The City of San José, the Capital of Silicon Valley, is one of the nation's best managed cities and one of the top ten cities in which to live, work, and do business. Moreover, San José is the center of cultural, government and economic activity for the region. The employees of the City of San José have embraced the following values: Integrity, Innovation, Excellence, Collaboration, Respect, and Celebration. The City's Public Works Department is seeking an individual whose values align with the values of the City's employees.

The Department of Public Works is responsible for delivering capital improvement projects for a wide variety of City facilities and infrastructure, maintaining City facilities and fleet assets, facilitating, and regulating development activities, and providing animal care and services. The Department is committed to high-quality service, and partnering with the community, and providing an excellent environment in which to work.

Salary Information

The total salary range for Communications Technician classification is $96,227.04 - $117,084.24. This amount includes an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable pay. The actual salary shall be determined by the final candidate’s qualifications and experience.

Per the City’s COVID19 Mandatory Vaccination Policy, the City requires all employees starting on or after February 11, 2022, to provide proof of vaccination as a condition of employment absent a documented medical and/or religious exemption. Proof of vaccination means that employees are required to be “up-to-date” with regards to the COVID-19 vaccine. Consistent with the Santa Clara County Public Health Order issued on December 28, 2021, "up-to-date" means that an employee is not only "fully vaccinated," but has also obtained any booster doses of a COVID-19 vaccination for which they are eligible, within 15 days of first becoming eligible.

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third-party job board application system. To apply, applicants must complete an application via the City of San Jose’s website at www.sanjoseca.gov/citycareers.

The Department of Public Works is currently recruiting to fill a Communications Technician position for the Radio Communications Shop. The Radio Communications shop maintains the communication system for the City of San José that is used by multiple departments, such as: Police, Fire, Department of Transportation, Parks Recreation Neighborhood Services (Park Rangers), and Public Works (Animal Care & Services). The City of San José public safety and city services depend upon the use of commercial radio communications equipment. For police officers and firefighters, radio communications are the primary means of communicating with the 9-1-1 dispatch center in performing their duties. These vast stand-alone radio systems with fault-tolerant designs are essential to providing the public with reliable emergency response services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year with demand for system survivability through any catastrophic event.

The key responsibilities of the Communications Technician may include:

• Install, maintain, and repair mobile and portable radios, base and control stations, microwave systems, dispatch consoles, central electronic banks (CEB), voting receivers and comparators, digital Microwave system and P25 LMR systems.
• Respond to trouble reports, perform preventative maintenance and project assignments.
• Update technical documentation including wiring block assignments, CEB programming and configurations, as-built drawings of installed equipment at City radio sites, specialized vehicular installations, and diagrams of the City’s various communications systems.
• Provide recommendations for process improvement changes with the input of technical staff.
• Construct and/or modify communications equipment and perform research on new equipment.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.

Competencies

The ideal candidate will possess the following competencies, as demonstrated in past and current employment history. Desirable competencies for this position include:

Job Expertise -Demonstrates knowledge of and experience with applicable professional/technical principles and practices; Citywide and departmental procedures/policies and federal and state rules and regulations. Experience in the area of public safety communications is desired.
Communication Skills - Communicates and listens effectively and responds in a timely, effective, positive and respectful manner; written reports and correspondence are accurate, complete, current, well-organized, legible, concise, neat, and in proper grammatical form.
Computer Skills - Experience with common business computer applications including but not limited to MS Outlook, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, and MS Excel.
Customer Service - Approaches problem-solving by focusing on customers first; advocates for customer results point of view; demonstrates the ability to anticipate customers' needs and deliver services effectively and efficiently in a timely, accurate, respectful, and friendly manner.
Leadership - Leads by example; serves as appropriate role model; demonstrates high ethical standards; remains visible and approachable and interacts with others on a regular basis; promotes a cooperative work environment; and encourages and rewards risk-taking, allowing others to learn from mistakes.
Project Management - Ensures support for projects and implements agency goals and strategic objectives.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education: Successful completion of a two-year college curriculum in electronics communications or electronics engineering from an accredited college or university.

Experience: At least one (1) year of experience in the installation, maintenance, and repair of land mobile communications equipment.

License/Certificates:

• Possession of a valid driver’s license authorizing operation of a motor vehicle in the State of California.

• Possession of a valid General Class Radiotelephone Operators license, issued by the Federal Communications Commission, or an equivalent Communications Technician Certification, issued after examination by a recognized two- way radio professional organization is required.

Desirable certifications include:

• Possession of a Radiotelephone Technician Certificate issued by the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO)

• Possession of a Technician Certificate issued by National Association of Business and Education Radio/Personal Communications Industry Association (NABER/PCIA)

• Possession of a Technician Certificate issued by National Association of Radio and Television Engineers (NARTE)

• Possession of a General Class Radio Telephone Operators License issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Employment Eligibility: Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San Jose will NOT sponsor, represent or sign any documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1-B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.

Selection Process

The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's training and experience based on the application and responses to the Job Specific Questions. Only the candidates whose backgrounds best match the position will be invited to proceed in the selection process. Additional phases of the selection process will consist of one or more interviews.

You will be prompted to answer the following job-specific questions during the online application process. Please note that there is a 4,000-character limit, including spaces, for each text response.

You must answer all job-specific questions in order to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration.

If you have questions about the duties of these positions, the selection or hiring processes, please contact Charmaine Guerrero at Charmaine.Guerrero@sanjoseca.gov.

The application deadline is 11:59 PM on January 31, 2023 or until the position is filled. Applications will be reviewed on a weekly basis, with the first look on Friday, December 9, 2022. Please allow adequate time to complete the application and submit before the deadline or the system may not save your application. If your online application was successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email to the email address you provided. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION, please email CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov and we will research the status of your application. Please contact Human Resources at (408) 535-1285, or Human.Resources@sanjoseca.gov if you have any questions.