A best-in-class city that attracts best-in-class talent, Philadelphia is an incredible place to build a career. From our thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact.

As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you’re interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here.

What we offer

• Impact - The work you do here matters to millions. 
• Growth - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it? 
• Diversity & Inclusion - Find a career in a place where everyone belongs.
• Benefits - We care about your well-being.

Agency Description

The Office of Emergency Management (OEM) works to ensure the City of Philadelphia is ready for any kind of emergency. OEM works with organizations throughout the City to prepare for possible emergencies in the City, to lessen their impacts, and to recover as quickly as possible.

To meet our mission, OEM:

• Teaches the public how to prepare for emergencies.
• Develops public safety plans for major events within the City.
• Oversees development of the City’s plans for large-scale emergencies and disasters.
• Conducts training and exercises to test the effectiveness of plans and policies.
• Collects, analyzes, and disseminates incident information.
• Coordinates and supports responses to and recovery from emergencies.
• Maintains a Regional 24/7 Watch Command Center
• Manages resource development and deployment to support emergency management field operations
• Obtains funding in support of preparedness for Philadelphia.

The Deputy Director helps to lead OEM's mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery operations for all threats and hazards in the City of Philadelphia.  This essential position will assist with strategic planning, program development and implementation, and evaluation of an integrated program. The Deputy Director will oversee several functional program areas including planning, operations and resource support, or administrative and public facing functions.

The Deputy Director supports initiatives in these areas by understanding the nuances of each program, developing and directing dedicated staff members, preparing budgets, implementing a systems approach to all work, building and maintaining partnerships, conducting or overseeing project management, conducting crisis management activities, and problem solving. In addition to day-to-day responsibilities, the Deputy Director works across the organization with planning, communications, administration, operations, and logistics program areas as well as with various local, state, and federal partners during exercises, emergency response coordination, and recovery operations.  The Deputy Director will serve as administrator on-call for the organization, liaising with City leadership, other agency executives, elected officials, community leaders, the press, and the public.

The Deputy Director must be able to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously, turn goals into objectives, catalyze action, traverse political and institutional challenges, build strong external partnerships, and effectively navigate the systems within which OEM operates. The ideal candidate is a dynamic leader and excellent communicator with high emotional intelligence and demonstrated experience being proactive in a fast-paced, uncertain environment.

Successful candidates must be City residents within six months of hire and are required frequently to be available for 24-hr emergency operations requirements. OEM staff periodically work during non-standard hours for extended periods, in austere field environments, and during activations of Philadelphia’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC). This may include nighttime, weekends, holidays, and during periods of city closure, declarations of emergency, and adverse weather.

Essential Functions

• Working closely with OEM leadership, manage OEM’s mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery planning and operations for all hazards and types of emergencies.
• Serve as administrator on-call for the organization, liaising with City leadership, other agency executives, elected officials, community leaders, the press, and the public.
• Manage a portfolio of program areas that includes preparedness planning, training and exercises, finance and administration, public information and community engagement; portfolio may evolve based on organizational or program developments and/or disaster response and recovery operations.
• Conduct all essential management functions including administrative tasks, coaching, and responding to team inquiries.
• Manage a team of direct and indirect reports. Management includes recurring meetings with each staff member, providing guidance and direction for all program areas, integrating lines of effort, leading division meetings, completing performance evaluations, and developing individual performance plans.
• Provide essential support and guidance to staff who are directly responsible for securing and managing numerous grants.
• Develop and maintain partnerships with a variety of stakeholders from local, state, and federal government, as well as community-based organizations, non-profit organizations, and private entities.
• In addition to day-to-day responsibilities, positions managed by the Deputy Director regularly support the Emergency Operations Center, incident management and response, logistics operations, and disaster recovery.
• Maintain a process for facilitated and collaborative planning and operations efforts that include setting and maintaining standards across the organization and staff.  
• Develop key performance indicators and objectives to maintain a multi-year strategic plan.
• The Deputy Director manages recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and the development of team members.
• The Deputy Director is responsible for writing and updating assigned elements of the City’s Emergency Operations Plan.
• The Deputy Director will provide proactive verbal and written briefings on a wide range of topics to City and partner agency leadership.
• In coordination with office leadership, the Deputy Director will direct the entire organization through incident management objectives.   
• The Deputy Director will perform other duties or special projects as required.

Competencies

• Ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously.
• Ability to operate in chaotic or uncertain environments.
• Superb oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent time-management skills.
• Strong interpersonal, leadership, diplomacy, and negotiation skills.
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships and develop partnerships.
• Ability to coordinate diverse groups toward a common goal.
• Ability to contribute and coordinate in a team environment.
• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Sound judgement and ethical, decisive decision making.
• Professional conduct and accountability.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Ability to write, develop, and exercise comprehensive plans. 
• Ability to interpret federal and state emergency management requirements and regulations.
• Ability to drive diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
• Proficiency in a foreign language preferred, specifically Spanish or Chinese (including Mandarin and Cantonese).
• Proficiency with Microsoft software (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, Teams) and ability to use other web-based platforms for incident management and mass communication.

Education and Experience

• ­   Completion of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college.  Master’s level education is preferred, but not required. 
• ­   Minimum of 8 years of relevant experience, or combined with post-secondary education, required with 3 years in emergency/crisis management, business continuity, public safety, public administration, or public policy preferred.
• ­   Minimum of 4 years management/supervisory experience is required.
• ­   Minimum of 4 years project management experience is preferred. 
• ­   Familiarity with the City of Philadelphia is preferred.
• ­   Experience engaging a diverse group of stakeholders.
• ­   Experience developing, training, and exercising plans is preferred. 
• ­   Experience with the National Incident Management System is preferred.
• ­   Experience with disaster and relief operations is preferred.
• ­   Experience planning and executing large events is preferred.
• ­   An equivalent combination of education and experience in a related field will be considered with approval by OEM and the Office of Human Resources.

Licenses, Registrations, and Certification

• ­   Possession of a valid proper class motor vehicle operator’s license issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania within six months of hire, unless medically exempt.
• ­   Successful completion of FEMA Independent Study courses (IS 100.a, 200.a, 700.a, and 800.b) within first month of appointment and PEMA County Basic Certification within one year.
• ­   Candidate will have access to secure public safety information.  All selected applicants must undergo and successfully complete a background investigation as a condition of placement in this position, including a driving record check.

Other requirements

• ­   Work may entail nights, weekends, and holidays.
• ­   OEM personnel are essential, requiring work during states of emergency or other city closures.
• ­   OEM personnel are required to serve periodically in an on-call capacity which may require the following conditions of work: work outside of typical business hours or for extended periods of time; work during states of emergency; work in a field environment, in a 24/7 watch center, or during activations of Philadelphia’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Example on-call work environments include, but are not limited to, scenes with the following conditions: materials that are on fire; utilities that are compromised; compromised structures; scenes near hazardous materials storage that may be compromised; scenes in congregate living settings, or in or near crowds; scenes near downed vegetation or other debris; or scenes near flooding and water-damaged materials. All work is performed while donning a level of personal protective equipment that 1) is recommended by the incident safety officer and 2) for which OEM personnel have received training. Example on-call response tasks include, but are not limited to, the following: working at a computer or with a portable tablet; observing and documenting conditions remotely or in the field; staffing an incident command post; communicating with responders or survivors; operating vehicles up to your licensed class; staffing facilities for survivors; transporting materials; being near a site where a serious injury or loss of life has occurred; sitting, standing, walking, climbing, crawling, or lifting or carrying materials.
• ­   All OEM personnel are “emergency managers first.” During times of disaster, work assignments, schedules, and reporting structures may be altered to meet the incident objectives.
• ­   Full-time residency within the City of Philadelphia geographic boundaries required within six months of hire.  There are no exceptions to this policy.
• ­   Ability to physically perform the duties during and outside of normal business hours while in or outdoors.

Salary: $90,000 - $98,000

TO APPLY: Interested candidates must submit a cover letter, resume, and writing sample (showing your ability to write a policy or report-style document).

Vaccination status

As a condition of employment with the City of Philadelphia, employees starting employment on or after September 1, 2021 must be vaccinated.

Did you know?

• We are a Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program qualified employer
• 25% tuition discount program for City employees (and sometimes spouses and dependents as well) in partnership with area colleges and universities
• We offer Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents
• Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
• Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Generous retirement savings options are available

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670

 For more information, go to the Human Relations website: http://www.phila.gov/humanrelations/Pages/default.aspx