Radio Dispatcher

Introduction

At the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), we do more than move people – we connect communities, build safer streets, and create a more sustainable city.

With a bold vision for the future, we’re tackling big challenges: making travel safer, cutting carbon emissions, and ensuring reliable, affordable transportation for everyone—no matter who they are or where they live.

Thanks to a historic voter‑approved $1.55 billion investment in transportation in 2024, we’re building sidewalks, fixing bridges, and improving transit connections to keep our city moving.

This position is a highly collaborative, detail‑oriented Radio Dispatcher in our 24/7 Radio Dispatch Office within Maintenance Operations. The dispatcher receives calls from internal and external customers, determines priority using general guidelines, and creates work orders in the work‑management system for field staff.

The Dispatcher:

• Answers phone calls from citizens regarding public safety hazards or conditions in the community that need attention, evaluates the nature of the call to determine the response needed, and dispatches field personnel or contacts other agencies as appropriate.
• Operates two‑way radios to communicate during daily activities and during an emergency.
• Provides excellent customer‑service information to citizens about work in progress and answers questions.
• Relays information or requests from citizens to work crews, field personnel, or supervisors, and routes information among field crews.
• Writes or types work orders, codes and assigns project numbers, sends and distributes requests to the appropriate department units or field offices, and maintains logs of department activities.
• Compiles payroll information, maintenance statistics, and personnel information for processing and records maintenance.
• Monitors various equipment such as building alarms and CCTV and dispatches information as needed.
• Performs data entry, such as timecards, equipment time, and asset updates.
• Types simple correspondence and reports.
• Documents and logs calls and field‑crew activity.
• Supports Department goals in promoting diversity and social justice.

This position is considered essential personnel and is required to respond during an emergency. The responsibilities listed are a summary of typical functions of the job and are not exhaustive. This position may perform other duties as assigned.

Reports to the Customer Service and Dispatch Supervisor.

• Two (2) years of clerical work experience, including one (1) year of public contact or communication such as radio communication, switchboard operation, reception work, or clerical office work that requires receiving and relaying information.
• Ability to type required for most positions.
• OR:
  An equivalent combination of education and experience that demonstrates the ability to perform the position’s duties.

• At least two (2) years of customer service, call center communications, dispatching, or related background.
• Experience handling a high volume of phone calls (80‑100 calls a day).
• Experience with traffic incident management or emergency management such as a 9‑1‑1 operator.
• Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to type a minimum of 50 words per minute and make corrections to text quickly and accurately.
• Ability to communicate with a diverse group of internal and external customers in a fast‑paced environment and handle difficult situations in a tactful and courteous manner.
• Ability to exercise good judgment and make decisions following general guidelines.
• Ability to demonstrate conflict‑management skills and maintain a professional composure.
• Ability to work effectively in a multi‑cultural workplace with a diverse customer base.
• Capacity for adapting to changing priorities and handling multiple tasks with ease and accuracy.
• Experience relaying information or requests from customers to work crews, field personnel or supervisors.
• Detail‑oriented; strong organizational, time‑management, and customer‑service skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office productivity tools (Word, Excel, Outlook) and the ability to learn new…