DIRECTOR TORONTO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

City of Toronto•Toronto, ON

21h•Onsite

About The Position

Toronto Emergency Management supports the delivery of emergency, essential and critical public services each day. This includes leading proactive emergency planning and risk mitigation efforts during periods of normal operations, as well as leading the operation of an effective emergency operations centre during times of emergency. Reporting to the Executive Director, Toronto Emergency Management, the Director Toronto Emergency Management will provide strategic leadership in the development, oversight, and continuous evolution of the City’s emergency management framework. This role plays a critical part in shaping policy direction, strengthening risk mitigation strategies, and ensuring the City is prepared to respond effectively to complex and evolving emergencies. Balancing both strategic policy leadership and operational readiness, you will guide the development of comprehensive emergency plans while maintaining a strong understanding of Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) functions and real-time response requirements. The role requires a leader who can operate confidently at both the strategic and operational levels—translating policy into action and ensuring coordination across internal divisions, emergency services, and external partners. You will lead the identification and prioritization of emerging risks and vulnerabilities, ensuring emergency management strategies are proactive, integrated, and aligned with municipal, provincial, and federal frameworks. This includes overseeing the development and continuous improvement of the City’s Emergency Plan, business continuity programs, and risk mitigation strategies. In this role, you will provide strategic oversight of policy development while ensuring alignment with Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) protocols. They will support and, when required, lead coordination efforts during activations, ensuring effective execution under pressure. As Director, you will be accountable for ensuring the City’s emergency management program aligns with applicable legislation, municipal requirements, and best practices. This includes providing strategic advice to senior leadership, elected officials, and key stakeholders on emergency management policy, risk, and response readiness. Working across a highly complex stakeholder environment, you will build and maintain strong relationships with internal divisions, emergency services, other levels of government, and community and private sector partners. The role requires the ability to influence, align, and coordinate diverse stakeholders to support a cohesive and effective emergency management approach. You will also provide leadership to a multidisciplinary team, fostering a high-performance environment focused on accountability, continuous improvement, and service excellence. This includes guiding the team through both steady-state planning and high-pressure response scenarios, ensuring readiness across all aspects of emergency management.

Requirements

Extensive senior-level experience leading strategy, policy development, or complex programs within a public sector, emergency management, public safety, or similarly complex environment.
Considerable experience supporting, coordinating, or working alongside operational response functions (e.g., Emergency Operations Centre, incident management, or other real-time response environments).
Experience developing and implementing policies, frameworks, or programs related to risk management, emergency management, or business continuity.
Demonstrated ability to translate strategy into operational execution within a complex organization.
Knowledge of relevant legislation, regulatory frameworks, or governance structures.
Strong leadership experience managing teams in high-pressure, fast-paced environments.
Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills across multiple levels of government and external partners.
Highly developed strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.
Strong communication and advisory skills, including experience supporting senior leadership and elected officials.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership in the development, oversight, and continuous evolution of the City’s emergency management framework.
Shape policy direction, strengthen risk mitigation strategies, and ensure the City is prepared to respond effectively to complex and evolving emergencies.
Guide the development of comprehensive emergency plans while maintaining a strong understanding of Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) functions and real-time response requirements.
Lead the identification and prioritization of emerging risks and vulnerabilities, ensuring emergency management strategies are proactive, integrated, and aligned with municipal, provincial, and federal frameworks.
Oversee the development and continuous improvement of the City’s Emergency Plan, business continuity programs, and risk mitigation strategies.
Provide strategic oversight of policy development while ensuring alignment with Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) protocols.
Support and, when required, lead coordination efforts during activations, ensuring effective execution under pressure.
Ensure the City’s emergency management program aligns with applicable legislation, municipal requirements, and best practices.
Provide strategic advice to senior leadership, elected officials, and key stakeholders on emergency management policy, risk, and response readiness.
Build and maintain strong relationships with internal divisions, emergency services, other levels of government, and community and private sector partners.
Influence, align, and coordinate diverse stakeholders to support a cohesive and effective emergency management approach.
Provide leadership to a multidisciplinary team, fostering a high-performance environment focused on accountability, continuous improvement, and service excellence.
Guide the team through both steady-state planning and high-pressure response scenarios, ensuring readiness across all aspects of emergency management.