Dispatcher

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: Dispatcher (Night Shift)

Department: Member Services

Reports To: Director of Dispatch

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Safety Sensitive: Yes

Summary

Serves members by providing support to electric cooperative line workers in the field. Coordinates field requests for operation of the electric distribution system. Requests and coordinates crews in the event of a power outage. Communicates necessary information with cooperative employees, emergency personnel, membership, and power suppliers.

Standards of Excellence

The standards of excellence represent the code of conduct required of every employee to ensure a culture of excellence is maintained throughout the cooperative.

• Supports the organization by having sufficient knowledge of programs and services offered and professionally representing the organization in a positive manner. Contributing to high organizational and team performance through a commitment to excellence.
• Accepts challenges and supports change within the organization. Demonstrates commitment, and overcomes resistance through resourcefulness and creative problem-solving.
• Allocates time and attention based on what is most important to achieve key goals and objectives.
• Effectively organizes and balances tasks and priorities to keep multiple duties on track.
• Demonstrates effective skills in obtaining and researching facts and information. Interprets and analyzes information, including instructions and guidelines to make appropriate decisions.
• Selects and uses appropriate communication methods and demonstrates follow-through with commitments.
• Observes safety and security procedures and actively demonstrates safe work practices at all times.
• Exhibits integrity and demonstrates ethical behavior in everyday business conduct.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Receives and manages outages, emergencies, and complaints, by coordinating line workers, service orders and resources for the electric cooperative.
• Monitors facilities security cameras, gates and doors taking appropriate action when necessary to assist with the safety of personnel, the general public, and facilities of the cooperative.
• Dispatches crews with necessary information to restore electric service. Assists in determining if additional crews are necessary.
• Coordinates lock-out/tag-out procedure with cooperative line workers, contract workers and power suppliers.
• Maintains communication with field personnel and collects pertinent information to complete service orders.
• Collects information regarding restoration of outages, disconnection and reconnection of services for Cooperative
• Communicates and coordinates with power suppliers and issues switching orders upon request
• Monitors voltage levels, substations, equipment operations and service reliability using the SCADA control systems.
• Reviews and analyzes AMR information to determine potential outage patterns
• Monitor weather to ensure safety of employees as well as reliability of the Cooperative
• Contact Call Okie for emergency and non-emergency locates. Assigns incoming locates to field personnel for the cooperative and its subsidiary
• Other duties as assigned by the director

Competencies

Member Service – Displays courtesy and sensitivity, manages difficult or emotional customer situations, meets commitments, responds promptly to customer needs and solicits customer feedback to improve service.

Continuous Learning – Assesses own strengths and weaknesses, seeks feedback to improve performance, pursues training and development opportunities, strives to continuously build knowledge and skills, shares expertise with others.

Dependability – Responds to requests for service and assistance, follows instructions, responds to management direction, takes responsibility for own actions, commits to doing the best job possible, keeps commitments and meets attendance and punctuality guidelines.

Initiative  – Volunteers readily, undertakes self development activities, seeks increased responsibilities, looks for and takes advantage of opportunities and asks for help when needed.

Oral Communications – Speaks clearly and persuasively, listens and gets clarification, responds well to questions, demonstrates group presentation skills, participates in meetings .

Teamwork – Balances team and individual responsibilities, exhibits objectivity and openness to others' views, gives and welcomes feedback, contributes to building a positive team spirit and puts success of team above own interests.

Use of Technology – Demonstrates required skills, adapts to new technologies, troubleshoots technological problems, keeps technical skills up to date, uses technology to increase productivity.

Qualifications/Certifications

Education and/or Experience - High school graduate or equivalent; must be familiar with Windows-based computer systems and be willing to learn a variety of applications to operate the electric distribution network and provide clear, concise communication to line workers.  A minimum of three years’ experience in technical support is preferred.  Excellent communication skills and the ability to work in a team environment are required.

Physical Demands--must regularly lift and /or move up to 25 pounds; occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.

Working Conditions

The dispatch department is staffed twenty-four (24) hours a day, three hundred sixty-five (365) days a year.  This will require the employee to work weekends, holidays, and /or irregular hours as assigned. 

Classification

This position is ineligible for remote work due to the security risks with SCADA system.