Telephone Operator

Veterans Health Administration•Fargo, ND

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Telephone Operator is assigned to the Telecommunications Section of the Fargo VA Health Care System in Fargo, North Dakota. The position operates telephone switchboard equipment to connect incoming and outgoing calls, routes calls to their destinations, and provides telephone and organizational information to callers. This is not a virtual position; the employee must live within or be willing to relocate within a commutable distance of the duty location. The operator handles local and long-distance calls, provides directory assistance using computerized databases, maintains call records, prepares files for end-of-month reporting, and provides routing for high-precedence calls. The role also monitors vital circuits, emergency calls, alarm systems, and surrounding buildings; operates paging systems; makes routine and emergency broadcast announcements; and issues or receives staff pagers when the assigned supervisor is absent. The employee retrieves and updates information in computerized databases according to established instructions and guidelines, and performs other related duties as assigned. The work schedule is full-time, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Recruitment and relocation incentives are not authorized, and a Critical Skills Incentive is not approved. Applicants must meet the experience, education, or combined qualification pathway described in the posting. A one-year probationary period is required.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship is required.
Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959.
Applicants are subject to a background/security investigation.
Selected applicants must complete an online onboarding process and provide acceptable identification for pre-employment requirements.
Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel.
A one-year probationary period is required.
Meet one of the following qualification pathways: one year of general experience; successful completion of two years of education above the high school level in an eligible accredited institution; or a combination of qualifying post-high-school education and experience.
Submit transcripts if relying on education to meet qualification requirements.
Experience documentation must include month and year start/end dates; part-time experience is credited based on time spent in appropriate activities.
The employee must live within or be willing to relocate within a commutable distance of the duty location.

Responsibilities

Place and receive local, regular, and special long-distance calls using government lines, commercial circuits, or other systems.
Provide directory assistance by retrieving organizational information from computerized directory databases.
Maintain records of calls for computing charges and provide primary or alternate routing for high-precedence calls.
Prepare files for end-of-month reporting.
Monitor vital circuits and emergency calls, including calls to security, police, fire, and other departments.
Monitor alarm systems and surrounding buildings and take appropriate action when an alarm notification is received.
Operate long-range, in-house, and overhead paging systems.
Make routine and emergency broadcast announcements during environmental disasters or emergent medical situations.
Issue and receive staff pagers in the absence of the assigned supervisor.
Retrieve and update relevant information in computerized databases according to established instructions and guidelines for customer assistance, record keeping, and call handling.
Perform other related duties as assigned.