Telephone Switchboard Operator – 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m

Iaw, Inc.; Kansas City, Northern (MO, KY); Hybrid; USD 31,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

Innovation At Work, Inc. provides on-site telephone and telecommunications support at the Kansas City VA Medical Center. The Telephone Operator will answer, process, and route calls for Veterans, visitors, and staff, ensuring professional service and accurate routing.

The role emphasizes calm handling of emergencies, log maintenance, and adherence to HIPAA, security, and VA requirements while delivering dependable service. Weekend/federal holiday coverage is required.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• 1–2 years of call-center or operator experience.
• English fluency in reading/writing/speaking.
• Basic MS Outlook/Word/Excel proficiency.
• Medical terminology knowledge preferred.
• Ability to handle emergencies calmly.
• VA ID/suitability and security access required.

Responsibilities

• Answer calls promptly and courteously.
• Identify caller needs and transfer calls to the correct department.
• Operate VA telephone, paging, radio, alarm, and emergency systems.
• Process emergency notifications and urgent situations per procedures.
• Assist distressed callers.
• Maintain logs, messages, service requests, and fault reports.
• Maintain directories and contact lists.
• Report equipment malfunctions.
• Protect veteran and government information.
• Follow HIPAA, privacy, security, and VA requirements.
• Remain at workstation until relieved.
• Participate in required VA and company training.
• Provide coverage on weekends and federal holidays when scheduled.

Skills

Call center

English fluency

MS Outlook

MS Word

MS Excel

Communication

Customer service

Emergency handling

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Job description

Description

Innovation At Work, Inc. is seeking a dependable Telephone Operator to provide on-site telephone and telecommunications support at the Kansas City VA Medical Center. The employee will answer, process, and accurately route internal and external calls while providing professional service to Veterans, visitors, employees, and healthcare providers.

Availability

Rotating weekends and federal holidays required

Primary Responsibilities

• Answer incoming calls promptly, professionally, and courteously.
• Identify callers’ needs and accurately transfer calls to the appropriate department or individual.
• Operate VA telephone, paging, radio, alarm, and emergency-notification systems.
• Process emergency calls, Code Blue alerts, bomb threats, fire notifications, disaster communications, and other urgent situations according to established procedures.
• Assist callers who may be distressed, confused, threatening, or experiencing an emergency.
• Maintain call logs, alarm records, messages, service requests, and equipment-malfunction reports.
• Maintain accurate directories, call lists, pager lists, and related electronic records.
• Monitor telephone and communications equipment and promptly report malfunctions.
• Protect Veteran, employee, and Government information.
• Follow all HIPAA, privacy, security, safety, and VA requirements.
• Remain at the assigned workstation until properly relieved.
• Participate in required VA and company training.
• Provide coverage on weekends, federal holidays, or other tours when scheduled.

Performance Standards

• Maintain an average speed of answer of 10 seconds or less.
• Ensure no individual call rings longer than 30 seconds before being answered.
• Help maintain an average call-abandonment rate below 5%.
• Maintain accurate and professional call handling during routine and emergency operations.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• One to two years of call-center, switchboard, telephone-operator, receptionist, or customer-service experience.
• Working knowledge of medical terminology preferred.
• Ability to speak, read, write, and understand English fluently.
• Basic proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and electronic systems.
• Strong communication, customer-service, multitasking, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to remain calm and professional during emergencies and high-volume periods.
• Ability to obtain and maintain all required VA identification, suitability, security, and system access.

This position is considered essential under VA disaster-readiness requirements.