Director- Department of Emergency and Customer Communications

Director- Department of Emergency and Customer Communications

Salary

$141,481.34 - $253,368.44 Annually

Location

Alexandria, VA

Job Type

Full-Time

Job Number

2027-00473

Department

Department of Emergency Communications

Opening Date

07/21/2026

Closing Date

8/18/2026 11:59 PM Eastern

Bargaining Unit

N/A

• Description
• Benefits

Director, Department of Emergency and Customer Communications

Preserving the Past, while Innovating our Future!

The City of Alexandria is seeking an experienced and innovative executive to serve as its next Director of Emergency Communications and Customer Communications (DECC). This is an outstanding opportunity to lead one of the Citys most critical service organizations by overseeing emergency communications operations and advancing customer service excellence through Alex311.

Reporting to a Deputy City Manager, the Director will play a key role in shaping how the City responds during emergencies while improving how residents, businesses, and visitors interact with City government.

About the Department

The Department of Emergency Communications and Customer Communications (DECC) serves as the Citys central communications hub, operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The Department includes the Citys Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), which provides emergency and non-emergency dispatch services for Police, Fire, and Emergency Medical Services (EMS), as well as Alex311, the Citys centralized customer service center.

Through innovation, technology, and a highly skilled workforce, DECC connects the community with critical emergency services and City resources while promoting operational excellence, responsiveness, and exceptional customer experiences.

The Opportunity

The Director serves as the executive leader of the Department of Emergency Communications and Customer Communications (DECC) and is responsible for planning, organizing, directing, and evaluating all departmental operations. Reporting to a Deputy City Manager, the Director provides strategic leadership for the Citys emergency communications operations and, pending the revised class specification, customer communications services.

The Director oversees departmental administration, policy development, technology modernization, capital and operating budgets, workforce development, emergency communications systems, legislative initiatives, and long-range planning to ensure efficient, effective, and responsive service delivery.

Working collaboratively with City leadership, public safety agencies, regional partners, and other departments, the Director advances operational excellence, innovation, and organizational performance while ensuring exceptional service to the Alexandria community.

The Ideal Candidate

The City seeks a collaborative and visionary executive with demonstrated success leading complex public safety communications or similarly complex service organizations.

The ideal candidate will possess:

• Comprehensive knowledge of emergency communications systems, Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD), radio communications, telecommunications infrastructure, and interoperability.
• Demonstrated executive leadership experience overseeing complex operations, personnel, budgets, and strategic initiatives.
• Experience developing long-range plans, implementing organizational improvements, and leading technology modernization efforts.
• Proven ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with City leadership, public safety partners, employees, and community stakeholders.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• A commitment to innovation, accountability, workforce development, and continuous improvement.
• Experience overseeing customer communications or centralized constituent services is highly desirable as the Department expands its responsibilities to include Alex311.

Minimum & Additional Requirements

Minimum: Four-year college degree in a Public Safety-related field, Public or Business Administration, or a related field; and seven years experience in public safety administration, preferably in public safety communications management; or any equivalent combination of experience and training that provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

Preferred Qualifications

Preferred: Masters degree in Public or Business Administration, or related field. Certification by the Associationof Public-safety Communications (APCO) and the National Emergency Number Association (NEMA) is desirable.

Notes

Director- Department of Emergency and Customer Communications Brochure

The City of Alexandria is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values diversity in its workforce. All qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, genetic information, military status, or disability.

We are proud to welcome you to explore the City of Alexandrias excellent benefits and programs!

Click here to learn more about Employee Benefits

Click here to learn more about the Citys Employee Development Program

The benefits referenced on this site, may be changed from time to time without notice. Temporary and some part-time positions are not eligible for these benefits. For further information, please contact the Talent Acquisition Team of Human Resources at DHR.TA@alexandriava.gov.

Employer City of Alexandria

Address City Hall

421 King Street,

Alexandria, Virginia, 22314

Phone 7037463784

Website http://alexandriava.gov/jobs