Description

Communications Systems Manager (Public Safety)

Position Summary

This is a supervisory position and is primarily in-office with some travel and some opportunities for occasional telework.

Why It's a Great Opportunity:

Are you ready to highlight your technical expertise and demonstrated people leadership to lead Pierce County’s largest public safety radio communications system?

Pierce County’s geographic diversity – from the waters of Puget Sound to the foothills of Mount Rainier – create unique challenges and opportunities for our public safety radio network. As our next Communications Systems Manager, you’ll have a unique opportunity to lead and serve your community by being responsible for the largest IP-based public safety communications infrastructure in Pierce County. This includes strategic governance, engineering and design, maintenance, procurement/contract management and infrastructure operations to support public safety interoperability and emergency response. This position is also responsible for management, oversight, and integration of public safety and general government vehicle equipment installation and calibration.

At the Pierce County Department of Emergency Management (DEM), we believe in empowering our team members. You’ll have the freedom and support to: Lead with creativity and initiative; identify areas for improvement; strengthen documentation and processes; and develop innovative solutions to complex problems.

Here, your contributions won’t go unnoticed. Whether during a major incident or routine planning, you’ll see how your work directly impacts lives across the county — under both blue skies and gray. 

If you’re passionate about public service and ready to take on a meaningful leadership role in emergency communications, Pierce County DEM is the place for you.

Why It's a Great Department: 

At the heart of the Pierce County Department of Emergency Management is a commitment to communication, coordination, and collaboration. We work closely with our stakeholders and communities to prepare for, respond to, mitigate against, and recover from disasters — always with a focus on saving lives and protecting property.

We’re proud to be one of the first counties in the nation to be accredited through the Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP), and we’ve maintained that high standard through two successful reaccreditations. This achievement highlights our role as a leader in emergency management not just in Pierce County, but throughout the Puget Sound, Washington State, and across the United States.

This success is driven by a team of passionate, dedicated individuals who are committed to sustaining our network infrastructure and providing the best customer service to our stakeholders. You will be joining a larger team in Emergency Management committed to the full cycle of emergency management: planning, preparedness, response, mitigation, and recovery.

How to be Successful in the Role: 

We are seeking a dynamic and strategic leader with technical radio communications experience in public safety broadband, interoperability, IP transport systems, and microwave/land mobile radio systems. The successful candidate will have a passion to strengthen our existing infrastructure while leaning into newer technology experiences for our end users.

This role supports the Director of Emergency Management through the management, design, operations, maintenance and compliance of the County’s emergency radio communications network and equipment while developing and implementing forward thinking strategies and objectives. This is a key leadership position within DEM.

The ideal candidate is someone who embraces change, thrives in a fast-paced environment, and can guide the DEM and our partner teams through change management effectively. A strong understanding of how technology can enhance and transform emergency communications and public safety is critical for success in this role. As a senior leadership and management position, this role requires someone who can manage and prioritize multiple projects and deliverables with precision and foresight.

Above all, we’re looking for a leader who can balance the technology, the strategic vision, and the people to ensure we are providing the best in public safety communications to our county.

Your Future in this Role: 

As you get started, you’ll have regular opportunities to connect with your team to talk through expectations, set goals, and get comfortable with our policies, procedures, and priorities. From day one, you’ll have access to professional development resources—including our Leadership Certification program, online learning, and a variety of training opportunities—so you can continue growing throughout your career. This role also opens the door to multiple advancement opportunities within Pierce County, giving you the chance to shape a meaningful and lasting career here.

Core Daily Responsibilities:

• Provide visionary leadership and supervision to a team of technical experts and represented staff.
• Manage capital projects, complex budgets, and stakeholder communications.
• Support development, execution, and monitoring of the mission, goals, and objectives of the county, department, division, and assigned work groups.
• Oversee the implementation of business strategies and long-range objectives that maintain the financial health and sustainability of the County-owned radio system.
• Direct the countywide management and operations of endpoint communications technologies, asset inventory, security, vendors, licensing, device procurement and lifecycle replacement, and system engineers performing technical consulting and system implementation.
• Manage technology service delivery from Communications System Division staff and service providers to ensure a seamless end-to-end delivery of services. Purposefully drive efficiencies in service delivery for a continually growing number of communications devices accessing the Land Mobile Radio system.
• Develop new system designs and concepts based on technology advancement and communication needs, including local jurisdiction coordination, assessment of first responder needs, strategic direction, and budget.
• Provide outage and crisis leadership with clear communication to stakeholders, vendors, and executive management.

This announcement is not intended to reflect all duties to be performed by our next team member but shall present a descriptive list of the range of duties that may be performed.  To view the complete classification, click here.

Qualifications

• A resume and cover letter are required for this position.
• Twelve (12) years of radio communications system experience, including the design, installation, maintenance, and repair of two-way radio communications systems and electronic equipment is required, including
• A minimum of four (4) years of experience in complex project management and supervising technology professionals.
• Post-secondary education with a focus on information technology, computer sciences, software, business, engineering or related field may substitute for up to six (6) years of the required experience on a year-for-year basis.
• Any equivalent combination of education and experience that clearly demonstrates the ability to perform the essential duties of the position may be considered.
• Additional education or experience which clearly indicates the ability to perform the essential functions of this position may substitute on a year-for-year basis.
• Valid driver’s license is required.

As a condition of employment, the applicant will need to authorize and complete a background check and Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) criminal history records check. Information received from the background check is reviewed case-by-case basis and will not necessarily remove an applicant from consideration.

Supplemental Information

To be considered for this opportunity, please:

• Complete and submit a detailed online Pierce County Employment Application by selecting "APPLY" above or go to:   www.piercecountywa.org/jobs. 
• If you have a question about this opportunity, please email the Recruitment Team at PCHRRecruit@piercecountywa.gov and specify the Job Number and Title. 
• If you do not have internet access, you may visit your local public library or any WorkSource location and use their computers.
• Individuals needing accommodation in the application, testing process, or need this job announcement in an alternative format may call Human Resources at (253) 798-7480 at least two days prior to the need.  

This is a competitive selection process. Your application will be reviewed and evaluated for the quality and quantity of education/experience in the areas listed. Applicants whose qualifications most closely correspond to the County's needs will be eligible for further consideration. Notification of application status normally occurs 2 to 3 weeks after the closing date. Short notice may be given to applicants to participate in further selection processes, which may include assessments, phone screens, and interviews.

At Pierce County, diversity, equity, and inclusion mean commitment, not a single step. We strive to foster an inclusive environment that supports equitable access to opportunities throughout your career. We want to recruit, develop, and maintain a talented workforce from various backgrounds, cultures, lifestyles, and perspectives, committed to our vision. Employees of the County have a local, direct, and visible impact in our diverse community. Will you join us in keeping Pierce County a place people are proud to call home?

We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.