Here is the job opening listing that recently was advertised for a major Middle Eastern airline. Should give a good overview of what is involved and what the prerequisites are.
MAIN DUTIES
1. Act under the direct control of the Flight Dispatch Supervisor to whom he is responsible on shift and from whom he receives his assigned duties.
2. As allocated on shift, responsible for company fuel and flight planning. This shall include the production, collation and checking of flight operations documentation, including the Operational Flight Plan and Pilot Briefing documents, for all standard and non-standard, schedule and charter flights including ETOPS flights. This task shall be done quickly and accurately whilst working under pressure and prepared in order that safety standards be maintained and regulatory compliances, punctuality and cost efficiency requirements are fully met.
3. Responsible for analyzing meteorological information to determine potential hazards to safety of flight and select the most desirable and safe route and alternate airports.
4. Responsible for the aircraft takeoff and landing weight on the flight plan do not exceed the maximum allowable weight for the altitude, temperature and runway condition at the expected time of operation.
5. Responsible for monitoring and take appropriate action in regard to aircraft technical defects which may effect either planning or progress of a flight. If route and/or payload are affected, advise impact to all concerned for proper planning.
6. Responsible for monitoring and taking appropriate action when aeronautical information affecting Gulf Air areas of operations are issued by the respective CAA authorities. The aeronautical information have to be compiled according to company standards and distributed daily to all GF airports to be given to all flights as part of the flight documents.
7. Responsible for monitoring load for each single sector of the flights and input correctly for precise fuel calculation to optimize flight cost
8. Analyze the fuel price of each airport and tanker fuel from cheaper stations without offloading payload for fuel cost saving.
9. Handle the fuel docket for flights departing Bahrain.
10. After crew collecting flight document, monitor significant weather change and aeronautical information effecting flights and advise the crew via ACARS or voice.
11. As allocated on shift, responsible for the filing in a timely and accurate manner, of all ATC flight plan (FPL) with relevant air traffic authorities.
12. Check daily aircraft movement rotation against master schedule for changes against the operational flight plan input sheet output. Monitor daily changes to this schedule and update OFP inputs and re-file FPL as necessary.
13. As allocated on shift, monitor all communications, including Radio (VHF/HF), phone, fax, email, SITA, and any other interdepartmental communication media as required.
14. Maintain, in accordance with Company Standard Operating Procedures, all records required by the Company in an orderly and neat fashion including the daily log of events.
15. Assist with the maintenance of Flight Dispatch dept. manuals.
16. Assist with the provision of on the job training for junior staff when required.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
Higher technical education up to a degree level.
Computer literate
Fluency in oral and written English mandatory
Aviation technical qualifications including a Flight Operations Officer license or Flight Dispatcher license from an approved IATA / FAA / CAA training institution; or 2 year service as flight crew member in air transport operation; or Air Traffic Controller
Flight Dispatcher Recurrent Training
Familiarization flight in the cockpit
Cockpit Resource Management Training
Annual Competency Check
The job holder should have a minimum of 3 years working in a major Airline Operations/Flight Dispatch department.
For an FAA Dispatcher Certificate, one of the schools that is well known in the Middle East is Sheffield School of Aeronautics, in Florida.
http://www.sheffield.com/
A few other good sources for your browsing pleasure:
http://www.dispatcher.org/
http://www.eufalda.org/