SUPERVISING COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST bei Washoe County, NV

About the Department

Under general direction, supervises staff and dispatch services for emergency and non-emergency law enforcement, fire and medical agencies; acts as the primary overseer of the 911 Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) center, ensuring streamlined, efficient, and accurate communication during emergencies; and performs related duties as required.

This is an Open Competitive/Countywide Promotional recruitment being conducted to fill future full-time vacancies in the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office. 

For more information on this position, please see the Job Specification at https://www.washoecounty.gov/humanresources/Careers/jobspecs.php

Position Duties

Four years of full-time emergency dispatch experience including one year in all areas of Police/Fire/EMS Communications.
 
License Or Certificate

• Certification on the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS) is required within three months of appointment and must be maintained for continued employment in this classification.  
• Certifications in Emergency Medical Dispatch (MPDS), Emergency Fire Dispatch (FPDS), and Emergency Police Dispatch (PPDS) through the International Academy of Emergency Dispatching (IAED) are required within three months of appointment; all IAED quality assurance protocols for each emergency discipline and CPR certification at Healthcare provider level are required within three months of appointment; the completion of continuing education units plus recertification every two years is required for continued employment in this classification.

The Ideal Candidate Will

• Demonstrate maturity and a professional attitude
• Demonstrate dependability and a strong work ethic
• Demonstrate initiative and motivation
• Manage multiple tasks simultaneously, prioritize, and organize own workload, and work collaboratively as a team
• Be capable of using CAD, databases, word-processing, spreadsheets, copiers, and other computer software applications, as well as troubleshooting minor computer problems
• Demonstrate sound judgement, decision-making, and maintain confidentiality
• Demonstrate good telephone / interpersonal communication
• Promote a positive work environment by fostering teamwork, collaboration, and respect
• Display accountability and lead by example

Minimum Qualifications

The Washoe County Employees Association (WCEA) Supervisory Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) covers the Supervising Communications Specialist position.
  
Background checks will be conducted on selected applicants through the State of Nevada and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
 
After the interview, top candidates must pass a background investigation which includes: 

• Submit a set of fingerprints
• Complete and submit a personal history statement
• Pass a Computerized Voice Stress Analysis (CVSA) examination

Washoe County requires its employees to reside in the state of Nevada or neighboring California communities such as Truckee, South Lake Tahoe or Susanville as of their first day of work.

Washoe County hires all new employees at the minimum rate of the salary range and eligible employees may receive an annual merit increase of 5% until they reach the maximum salary for the classification.  Upon promotion, current Washoe County employees are placed at the minimum rate of the salary range for the higher classification of the new position OR a promotional calculation, whichever is greater. 

Other Qualifications

1. After your application is screened, you will be notified via the email you provided whether you have met the minimum requirements for the position. Those applicants who do not meet the qualifications have one (1) business day to file an appeal and request a review of their qualifications.

2. Applicants who meet the minimum requirements will receive an email invitation to take the Professional Level online exam administered remotely; notices will be delivered within 1 week from the closing of the recruitment. 
 
This exam link will tentatively be delivered via email the week of September 22, 2025, and qualified candidates will have a time limit to complete the exam, within 4 calendar days. **You will be notified if you are eligible to transfer an exam score within 1 week following the closing date of the recruitment.

The exam will evaluate your expertise, knowledge, skills and abilities in the following areas:

• Reading Comprehension 
• Written Communication 
• Analytical Ability
• Business Math
• Interpersonal and Customer Service Skills

Pursuant to the Washoe County Personnel Handbook, the Department of Human Resources does not administer an exam when there are less than 20 qualified candidates.  Once the recruitment has closed, if there are less than 20 qualified candidates, the exam will be waived and all qualifying candidates will be placed on an unranked eligible list which will be referred to the hiring department. If the exam is scheduled to move forward and less than 20 candidates take the exam as determined by the Department of Human Resources, the exam will be waived.  Only those candidates who took the exam or have a transfer score will be placed on an unranked eligible list which will be referred to the hiring department.

3. After the exam is completed, you will receive an additional email notifying you of the results. If you pass the examination, you will receive your score and rank. This rank will be used to determine which candidates will be interviewed by departments trying to fill a vacancy.

4. Hiring departments schedule interviews from a list of top scoring candidates. If your name is not sent to the hiring department, it will remain on the list for future opportunities as they become available.

5. Please be advised you can log in to your NeoGov account and select:

• “Applications” to view a list of the recruitments which you have applied for, your submitted application for each recruitment, a copy of the job listing, and your applicant history for each recruitment.
• “Inbox” to view the notices which have been sent to you for each recruitment
• “Account” to update your contact information. Please note to update your phone number on previously submitted applications you must contact [email protected].

If you have any questions regarding the Online Application Process you can find additional information at the following link: https://www.washoecounty.gov/humanresources/faq/online/index.php

Questions: Alicia Agrella

[email protected]

775-328-6383

Veteran Point

Eligible veterans who were honorably discharged from the U.S. Armed Forces shall receive one (1) bonus point upon passing Open Competitive examinations only. In order to be given a bonus point, applicants must attach proof of Honorable Discharge (DD-214 with Classification of Discharge) to the Online Application at time of submission.

Washoe County is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse workforce that creates a sense of belonging for all employees and citizens, thereby encouraging persons from all backgrounds and experiences to apply for employment.

Washoe County will recruit, hire, train and promote into all job levels without regard to race, religion or belief, gender, marital status or domestic partnership, familial status, national origin, age, mental or physical disability, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, genetic information (GINA), veteran status, political affiliation, membership in an employee association or union or any other protected class under applicable federal or state law.