Emergency Watch Officer

This position provides 24 / 7 / 365 night-shift Operations Watch Officers to support the Secretary of Commerce’s Commerce Information and Operations Center (CIOC) .

The Watch Officer plays a critical role in ensuring the Department of Commerce remains ready to respond to and recover from natural hazards, national security events, and unexpected incidents.

The role requires calm, decisive judgment; strong communication skills; and the ability to coordinate across multiple agencies, levels of government, and private-sector partners in both classified and unclassified environments.

Background & Work Environment Supports federal emergency management, continuity operations (COOP), and all-hazards situational awareness.

Requires the ability to connect information quickly during fast-moving events, follow established SOPs, and communicate effectively across platforms.

Work is performed in both unclassified office space and a SCIF at Commerce HQ in Washington, DC.

Free parking is available for night shifts.

May be required to deploy (via personal vehicle) to a Commerce continuity facility within a 2-hour drive.

Work Schedule Approximately 3 weeks of day-shift training , followed by 1 month of night-shift shadowing with an experienced Watch Officer.

After training, the Watch Officer integrates into solo 12-hour night-shift operations.

Night shift report time :

• 5 : 45 PM for 15-minute turnover; shift runs to 6 : 00 AM after turnover to federal staff. 2-week cycle totals 85.75 hours , using the following Work / Off rotation : Week 1 : WWOOWWW (61.25 hrs) Week 2 : OOWWOOO (24.5 hrs) Then repeats.
• Minimum Requirements (Must Haves) Approximately 4 years of Operations Watch Officer / Stander experience (Operations Specialist level).

At least 2 years must be at the headquarters operations center of :

Backgrounds not accepted :