Director of Emergency Management

Hamilton County • Cumberland, IN

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Incumbent serves as Director of Emergency Management, for the Hamilton County Emergency Operations Department responsible for leading Hamilton County’s comprehensive emergency management, resilience, and continuity programs across preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery. The Director oversees the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), manages federal and state grants, coordinates multi‑agency operations, advises elected officials, and ensures compliance with Indiana Code, Hamilton County ordinances, FEMA/NIMS/ICS standards, and national best practices for emergency management. This role is central to the County’s disaster readiness, interagency coordination, and continuity of government (COG), and Continuity of Operations (COOP). The Director ensures Hamilton County can withstand, respond to, and recover from natural hazards, technological incidents, cyber disruptions, public‑health emergencies, and emerging threats.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Emergency Management, Homeland Security, Public Administration, or related field required.
• Minimum 7–10 years emergency management or public‑safety leadership experience.
• Prior supervisory experience required.
• Certifications ICS 100, 200, 300, 400, 700, 800 required.
• Thorough knowledge of emergency management principles, laws, ordinances, and federal/state regulations.
• Ability to coordinate with local governments, schools, hospitals, and institutions to determine needs and capabilities.
• Strong understanding of THIRA/SPR, COOP/COG, hazard mitigation, and resilience frameworks.
• Ability to manage complex incidents, multi‑agency coordination, and high‑pressure environments.
• Proficiency with emergency‑management software, GIS, dashboards, and communication systems.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, including media engagement.
• Experience leading response and planning for large preplanned special events, critical incidents and multi-discipline public safety incidents.
• Standard office environment plus field operations during emergencies.
• Possession of a valid Indiana driver's license and demonstrated safe driving record.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree preferred.
• HSEEP certification or ability to acquire preferred.
• Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) or ability to acquire preferred.
• Hazardous materials training; NWS storm spotter; amateur radio license preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provides executive leadership for the County’s emergency management program, setting strategic direction and ensuring alignment with national standards (NIMS/ICS, FEMA CPG 101, EMAP, NFPA).
• Supervises staff, volunteers, and interns including hiring, training, performance evaluation, discipline, and professional development.
• Oversees daily department operations, personnel management, procurement, budgeting, and expenditure control.
• Serves as primary advisor to Elected Officials on disaster law, emergency declarations, and policy implications.
• Maintains regular communication with County departments, municipalities, schools, hospitals, utilities, NGOs, and private sector partners.
• Leads development, maintenance, and modernization of all County emergency plans, including the Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP); Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and ESF annexes; Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan; Continuity of Operations (COOP) and Continuity of Government (COG) plans; and Logistics, Flood Fight, Recovery, and Debris Management Plans.
• Conducts Threat & Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) and annual State Preparedness Report (SPR) processes.
• Integrates climate-driven hazard trends, cyber risk, infrastructure dependencies, and community lifelines into planning.
• Maintains and updates all resource materials associated with emergency preparedness plans.
• Develops and maintains mutual aid agreements and MOUs with regional partners.
• Builds and manages a multi‑year Training & Exercise Plan (TEP) aligned with HSEEP.
• Conducts tabletop, functional, and full‑scale exercises for County departments, public safety agencies, volunteers, and community partners.
• Trains Elected Officials, Department Heads, and ESF leads in ICS, EOC operations, and crisis communications.
• Delivers public-facing education, preparedness messaging, and community resilience initiatives.
• Serves as the primary EOC Manager, ensuring 24/7 readiness of facilities, systems, and staff.
• Conducts regular testing of communications systems, sirens, radios, AV systems, generators, and technology platforms.
• Activates and leads EOC operations during emergencies, coordinating ESFs, maintaining a common operating picture, and ensuring multi‑agency collaboration.
• Coordinates disaster response activities including evacuations, sheltering, special needs plans, and resource allocation.
• Prepares and delivers situational reports, damage assessments, and operational briefings.
• Leads initial, preliminary, and joint damage assessments (IDA, PDA, JDA).
• Manages FEMA and state disaster reimbursement processes (Public Assistance Categories A–G, Individual Assistance).
• Oversees hazard mitigation grant programs and long‑term recovery planning.
• Serves as County representative to FEMA, IDHS, SBA, USDA, and regional emergency management bodies.
• Implements AI‑enabled situational awareness tools, predictive analytics, and automated reporting systems aligned with current industry trends.
• Maintains cybersecurity readiness within emergency management systems; coordinates with County IT and state cyber units.
• Oversees WebEOC, HSIN, GIS mapping tools, dashboards, and digital COP platforms.
• Ensures staff proficiency in modern emergency management software and data systems.
• Manages federal and state grants (EMPG, HSGP, BRIC, HMGP), including applications, compliance, reporting, and audits.
• Tracks grant‑funded equipment, maintains inventories, and ensures compliance with procurement and record‑keeping requirements.
• Assists in the preparation of the annual Emergency Management Division budget and assists in presentation to County Commissioners and County Council.
• Serves as Community Emergency Coordinator for the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC).
• Oversees SARA Title III compliance, hazardous materials reporting, and response coordination.

Benefits

• Hamilton County provides reasonable accommodations to qualified employees and applicants with known disabilities who require accommodation to complete the application process or perform essential functions of the job, unless those accommodations would present an undue hardship.
• The initial and two subsequent vaccinations shall be administered by the Hamilton County Health Department and free of charge to the employee.
• Hamilton County is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director