Job Description

Requisition No: 883845

Agency: Agriculture and Consumer Services

Working Title: OPS TELECOMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT - 42903110

Pay Plan: Temp

Position Number: 42903110

Salary: $38.00 - $48.00 hourly

Posting Closing Date: 10/12/2026

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

OPS TELECOMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES

OFFICE OF AGRICULTURAL LAW ENFORCEMENT

***OPEN COMPETITIVE OPPORTUNITY--

THIS IS A FULL-TIME OTHER PERSONAL SERVICES (OPS) POSITION***

The headquarters for this position is negotiable between Leon, Gadsden, Liberty, Wakulla, Jefferson, Madison, Taylor, Dixie, Lafayette, Suwanee, Hamilton, Columbia, Gilcrest, Alachua, Union, Bradford, Baker, Nassau, Clay, Putnam, and Duval Counties.

OPS Telecommunications Consultant Duties:

This position is responsible for assisting in implementing and maintaining telecommunications systems, microwave systems and land mobile radio systems for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement (OALE). This is an Other Personnel Services (OPS) position and does not have standard or guaranteed work hours. This position will require 8 to 32 hours per week, depending on the needs of the Agency. This position requires occasional travel and non-standard (after 5PM or weekend) working hours. This position will have access to an Agency vehicle for travel outside of the assigned work location.

Other Duties

• Provide technical assistance to field personnel with radio system, equipment, and/or operational problems. Recommend test procedures and corrective actions.
• Provide support of technical problems, requiring knowledge of Radio Frequency (RF) engineering principles.
• Oversee vendor maintenance of contract work and provide corrective action as needed.
• Responsible for testing radio code, radio programming software and related items.
• Provide training assistance for radios users of agency communications systems and related equipment.
• Responsible for area management and security of OALE agency specific encryption keys.
• Advisor in installation planning as related to the radio and related equipment.
• Assist with communications design and provide implementation and operational support for OALE personnel.
• Assist with preparing detailed system and equipment procurement specifications and documentation to enable the Agency to purchase equipment and service as required.
• Provide routine maintenance and inspection reports on MCV and SAT systems.
• Respond/Deploy to Mutual Aid / Disaster Incidents and details.
• Responsible for development and plans for future enhancements to disaster response communications systems.
• Perform research and evaluation of new telecommunications technology to keep the Agency aware of the availability of new products to enhance and make operations more efficient.
• Represent OALE on the Regional Domestic Security Task Force (RDSTF) on radio interoperability issues.
• Represent OALE on the State Law Enforcement Radio System (SLERS) Joint Task Force Technical Committee.
• Serve as an agency liaison by interfacing with area government entities to provide promotion and support of communications interoperability.
• Provide coordination with other public safety agencies regarding joint operations related to law enforcement communications.
• Manage OALE telecommunications equipment inventory and related data tracking and perform annual updates, or more often if required.
• Perform other related duties as they pertain to telecommunications, budget preparation, and procurement activities and lease agreements.
• Provide assistance to the OALE Bureau of Special Operations Bureau Chief or other bureau command staff as required.

Other:

Perform other related duties as required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of Microsoft Office (including Word, Excel and Outlook).
• Skill in providing customer service to internal and external customers.
• Ability to organize and maintain filing systems.
• Ability to operate office equipment such as a personal computer, multi-line telephone, scanner, printer, Xerox machine, and facsimile.
• Ability to effectively handle multiple priorities and assignments.
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Highly self-motivated.
• Ability to evaluate and analyze data to develop recommendations, solve problems and other activities particularly relating to radio systems (telecommunications).
• Knowledge of electronic and RF principles and practices.
• Ability to conduct fact-finding research.
• Ability to deal with vendors.
• Ability to utilize problem-solving techniques.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Ability to organize data into logical format for presentation in reports, documents and other written materials.
• Knowledge of Information Security.
• Federal Communications Commission (FCC) license preferred.
• Experience with the Florida SLERS EDACS and P25 systems preferred.

Selection Process - The OALE selection process takes approximately three to four months to complete. Steps to complete the selection process include, but are not limited to:

• A completed State of Florida Employment Application.
• A completed Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement Civilian Supplemental Application.
• Oral Review Board.
• Background Investigation.
• Fingerprinting.
• Drug Screening.

Salary - $38.00 - $48.00 hourly

Contact – Holly Chaires at (850) 228-8449 or Holly.Chaires@FDACS.gov with any questions or concerns.

Notes - If possible, please submit your application from a desktop or laptop computer. Devices such as cellular phones and tablets have been known to cause errors when submitting an application. Please be sure to review each answer as they cannot be changed once your application is submitted.

Information regarding the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement (OALE) may be found on the following website: https://www.fdacs.gov/Divisions-Offices/Agricultural-Law-Enforcement.

To maintain fairness and integrity, applicants are required to provide honest and authentic responses during all stages of the evaluation and selection process. Applicants must rely on their own personal knowledge, thoughts, and impressions. A candidate’s use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to answer qualifying questions or participate in interviews will be taken into consideration when determining qualification for the position.

Successful applicant must pass a background screening, fingerprint processing, and drug screening, as conditions of employment.

Persons selected are generally hired at the minimum starting salary identified in the advertisement and salary increases are granted based upon appropriations as determined by the Florida Legislature.

***ATTENTION CANDIDATES***

To be considered for a position with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services:

• All fields in the Candidate Profile must be completed (an attached resume is not a substitution for the information required on the candidate profile).
• Work history, duties and responsibilities, hours worked, supervisor, and formal education fields, etc. must be filled out to determine qualifications for this position.
• Responses to Qualifying Questions must be verifiable in the Candidate Profile.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services values

and supports employment of individuals with disabilities. Qualified

individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

The Benefits of Working for the State of Florida

Working for the State of Florida as an OPS employee is more than just a paycheck.

• Participation in state group insurance (must meet eligibility requirements*);
• Participation in the Florida Deferred Compensation Plan (457b). For additional details and online enrollment visit MyFloridaDeferredComp.com;
• State of Florida 401(a) FICA Alternative Plan (tax deferred Retirement Savings Plan). For more information visit Social Security Alternative Plan (aigrs.com) and read OPS Social Security Alternative Plan (Does not apply to previous FRS Retirees);
• Flexible Spending Accounts; For a more benefits information, visit www.mybenefits.myflorida.com;
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

*Seasonal and part-time OPS employees (less than 30 hours average per week) refer to People First at 877-562-7287 or go to: https://www.mybenefits.myflorida.com/myhealth/eligibility_and_enrollment/ops_employees

SPECIAL NOTES:

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.