District Chief, DD-11

Texas A&M University System•Waco, TX

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) is an emergency response entity, and this status can affect working hours, travel, and change in duties as needed. The District Chief is responsible for daily programmatic interactions with local officials, state and federal partners, and volunteer and private-sector partners located within the assigned district. Work involves planning, developing, and implementing the state emergency management program and assisting locals. The District Chief provides technical assistance to program staff, governmental agencies, community organizations, or the public. Responsible for directing, coordinating, and operating the Disaster District Emergency Operations Center (DDEOC) during planned and unplanned events and shall identify and train council members according to applicable laws and/or orders. The District Chief, under general direction, provides leadership and direction to County Liaison Officers assigned within the district. Availability for after-hours and weekend work is required. Must have the ability to operate outside of regular working hours during activations in the field, DDEOC, or State Operations Center, and able to deploy from their assigned duty station for extended periods in the aftermath of a disaster without relief or with minimal rest. Must have availability for extensive travel as needed by vehicle or other mode of transportation. Position is assigned a fleet vehicle. This position is at-will. Salary is a fixed rate. This position is located on-site and not subject to telecommuting.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in an applicable field from an accredited four-year college or university or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Five (5) years of experience in full-time, paid employment positions involving progressively responsible technical experience in an administrative, program development, or planning capacity for an industrial, federal, state, local government, or federal military organization.
Knowledge of or the ability to rapidly assimilate information related to agency, state, federal, regulations, legislation, guidelines, policies, and procedures.
Knowledge of the principles and practices of emergency management, including the phases of mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.
Skill in operating a variety of office and specialized equipment including a laptop computer with a variety of software (e.g., Microsoft Office Suite: Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint), plotter, projectors, camera, GPS device, binoculars, communications devices such as two-way radio, satellite radio/phone, and other specialized audio-visual equipment within the EOC.
Ability to prioritize, plan, organize, and carry out multiple technical projects which are frequently underway simultaneously.
Poise, tact, diplomacy, and an ability to establish and maintain effective working/professional relationships with external and internal customers.
Ability to lead teams and individuals from various organizations and entities providing appropriate leadership and guidance, as needed.
Ability to work in a fast-paced, high stress environment.
Ability to work extended or non-traditional hours such as evenings, weekends, special events, etc.
Ability to communicate and present instruction to diverse small and large groups.
Ability to convey technical information in lay terms to people with a variety of educational and working backgrounds.
Ability to analyze problems, identify causative factors, and apply actions to effectively resolve current, and prevent recurrences of, problem conditions.
Must be analytical, detail-oriented, and able to multi-task without sacrificing accuracy or timeliness.
Must be able to handle sensitive and confidential information and situations responsibly.
Complete and obtain certification in IS-100, IS-200, IS-700, IS-800 and Professional Development Series or Emergency Management Professionals Program Basic Academy FEMA courses within twelve (12) months of employment and any other training as determined.
Valid Texas Driver’s License.

Nice To Haves

Experience in the National Incident Management System, including leadership experience in ICS command and general staff positions, EOC management positions, or similar command, control, and coordination roles in emergency response.
Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) through the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) or Texas Certified Emergency Manager (TEM) through the Emergency Management Association of Texas (EMAT). It is recommended that a CEM or TEM be achieved and maintained within the certification timeframes for those certifications.

Responsibilities

Facilitates the state emergency management program within the assigned district, promoting the mitigation of, preparedness for, response to, and recovery from all hazards within the district.
Identify representatives from the Texas Emergency Management Council, with a focus on representatives from the State Emergency Response Commission, within the disaster district to serve on the Disaster District Committee (DDC).
Train DDC members in emergency operations, applicable state law, statutes, and rules.
Coordinate the equipping of the DDEOC, identify alternate locations for DDEOC use, and develop, train, and exercise DDEOC operating procedures to reflect the Emergency Support Functions (ESF) within the DDEOC.
Activate the DDEOC and convene the DDC. May convene the DDC as a whole or may require only specific agencies to work at the DDEOC. For less severe incidents or events, the DDC may coordinate emergency response support by phone/virtually.
Establishes the Operational Emergency Readiness Level within the District.
Maintain active communications with local, state, federal, and cooperative partnerships on DDC activation levels and district concerns that potential impacts on local jurisdictions.
Receive requests from local governments for state assistance; validating such requests, approving requests, and coordinating response to those requests by tasking DDC member agencies or forwarding requests for assistance to SOC if they cannot be satisfied at the district level.
Provide direction and control for state resources, including any federal and out-of-state resources dispatched to the incident or event within the district, and monitoring the use of those resources.
Coordinate with regional chain of command, External Affairs, and Media and Communications on all outside inquiries related to day-to-day and emergency operations.
Provide various incident or event situational reports to the regional chain of command and SOC.
Deploy as needed to incident sites to assess damages, identify urgent needs, advise local officials regarding state assistance, and coordinate the deployment of state emergency resources to assist local emergency responders in coordination with the DDC members.
Provide coordination and support to the Texas preparedness program, assisting local jurisdictions and entities with preparedness activities such as planning, training, and exercising.
Coordinate state resources if necessary to fulfill those needs.
Provide coordination and support to the Texas hazard mitigation program, including but not limited to the following: Provides information to local partners about accessing FEMA Hazard Mitigation and other funding opportunities. Provides information related to the local hazard mitigation planning process for local partners. May conduct site inspections and collect various documentation related to hazard mitigation projects and initiatives. Evaluates opportunities for local partners to access hazard mitigation funding. Serves as a contact for local jurisdictions in regard to hazard mitigation efforts.
Provide coordination and support to the Texas public assistance program, including but not limited to the following: Represents the state during post-disaster operations and helps coordinate the provision of post-disaster assistance. May assist in preparing and processing applications for disaster recovery grants in accordance with applicable state and federal laws, rules, policies, and procedures. May coordinate or conduct site inspections and collect documentation related to recovery grant projects and initiatives. Serves as a contact for local jurisdictions regarding disaster recovery efforts.
Plan, assign, and supervise the work of others.
Ability to conduct presentations and provide instruction.
Operate a fleet vehicle as primary mode of transportation.
Maintains a regular course of attendance during assigned work schedule and work extended hours when needed.
Availability for after-hours and weekend work is required.
Must have the ability to operate outside of regular working hours during activations in the field, DDEOC, or State Operations Center, and able to deploy from their assigned duty station for extended periods in the aftermath of a disaster without relief or with minimal rest.
Face-to-face and person-to-person interactions are required.
Maintains a regular work schedule and work extended hours as needed.
Ability to travel 40%.
Ability to drive.
Other duties may be assigned.