FEMA to Contract Sandy Relief Call Center in Maine

Call centers are cropping up all over, and some have popped up faster than usual thanks to Hurricane Sandy. Atlanta-based call center outsourcing firm NexxLinx has reportedly won a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) contract to provide call center services for people seeking federal disaster assistance and relief referrals in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

The Maine Department of Labor said NexxLinx must fill 400 temporary positions at its Orono, Maine facility. The jobs will last from two weeks to six months. While NexxLinx is based in Georgia, it operates a call center in Maine.

“NexxLinx has a week to fill 400 temporary, full-time positions – about 50 per day – and we’re calling on the CareerCenter, Maine Job Bank, the University System and the Veterans Administration to help us help NexxLinx find qualified candidates,” said Department of Labor Commissioner Jeanne Paquette in a statement announcing the new call center. “This is exactly what we want to do – help employers find good employees.”

Applicants for the call center jobs must be 18 years old and a U.S. citizen. Wages are $11.69 per hour, plus $3.71 additional for health and welfare, for a total of $15.40 per hour. Supervisors will earn from $18 to $20 per hour, according to the Department of Labor.

“We’re thankful for the support from Department of Labor, and it’s great to see private companies like ours work so closely with state and federal agencies in the aftermath of this horrible tragedy,” said NexxLinx chief executive Craig Mento.