Security Officers and Guards jobs in Coffs Harbour
Security Officers and Guards in Coffs Harbour do the same work as security officers and guards anywhere in Australia, but who employs them, and under which licence, is local. Coffs Harbour's largest employing industries are Health care and social assistance, Construction and Education and training, which shapes both where the work is and how steady it tends to be. Licensing is set by New South Wales, not nationally — the requirements below are the ones that apply here.
Vacancies
Current security officers and guards vacancies in Coffs Harbour
No security officers and guards roles are advertised in Coffs Harbour right now. Licensing and who hires locally still apply — this page updates when a matching role appears.
Licensing
Licensing for security officers and guards in NSW
Security is licensed in all eight jurisdictions - there is no state or territory where you may work unlicensed. The variation is in who regulates and how the classes are cut. In NSW, Victoria and Western Australia the police force licenses the industry; in Queensland it is the Office of Fair Trading; in South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory it is a consumer affairs, occupational licensing or access agency. Licence structures differ: NSW splits Class 1 (guarding, crowd control, bodyguard, cash-in-transit, dog handling, monitoring, armed) from Class 2 (consultant, seller, equipment specialist, trainer, investigator), the ACT uses a similar Class 1 and Class 2 split, Queensland licenses by function under the Security Providers Act 1993, and WA licenses by discrete occupation - security officer, crowd controller, security installer, security agent - under the Security and Related Activities (Control) Act 1996. Businesses need a separate master, agent or business licence in every jurisdiction. Mutual recognition schemes exist, but they generally require an application to the destination regulator rather than simply working on a home licence, and do not extend to body corporate licences.
- New South Wales
- Licensed. The Security Licensing and Enforcement Directorate (SLED) of the NSW Police Force licenses the industry under the Security Industry Act 1997 (NSW). Class 1 subclasses cover 1A Security Officer, 1B Bodyguard, 1C Cash-in-Transit Guard, 1D Guard Dog Handler, 1E Monitoring Centre Operator and 1F Armed Guard. Class 2 subclasses cover 2A Security Consultant, 2B Security Seller, 2C Security Equipment Specialist, 2D Security Trainer and 2E Private Investigator. Businesses require a Master Licence.
Licensing rules change. Confirm with the regulator named above before quoting or contracting — this page is a starting point, not advice.
Local market
Who hires security officers and guards in Coffs Harbour
Coffs Harbour has the most health-weighted labour market on the Mid North Coast, with health care and social assistance at 23.3% of local jobs, up sharply from 18.6% five years earlier. Horticulture keeps agriculture at 5.4% of jobs, three times the NSW rate, built on the banana country behind the city and the more recent blueberry industry. Construction is the second-largest employer at 11.9%, supported by major highway and civil works around the city, while tourism sustains accommodation and food services at 8.1%.
Mid North Coast Local Health District (Coffs Harbour Health Campus), City of Coffs Harbour and Southern Cross University Coffs Harbour campus are among the largest employers in Coffs Harbour. Most security officers and guards here, though, are hired by small and mid-sized businesses rather than by the names everyone recognises — which is why so many local vacancies never reach a big job board.
Largest employing industries
77,244 people (Coffs Harbour Significant Urban Area (SUA), ABS Estimated Resident Population at 30 June 2025 (Regional population, 2024-25)).
Role
What the job involves
Security officers and guards patrol, protect and monitor people and property, control crowds at licensed venues and events, operate monitoring centres and escort cash in transit. Security is licensed in every Australian state and territory without exception, and the regulator, licence classes and training requirements differ substantially in each - in some jurisdictions the police force licenses the industry, in others a fair trading or consumer affairs body does.
- Patrol and guard premises, sites and assets on static or mobile posts
- Screen, monitor and control entry to venues, events and controlled areas
- Control crowds and manage patron behaviour at licensed venues
- Operate CCTV and alarm monitoring systems and respond to activations
- Detect, deter and report theft, trespass and antisocial behaviour
- Apply defusing, negotiation and conflict resolution techniques
- Prepare incident reports, notebooks and evidence records to an evidentiary standard
- Respond to emergencies, administer first aid and coordinate with police and emergency services
Training
Qualifications and training
- CPP20218 Certificate II in Security Operations - the entry-level national qualification underpinning most guard, crowd control and control room licences
- CPP31318 Certificate III in Security Operations - for experienced officers deepening their skills and leading security teams in the field
- An approved first aid qualification, required by several jurisdictions as a licence condition
- A security licence application to the relevant state or territory regulator, involving criminal history checks and in most jurisdictions fingerprinting
- Jurisdiction-specific units and pre-licence tests, since each regulator specifies its own units of competency for each licensed activity
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Current security licence for the jurisdiction and class of work · Conflict de-escalation and negotiation under pressure · Observation, patrolling discipline and situational awareness · CCTV and alarm monitoring system operation · Incident reporting and notebook records to an evidentiary standard · First aid and emergency response · Knowledge of powers, use of force limits and liquor licensing obligations · Integrity and probity fit for a licensed protective role
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Security Officers and Guards work in Coffs Harbour — licensing, hiring and what employers look for.
Can't find the answer you're looking for? Get in touch
Also covered for security officers and guards
Related careers
Sources
- Security Officers and Guards — occupation data · verified 2026-08-04. ABS ANZSCO 2022, Unit Group 4422 Security Officers and Guards - https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/classifications/anzsco-australian-and-new-zealand-standard-classification-occupations/2022/browse-classification/4/44/442/4422; training.gov.au CPP20218 Certificate II in Security Operations - https://training.gov.au/training/details/CPP20218; training.gov.au CPP31318 Certificate III in Security Operations - https://training.gov.au/training/details/CPP31318; Fair Work Ombudsman, Security Services Industry Award 2020 - https://awards.fairwork.gov.au/MA000016.html; NSW Police SLED - https://www.police.nsw.gov.au/online_services/sled; NSW Police Class 2 licence subclasses - https://www.police.nsw.gov.au/online_services/sled/security_licences/class_2_licences; Victoria Police private security - https://www.police.vic.gov.au/private-security; Queensland Business, security industry - https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/service-industries-professionals/service-industries/security-industry; WA Police Force, types of security licences - https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/western-australia-police-force/security-licence-types-of-security-licences; SA Consumer and Business Services - https://www.cbs.sa.gov.au/; Tasmania CBOS security and investigation agents - https://www.cbos.tas.gov.au/topics/licensing-and-registration/licensed-occupations/security-and-investigation-agents; Access Canberra security industry licences - https://www.accesscanberra.act.gov.au/business-and-work/security/security-industry-licences; NT Government security licences - https://nt.gov.au/industry/licences/security-licences
- Coffs Harbour — local data · verified 2026-07-31. ABS Regional population, 2024-25 (Table 2, Significant Urban Areas) - https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/regional-population/latest-release; economy.id Coffs Harbour City economic profile (NIEIR 2024/25) - https://economy.id.com.au/coffs-harbour/employment-by-industry; ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021, industry of employment by Significant Urban Area - https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/1011
Hiring security officers and guards in Coffs Harbour?
Valont People runs award-aware recruitment — role design, advertising, screening and shortlisting.