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 mitigate, plan, and prepare for emergencies; educate the public about preparedness; coordinate emergency response and recovery efforts; and develop tools and identify resources to support the overall preparedness of the City of Philadelphia.

The Public Health Planning Lead will help manage and coordinate the Office of Emergency Management’s COVID-19 planning and response operations.  This position, under the supervision of the Public Health Preparedness Program Manager, will be responsible for performing several tasks related to current COVID operations as well as future pandemic planning for the City of Philadelphia. 

The Planning Lead will be based out of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and will be required to be in-person to assist with emails, phone calls, and additional coordination efforts.  This position will have an overall situational awareness on COVID patterns and trends locally and nationally and will work closely with partners to support, plan for, and carry out COVID operations.

Essential Functions

• Under the direction of the Public Health Preparedness Program Manager, carry out pandemic preparedness planning and response operations.
• Convene and take part in local, state, and federal meetings with partners and stakeholders to inform the development, update, and implementation of COVID planning operations.
• Gather COVID data and information through various methods; track, analyze, and synthesize data; and identify patterns and trends to inform planning and response operations.
• Support COVID EOC operations by receiving and responding to emails, phone calls, and any other inquiries/coordination requests.
• Gather information and write and distribute weekly situation report to partners.
• Gather data and current COVID related news and write and distribute weekly healthcare newsletter to partners.
• Support City public health pandemic planning as requested.
• Support after action review processes.
• May be required to work outside, and on nights and weekends without advance notice.
• Fulfill various roles during public health activations, including nights and weekends.
• Support OEM during emergency responses.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong oral and written communications skills.
• Strong interpersonal, leadership, and negotiation skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a diverse team towards a common goal.
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships and develop new partnerships.
• Proven time management skills and ability to multitask.
• Ability to problem solve and work with others under pressure
• Prior experience in Public Health is preferred.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Software (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and ability to learn new systems that are critical to our operations.

Education and Experience

• Completion of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college is required.
• Candidates with degrees or backgrounds in planning, public health, disaster management, or related fields are encouraged to apply. 
• 1-3 years experience working within an emergency management or other public safety organization is preferred.
• 1-3 years experience in project management is preferred.
• 1-3 years experience with technical writing is preferred.
• Experience engaging a diverse group of stakeholders.
• Familiarity with the City of Philadelphia or Southeastern Pennsylvania is preferred.
• Experience developing, training, and exercising tactical plans is preferred. 
• Experience with the National Incident Management System is preferred.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience in a related field will be considered with approval by MDO-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. Commercial driver’s license is preferred.
• Successful completion of FEMA Independent Study courses (IS 100.a, 200.a, 700.a, and 800.b) within first month of appointment.
• 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.

Other requirements

• Work may entail nights, weekends, and holidays with advanced notice.
• OEM personnel are essential, requiring work during states of emergency or other city closures.
• EM 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.

Salary: $62,500

Grant funded through June 2023

*The successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire

Please note that effective September 1, 2021 the City of Philadelphia is requiring all new employees to present proof of vaccination against COVID-19. 

This is a, time-limited position.  Applicants are put on notice that if employment with the City exceeds six months, Philadelphia residency is required.

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