Radio Communications Technician Supervisor

Applications will be considered from residents and non-residents of Colorado at the time of submitting your application. However, if selected for the position and accept, you will be required to establish residency in the State of Colorado to within 30 miles from their assigned work address prior to their start date, at your own expense.

Please Note: This recruitment may be used to fill other similar positions within the Colorado Department of Public Safety in the next 12 months.

Although the full salary range for this position is provided, appointments are typically made at or near the range minimum.

CDPS is an equal opportunity employer. See our EEOD Utilization Report (2020)

Our Mission - Engaged employees working together to safeguard lives and to provide diverse public safety services to local communities.

Our Vision - Creating safer and more resilient communities across Colorado.

Our Core Values – Unity, Honor, Service

CDPS commits to cultivating an equitable, diverse, and inclusive work environment. We ensure that we recruit, retain, and promote engaged employees. Our approach to diversity is simple - it's about embracing everyone! We strive to build and nurture a culture where inclusiveness is a reflex, not an initiative. Our strength is our promise to be inclusive with intentional strategies to welcome and uplift our employees to thrive - while building a more equitable workplace.

Why I love My Job at CDPS

At CDPS we nurture a centric culture driven by our commitment of creating a safer Colorado, an inclusive workplace where everyone can be their own authentic self. We model a culture of collaboration, support and growth to our employees. Our culture has public service focus, and we strive to provide innovative solutions and services to our fellow Coloradans!

Click here to learn why CDPS employees love their jobs
Careers with a purpose:

If you are passionate about public safety service, and are eager to dedicate your career to serving Coloradans, this is the organization you want to join!

We are committed to providing public safety services to our fellow Coloradans in their times of greater needs such as: safety on our roads, preparing and mitigating environmental disasters, disaster recovery, combating crime, school safety, and victim recovery.

You’ll have the opportunity to challenge yourself and acquire new capabilities to build a rewarding and fulfilling career while making a difference in our community!

When you join CDPS, you are joining a team of exceptional individuals and together you will be inspired, motivated and supported to become the best you can be.

Unmatched Benefits:

We highly value work life balance and offer excellent work-life programs, training, and professional development opportunities!

Did you know that only 15% of employers offer a defined contribution plan? CDPS offers unmatched retirement benefits including PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan, plus 401K and 457 plans.

The Employee Assistance Program (C-SEAP) is available in every region of the state. It is our effort to support the well-being of employees and the workplace. EAPs provide short-term counseling, referrals and resources, as well as training and organizational development services.CDPS provides generous time off including 11 paid holidays per year plus vacation, sick leave, and wellness days.

Medical and dental options are available for permanent employees and their dependents. We also offer short and long-term disability coverage, and life insurance that includes legal resources and discounts.

Additional benefits we offer include free ECO passes for qualifying State employees within the RTD service area, and reduced college tuition at CSU Global and DeVry University.

For a complete review of the benefits we offer, please click on this link.

Description of Job

DIVISION OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

This position is located within the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM). The division is a dynamic and diverse team that is committed to developing, administering and coordinating comprehensive and integrated statewide emergency management and homeland security programs. The Division’s work ensures the safety and security of Colorado and its infrastructure through unity of effort with local, tribal, state, federal, private, and nongovernmental partners.
Our Mission: To lead and support Colorado's effort to prevent, protect, mitigate, respond to and recover from all-hazards events.
Our Vision: A prepared, safe and resilient Colorado!
Our Core Values: Service, Teamwork, Respect, Integrity, Vision and Excellence.
Our Guiding Principles: Results-Focused, Innovative, Service-Oriented and Employee-Centric.Our mission is accomplished through a comprehensive and coordinated program of mitigating hazards, preparing for emergencies, preventing terrorist attacks and other criminal activity, coordinating resources for response to a disaster and supporting subsequent recovery efforts. The division also serves as the conduit for state and federal funding to prepare for and recover from all hazard events. The division accomplishes its mission through the following offices:

• Director's Office
• Office of Emergency Management
• Office of Grants Management (Formerly Office of Preparedness)
• Office of Security and Prevention Colorado Information Analysis Center (CIAC)
• Office of Public Safety Communications (OPSC)

ABOUT THE WORK UNIT

The Office of Public Safety Communications (OPSC) provides critical and essential public safety two-way radio communications to over 1,000 local, state, tribal and federal public safety and governmental agencies across the state. On average the system supports 8 – 9M calls per month and is one of the largest communications systems in the United States. It is currently the largest system in Colorado providing interoperability across a vast array of independent communications systems in every county jurisdiction and region of the state. Over 120,000 Colorado first responders use the system for routine operations, emergency operations, interoperability, mutual aid, for both naturally occurring and man caused large scale events. The OPSC represents the State of Colorado, in all matters related to public safety communications, in partnership with political subdivisions, elected officials, state departments, local, regional, tribal and federal government. The OPSC team is made up of system engineers, network monitoring, program management, project management, transmitter site facility operations and maintenance. We are responsible for system design - expansion and architecture, establishment and enforcement public safety communications policy, procedures, standards, technological advancement, system security – system upgrade management, Federal Communications Commission licensing and compliance, radio programing and talk group assignment, transmitter site and tower construction, everything associated with what may directly impact the performance and reliability of the OPSC. Our teams are geographically and strategically stationed at 13 regional technical service centers throughout the state to ensure an immediate response and accelerated restoration of communications continuity of operations. This includes, but is not limited to knowledge and proficiency of all computer software programs operating various components of the system, installation, service and maintenance of all backup power generators, environmental conditioning units, UHF – VHF – Microwave, transmitters – receivers, coaxial waveguide - antenna systems and communications tower structures in excess of 400 feet. All engineering and technical specialist are trained in winter survival and safe snow-cat operations in effort to safely access high altitude mountain communications sites in Colorado’s ever changing and extreme weather conditions and have been called upon in the event of emergencies and extreme weather events to assist in first responder search and rescue missions. This support unit responds to 24-hour system monitored alarm notifications indicating component trouble or failures, routine and preventive maintenance ensuring the highest level of system performance
and preventing interruptions in service and loss of availability.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• On call/shift work may be required in emergency situations
• Responds to 24-hour system monitored alarm notifications
• Physical position and work in all weather conditions.

ABOUT THE POSITION

This position is that of a working technical expert supporting federal, state, Tribal and local government agencies by maintaining microwave, telephone, two-way radio, digital trunked radio (DTR), data and video communications equipment and systems. This position has the responsibility to provide technical expertise in the installation and maintenance of the aforementioned equipment. This position has supervisory responsibilities over the Telecommunications Specialists through project scheduling and instruction, including installation, modification, fabrication and calibration of new equipment and systems. This position will follow established procedures to provide ongoing preventive maintenance and failure resolution of systems and support equipment, creating and updating circuit and equipment records to fill public safety needs and inter-government requirements.

Duties include (but are not limited to):
Technical Assistance and Support
Assist in establishing installation, maintenance and operating processes and procedures. Provide field modifications, develop and construct circuits, systems and peripheral communication assemblies using the manufacturer’s instructions, best practices and industry standards. Install and repair equipment and systems where little or no documentation is available. Assist in the design and installation of equipment to meet agencies’ requests and requirements. Assist in the design and fabrication of new and untried electronic equipment. Provide regional engineer(s) estimates of manpower resources, time, and costs for materials and equipment to upgrade and maintain communication systems. Be able to properly operate test equipment, to include service monitors, spectrum analyzers, T1 testers, power meters, and RF cable analyzers and provide expertise to other team members. Clear understanding of TDM circuits and related equipment including DS0, DS1, and DS3 signaling and M13 and channel bank multiplexers. Knowledge of -48 VDC power systems, rectifiers, inverters, and batteries. Update instruction manuals and schematics involving various types of equipment serviced by the division. Conduct remote monitoring of microwave and statewide wireless network, daily, to ensure the availability and reliability of the network. When faults or issues regarding levels of service are detected, perform required repair and/or calibration activities. Participate in all maintenance and installation of microwave systems, base/repeater station systems, two-way mobile radio and auxiliary equipment, including mobile vehicle installations. Perform maintenance and repairs of transmitter site buildings, grounds, fences, antennas and towers. May include minor maintenance of environmental control, emergency power plant systems, painting of structures and grounds keeping. Be able to climb towers and install, repair, remove, and assess the condition of the tower structure to include electrical grounds, mounts, cable runs, clamps, attachments, cross members, bolts and nuts, inspect for corrosion. Be able to assess the physical and mental condition of employees climbing towers. Stay current on all training and certification requirements. Follow industry trends to stay current on telecommunication standards.

Supervision
The position is responsible for the daily supervision of regular, on-going staff. Develop staff performance plans on an annual basis and conduct a minimum of 2 performance reviews per year (progress review and annual). Plans should include metrics that align with department and organizational goals. Give direction on tasks and priorities and provide ongoing, coaching, feedback and evaluation to staff. Document all discussions and plans accordingly. Monitor and approve leave requests. Manage employee conflicts and respond to employee grievances (informally) as delegated. Participate in team hiring process. Staff scheduling and allocation. Maintain your own professional skills and technical abilities and foster and promote a culture of continuous learning and development with your own team. Accountable for translating the organizational vision into operational execution for your team.

Documentation and Communication
Represent Communications Services, professionally, in written correspondence, verbal exchanges, physical appearance/dress attire, as appropriate for the job. Be prepared and able to attend customer meetings in-person, in conference rooms and make presentations or give instruction on subscriber or system operations with prepared written materials or electronic slides and present these verbally. Read and consult supervisor with respect to existing inter-governmental agreements or service level agreements as applicable to remote site responsibilities, access or customer locations. Draw attention to changes that may be necessary in documented procedures. Update instruction manuals and schematics involving various types of equipment serviced by the division. May be required to maintain asset tracking for the location, will vary by shop.

Emergency Assistance and Response
Provide emergency failure repair service restoration on a 24/7 on a call-back basis. Maintain public safety communication systems. Repair may require the use of a four-wheel vehicle and/or snow-cat (all-terrain snow vehicle), to reach remote locations under severe weather conditions. Use of vehicles may also be required for search and rescue and recovery operations. Must be able to assess aspects of remote, isolated site work and respond with proper tools, clothing, personal protective/defensive equipment and tools.

Vehicle Maintenance and Access Support
Coordinate and perform normal maintenance and repair of assigned snow-cat (all-terrain vehicle) to ensure the availability and reliability of transportation to and from remote mountain top communication sites. Ensure access to remote sites and other service locations by coordinating and performing the repair of service roads. Provide preventative maintenance to emergency power plants, batteries and environmental control systems.

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights

Please Note:

• Only the application will be reviewed for the initial screening and comparative analysis steps. It is imperative that your application and answers to supplemental questions describe all of your relevant education, knowledge, skills, and experience as it relates to the requirements, duties, and preferred qualifications of this position as described within this announcement.
• Resumes, Cover Letters, or other documents submitted will only be used in later stages of the comparative analysis (transcripts submitted to verify that the applicant meets either the education requirement or minimum qualification substitution are exempt from this)
• *A transcript as described under "Complete Applications" must be submitted at the time of application to meet this qualification.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE) Option 1:

Four (4) years of technical experience with land mobile radio (LMR), two-way radio, microwave, or applicable RF technology.

*Note: Application work history and supplemental questions must clearly articulate relevant professional experience as applicable to the position.

Substitute: A combination of related formalized apprenticeship program or higher level course work from an accredited, non-correspondence, vocational or trades school and appropriate relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned equal to (4) four years.
REQUIRED SKILLS

• Ability to prioritize projects.
• Demonstrated strong critical thinking skills.
• Ability to make independent decisions within a broad procedural framework.
• Ability to multi-task.
• Strong organizational and follow up skills.
• Self-sufficient, highly motivated and team player.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced work environment with consistency and reliability
• 4 ( ) years of Supervisor experience
• Hands on technical experience
• Technical Instruction experience
• Current Tower Certification
• Current FCC General Radiotelephone Operator License (GROL)
• Requires successful completion of a background investigation that includes a polygraph exam and a fingerprint based criminal history search.
• Valid Colorado Driver’s License or the ability to complete any travel requirement independently
• Designated Critical. Required to report without delay or interruption to provide essential or emergency services to ensure health, safety and welfare.
• Colorado Driver's License: Will travel between state communication equipment locations
• Use, Handling, or Exposure to hazardous materials: Will work with chemicals such as engine coolants, fuels, battery acid, grease, ATF hydraulic fluid, and lead.
• Must be obtained within 6 months of hire a FCC General Radiotelephone Operators License (GROL)
• Able to lift up to 50 lbs.
• Be able to climb towers of up to 400’ and ladders of up to 28’.
• Able to regularly bend, crouch, kneel, and crawl to complete equipment assessments, maintenance, installs, and deinstalls-removals. Dig trenches and cut trees.
• Perform at high altitude and hike to sites that do not have vehicle access.
• Able to work in all weather conditions.
• Must be certified to climb towers or be able to acquire certification within 6 months of hire and recertification every two (2) years.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $76,056.00 - $112,344.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Paid training
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Evening shift
• Night shift
• On call
• Weekends as needed

Ability to Relocate:

• Denver, CO: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $76,056 - $112,344