Innovation At Work, Inc. is seeking an experienced Switchboard Supervisor/Telephone Operator to support the Erie VA Medical Center. This is a working supervisor position. The Supervisor will oversee the daily operations and performance of the IAW switchboard team while also performing the duties of a Telephone Operator, including answering and processing calls as operational needs require.
The position is responsible for ensuring compliance with IAW policies, VA procedures and government protocols, maintaining adequate staffing, managing employee performance, monitoring timekeeping, and ensuring contractual performance requirements are consistently met.
Primary Responsibilities
- Oversee daily switchboard operations in accordance with IAW company policies, VA requirements, government protocols, and contract requirements.
- Answer and process incoming and outgoing telephone calls as part of the regular duties of the position.
- Work alongside Telephone Operators and assist with call volume, staffing shortages, call-outs, breaks, emergencies, and other operational needs.
- Route calls accurately to the appropriate VA departments, programs, personnel, and locations.
- Provide professional customer service to Veterans, patients, VA employees, and the public, including handling difficult, abusive, threatening, or distraught callers.
- Operate the VA telephone system, paging system, alarm systems, and emergency communications equipment as required.
- Respond appropriately to emergency calls, alarms, emergency codes, fires, disasters, and other urgent communications.
The PWS specifically requires operators to answer and process all incoming internal and external calls, route calls appropriately, respond to emergency situations, operate the paging system, and use the VA's telecommunications equipment.
- Manage Team Performance: Monitor employee performance, attendance, professionalism, productivity, and compliance with established procedures.
- Ensure Contractual Goals Are Met: Monitor service quality, call handling, staffing, response requirements, and other contractual performance standards.
- Timekeeping Management/Audits: Review and audit employee timecards and monitor hours worked, call-outs, lateness, leave, overtime, and schedule compliance.
- Prepare and maintain employee work and vacation schedules.
- Ensure adequate coverage for all required tours and coordinate coverage when employees are absent.
- Train and provide guidance to subordinate employees.
- Identify and correct performance or operational deficiencies.
- Maintain appropriate workplace discipline.
- Communicate staffing, performance, timekeeping, and operational issues to IAW corporate management.
- Assist with quality-control activities and ensure the team is prepared for VA performance reviews.
These supervisory responsibilities align directly with the contract, which requires training subordinate employees, preparing vacation schedules, monitoring time and leave-including call-outs and lateness-correcting deficiencies, and maintaining discipline.
Minimum Qualifications
- High school diploma or equivalent.
- Minimum 2-4 years of call center experience.
- Previous supervisory, team lead, or management experience preferred.
- Knowledge and understanding of medical terminology.
- Strong leadership, communication, scheduling, and employee-management skills.
- Strong customer-service skills.
- Ability to supervise employees while actively performing telephone operator duties.
- Ability to remain calm and respond appropriately during emergencies.
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Outlook, Excel, Word, and Teams.
- Ability to meet all VA security, training, health, privacy, and credentialing requirements.
The contract requires all contract personnel to have at least a high school diploma, 1-2 years of call-center experience, and knowledge and understanding of medical terminology.
Innovation At Work, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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