Overview
This position will provide 24/7/365 night-shift Operations Watch Officers (Mid and Senior level Operations Specialists) to support the Secretary of Commerce’s Commerce Information and Operations Center (CIOC).
Background
This contractor position helps the U.S. Department of Commerce remain prepared to respond to, and recover from, the unexpected.
The ideal candidate understands how to coordinate on emergency management issues, can quickly “connect the dots” in fast-moving external events, understands a “chain of command”, can communicate well across various platforms, can remain calm and be decisive under pressure, is a strong writer, is organized, and is able to understand SOPs.
This person will effectively collaborate and coordinate with people at all levels of government, 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 the night shift Operations Watch Officer.
As the situation dictates, the Operations Watch Officer may be required to deploy via personal vehicle to perform CIOC watch duties at a Commerce continuity facility, a less than 2 hour drive from the Commerce Headquarters.
Responsibilities
Communicate and coordinate to enable a proper, timely emergency management response.
Maintain situational awareness across all hazards including natural disasters and national security events, as well as manmade and technological events.
Collect, compile, and analyze message traffic to alert appropriate leadership and organizations to significant events that could impact the Commerce mission, personnel, and or infrastructure (via Internet, SIPRNet, and JWICS).
Prepare operational, alert and notification, and situational awareness reports for a variety of events and situations per CIOC SOP.
Produce alert and notification messages through the Commerce Emergency Notification System (Everbridge) to rapidly notify personnel of significant events based on SOP.
Develop written products/oral briefings of findings for Commerce staff/leadership.
Present informational findings and brief Watch Officers and leadership as directed.
Develop tailored reports and templates for federal Watch Officers to support Incident Management and Continuity of Operations.
Assist in drafting, review, and implementation of new and revised CIOC policies and SOPs.
Monitor and respond to emails received by the CIOC email accounts on classified networks and to phone calls received on the CIOC Watch Officer phone lines.
As required, support CIOC operations from the Commerce Continuity Facility, a less than 2 hour drive from the Commerce Headquarters.
Collect, compile, and analyze message traffic to alert appropriate leadership and organizations to new developments and significant changes to their area of responsibility (via SIPRNet and JWICS).
Produce operational and situational awareness written products and oral briefs, under government supervision, and develop written products/oral briefings of findings for government leads for subsequent presentation to Commerce leadership (via SIPRNet, JWICS, vIPEr, and SVTS).
Conduct routine and periodic testing of voice, audio, and data communications systems to ensure all systems are fully operational (via SIPRNet, JWICS, vIPEr, and SVTS).
Qualifications
Must Have:
Approximately 4 years’ experience as an Operations Watch Officer/Stander (Operations Specialist) with at least 2 of the years’ experience desired at a national (i.e., one or more of the 15 executive departments) operations center. Prefer non-IT, non-Intel Analyst, and non-DOD Watch Officers/standers.
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 (read out) less than 23 months ago.
Understanding of how to coordinate on emergency management issues.
Capability to quickly “connect the dots” in fast-moving external events, assess risk, and remain calm and be decisive under pressure.
Experience providing communication and coordination support to senior leadership across various platforms at the unclassified and classified levels.
Willingness to learn, and an ability to make informed decisions/take actions based on SOPs and the evolving situation and risk.
Strong spoken and written communication skills, and high degree of professionalism, tact, and diplomacy.
Reliable personal transportation for travel, as required, to a local alternate CIOC site.
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