Federal Watch Officer: Emergency Operations Center (TS SCI required)

TekStream Solutions; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

TekStream Solutions seeks a Night Shift Watch Officer for the Emergency Operations Center in Washington, DC. This on-site role requires TS/SCI clearance, a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience, and the ability to coordinate across government, non-governmental, and private sectors.

You will produce situational awareness reports, research and draft communications, and follow SOPs with calm, decisive leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree or an additional 4 years’ relevant experience.
• Approximately 4 years’ experience as an Operations Watch Officer/Stander with at least 2 years at a national operations center.
• Watch experience in all hazard operations and incident management.
• Active Top Secret security clearance and SCI crossover eligible.
• Strong MS Office (Word) skills and ability to communicate clearly and professionally.

Responsibilities

• Provide night-shift Operations Watch Officer support for CIOC per SOPs.
• Coordinate with government, NGO, and private-sector partners on all-hazard events.
• Prepare and disseminate situational awareness reports.
• Research, analyze, write, and edit emails and documents as needed.
• Maintain professionalism, calmness, and decisive action under pressure.

Skills

Communication

Decision making under pressure

Written communication

Research & analysis

Education

Bachelor of Science degree

Tools

MS Office (Word)

Geospatial tools

Job description

Watch Officer: Emergency Operations Center

Night Shift, 100% on-site. Washington, DC

Clearance Requirement: TS SCI

Night shift report time is 5:45PM for a 15 minute shift change, followed by a 12 hour shift, with the final 15 minutes ending at 6am after turnover to the oncoming federal watch staff. This position is planned to work 85.75 hours (7 x 12.25 hour shifts) over each 2 week period, with the Work (W) and Off (O) weekly schedule typically being: Week 1 – WWOOWWW (61.25 hours), Week 2 – OOWWOOO (24.5 hours), then repeat the 2 week schedule

Objective: This position provides night-shift Operations Watch Officers (Mid and Senior level Operations Specialists) to support the Secretary of Commerce’s Commerce Information and Operations Center (CIOC).

• This contractor position assists the U.S. Department of Commerce in remaining prepared to respond to, and recover from, the unexpected.
• The ideal candidate understands how to coordinate on all-hazard emergency management issues; can quickly “connect the dots” in fast-moving external events; understands a “chain of command”; can communicate in person and over the phone clearly and succinctly; is a strong writer with a solid grasp of grammar and solid MS Office (especially Word) skills, able to research, analyze, write, edit, and proof; is exceptionally reliable; can remain calm and be decisive under pressure; and is able to understand and follow SOPs and use templates. This person will effectively collaborate and coordinate with people at all levels of government, in non-governmental organizations, and in the private sector.
• Work is performed in an office environment, unclassified through and including a SCIF, at the Commerce Headquarters in Washington, DC; free parking is available for night shift Operations Watch Officers. This is an on-site position; teleworking is not allowed.
• As the situation dictates, the Operations Watch Officer may have to deploy to perform CIOC watch duties at a Commerce continuity facility, a less than 2 hour drive from the Commerce Headquarters.

Requirements:

• Bachelor of Science degree (or an additional 4 years’ relevant experience) is required.
• Approximately 4 years’ experience as an Operations Watch Officer/Stander (Operations Specialist) with at least 2 of the years’ experience desired at a national operations center (i.e., one or more of the 15 Executive Departments).
• Watch experience in all hazard operations and incident management (e.g., natural disasters, National Special Security Events, as well as human-caused and technological incidents).
• Active Top Secret security clearance and be SCI crossover eligible. Simply being “SCI eligible” is not sufficient – besides having a current investigation, you must be either currently SCI indoc’d (read in) or have been debriefed from SCI less than 23 months ago.
• Solid MS Office (especially Word) skills as well as the ability to communicate in person and over the phone clearly and succinctly, demonstrating a high degree of professionalism, tact, and diplomacy.
• Understanding how to coordinate on emergency management issues, with the capability to quickly “connect the dots” in fast-moving internal or external incidents, assess risk, remain calm, and be decisive under pressure.
• Experience preparing situational awareness reports.
• Experience performing research and analysis and then writing and editing emails and documents.
• Experience providing communication and coordination support to executives across various platforms at the unclassified and classified levels.
• Unwavering ability to arrive at duty location on time and perform required duties solo on 12 hour night shifts.
• Reliable means (public and/or private) to get to and from the Commerce Headquarters as well as dependable transportation for travel, as may be required, to an alternate site to perform Watch Officer duties.
• Willingness to learn, and an ability to make informed decisions/take actions based on SOPs and templates and the evolving situation and risk.
• Good judgement and a strong ability to assess complex situations with multiple factors to ascertain if/when potential hazards pose a threat to Commerce interests.

Nice to Have

• Experience using SIPRNet and JWICS in daily duties.
• Experience using geospatial tools to better understand which Commerce locations an incident may impact.
• Understanding of Primary Mission Essential Functions (PMEFs) and assessing an incident’s impact on PMEFs.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements

• Ability to move throughout large Federal buildings to support daily operational requirements, including walking moderate to long distances as needed.
• Ability to lift and carry up to 10 pounds on an occasional basis.
• Work may involve standing, walking, or moving between multiple floors or work areas.