational practices of DJJ facilities.
• Considerable knowledge of various methods of instructing, handling, and supervising youth in various activities.
• Ability to lead and develop new officers and exercise good judgment/initiative in a variety of situations.
• Ability to build healthy relationships with youth and effectively communicate to promote respect and trust.
• Ability to manage challenging behaviors maturely and professionally in accordance with training.
• Ability to complete required reports, including daily ERS Reports.
• Ability to establish working relationships with employees.
• Ability to maintain a valid state driver's license and operate a state vehicle.
• Must be mobile and able to bend, lift, interact, and intervene with youth when applicable.
• Must be able to respond physically to emergency situations, including physically intervening/restraining youth according to agency policy.
• Must be able to work in extreme heat, cold, humidity, and inclement weather.
• Must be able to walk and/or stand for extended periods, sit for up to eight hours per day, and visually distinguish subjects at distances of up to 75 yards.
• Must wear protective equipment in case of emergencies.
• Required to work shift hours (day, evening, night, weekend, and/or holidays) and be subject to mandatory overtime as needed by the facility.
• Must attend training and maintain certification required by CLEE, including physically completing Behavioral Management training (Primary Restraint and Take Down techniques, handcuffing, prone positions, kicks and strike motions, joint manipulations, etc.).
• Must perform duties relating to the custody, control, transportation, or recapture of youth within DJJ jurisdiction, with potential direct/indirect contact with youth.

Preferred Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree in human services or criminal justice field accompanied by experience supervising, mentoring, and interacting with at-risk youth.
• A bachelor's degree in a human services or criminal justice field may substitute for the required supervisory experience.

Benefits

• Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Health, dental, and life insurance
• 15 days annual (vacation) leave per year
• 15 days of sick leave per year
• 13 paid holidays
• State retirement plans and deferred compensation programs
• Discount Programs such as TicketatWork and WeSave