Door Supervisor Job Description
Hire a trained and reliable Door Supervisor to keep your venue safe, manage customer entry and exit, and help the team comply with licensing and safety requirements. Use this template to create a clear, lawful vacancy that attracts SIA‑licensed candidates.
What does a Door Supervisor professional do?
A Door Supervisor provides security at venues and events, manages crowd movement and entry checks, responds to incidents and enforces licenced premises rules — usually requiring an SIA Door Supervision licence in the UK.
Door Supervisor job description template
Use this employer-ready example as a starting point, then replace the placeholders and adjust the content so it accurately reflects your vacancy.
Door Supervisor
About the role
[Employer name] is recruiting a Door Supervisor to join our team at [Location]. You will manage entry and capacity, verify IDs, monitor the premises, respond to incidents and keep accurate incident records. This role is shift‑based, including evenings and weekends. Pay: [Hourly rate or salary]. Hours: [Shift pattern / full‑time / part‑time]. SIA Door Supervision licence required.
Key responsibilities
- Check customer ID and refuse entry where legal age or venue policy is not met; manage excluded persons lists.
- Control entry and exit points, supervise queues and maintain agreed maximum capacity.
- Monitor crowds, patrol the premises and operate basic access control and CCTV as required.
- Safely de‑escalate conflicts, intervene when necessary and coordinate with emergency services or police.
- Search patrons for prohibited items in line with venue policy and record any seizures.
- Complete clear, timely incident reports and handovers for the next shift or management.
- Carry out routine premises and safety checks (fire exits, lighting, barriers) and report defects.
- Liaise with bar/managerial staff on admissions, refusals and customer welfare concerns.
Essential skills and experience
- Valid SIA Door Supervision licence
- Right to work in the UK
- Proven experience working in customer‑facing security, hospitality or crowd management
- Good verbal communication and observational skills
- Ability to work evenings, nights and weekends and stand for long periods
- Basic record‑keeping and incident reporting skills
Desirable
- First aid at work or equivalent certificated training
- Previous experience with CCTV or access control systems
- Conflict management or restraint training
- Experience in licensed premises, events or festivals
- Full driving licence (where role requires travel between sites)
What we offer
- [Competitive hourly rate]
- [Overtime / unsociable hours enhancement]
- [Uniform and PPE provided where required]
- [Training and development opportunities]
- [Pension scheme (employer contributions)]
- [Holiday entitlement]
How to apply
Apply with your CV and any additional information requested. Make the interview process, closing date and any assessment stages clear where known.
Use this as a starting point rather than a final advert. The strongest version will reflect the real role, salary, location, systems, responsibilities, benefits and working arrangements.
What is a Door Supervisor role?
Door Supervisors protect people and premises at venues, events and licensed premises. They manage entrance control, check identification, monitor behaviour and respond to incidents or emergencies while ensuring compliance with licensing conditions. Work is typically shift‑based and involves close liaison with venue management, emergency services and colleagues to maintain a safe environment.
Safety & Compliance
Maintain a safe environment and uphold licensing and venue policies.
Customer Interaction
Direct, help and sometimes refuse entry to customers with professionalism.
Shift Work
Evening, weekend and late‑night shifts are common; flexibility is essential.
Typical Door Supervisor responsibilities
Responsibilities should reflect the real scope of the vacancy rather than every task someone in this profession might ever complete.
Check customer ID
Check customer ID and refuse entry where legal age or venue policy is not met; manage excluded persons lists.
Control entry
Control entry and exit points, supervise queues and maintain agreed maximum capacity.
Monitor crowds
Monitor crowds, patrol the premises and operate basic access control and CCTV as required.
Safely de‑escalate conflicts
Safely de‑escalate conflicts, intervene when necessary and coordinate with emergency services or police.
Search patrons for prohibited items
Search patrons for prohibited items in line with venue policy and record any seizures.
Complete clear
Complete clear, timely incident reports and handovers for the next shift or management.
Carry out routine premises
Carry out routine premises and safety checks (fire exits, lighting, barriers) and report defects.
Liaise with bar/managerial staff on admissions
Liaise with bar/managerial staff on admissions, refusals and customer welfare concerns.
Door Supervisor skills and experience to look for
Keep the essential list focused on what the person really needs to perform the role. Move useful-but-trainable experience into desirable criteria.
Usually worth prioritising
- Valid SIA Door Supervision licence
- Right to work in the UK
- Proven experience working in customer‑facing security, hospitality or crowd management
- Good verbal communication and observational skills
- Ability to work evenings, nights and weekends and stand for long periods
- Basic record‑keeping and incident reporting skills
Useful where relevant
- First aid at work or equivalent certificated training
- Previous experience with CCTV or access control systems
- Conflict management or restraint training
- Experience in licensed premises, events or festivals
- Full driving licence (where role requires travel between sites)
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a Door Supervisor job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
State the SIA requirement early
List 'Valid SIA Door Supervision licence' prominently so unqualified applicants self‑select out.
Be specific about shifts and hours
Give typical start/finish times and frequency of late shifts — this reduces unsuitable applications.
Describe the venue and likely duties
Note whether the role is at a nightclub, pub, live event or corporate venue and the expected crowd size or peak nights.
Clarify pay structure
Say whether pay is hourly, includes enhancements for unsocial hours, and how overtime is handled.
Door Supervisor salary considerations
Door Supervisor pay varies. Rather than a single market figure, consider the local labour market, the hours required and the risk profile of the venue when setting pay.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What Door Supervisor candidates will want to know
Practical details can influence whether a suitable candidate applies, even when the title and salary are attractive.
What shifts will I work?
Experienced applicants want exact shift patterns, start/end times, and frequency of weekend or late shifts before applying.
How is pay calculated?
Clarify hourly rate, overtime rules, unsocial hours enhancements and how payday is handled.
Do I need an SIA licence and who pays for training?
State that a valid SIA Door Supervision licence is required and whether you provide or reimburse any training/costs.
What training and PPE are provided?
Candidates expect to know if first‑aid, conflict management refreshers or PPE/uniform are supplied.
Where will I be based and is travel required?
Confirm the primary venue, any travel between sites and whether mileage or transport allowances are available.
Where to post a Door Supervisor job
This role suits a mix of broad and specialist channels. Use national UK job boards and local hospitality listings for volume, and promote on security‑specific job sites, SIA forums and hospitality or events groups to reach qualified, SIA‑licensed candidates. Consider social media local groups and relationships with security agencies for peak‑time cover.
Related security / venue safety job descriptions
Recruiting for a slightly different role? These templates may be a closer fit.
Door Supervisor job description FAQs
Do employers have to check an SIA licence in person?
Employers should verify the candidate's SIA licence number and check it using the SIA online licence checker or view the physical licence together with right‑to‑work documentation prior to employment.
Is a DBS check required for Door Supervisors?
A DBS check is not routinely required for door supervision roles unless the role involves regulated activity with vulnerable people; decide based on the duties and venue risk.
Can I use agency staff for short‑notice cover?
Yes. Using SIA‑approved agencies is common for peak nights or one‑off events, but ensure agency staff have the required licence and appropriate venue briefings.
What training should I offer at induction?
Provide site‑specific induction covering emergency procedures, use of CCTV/access control, reporting protocols, crowd management policies and any welfare or first‑aid arrangements.
Should I show pay in the advert?
Yes — being clear about the rate, unsocial hours premiums and any allowances reduces unsuitable applications and helps you attract the right candidates quickly.
Ready to recruit your next Door Supervisor?
Post your vacancy with clear shift details, SIA requirement and any pay enhancements to reach licensed security candidates. If you need wider exposure, consider combining national job boards with security‑specific channels or agency partners.
