Qualifications

[Meste17]

Would an ensign serve as a chief of security?

[Mikey]

Would an ensign serve as a chief of security?

Is the ensign assigned as chief of security? If so, then I'd say "yes."

[IanKennedy]

If you take the work chief at face value he wouldn't even need to be an Ensign.

[Graham Kennedy]

Would an ensign serve as a chief of security?

Only on a very small ship indeed.

On most ships I'd expect a security chief to be at least a Lieutenant Commander.

[Tinadrin Chelnor]

I would tend to think, on most starships, that most department heads would be of the rank of Lieutenant Commander.

[Captain Seafort]

On most ships I'd expect a security chief to be at least a Lieutenant Commander.

On the other hand the E-D, the fleet flagship, only had a Lt as security/tactical officer until a few days before her destruction.

[Graham Kennedy]

On most ships I'd expect a security chief to be at least a Lieutenant Commander.

On the other hand the E-D, the fleet flagship, only had a Lt as security/tactical officer until a few days before her destruction.

Which I found weird. But fair enough, a Lieutenant then.

[McAvoy]

Department heads in real life would obviously be of higher rank. But there are small ships commanded by a LT but would be of like maybe three or four officers on board.

Star Trek should be the same thing. But we have seen Worf being one as a LT and in another department Harry Kim being one as an ensign. Technically he should have been promoted, a field promotion to fill that. But that is a discussion for another day

[Mikey]

Bear in mind the size of the vessel and its mission. Remember that, for example, in WWII John F. Kennedy was a captain while holding the rank of lieutenant j.g.