Security systems chief operating officer job description
A security systems COO runs install, service and project work across the company so every crew builds and hands over systems the same way. They write the steps for alarms, access control, cameras and cabling, make sure licensed techs staff each job, and keep big jobs on time and on budget.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, security systems companies · BLS, May 2025
The Chief Operating Officer (COO) for Security & Low Voltage is a strategic leader responsible for coordinating teams, optimizing operational efficiency, and managing daily workflows to ensure high-quality service delivery and customer satisfaction. This role is pivotal in harmonizing technical operations with business objectives, driving growth and innovation throughout the organization.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Oversee and direct the daily operations of the Security & Low Voltage division to ensure seamless team collaboration and workflow management.
Develop, implement, and refine operational policies, procedures, and best practices to enhance service quality and efficiency.
Collaborate with senior leadership to strategize and execute initiatives that drive business growth and improve customer satisfaction.
Ensure compliance with industry regulations, safety standards, and quality control measures while managing budgets and resource allocation.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Coordinate cross-functional teams to address project milestones and resolve operational issues proactively.
Monitor and evaluate performance metrics to identify areas of improvement and implement effective corrective actions.
Engage with customers and site managers to assess project performance and deliver innovative security and low voltage solutions.
Facilitate regular meetings and briefings to align team objectives with organizational goals and update management on progress.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Operational Efficiency: Achieve a minimum of 90% operational efficiency in daily workflows.
Project Completion: Complete at least 95% of projects on-time and within budget.
Customer Satisfaction: Maintain a customer satisfaction rating of over 4.8 stars.
Team Productivity: Ensure a team productivity increase of at least 15% year-over-year.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Engineering, or a related field.
8+ years of progressive leadership experience in operations management; exposure to security or low voltage services preferred.
Exceptional strategic planning, organizational, and analytical skills.
Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience within the home services industry, specifically in security or low voltage fields.
Background in managing large-scale projects and implementing operational efficiencies.
Familiarity with advanced technologies related to security systems and low voltage applications.
A track record of driving profitable growth and leading organizational change.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to work in a variety of environments, including offices, project sites, and technical installations.
Occasional requirement to travel between locations and job sites.
Capacity to attend on-site evaluations necessitating moderate physical activity.
Willingness to adapt to varied work environments, including confined or outdoor settings.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Standard work hours with occasional extended hours to meet project deadlines.
Minimal travel required between job sites and the office.
Occasional on-call duties during peak periods or emergencies.
Collaborative office environment with direct hands-on engagement in field operations.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Annual salary range of $150,000 - $200,000 USD, commensurate with experience and qualifications.
Eligible for performance bonuses tied to operational milestones and KPIs.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
401(k) plan with company match and additional fringe benefits such as professional development support.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We are a dynamic, innovative organization committed to excellence and growth. We foster a culture of collaboration, continuous learning, and integrity, empowering our employees to excel in a fast-paced home services environment. Our team is dedicated to delivering exceptional service and driving forward-thinking solutions that create lasting value for our customers.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
What makes the COO job different at a security and low voltage company
Every COO turns plans into a working routine. In security and low voltage, third-party listings, privacy law and connected devices add rules to that routine.
UL certificates need a listed company behind them
Sometimes a business or its insurer asks for a UL certificate on a burglar alarm. Only a UL Listed alarm company can issue one. A monitoring station can't issue it on its own. The standards are UL 681 for burglar and holdup alarms and UL 827 for central stations. Listed companies must pass a UL Solutions audit every year, so the COO owns the steps and records it checks. Source: UL Solutions: Security Alarm Service Certification.
Fingerprint and face readers carry privacy rules
Illinois' Biometric Information Privacy Act covers retina and other eye scans, fingerprints, voiceprints and scans of hand or face geometry. Before collecting them, a private company must tell the person in writing why and for how long, and get a written release. A company holding the data needs a public policy on keeping and destroying it. That is often your customer, but it can be you if staff enroll users or you host the system. The COO sets handover steps and gets legal advice first. Source: Illinois General Assembly: Biometric Information Privacy Act (740 ILCS 14).
Default passwords become service calls later
Cameras, recorders and door panels left on factory passwords or old firmware can be hacked, and the customer will call you first. Set one rule for all crews. Every device gets its own password at install. Keep a record of who holds each one. Check the firmware on every service visit.
Remote service changes who goes to the site
Many access control and video systems can be checked, reset and reprogrammed over the internet. The COO decides which problems a remote tech tries first, what a field tech must confirm before leaving the shop, and how remote fixes are logged and billed. Done well, it keeps trucks for the work that needs hands on the hardware.
How much security systems chief operating officers make
The closest BLS group for security systems chief operating officers is chief executives. Chief executives who work for security systems companies earned a median of $227,770 a year ($109.50 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s above the $213,990 median for chief executives in all industries. About 100 of the 204,350 chief executives in that survey work for security systems companies.
A salary makes up most of the pay, with a bonus when operating milestones are met. Pay data comes from the chief executives code, whose O*NET sample titles include COO, and the template's range lands short of that median for security systems companies.
Security systems companies
$227,770$227,770 median Middle half $138,530–$323,920 10th–90th $118,140–$433,830
All industries
$213,990$213,990 median Middle half $129,540–$356,200 10th–90th $75,700–$507,730
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Security systems companies
$118,140
$138,530
$227,770
$323,920
$433,830
All industries
$75,700
$129,540
$213,990
$356,200
$507,730
BLS doesn’t publish pay for low-voltage contractors on their own. These figures cover security systems services, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Has run field operations with both project crews and service techs
Writes procedures technicians follow on a busy day
Knows alarm, access control, camera and cabling work well enough to judge a job
Manages through managers, with clear numbers for each
Understands how state technician licenses limit who can do what
Teach these on the job
Programming software for each panel and door controller you carry
UL listing procedures, if your company is listed
How alarm signals reach dispatch and the on-call tech
The reports your field service software produces
Your closeout checklist and handover forms
The COO runs the company from field service software, project schedules and weekly manager reports. Experience with the cloud dashboards that access control and video makers provide helps the COO judge what can be fixed without a site visit.
Security systems chief operating officer interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Fixing install quality
Callbacks on new installs doubled after you added [four] new technicians. What do you do?
A strong answer: Looks at callbacks by tech and job type, rides along, finds the training gap, pairs new techs with leads and adds a quality check before sign-off.
Behavioral · Scaling field operations
Tell me about a time you took on more commercial work than your manufacturer-certified technicians could cover. What broke first?
A strong answer: Honest about what broke, such as programming backlogs or uncertified techs on jobs, explains the fix, like certification plans or vetted subcontractors, and what they'd do earlier.
The targets printed in the template are rough markers. Rebuild them from your own job records and crew count, then walk through them with each manager every month.
Operational Efficiency
Measure hours charged to jobs against field payroll hours, by branch and crew. Log the causes of the gap, such as drive time, missing parts and return trips.
Project Completion
Count projects closed out by the promised date and within the approved budget, out of all projects closed that month. Closed out means tested, handed over and documented.
Customer Satisfaction
Survey customers after installs and service calls, and track ratings by branch and by project manager. Call back on every low score and note what caused it.
Team Productivity
Track revenue or finished devices per field hour, by crew type. Compare the same months from year to year so a change in project mix doesn't skew the trend.
Career path
Project managerRuns large commercial installs from kickoff to closeout.
How do the COO template's physical lines show up on a normal day?
The template's lines on moderate activity and tight or outdoor spaces come from site visits. A COO may tour a project while it's being built, go up to an equipment room on an upper floor, peer into a ceiling or a closet, and look at an outdoor camera in rain or cold. Spell out those tasks when you post the job. When someone asks to do one of these a different way, handle it as an accommodation request.
How much does a security systems chief operating officer make?
Chief executives who work for security systems companies earned a median of $227,770 a year ($109.50 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $138,530 and $323,920 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
What records should a security COO keep for each finished system?
Keep as-built drawings, a device list with locations, panel and software versions, test results, warranty dates, and who holds the passwords. Store them where any service tech can find them from the truck. When the original installer leaves the company, those records are the only map of what is in the walls.
What should a security COO do after a system fails when the customer needed it?
Treat it as an incident, not a service call. Pull the event logs, talk to the tech and the customer, and find the cause, whether it was a bad part, a missed setting or a gap in the procedure. Fix the procedure for every crew, tell the customer what changed, and check your contract and insurance before anyone admits fault in writing.
Should a security company COO come from the field or from operations?
Either can work. A former technician or project manager will spot a bad install fast, yet may still be learning budgets and how to lead managers. A leader from another service trade brings systems but has to learn alarm, access control and licensing. Pair the hire with a strong lead in the other area, and test candidates on a real failed project from your files.
