Communications Dispatcher

Menlo Park is a city of beautiful, tree-lined neighborhoods and active commercial districts. Located conveniently between the major metropolitan areas of San Francisco and San Jose, Menlo Park is home to just approximately 32,000 residents in its 19 square miles. The stunning natural surroundings of the city afford views of the San Francisco Bay to the east and the Pacific Coastal Range to the west. Menlo Park’s climate is moderate to warm, with an average of 265 sunny days a year. Menlo Park’s residents reflect a range of backgrounds and interests who tend to be well educated and actively engaged in community life. Excellent public and private schools serve its many young families, while residents of all ages enjoy the City’s numerous parks and recreational facilities. The City’s close proximity to Stanford University and Menlo College provide a multitude of academic, cultural and athletic event opportunities. The arts and leisure activities of the major urban areas of San Francisco and San Jose are close by. These and many other amenities contribute to Menlo Park’s outstanding quality of life. Located in the heart of Menlo Park is a downtown featuring unique and upscale shops, restaurants and entertainment, including the Guild Theatre. Set in a pleasant, pedestrian-oriented atmosphere, Menlo Park’s downtown area attracts locals and visitors alike. Known worldwide as the “Capital of Venture Capital,” Menlo Park hosts many venture capital firms and is well situated to benefit from and help shape new technologies and markets originating from the Silicon Valley. Additionally, the city is host to numerous technology and healthcare related companies, including such major employers as Meta (formerly Facebook), SRI International, Pacific Biosciences, Exponent, Grail and Personalis. Menlo Park is a General Law city operatingunder the Council-Manager form of government. The City Council appoints the City Manager and City Attorney, as well as members of a variety of advisory commissions and committees. The municipal government is organized into six operating departments, including Administrative Services, City Manager's Office, Community Development, Library and Community Services, Police, and Public Works. The City is comprisedofapproximately 300 employees. In addition to its many attributes, Menlo Park has one of the most beautiful civic center campuses in the Bay Area. Heritage trees, a running fountain, and a duck pond surround City Hall. The campus also includes a nine-acre park, recreation facilities, and the Menlo Park Library. These civic amenities make the campus a noted destination for residents, local employees, and visitors. Conveniently located, the campus is a short walk to our downtownarea with food and shopping destinations, as well as theMenlo Park Caltrain Station. The City of Menlo Park currently has an excellent opportunity for experienced Communications Dispatchers. Shift work including weekends and holidays is required. Communications Dispatchers areresponsible for receiving and dispatching emergency and non-emergency calls for the Police Department and City. Responsibilities are centered on extensive contact with the public over the telephone, in both emergency and non-emergency situations to receive, transmit, and provide factual information and assistance. All activities are performed within specified legal guidelines. Incumbents are expected to work independently and exercise judgment and initiative. A job description, including examples of typical job functions and qualifying knowledge, skills, and abilities, is available by clicking on the Job Description PDF. Examples of essential job duties include, but are not limited to: Operate a state of the art computer-aided dispatch system while monitoring, phones and neighboring agencies activities. Receive emergency and non-emergency calls including wireless E911, TDD and VOIP calls and determine appropriate priorities for action. Dispatch calls and directs officers in the field; monitoring officer’s status, location and needs during emergency and routine activities.· Listen actively using effective questioning techniques with the ability to quickly articulate the details of a call in a clear concise understandable manner when speaking. Operate a wide variety of communications equipment and enter data into computers/databases Communications Dispatchers may also assist walk-in citizens with reports and other requests; testify in court; maintain various logs; process warrants and court dispositions; and participate in community outreach and education programs. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS Education and Experience Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be: Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth (12th) grade. One (1) year of general clerical involving frequent public contact, preferably in a law enforcement setting. Licenses and Certifications Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid Public Safety Dispatcher Basic Certificate issued by the California State Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.). The City offers an excellent benefit package consisting of: Health Insurance: City contribution up to $2,893per month towards a Cafeteria Plan which can be used to purchase medical insurance and participate in a flexible spending account for health care and/or child care reimbursement Dental: City-paid coverage for employee and dependents Vision: City-paid coverage for employee and dependents Vacation: 88 - 176 hours of vacation leave accrual each year, depending on length of service Sick Leave: 96 hours of sick leave accrued each year Holidays: 11 official holidays; 34hours of floating holiday time per year;8 “Day of Reflection” hours per year in recognition of holidays of individual and community importance Retirement: CalPERS: For classic members 2.0% @ 60 formula. For all others, 2.0% @ 62 formula Deferred Compensation: Voluntary participation in City Plans. Life Insurance: City-paid policy equal to 1.5 times regular annual wage Long Term Disability: City-paid coverage Educational leave and tuition reimbursement A City-paid Caltrain GoPass. The Menlo Park campus is centrally located within walking distance from Caltrain and downtown Menlo Park. A City-paid BayPass. This pilot program offers employees unlimited travel for both work and personal trips on 25 Bay Area transit agencies that use the Clipper card. A transportation allowance program provides employees with $1.50 per day when they walk, bicycle or carpool to work at least once per week. Employees are provided with access to an on-site gym at no cost For additional benefit information, visit and review the City of Menlo Park and SEIU Memorandum of Understanding. Special Instructions Please attach a typing certificate showing a typing speed of at least 40 words per minute, dated within the last three (3) months.If you possess a P.O.S.T. Certificate, please attach it toyour application. If you wish to attach other documents, you must upload them all as one attachment no more than 2MB in size. IMPORTANT: Please be sure to fill out the required City application completely, including all relevant work experience. Applications with “See Resume” as a substitution for the work experience description and/or unclear past employment information will not be considered. Applications will be screened according to the qualifications outlined in this announcement. Not all applications which may meet the minimum requirements will proceed to the next phase of the recruitment process. The mostqualified candidates will be invited to an Oral Board Panel examination. The first Oral Board Panel Examination is scheduled for Thursday, January 22, 2026. All applicants will be notified by email as to whether or not they are invited to participate further in the selection process. An Eligible List will be established as a result of this examination process and will be valid for a period of six (6) months. The list may be extended up to a maximum of two (2) years. The hiring department will review the Eligible List to determine which candidates will be invited to the department selection process. The City of Menlo Park is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of the City of Menlo Park not to discriminate against all qualified applicants or employees. We will make reasonable efforts in the selection process to accommodate persons with disabilities. Please contact Human Resources at View phone number on click.appcast.io View email address on click.appcast.io prior to the closing datefor accommodation requests. Before receiving a conditional offer of employment, the candidate will be required to successfully complete a reference check, criminal conviction history questionnaire and fingerprinting. Upon receiving a conditional offer of employment, the applicant will be required to submit to a psychological evaluation and pre-employment medical examination which will include a drug screening. Applicants must be successful in all phases of the selection process to be considered for this position. In accordance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act, all potential employees are required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship or authorization to work in the United States. The City will not sponsor applicants for work visas. #J-18808-Ljbffr