Communications Manager

Communications ManagerLocation: Jacksonville, FLDepartment: OfficeStatus: Exempt / Salary RangeReports to: Communications Leadership TeamPosition SummaryThe Communications Manager provides day-to-day leadership and operational oversight of the Communications Center and its dedicated team of communications specialists and call takers. The position is responsible for supporting safe, timely, and efficient emergency and non-emergency ambulance and transportation services; assisting staff with decision-making and unit/call assignments; monitoring service performance; and providing routine operational reports to agency leadership. The Communications Manager also partners closely with Operations to promote compliance with company policies and procedures, strong customer service, on-time performance, and effective system status management.Essential Duties and ResponsibilitiesCommunications Center OperationsOversee daily Communications Center operations and provide real-time leadership, guidance, and decision support to communications specialists and call takers.Proficiently monitor and respond to calls and emails using established call-handling and information-management systems while delivering excellent customer support to providers, facilities, public-safety partners, field personnel, and coworkers.Maintain a calm, professional demeanor during periods of high call volume, unusual events, emergencies, and other high-stress situations.Follow established parameters and formats for receiving requests for service and ensure transportation requests are reviewed, scheduled, and assigned appropriately.Allocate available resources based on operational needs, approved protocols, and sound decision-making.Monitor, update, and control the location and movement of field units; document response times; and assist responding units with routing instructions when necessary.Effectively document and communicate trip information, including confirmations, equipment requirements, and other operational details.Relay instructions from senior management, messages, emergency information, and other time-sensitive communications accurately and promptly.Quality, Customer Service, and ComplianceDemonstrate and reinforce exceptional customer service in all aspects of Communications Center operations.Provide quality assurance oversight of communications specialists and call takers to support compliance with company policies, procedures, General Orders, memorandums, and established communication standards.Maintain current working knowledge of applicable company policies, procedures, General Orders, memorandums, and Communications Center protocols.Ensure completeness and accuracy of position-related data entry before the end of each shift.Act with integrity, honesty, professionalism, and sound judgment in support of Excelsior Ambulance Service departmental standards and values.Adhere to all applicable information systems security policies and procedures.CAD, Technology, and ReportingEnter all requests for service accurately and completely into the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system.Prepare and provide daily or requested reports on unit utilization, Unit Hour Utilization (UHU), call volume, on-time performance, response times, and other operational metrics for agency leadership.Demonstrate extensive working knowledge of Communications Center equipment and systems, including communication consoles, radio systems, recording systems, CAD, and related technology.Report Communications Center equipment or system failures to the Communications Leadership Team in a timely and appropriate manner.Evaluate current practices, policies, procedures, and workflows and recommend improvements that enhance customer service, operational efficiency, accuracy, and performance.Staffing and Operational CoordinationPrepare bi-weekly schedules for communications specialists and call takers based on call volume, staffing requirements, and Communications Center needs, with senior-management approval as required.Review pre-scheduled calls in advance and coordinate with operational leadership regarding unit requirements necessary to support successful on-time performance.Collaborate with Operations personnel to support company policy compliance, staffing coordination, system status management, and service-delivery goals.Communicate with public-safety partners regarding emergent requests and operational needs, including mutual-aid responses and Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) unit requests.Other ResponsibilitiesPerform other duties as assigned consistent with the responsibilities and operational needs of the position.Minimum Required QualificationsHigh school diploma or equivalent.Minimum of five (5) years of private EMS or public-safety dispatching experience, including at least three (3) years of supervisory and/or management-level experience.Demonstrated experience compiling operational data and producing reports on UHU, on-time performance, call volume, and other metrics requested by senior management. This requirement is mandatory.Ability to read and write English proficiently and communicate clearly by radio and telephone.Ability to record, transmit, and report information accurately and completely.Ability to efficiently utilize assigned communications equipment and basic computer applications.Ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously and perform effectively in high-stress situations.Typing speed and accuracy sufficient to efficiently process service requests and operational information.Experience using a two-way radio system.Preferred QualificationsExperience with Logis/ESO Computer Aided Dispatch software.Experience with TripMaster (CTS) NEMT dispatch and scheduling software.