Employment Opportunities & Procedures

Why Billings?

Billings is a dynamic and beautiful community of over 112,000 residents nestled between the Yellowstone River and a nine-mile long cliff face known as the Rimrocks, Billings is the largest city in Montana and the Northern Rocky Mountain Region. Billings has a longstanding reputation for being well-managed, and the community has consistently supported a professionally-operated and innovative local government. Billings serves as a regional center for commerce, transportation, energy, healthcare, entertainment, and education.

Billings is located on the high plains in south-central Montana, giving it more abundant sunshine and less snow than in the mountains to the west. It is an outdoor lover’s paradise, with hiking, biking, deer and elk hunting and trout fishing within driving distance. Also, within about an hour’s drive are the Red Lodge Mountain ski area and the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. Historic Yellowstone National Park lies less than three hours to the southwest.

Visit the Billings Chamber of Commerce to learn more about Billings and our Community.

Job Opportunities

The City of Billings current on-line job application will be disabled as of December 31, 2022 at 11:59 p.m., and the city will be accepting job applications through our current system until this time. Human Resources will move all open job postings from the current system into NeoGov - City of Billings Employment effective January 1, 2023 at 12:02 a.m. All applicants will have to establish a new username and password and build their profile with the new software system. All links to job opportunities will be updated to the new system effective January 1, 2023.

Thank you for your interest in employment with the City of Billings. Browse through the City of Billings vacancy announcements to learn about available opportunities. Job vacancy announcements contain brief information, including the application deadline date, starting salary, and job requirements. A full job description for each position is available from Human Resources located at City Hall.

Firefighter Vacancies:

The Billings Fire Department is not currently accepting applications for the position of Probationary Firefighter.

The Billings Fire Department is a member of the Montana Firefighters Testing Consortium. The MTFC requires candidates to complete both the written examination and CPAT through Public Safety Testing (PST).

WRITTEN EXAM: The written exam is available through the PST online, in-home testing program, as well as in-person at PST test sites throughout the Pacific Northwest and at various partner college test sites across the US.

CPAT EXAM: CPAT events (Orientation, Practice Test, & CPAT Test) are available in Kent, WA and Spokane, WA, check the Test and Event Calendar - multiple events each month. If you have never taken a CPAT Test, it is highly recommended that you participate in a free CPAT Orientation.

CPAT events are also scheduled in Billings, MT annually.

CPAT Orientation at Billings Metra Park Arena - Tuesday, May 23, 2023 (afternoon)
CPAT Practice Test at Billings Metra Park Arena - Tuesday, May 23, 2023 (afternoon)
CPAT at Billings Metra park Arena -Wednesday, May 24, 2023 (ALL DAY)

TESTING DEADLINES: The MFTC's next testing deadline is in May 2023. The Consortium is always available for testing through PST in order to keep the candidate pool as current as possible. Departments will review scores on an as-needed basis, as determined by the agency. Be sure to review each department profile below to make sure you meet any department-specific deadline. Deadlines are set by each department, not by PST.

Departments will reach out to candidates on an as-needed basis. Be sure to be responsive to any agency requests.

Billings Fire Department Probationary Firefighter Required Qualifications & Skills:

• High school diploma

• Up to one (1) year of combined education and experience in the areas of fire suppression & prevention

• Must be able to pass a pre-employment drug and nicotine test, psychological examination, physical examination, and a Federal and State finger-print criminal background check

• Must possess State of Montana EMT Basic certification or must be obtained within six (6) months of employment

• National Registry EMT Basic certification

• Must maintain the minimum Montana and National Register EMT Basic level certification throughout Billings Fire Department career

• Must have good interpersonal skills

Billings Fire Department Probationary Firefighter Preferred Qualifications & Skills:

• Associate’s degree in Fire Science or equivalent

State of Montana Qualifications for Firefighter: MCA 7-33-4107

The State of Montana determines that qualifications for the firefighting profession must recognize the rigorous physical demands placed on firefighters and the expectation of many years of emergency service. To qualify as a firefighter, an applicant:

(1) must be a citizen of the United States;

(2) must be at least 18 years of age;

(3) must be a high school graduate or have been issued a high school equivalency diploma by the superintendent of public instruction or by an appropriate issuing agency of another state or of the federal government;

(4) must possess or be eligible for a valid Montana driver’s license;

(5) shall pass a physical examination by a qualified physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse, who is not the applicant’s personal physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse, appointed by the employing authority to determine if the applicant is free from any mental or physical condition that might adversely affect the applicant’s performance of the duties of a firefighter, including requirements described in [section 2];

(6) must be fingerprinted and a search must be made of the local, state, and national fingerprint files to disclose any criminal record; and

(7) may not have been convicted of a crime for which the applicant could have been imprisoned in a federal or state penitentiary.”

Section 2. Qualifications of paid firefighters—tobacco use.

(1)(a) A paid firefighter hired on or after July 1, 2019, must be tobacco-free.

(b) The requirements of subsection (1)(a) must be verified through a physical exam as required in 7–33–4107.

View information on the Montana Firefighter Testing Consortium .

Contact the Billings Fire Department
Phone: (406) 657-8423
Email

Police Officer Vacancies:

The City of Billings Police Department is now accepting applications on a continual basis for Probationary Police Officers and Lateral POST Certified Officers. Application packets can be downloaded here. Completed applications can be mailed or hand-delivered to: Human Resources, 210 North 27th Street, Billings, MT 59101

Application Process

Applications

A separate City of Billings application is required for each position. You can apply online or pick up an application between the hours of 8:00 am and 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday in the lobby at:
City Hall
210 N. 27th St.
Billings, MT 59101

If you have any questions or issues with the on-line application process, please call 406-237-6210.

Deadlines

Applications can only be accepted for open positions until 5:00 pm on the deadline date. Applications received after the deadline date will not be considered.

Additional Requirements

Please check the job vacancy announcement for additional requirements (i.e., cover letter, resume, proof of typing ability, or additional testing requirements). Applications missing additional requirements, will not be considered.

Cover letters and resumes submitted without a City of Billings application will not be considered.

New Hires

The following information is important to employees who are newly hired by the City of Billings:

Hiring Process:

Screening

The Tuesday after the deadline, applications with supporting documentation are forwarded to the hiring department for screening. The interview questions for the vacant position must be approved by the Human Resources Office prior to receipt of the applications by the hiring department. The screening process generally takes seven to 10 business days.

Interviewing

Applicants chosen for an interview will be notified by the hiring department. Depending on the position, applicants may also be asked for further background information (i.e., Department of Motor Vehicle Records).

Applicants not selected for an interview will be notified by the hiring department by mail once the position has been filled.

Drug Testing

All applicants selected for hire are subject to pre-employment drug testing. A drug test can only be scheduled within 10 days of the hire date. Results are received within three days of the testing date. The new hire may not begin employment until a negative drug test result has been received.

To schedule a drug test, please call Val Ronquillo at (406) 237-6210.

Human Resources will notify the hiring manager of the drug test results. If a negative result has been received, the hiring manager will notify the new hire to schedule an employment date if one has not already been agreed upon.

Probationary Period

New Hires to the City of Billings are subject to a one-year probationary period that begins on their first day of work. Firefighters are subject to a six-month probationary period that begins on their first day of work. A new hire may be dismissed at any time during the probationary period without cause.

New Hire Paperwork / Benefits Meeting

The hiring manager will schedule a new hire meeting for the new hire to meet with Human Resources on or before the first day of employment to complete new hire and benefits paperwork. This meeting will take approximately two hours, depending on the number of questions and the number of new hires in the meeting.

New hire meetings are typically held each Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. in the Human Resources Office. Your Supervisor will be notified should there be a change in the date and time.

Information to Bring

In order to be prepared, the new hire will need to bring the following information to this meeting:

Voided check for payroll direct deposit
Driver’s license
Social Security card (If you cannot find your Social Security card, you must go to the Social Security Administration located at 2900 4th Avenue North, Room 100 and file for a new card. The Social Security Administration will issue a letter for you to bring with you in lieu of your Social Security card. Once you receive your new card, please bring it to Human Resources so they can see it and make a copy.)
Dependent information (if you have dependents to sign up for insurance benefits):
- ◦All permanent 20+ hour per week employees are REQUIRED to participate in the medical insurance plan. If you opt to sign dependents to the insurance, the following information/documents will be required:
  - ◦Names, birth dates and Social Security numbers
  - ◦Copy of marriage certificate as proof of legal marriage
  - ◦Copy of child(ren)'s birth certificate(s) as proof of legal parent or legal documentation as guardian
Retirement and life insurance beneficiary information (for primary and contingent beneficiaries)
- Names
- Addresses
- Social security numbers
- Birth dates
- If you will have other insurance coverage in combination with the city coverage, a copy of your other insurance card is required

New Employee Orientation

A New Employee Orientation is generally held the third Thursday of every month at 9:00 a.m. in the City Hall Conference Room located at 210 North 27th Street. This is a mandatory orientation for all new hires and covers Human Resources policies and procedures, safety, and other pertinent information.

If your employment location is not at City Hall, then you may park in the City’s Park 3 Parking Garage located on North Second Avenue between Broadway and North 27th Street. Bring your parking ticket to Human Resources for validation.