Contact Center Agent – Helpline (Tier 2)

Contact Center Agent

United States, United States (Remote)

Job Title: Contact Center Agent

Location: United States

Reports to: Program Manager

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Supervisory: No supervisory/management authority

Prepared Date: 9/15/2026

Position Type: Temporary / on-call, full-time during activation. Surge-driven; duration tied to disaster activity and the call order period of performance.

Work Schedule: Shift assignments include nights, weekends, and federal holidays. Shift times and weekly hours may change with 48 hours’ notice.

Work Location Requirement: Agent must be physically located within the United States or a U.S. territory (including Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) at all times while taking calls.

A government contract requires that this position be restricted to U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents. You must provide documentation that you are a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident to qualify.

The Contact Center Agent supports FEMA’s disaster-assistance mission by serving as a direct point of contact for individuals and businesses affected by disasters. Agents provide registration support, answer questions, deliver accurate information, and connect callers with appropriate resources while safeguarding sensitive information.

Compensation & Benefits:

Starting Salary Range for Contact Center Agent: Pay commensurate with experience.

This position is covered by the Service Contract Act. The hourly rate is set at or above the applicable Department of Labor Wage Determination for the county of performance under occupational category 01000, Administrative Support and Clerical Occupations.

Benefits That Set Us Apart

When considering your next opportunity, compensation is only part of the picture. We offer a benefits package designed to invest in your future and support your life outside of work.

Highlights include:

• Up to a 6% 401(k) company match to help you build long-term financial security

• Paid time off as part of our comprehensive benefits package, so you have the flexibility to rest, recharge, and enjoy what matters most

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance, plus prescription drug coverage

• Basic life and AD&D insurance, with supplemental life options

• Short-term and long-term disability coverage

• Paid holidays

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Health Savings Account (HSA) options

• Professional development, training, and certification support

• Voluntary benefits including accident, critical illness, and identity theft protection

Because taking care of our employees isn’t just a promise, it’s part of who we are.

Benefits are subject to change and eligibility requirements apply.

Contact Center Agent Responsibilities Include:

• Serve as a direct point of contact for individuals and households registering for federal disaster assistance, asking questions about a prior registration, or seeking relief program referrals.

• Conduct all calls with patience, tact, courtesy, and empathy to determine caller needs and provide instructions or referrals.

• Conduct a scripted interview and enter caller-provided information accurately into FEMA’s Windows-compatible database (NEMIS-IA) while the survivor is on the phone.

• Complete all data entry while the survivor is on the line. A maximum of 10 seconds of after-call work is permitted, and only in the event a call drops.

• Provide phone numbers and agency referrals for applicable secondary support organizations and other disaster assistance providers.

• Perform additional duties as assigned based on FEMA’s level of support to the event, which may include Registration Intake, Helpline, Transitional Sheltering Assistance, outbound calls, and document review.

• Attend all scheduled pre-shift briefing sessions of up to 30 minutes at the beginning of each shift to receive event-specific information on work priorities, procedures, policies, and performance.

• Meet established average handle time standards: Registration Intake 18 to 23 minutes; Helpline 10 to 12 minutes. Escalated and successive (Delta) calls may take longer.

• Maintain schedule adherence and support interval service level requirements, including availability to take calls throughout the assigned shift.

• Participate in quality control monitoring and evaluation, including a minimum of three evaluated calls or cases per week, and apply real-time coaching feedback.

• Performs other duties as may be assigned.

Contact Center Agent Basic Qualifications:

• Must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old, and able to obtain and maintain FEMA/DHS favorable suitability adjudication before beginning training or call-handling duties.

• Must have resided within the United States for at least three of the last five years, as required for federal suitability adjudication.

• Prior customer service, contact center, administrative, clerical, or other public-facing support experience preferred, particularly in a high-volume, fast-paced environment.

• Proficiency using Microsoft Windows, Word, Excel, PDF documents, telephone systems, and multiple computer applications, including two-screen workstations.

• Must be able to successfully complete identity verification through Login.gov in order to access FEMA tools and guidance requiring secure logins.

• Must be able to pass E-Verify employment eligibility verification and provide a Social Security card issued by the Social Security Administration.

• High school diploma, GED, or equivalent.

• Strong English reading, writing, and verbal communication skills; bilingual agents must be fluent in English and Spanish.

• Ability to follow detailed scripts, program guidance, job aids, reference materials, and established procedures while maintaining accuracy.

• Ability to navigate multiple Windows-based applications and FEMA systems while conducting live telephone interviews and accessing reference materials simultaneously.

• Ability to accurately collect, enter, and review caller information; assess needs; provide appropriate instructions and referrals; and address questions or concerns within assigned authority.

• Ability to safeguard PII, Sensitive PII, Sensitive But Unclassified, and For Official Use Only information; maintain a secure workspace; and promptly report suspected security or privacy incidents.

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer; may occasionally require standing or moving about the office for extended periods.

• Must pass pre-employment qualifications of Cherokee Federal.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Spanish/English bilingual proficiency, including the ability to fluently speak, read, and write in both languages.

• Experience supporting disaster assistance, public assistance, health and human services, insurance, benefits, or comparable public-facing assistance programs.

• Experience using FEMA systems, NEMIS-IA, Registration Intake, Helpline, Transitional Sheltering Assistance, or comparable case-management systems.

• Experience working remotely in a secure, private home-office environment.

• Demonstrated ability to meet quality, productivity, schedule-adherence, and average-handle-time expectations in a contact center environment.

Company Information:

Behind every government mission stands skilled, mission-driven talent: people whose expertise and dedication turn complex challenges into successful outcomes. Cherokee Federal, the federal contracting division of Cherokee Nation Businesses, is that team. We modernize aging systems, deliver care where it’s needed most, and keep missions supplied, staffed, and moving across defense, intelligence, and civilian agencies. For more than 60 federal clients, we take on the work others won’t, and deliver where it counts. If that’s the kind of work you’re looking for, you’ve found your team. Learn more at cherokee-federal.com.

#CherokeeFederal #LI-AP1

Cherokee Federal is a military friendly employer. Veterans and active military transitioning to civilian status are encouraged to apply.

Legal Disclaimer: Cherokee Federal is an equal opportunity employer. Please visit cherokee-federal.com/careers for information regarding our Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer Statement, and Accommodation request.

Many of our job openings require access to government buildings or military installations.

Compliance Notices

Cherokee Federal is a federal contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA). As required by VEVRAA, we take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified protected veterans. Protected veterans are encouraged to self-identify during the application process.

Cherokee Federal takes affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities in compliance with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. Qualified individuals with disabilities are encouraged to self-identify during the application process.

Reasonable accommodations are available to qualified individuals with disabilities or those with sincerely held religious beliefs. To request an accommodation in the application or interview process, please contact Human Resources at careers@cherokee-federal.com.