COMMUNICATIONS OPERATOR
Marketing & Communications
Napa, CA, USA
USD 4,690-7,306 / month
Job Posting: Communications Operator
Department of State Hospitals
COMMUNICATIONS OPERATOR
$4,690.00 - $7,306.00 per Month
New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.
Final Filing Date: 8/31/2026
Job Description and Duties
DSH-Napa Protective Services have multiple openings for a permanent full-time Communications Operator position. Interested candidates must have the ability to work under stress and maintain composure; follow instructions precisely; listen and translate what is heard into the appropriate action; adapt quickly to a variety of situations; act in an emergency situation; write rapidly and legibly; perform several functions simultaneously; read and comprehend at the level required for the job; establish priorities and take appropriate action; extract critical information from incoming calls; recall a variety of situations and retain information. Experience in dispatching work involving the operation of radio communications equipment/systems is highly desirable.
To ensure that your application will be considered for this recruitment the following items are required:
- You must complete the STD. 678 Employment Application
- Duties performed and Supervisor’s name and contact information must be completed on the STD 678. - Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
- If you meet the minimum qualification for the position, you are also required to pass the examination to obtain eligibility for appointment. Here is the link for the exam Communications Operator EX -5036. Please read the exam bulletin in its entirety.
Two cut-off dates are set for application submission:
8/17/2026
8/31/2026
Per CCR 249.3, this job control may be used to fill subsequent vacancies
Effective July 1, 2025, state employees are subject to temporary salary reductions in exchange for Personal Leave Program (PLP) accruals. For more information visit https://hrmanual.calhr.ca.gov/Home/ManualItem/1/2113
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You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.
Minimum Requirements
You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.Additional Documents
Position Details
Department Information
Founded in 1875, Napa State Hospital is the only state hospital in Northern California for persons struggling with severe mental illness. Classified as a low to moderate security facility, the hospital has a bed capacity to treat up to 1,362 patients on an attractive campus with treatment units located on 138 acres. Staff is dedicated and committed to delivering high quality, cost-effective, professional services and specialized programs in an environment that promotes continuous improvements in treatment for individuals with mental disabilities.
Special Requirements
- The position(s) require(s) a Background Investigation be cleared prior to being hired.
- The position(s) require(s) Medical Clearance prior to being hired.
Existing law requires that a thorough background investigation shall be conducted to verify the absence of past behavior indicative of unsuitability to perform public safety dispatcher duties. The background investigation shall include a check of Department of Motor Vehicles' records, and a search of local, State, and national criminal history files to disclose any criminal record. Persons unsuccessful in the investigation cannot be appointed to the Communications Operator series.
Existing law requires that a medical examination shall be conducted to verify the absence of any medical condition which would preclude the safe and efficient performance of dispatcher duties. Persons unsuccessful in the medical exam cannot be appointed to the Communications Operator series.
Penal Code Section 13510(c) requires that State agencies participating in the P.O.S.T. program shall evaluate oral communication skills to ensure skill levels commensurate with the satisfactory performance of dispatch duties.
Penal Code Section 13510(c) requires that State agencies participating in the P.O.S.T. program shall require that the P.O.S.T. Public Safety Dispatcher's Basic Course be the minimum basic training for all public safety dispatchers in the program. The course shall be completed within 12 months of hire or assignment to dispatcher duties. Failure to successfully complete the course shall be cause for termination based on failure to meet the required conditions of employment.
Application Instructions
Completed applications and all required documents must be received or postmarked by the Final Filing Date in order to be considered. Dates printed on Mobile Bar Codes, such as the Quick Response (QR) Codes available at the USPS, are not considered Postmark dates for the purpose of determining timely filing of an application.
Final Filing Date: 8/31/2026Who May Apply
Applications will be screened and only the most qualified applicants will be selected to move forward in the selection process. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications stated in the Classification Specification(s).
How To Apply
Address for Mailing Application Packages
You may submit your application and any applicable or required documents to:
Address for Drop-Off Application Packages
You may drop off your application and any applicable or required documents at:
Required Application Package Documents
The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:
- Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
- Resume is optional. It may be included, but is not required.
Benefits
Contact Information
The Human Resources Contact is available to answer questions regarding the position or application process.
Tess Oracion
(707) 253-5756
Teresita.Oracion@dsh.ca.gov
Please direct requests for Reasonable Accommodations to the interview scheduler at the time the interview is being scheduled. You may direct any additional questions regarding Reasonable Accommodations or Equal Employment Opportunity for this position(s) to the Department's EEO Office.
EEO Contact:Tiffani Emerson Morris
(707) 253-5562
Tiffani.EmersonMorris@dsh.ca.gov
Equal Opportunity Employer
The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.
It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free work place. Any applicant for state employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing Civil Service, and the special trust placed in public servants.
