What are the responsibilities and job description for the Dispatch Specialist I position at Nebraska Public Power District?
Dispatch Specialist I
Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) has an immediate opening for a Dispatch Specialist I located at Norfolk Customer Care Center in Norfolk, Nebraska. Position closes once filled. Applicants will be reviewed starting on April 9, 2025.
This position will report to the Customer Services Leader.
The incumbent will work a 4x10 schedule from 8:00 p.m.- 6:00 a.m. Overnight, weekend, and holiday coverage is required.
Assigned shifts will be eligible for shift differential of $1.25/hr.
Assignment to this position and a condition of continued employment will be the ability to arrive from your residence to the Centralized Customer Care Center within 30 minutes of notification of a call-out.
Position Summary
Incumbent will receive after-hours emergency and customer service calls and will dispatch and monitor service personnel and/or work crews for partner utilities associated with the District’s after-hours call answering service. This position will receive after-hours emergency and customer service calls for District and partner utility customers, send signals to reconnect or disconnect customers, and document customer interactions. Real-time monitoring requires knowledge and immediate action of emergency protocols per utility. Focus on call taking, dispatching, and monitoring will be prioritized by workload per District protocols. Various reporting is required by this position. Incumbents may be required to provide coverage for shifts other than his or her normally assigned shift. Assignment to this position, and a condition of continued employment, will be the ability to arrive from your residence to the Centralized Customer Care Center within 30 minutes of notification of a call-out.
Education, Training and Experience
Education
High school diploma/GED plus two years of experience in customer service or dispatching is required. Excellent keyboarding skills (minimum of 35 words per minute), completion of written and grammar skills test, and the ability to present oneself in a professional manner is required.
Successfully pass the Specialist progression program requirements, as outlined in the program.
Prior Related Experience
Experience working with customers through operational support, retail business, sales, or a utility-specific company is required. Experience dispatching service personnel in any industry is highly preferred. Experience in Windows-based software including, but not limited to, Excel, Word, Outlook, and Teams applications is required.
Licenses and/or Certifications
Not Applicable
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
Provide excellent customer service to Retail, Corporate, and after-hours answering partner customers by providing knowledge-based solutions through Corporate and business unit policies and procedures to ensure the customer's and the District's best interests are met. Respond to internal and external customer requests using written and oral communications. Take appropriate action for partner utilities and District customers when contacted by 911, emergency response personnel, police, sheriff, state patrol, or any other law enforcement agency and emergency locates.
Operate a two-way radio and phone system to dispatch and monitor line technicians and/or work crews. Provide all pertinent information when switching is required to restore service to customers, as needed. Administer the Outage Management System for partner utilities and District Operations crews and generate ad-hoc outage reports as necessary. Provide system security or Operations functional support as deemed appropriate by the supervisor. Real-time monitoring requires knowledge and immediate action of emergency protocols per utility, which may include law enforcement or emergency responder support.
Assess outage situations across multiple substations, feeders, and phases for multiple partner utilities and determine when to contact or dispatch additional service personnel or return service responsibility of the outage back to the partner utility through communication with their Operations Manager.
In large outage situations, provide reports to the Operations Managers and return calls to customers confirming restoration of power at the request of the partner utility personnel.
During significant weather events, manage multiple outages as storms move across the state affecting more than one partner utility for prolonged periods.
Provide proficient use and extensive knowledge of District systems to record, identify, and generate necessary documentation and tickets for District Retail, Corporate, and after-hours answering service partner customers. Document and enter technician on-call schedule information in the Outage Management Systemper instructions provided by partner utilities via email, fax, or telephone contact.
Accountable for other duties as assigned.
Core Competencies
Salary Information - Nebraska Public Power District offers a competitive starting salary with opportunities for growth. In addition to the base salary range listed below, NPPD employees may also be eligible for our Annual Incentive Program (AIP) that may supplement total compensation at a level above and beyond the stated salary range. Successful applicants will be provided more information regarding the incentive program at the time of an interview.
Pay Grade - 7
Pay Grade Starting Hourly Rate: $22.40/hour
Travel Required: Up to 25% (With no or minimal overnight stays, less than 3 per month, typically within state of Nebraska) Travel required may fluctuate by business need. This is an estimate and will be discussed further with candidates that receive an interview.
Nebraska Public Power District offers a competitive starting salary and an excellent benefits package including medical and dental insurance, 401K retirement plan, paid holidays, paid vacation, paid medical, training opportunities and more.
If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation as part of the employment selection process, please contact Human Resources at Nebraska Public Power District.
Nebraska Public Power District is an Equal Opportunity Employer
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer who values the contributions of its diverse work force. We are only legally able to hire persons who are 1) a United States citizen or national, 2) a lawful permanent resident of the United States, or 3) an alien legally authorized to work in the United States.
Benefits
Customers around the state know what to expect from NPPD — quality, reliability and performance excellence. Our values also extend to the way we take care of our employees and their families. We remain on the leading edge by providing competitive benefits that respond to the diverse lifestyles of our people in an ever-changing world.
Salary
Nebraska Public Power District offers a competitive starting salary with opportunities for growth. In addition to the base salary listed in posting, NPPD employees may also be eligible for our Annual Incentive Program (AIP) that may supplement total compensation at a level above and beyond the stated salary range.
Retirement Savings
NPPD employees may participate in two retirement plan options – a 401(k) plan and a 457(b) plan. Both plans allow for pre-tax or Roth contributions. After the first six months of employment, the 401(k) plan includes a generous matching contribution from NPPD. The five-year vesting period begins on an employee’s hire date. Our retired employees are eligible for retiree healthcare benefits as well as a life benefit paid out to designated beneficiaries upon their passing.
Health & Wellness
At NPPD, we care about the health and wellness of our employees. We offer new teammates two competitive hospital / medical plan options to fit their lifestyle and family needs. We also make an annual contribution to employee Health Savings Accounts, which can be used to offset out-of-pocket expenses. Employees and their spouse are invited to participate in a variety of wellness initiatives offered throughout the year as a way to enhance their wellness, reduce health risks and promote healthy lifestyles.
Other Benefits
Employees earn vacation on a schedule commensurate with their years of service. We also offer paid holidays as well as personal and family medical leave, including birth mother recovery leave and parental child bonding leave. All full-time employees receive a life insurance policy equivalent to two times the participant's annual salary at no cost to the employee. NPPD also offers dental and vision insurance as well as personal accident, accidental death and dismemberment, critical illness, hospital indemnity, long-term care, pre-paid legal/identity theft, and short-and long-term disability insurance plans. Additional benefits include college tuition reimbursement, relocation assistance and complimentary access to an Employee Assistance Program.
Salary : $22
