Dispatch Trainee Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Applications are accepted exclusively through the City of Ventura Career Site: www.cityofventura.ca.gov/jobs. Submissions through other websites or methods will not be accepted.

Applications and supplemental questions will be accepted until Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.

Pay & Benefits

• Public Safety Dispatcher Trainee - $69,810.63 - $84,855.26 Annually DOQ

Hourly: Step A: $33.56 - Step B: $35.24 - Step C: $37.00 - Step D: $38.85 - Step E: $40.80

• Benefits

  • Medical Insurance (HMO, PPO options)

  • City Paid Dental and Vision Insurance

  • Life Insurance

  • Vacation & Holiday Compensation

  • Deferred Compensation

  • CalPERS Retirement

  • Wellness Program (access to gym facility and fitness classes)

  • Tuition Reimbursement & Bilingual Pay

About the Opportunity

The City of Ventura is hiring Public Safety Dispatcher Trainees! Start a rewarding career in public safety with the Ventura Police Department as the first point of contact for 911 emergency services. If you perform well under pressure, making logical decisions while gathering information in a fast-paced environment, the Public Safety Dispatcher Trainee position is for you!

Public Safety Dispatcher Trainees are an entry-level classification and are normally expected to advance to the Public Safety Dispatcher level after one year.

What You'll Do

WHAT'S IT LIKE TO BE A DISPATCHER?

• The Communications Center runs 24/7, 365 days a year. It never closes. Dispatchers work holidays and weekends. Overtime is usually voluntary. However, if not filled, overtime is mandated to maintain minimum staffing levels.

• All Police Department calls are answered by the team, including 911 calls. Fire-related calls are transferred to the Fire Department. All after-hours calls for Public Works and Records are handled by this team. We are a primary Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) dedicated call center.

• There are eight (8) workstations in the call center. Each shift will have between five and eight dispatchers on duty. There is a supervisor on duty from 0600 to 0200 daily. Staffing depends on the hours of the day (determined by call volume) and varies from 2 to 5 people

• Dispatchers at VPD work four (4) ten-hour shifts, 4/10. Schedules are picked annually and are selected for the year. Schedules rotate every 4 months and are based on seniority.

• Current Communication Center call volume (2025):

  • 176,702 total calls

  • 48,193 emergency 911 calls

  • 12,515 transfers to other agencies

  • 20,680 officer-initiated calls

Check out this video for a glance inside the daily happenings of the Ventura Police Department Communications Center: A look inside the Ventura Police Dispatch Center.

The Ideal Candidate - Preferred Qualifications

As an ideal candidate, you will:

• Perform well under pressure

• Multitask, displaying solid memory retention

• Excel in a fast-paced environment, thinking fast on your feet

• Act as a problem solver

• Enjoy nonroutine work

• Be able to type while listening and providing direction

• Communicate with clarity verbally, providing information with little time to spare

• Be able to work at a computer for long periods of time

• Interact with a variety of people daily, serving a diverse, multicultural, and multilingual community

• Act with professionalism always, understanding your performance is recorded and highly visibleBottom of Form

• Have prior experience in a dispatching role

• You will be bilingual in Spanish, highly desirable

Minimum Qualifications - Required

Public Safety Dispatcher Trainee: A combination of education, training and experience equivalent to completion of high school, keyboarding sufficient to perform the duties of the job, and one year of experience involving public contact, computer usage, or heavy telephone traffic are required. Experience in a dispatching role is preferable.

License: Depending on assignment, possession of a valid California Class C driver's license may be required.

Certificate: Typing speed of 35 words per minute is desirable.

THE PROCESS TO BECOME A PUBLIC SAFETY DISPATCHER TRAINEE

The journey to working in our Communications Center is a rewarding process.

• Step 1. Application/Testing:Applicantsundergo rigorous testing and a background process before being hired.

• Step 2. Training:Once hired, Trainees attend a Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training Dispatcher Course.

• Step 3. The Communications Training Program:The training is on-the-job and takes 6-12 months, during which Trainees are evaluated by a Communications Training Supervisor throughout each shift.

• Step 4. Probation: Once a Trainee has successfully completed the Communications Training Program, they will serve our community as a solo dispatcher under the supervision of the Department's Professional Standards Unit.

Every Public Dispatch Trainee will go through an offsite, paid 120-hour academy that will be completed within the first year of being hired. The training is rigorous and typically lasts between 6-12 months. For more information, go tohttps://post.ca.gov/public-safety-dispatchers-basic-course.

On-site, the Public Safety Dispatcher Trainees will receive training designed to provide the skills to handle local emergency and non-emergency calls, radio traffic, after-hours records duties, and after-hours public works call-outs. This includes extensive training on the Computer Aided Dispatch system, VESTA phone system, Motorola radio system, criminal justice system, various laws and procedures, law enforcement tactics and techniques, and familiarization with the city geography.

APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCESS:

How to Apply

• Submit an online City job application and supplemental questionnaire by the filing deadline. Candidates meeting the minimum qualifications will be invited to the online assessment exam.

• It is important that your city job application show all the relevant education, training, and experience you possess. Resumes, CVs, and cover letters may be attached to your application, but will not be accepted in lieu of a completed job application or supplemental questionnaire. Submitting an incomplete application or supplemental questionnaire may disqualify you from further consideration in the recruitment process.

• After you apply, all future correspondence from the city will be via E-Mail. Please check your messages regularly and keep your contact information up to date using your online application.

Application Review

• All applications and supplemental questionnaires submitted will be screened in relation to the criteria outlined in this job announcement. Candidates will be reviewed, and only those candidates determined to be most qualified on the basis of experience, training, and education, as submitted, will be invited to participate in the online assessment exam. Candidates will be notified of their status after their applications have been reviewed.

Testing Process

• The online assessment exam may consist of one or more of the following exam components: Keyboarding, Data Entry/Call Summary, MS Office Skills Assessment, and Customer Service Interaction.

Next Steps

• Eligibility List: Applicants that meet the examination requirement by passing each test component, will be certified to an eligibility list. From the eligibility list, your name will be sent to the Police Department for further consideration.The resulting eligibility list will be used to fill other vacancies that may occur during the active period of the eligibility list.

• Pre-Investigative Questionnaire (PIQ) Completion: All applicants certified to the eligibility list are required to complete and return the Pre-Investigative Questionnaire (PIQ) to the Police Department. A copy of the Pre-Investigative Questionnaire in PDF fillable format will be sent to candidates selected to move forward in the process.

• Department Selection Interviews: Upon review of the completed Pre-Investigative Questionnaire, the Police Department will invite a limited number of candidates to participate in department selection interviews. Select candidates will be notified of specifics.

• Personal History Statement (PHS) Completion: After successfully completing the department selection interviews, candidates selected to proceed will be required to submit an online ESOPH background Personal History Statement (PHS) following the interview.

Additional Selection and Hiring Components: Polygraph, extensive PD background investigation, and post-offer psychological and medical examination.

THE SCHEDULE

The timeline dates are subject to change. Candidates will be notified as necessary.

• Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. - Application Deadline. Applications and supplemental questionnaires must be submitted by this date to be considered for the position.

• Week of June 1, 2026 - Candidates meeting minimum qualifications will be invited to an online assessment exam.

• Week of June 8, 2026 - Candidates will be notified by email of their exam status by this date.

• Department Selection Interviews - Qualifying candidates will be notified if they are invited to the panel interview process.

Additional Information

For additional information on the duties and responsibilities of the position, refer to the job descriptions located on the City's Career Page at City of Ventura Jobs or by viewing here Public Safety Dispatcher Trainee.

Questions? Contact the Recruitment Team at:

recruitment@cityofventura.ca.gov