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Position Title:

Dispatcher/Offices Specialist

Description No.:

1.4

Classification:

Admin. Support

Department:

Construction

FLSA Status:

Non-Exempt

Date revised:

April 2017

Employment Status:

Full-time

Summary of Position:

Responsible for providing consistent, timely, courteous, and accurate communications to the field operations personnel.  Provides first point of contact for members inquiring about new and/or system improvements.  Provides efficient secretarial and administrative support for Operations and Engineering along with providing reliable and professional support to members.  Processes ongoing and completed work order projects and reviews open work orders to ensure proper scheduling for completion.  Monitors outage management, answers member telephone calls and ensures outage restoration has been completed effectively and safely.

1. Regular and punctual on-site attendance at work is an essential function of this job which involves teamwork and a high level of interaction with employees, members, and vendors.

2. Work diligently toward complete accurate work assignments.

3. Attend meetings and seminars as directed.

4. Continually develop and recommend more efficient and effective ways of carrying out the duties and responsibilities of the position.

5. Review and abide by established policies and procedures of the Cooperative.

6. Promote safety in every activity and attend scheduled safety meetings as directed.  Become familiar with and abide by the CTEC safety rules and procedures.

7. Promote teamwork through communication and cooperation.  Treat co-workers in a respectful, considerate, and professional manner and consider the opinions and personal needs of others.

8. Accept and adapt positively to changes in your position and within the Cooperative.  Develop a commitment to accept ongoing change.

9. Be a positive influence within and outside the Cooperative.

10. Support the Cooperative’s mission by staying current with information to cultivate and positively project the Cooperative’s philosophy.

11. Assist as needed in Cooperative system emergencies such as bad weather and update outage.

1. Direct activities of the Dispatch Center to make certain that all responsibilities and assignments are understood, accepted, workload distributed and completed.
   1. Dispatches the appropriate crews to restore power outages or investigate emergency situations.  Utilizes information obtained from the outage system to assist field personnel in power restoration.
   2. Responsible for monitoring and operating two-way radios and maintaining logs.
   3. Dispatches cut-off list information.  Enters meter readings into accounting system regarding reconnects and disconnects as relayed by the field personnel.
   4. Creates and completes service orders as required.  Updates the information in the Customer Information System.
   5. Completes outage reports and enters completed outage data in the Outage Management System.
   6. Serves in rotation of standby duty dispatchers.
   7. Receives incoming calls from members during normal business hours.  Dispatcher will also receive calls from 911 centers concerning dangerous situations that are related to the utility’s facilities.
   8. Addresses and resolves member inquires and complaints.
   1. Promptly and courteously responds to all customer inquiries and problem calls.
   10. Ensures that all complaints received are promptly routed to the proper department for follow-up during normal business hours.
   11. Maintains an up-to-date directory of emergency telephone numbers for the system.
   50. Monitors weather radio.

2. Process new service requests using approved methods.
   1. Ensure all documents required are prepared, processed, and documented utilizing NISC software as needed.
   2. Provide notification to members affected by work plans.  Schedule staking appointments and inform customer of necessary requirements before a service can be released for construction, coordinating with engineering and operations personnel to ensure proper construction for member needs. 
   3. Ensure Operations and Engineering personnel are informed on the status of jobs and create reports as requested.  Communicate critical new service information to Operations and Engineering personnel.
   4. Maintain member contacts, including but not limited to, homeowners, electricians, builders, contractors, inspectors, and developers.
   5. Maintain an efficient and user-friendly filing system for all information related to work plan projects so all personnel have access as needed.

3. Provide support and assistance to Operations and Engineering personnel.
   1. Retain company documents for the required retention period, ensure information is properly stored and easily located.
   2. Provide computer records maintenance by updating files as needed.
   3. Create, review, and maintain processes and procedures for the Operations and Engineering department.
   4. Create and/or prepare reports as necessary.
   5. Prepare work plan project updates and service totals to the District Operations Supervisor weekly.

Reporting Relationships:

Reports to –

District Operations Supervisor

Receives directives from –

District Operations Supervisor

Supervises –

None

External relationships –

CTEC members, Cooperative associations

Specifications:

Education and Experience:

High School Diploma required.  Two (2) year technical degree in engineering technology or similar field strongly desired.  The individual should have previous experience in a related position.  One year experience in a dispatch position is preferred.

Skills and Abilities:

Should possess a working knowledge of dispatch techniques and practices.  Knowledge of two-way radio and computers.  Knowledge of the electrical utility industry is highly desirable.  Must become proficient in maintaining and operating the Cooperative’s Outage Management System.  Excellent written and verbal communication skills including proper verbalization and grammar; excellent organizational abilities including the ability to handle competing priorities, work on projects simultaneously, meet deadlines, concentrate amid confusion and produce under pressure.    Knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel) required.  Ability to communicate effectively with all levels of employees and customers related to new construction and/or service changes.  Ability to organize tasks required in scheduling appointments between customers and department personnel.  Ability to read system maps in order to assist line personnel, contractors and members to determine project locations.  Ability to ensure the accuracy of computer entry for service orders to maintain accurate files.  Must possess a valid Texas driver's license with a good driving record.

Additional Expectations:

Must be committed to work the time necessary to complete the duties as directed.  Assistance will be expected during major outages.

Physical Demands and Working Environment:

Summary:

This is an office position which requires the employee to spend the majority of his/her working hours sedentary while monitoring radios and computers.  Works in a climate-controlled office environment with minimal physical exertion.  Occasionally, some duties may be performed outside with exposure to weather extremes.  Activities include work at a radio / computer / telephone with constant interaction with CTEC employees, members, and the general public.  Communicates with new and existing members via telephone and in person, requiring excellent verbal and written communication.  Position requires frequent sitting, standing, walking, stooping, reaching and grasping.  Physical dexterity and coordination is required for the operation of personal computers, tablets, telephones and other typical office machinery.  Specific vision abilities required include close, color and distance vision.  Must be able to lift 25 pounds without assistance.