Job Description

We have an exciting opportunity for Physical Security Manager at UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement, based in our Evanston, Illinois, office.

The Physical Security Manager is responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining UL Research Institutes (ULRI) and UL Standards & Engagement (ULSE) physical security program to protect employees, visitors, facilities, assets, intellectual property, and business operations. This role oversees physical security systems and programs, including access control, video surveillance, intrusion detection, alarm monitoring, visitor management, key control, incident response, and security risk assessments across multiple locations.

Reporting to the Director of Facilities and Expansion, Physical Security Manager establishes security standards, identifies and mitigates physical security risks, and supports a safe, secure, and compliant workplace environment

UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement

At UL Research Institutes (ULRI) and UL Standards & Engagement (ULSE), we expand the boundaries of safety science to create a more secure and sustainable world. For more than a century, we have studied the unintended consequences of innovation, designed solutions to mitigate risk, created new safety standards and shared our findings with academia, scientists, manufacturers, and policymakers across industries. We identify critical safety and sustainability issues, asking the tough questions because we believe a safer world begins with knowledge.

What you’ll learn and achieve:

As the Physical Security Manager, you will play a key role in the rapid growth of UL as you:

• Develop, implement, and continuously improve physical security standards, policies, procedures, and programs across the organization.
• Manage physical security systems and technologies, including access control, badge and credential administration, CCTV, intrusion detection, alarms, visitor management, and key control.
• Conduct physical security risk assessments for new and existing facilities, identify threats and vulnerabilities, and develop appropriate risk mitigation recommendations.
• Establish physical security requirements for office, laboratory, and testing environments.
• Lead physical security incident response and investigations involving unauthorized access, theft, workplace violence concerns, vandalism, and other security-related events, coordinating with internal and external partners as appropriate.
• Manage physical security infrastructure projects, including access control upgrades, CCTV deployments, visitor management implementations, security command center enhancements, and new facility security installations.
• Partner with project management, design teams, and internal stakeholders to establish and implement physical security requirements throughout the planning, design, construction, commissioning, and occupancy of new and renovated facilities.
• Manage security vendors, integrators, monitoring providers, contractors, and equipment manufacturers, including scopes of work, service-level performance, budgets, maintenance, and system upgrades.
• Support emergency preparedness, crisis management, business continuity, evacuation planning, and security response activities during facility emergencies and other significant events.
• Develop and monitor security metrics, dashboards, access audits, incident trends, system performance, and compliance activities; prepare leadership reporting and support internal and external audits and regulatory inspections.
• Contribute to other Real Estate & Facilities and organization-wide initiatives as required.

What you’ll experience working at UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement: We have pursued our mission of working for a safer, more secure, and sustainable world for nearly 130 years, embedding conscientious stewardship into everything we do.

• People: Our people make us special. You’ll work with a diverse team of experts respected for their independence and transparency and build a network, because our approach is collaborative. We collaborate across disciplines, organizations, and geographies to build the global scientific response that today’s global challenges require.
• Interesting work: Every day is different for us here. We see what’s on the horizon and use our expertise to build the foundations of a safer future. You’ll have the opportunity to push the boundaries of human understanding as part of a team working to advance the public good.
• Grow and achieve: We learn, work, and grow together through targeted development, reward, and recognition programs.
• Values. Four core values guide our work: collaboration, respect, integrity, and beneficence. By living our values, we inspire the trust essential to fulfilling our mission and foster the partnerships that enable us to pursue a beneficent future in which we all can thrive.
• Total Rewards: All employees at UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement are eligible for bonus compensation based on the level of the position. We offer comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans and a generous 401k matching structure of up to 5% of eligible pay. Moreover, we invest an additional 4% into your retirement saving fund after your first year of continuous employment. Depending on your role, you may be able to discuss flexible working arrangements with your manager. We also provide employees with paid time off, including vacation, holiday, sick, and volunteer days.

What makes you a great fit:

While no one candidate will embody every quality, the successful candidate will bring many of the following professional competencies and personal attributes:

• Strong project management skills with experience managing security infrastructure projects from planning through implementation.
• Ability to manage vendors, contracts, and budgets.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to evaluate physical security risks and develop practical mitigation strategies.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate security risks, requirements, and recommendations across organizational levels.
• Ability to build effective working relationships and influence stakeholders across ULRI-ULSE.

Professional education and experience requirements for the role include:

• Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in Criminal Justice, Security Management, Business Administration, Risk Management, Facilities Management, Information Technology, or a related field.

• Minimum of 7 years of experience in physical security, corporate security, facilities security, or a related discipline.

• Minimum of 3 years of experience managing enterprise security systems and vendor relationships.

• Experience supporting physical security programs within multi-site corporate environments.

• Experience with access control systems, CCTV platforms, visitor management, alarm monitoring, and other electronic security technologies.

• Experience conducting security risk assessments and supporting security infrastructure projects.

• Experience within corporate real estate and facilities or laboratory, testing, research, or manufacturing environments is preferred.

• Certified Protection Professional (CPP), Physical Security Professional (PSP), Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), Certified Facility Manager (CFM), or Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is preferred.

About UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement are nonprofit organizations dedicated to advancing safety science research through the discovery and application of scientific knowledge. We conduct rigorous independent research and analyze safety data, convene experts worldwide to address risks, share knowledge through safety education and public outreach initiatives, and develop standards to guide safe commercialization of evolving technologies. We foster communities of safety, from grassroots initiatives for neighborhoods to summits of world leaders. Our organization employs collaborative and scientific approaches with partners and stakeholders to drive innovation and progress toward improving safety, security, and sustainability, ultimately enhancing societal well-being. 

To learn more, visit our websites UL.org and ULSE.org. 

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