Telephone Operator

Indian Health Service

Harlem, MTFull-time$36–47K/yrPosted 6 days ago

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At a glance

Compensation
$36–47K/yr
Location
Harlem, MT
Schedule
Full-time
Work Authorization
Not specified

Job overview

The Indian Health Service seeks a Telephone Operator at the Crow/Northern Cheyenne Hospital in Crow Agency, MT to manage the switchboard, handle incoming calls, operate the public address system, greet visitors, and perform clerical and conference‑room coordination duties while complying with REAL ID and federal background requirements.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Switchboard OperationPublic Address SystemComputer UseCustomer ServiceClerical SkillsGreeting VisitorsConference Room Scheduling

Qualifications

U.S. CitizenshipSelective Service RegistrationE‑Verify Employment VerificationBackground InvestigationREAL ID ComplianceOne Year Specialized Experience

Full job description

Summary

This position is located at the Crow/Northern Cheyenne Hospital, Crow Agency, MT. The purpose of this position is to operate the telephone switchboard for the hospital and perform clerical/greeter duties for the facility. A REAL ID will be required beginning May 7, 2025, in accordance with 6 C.F.R. 37.5 (2021).

Duties

Operates a Switchboard and other standard office equipment and personal computer for the hospital. Answers all incoming calls for the hospital. Operates the public address system using prescribed hospital emergency and special codes to page and alert staff members. Receives and relays incoming, outgoing and interoffice massages for all staff members and visitors to the facility. Provides routine, authorized information (i.e., telephone and extension numbers, names locations and functions of staff members, clinic schedule, etc.) in response to callers. Provides orientation to all new employees on telephone policy regarding messages and responding to pages. Receives all visitors to the hospital, ascertains nature of visit and directs them to the proper office or takes message if staff not available. The incumbent greets patients and visitors as they enter the hospital, ensuring a customer friendly environment and in a professional manner. Maintains and assigns conference rooms for scheduled meetings from various committees and other agencies. Requirements

Selectee may be subject to a probationary period ESEP appointees typically serve a two year trial period U.S. Citizenship is required Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/. You will need to set up direct deposit so we can pay you. Background Investigation Requirement: This position requires the successful completion of a federal background investigation as a condition of employment. A background investigation is a standard process used by the Federal Government to verify an individual's identity, employment history, education, and other relevant information to determine suitability for Federal service. Upon receipt of instructions, applicants must complete all required background investigation forms within five (5) calendar days of issuance. Timely completion is critical to avoid delays in processing or a determination of unsuitability. Applicants are strongly encouraged to prioritize this requirement and to maintain regular communication with their assigned Personnel Security Specialist throughout the process. Prior to the appointment, candidates must present two valid forms of identification. If one of the documents is a state-issued ID or driver's license, it must be REAL ID-compliant. Qualifications

To qualify for this position, your resume must state sufficient experience and/or education, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are applying. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week. BASIC REQUIREMENT(S):. In addition to the Basic Requirements, you must also meet the Minimum Qualifications stated below. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: General Experience --Progressively responsible clerical, office, or other work that indicates ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position to be filled Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: GS-2 3 months general experience or High school graduation or equivalent GS-3 6 months general experience or High school graduation or equivalent or 1 year above high school GS-4 1 year general experience or 2 years above high school Time In Grade Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade Requirements: Merit Promotion (status) candidates must have completed one year of service at the next lower grade level. Time-In-Grade provisions do not apply under the Excepted Service Examining Plan (ESEP). You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.

Education

There are no education requirements. How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Customer Service (Clerical/Technical) Interpersonal Skills Technical Competence Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12999062 Once the application process is complete, the first two pages of your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications. All documents above MUST be received by 11:59 pm (Eastern Standard Time) of the closing date of 08/31/2026, to be considered. Other Information

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information) Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. IHS may offer newly-appointed Federal employees credit for their directly related previous non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. This position is covered by a Bargaining Unit. This position has promotion potential to the GS-GS-4 grade level. Promotion to the next grade level is at management's discretion and is based on your demonstrated ability to perform the higher level duties, the continuing need for the higher level duties, and "Regulatory/Administrative" approval. Promotion to the next higher grade level is not guaranteed and no promise of promotion is implied. You will be evaluated for this position in accordance with the OPM Merit Hiring Plan. As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide short essay responses (200 words or less each) to the following four questions. How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government? In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness? How would you help advance the President's Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements? Your responses are optional and will not be scored. However, they may be reviewed by hiring managers and agency leadership (or designees) during the evaluation process. You will be asked to certify that your responses are written in your own words and that you did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) tool (such as ChatGPT or Copilot).

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