Watch Specialist (Criminal Justice/Emergency Communications Specialist)

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Job Description:

The Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) is excited to announce a new opportunity for a Watch Specialist (Criminal Justice/Emergency Communications Specialist) to join our team! We welcome you to join us today!

The Department currently has an opening for six Watch Specialists (Criminal Justice/Emergency Communications Specialists) within the OERS Section of OEM in Salem, Oregon. These are full-time, permanent positions. These positions have the opportunities to work a variety of shifts that rotate on a quarterly basis. These positions have a full-time in office work schedule. More information about work schedules is listed below.

Watch Specialists staff the State of Oregon’s Emergency Response System Watch Center and provide 24-hour  coordination of  local, state, and federal resources in response to network system administration and maintenance to emergency incidents  provide assistance to callers seeking information, and provide incident coordination, investigative assistance, and emergency response  management. These positions serve as points of contact for statewide notification, requiring independent decision making that may have a direct impact on responder safety, life, protection of the environment, and property within the state of Oregon.

General duties:

• Coordinate, manage, and assist with statewide emergency notifications and incident management related to state agencies, federal partners, Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs,) and search and rescue.

• Independently interview callers who report incidents or request assistance from the state to determine required notifications and to coordinate appropriate response to emergency situations.

• Responsible for documenting critical information and incident details and sharing reports with federal, state, tribal, county, and local organizations.

• Create and disseminate reports to various internal and external agencies; independently verify accurate information is distributed as required by service agreements.

• Assist in the development, evaluation of, and participation in planning, training, and exercises designed to test emergency response plans and procedures.

• Monitor and distribute statewide alerts and warning information throughout the state, tribal, county, and local jurisdictions.

For a copy of the position description, please email samantha.r.hoyle@oem.oregon.gov.

The Benefits of joining Our Team

It is the mission of Oregon Emergency Management (OEM) to lead collaborative state-wide efforts, inclusive of all partners and the communities we serve, to ensure capability to get help in an emergency and to protect, mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies or disasters regardless of cause. To learn more about our team and the work we do, please visit Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) website.

We foster fairness, equity, and inclusion to maintain a workplace environment where everyone is treated with respect and dignity regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age, veteran status, disability, or status as a victim of domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault, or stalking.

Employee benefits include:

• Medical, vision, and dental insurance.

• 11 paid holidays per year.

• 8 hours of vacation leave earned per month.

• 8 hours of sick leave earned per month.

• 24 hours of personal business leave per fiscal year.

• Pension and retirement programs.

• Click here to learn more about State of Oregon benefits.

What do you need to qualify? Minimum Qualifications:

Two years of communications experience, with computerized systems, working in a public, private or military agency communications center involving frequent contact and/or coordination with the public or other governmental or nongovernmental agencies.

Note:
“Communications experience” includes duty as a dispatcher or other person involved in a dispatch or coordination function which is conducted by radio, telephone and/or teletype.

What we are looking for (Desired Attributes): 

• Experience in a public safety answering point, 9-1-1 telecommunications/dispatch center or a role responsible for operation of the Oregon Emergency Response System (OERS)

• Experience operating computer aided dispatch systems, and/or Everbridge software, or Esri software such as ArcGIS Online

• Experience preparing reports/briefings for senior public safety/emergency management leadership, and developing policies, procedures, checklists, or similar documentation for a public safety or emergency management agency or critical communications facility.

• Completion of the Basic Intelligence and Threat Analysis Course or other FEMA recognized Intelligence Analyst training Course

• Current or previous certification as a Telecommunicator from the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) or equivalent.

• Ability to successfully pass the Criticall Screening Test (Criticall will test for reading and writing comprehension, the ability to listen to callers and type at the same time, keyboarding and data entry skills, spelling, the ability to prioritize information, and map reading.

Note:  You must clearly describe your experience in each area listed. Failure to provide this information may result in eliminating your application from further consideration. 

Watch Specialist Work Schedule:

Work schedules for the Watch Specialist positions are full-time in person positions.

Successful candidates will spend their first 10-12 weeks in the role  attending the new Watch Specialist academy and learning the skills needed to be successful in the role. Successful completion of the academy is a core part of succeeding in the role. The Academy will occur Monday – Friday, 8am – 5pm PST, at our main office in Salem, OR.

New Watch Specialists who successfully complete the Watch Specialist Academy will be assigned to a shift in the Watch Center. Work shifts (listed below) will rotate quarterly, allowing all Watch Specialists to train on Day, Swing, and Night Shifts.

• Day Shift 1 (D1): Sunday thru Wednesday 0600-1600
• Day Shift 2 (D2): Wednesday thru Saturday 0600-1600
• Swing Shift 1 (S1): Sunday thru Wednesday 1500-0100
• Swing Shift 2 (S2): Wednesday thru Saturday 1500-0100
• Night Shift 1 (N1): Sunday thru Wednesday 2100-0700
• Night Shift 2 (N2): Wednesday thru Saturday 2100-0700

Informational Sessions:

The Oregon Department of Emergency Management will hold public  informational sessions regarding this position via Microsoft Teams on the dates indicated below. During the session, staff will be online to provide a brief overview of the duties of the position, the hiring process, and answer questions. To join the session, click the below link at the indicated date and time.

• Thursday, January 8, 2026, from 1-2pm PST (LINK)

• Wednesday, January 14, 2026, from 6-7pm PST (LINK)

Additional information:

• The salary listed is the non- Public Employee Retirement Systems (PERS) qualifying salary. If the successful candidate is PERS qualifying, the salary will reflect the 6.95% increase.

• Finalists will be subject to a computerized criminal history check. Adverse background data may be grounds for immediate disqualification.

• Within three days of hire, all applicants will be required to complete the US Department of Justice Form I-9, confirming authorization to work in the United States. OEM does not offer visa sponsorship.

• Please save a copy of this job announcement for your reference, as it may not be available for you to view after the job closes.

• Internal candidates currently employed by any State of Oregon agency must apply through their Workday employee account, ensuring their profile includes up-to-date job history and education, and that their application clearly demonstrates how their experience and/or education meets all minimum qualifications and desired attributes listed in the posting—all applicants who fail to follow these instructions will result in disqualification from this recruitment.

How to Apply:

• Visit the State of Oregon job opportunities webpage to submit your application for the position. Please ensure the work history and education section is complete. If you are a current state of Oregon employees, you must apply through your employee Workday account.

• Attach a cover letter and resume describing how you meet the qualifications and attributes for the position.

• If you have questions about the recruitment or need assistance to participate in the application process, please contact the recruiter, Samantha Hoyle, at samantha.r.hoyle@oem.oregon.gov or 971-388-4742.

Helpful Tips:

• Workday will timeout after 20 minutes of inactivity.

• Be sure to check both your email and Workday account for updates regarding this recruitment.

• Click here for Resources and a Job Support Page.

Veteran's Preference:

The OEM provides veterans’ preference points to all eligible veterans. For privacy reasons, please do not attach veterans’ preference documents when initially applying. You will be sent a Workday “Task” to complete once you have submitted your application.  The “Task” will prompt you to provide the appropriate documentation for your Veterans’ Preference point selection. For more information, please go here: https://www.oregon.gov/jobs/Pages/Veterans.aspx.

After you apply:

Log in to your Workday account before the job announcement closes to see if you have any pending tasks or actions, and make sure to complete these tasks or actions before the job announcement closes. These can be found under the “My Applications” section.