Emergency Management Specialist (Response) - Operations Branch Director Type II

Federal Emergency Management Agency•Oakland, CA

About The Position

This FEMA Incident Management Assistant Team (IMAT) position is a two-year temporary appointment in the excepted service, serving on a Type II Regional IMAT. The role coordinates federal support for disaster response and recovery when damage or disruption severely affects people and infrastructure and requires sustained federal recovery support. The position reports to the Operations Section Chief. The advertised starting salary is $63.76 per hour, with a maximum of $82.89 per hour; the salary includes locality pay and may be adjusted for the selected duty location. When deployed, the role supports incident operations by sharing information across the incident organization and with disaster stakeholders, coordinating with FEMA Stafford Act program managers to help ensure programs meet customer needs and comply with applicable requirements and policy, and developing strategies and tactics that support incident objectives. When not deployed, the role contributes to FEMA mission plans and operational programs, provides basic disaster-related instruction to regional, state, and local authorities, participates in regional catastrophic planning, helps develop initiatives and programs, and evaluates existing activities for improvement. The position is part of FEMA’s Cadre of On-Call Response/Recovery Employees (CORE), whose full-time employees directly support disaster response and recovery. IMATs are among the first FEMA personnel deployed and manage field-level federal response and early recovery, with emphasis on stabilizing critical infrastructure and supporting life-saving and life-sustaining efforts. Appointments are nonpermanent and may be renewed depending on workload, funding, and supervisory approval. The role requires travel and may involve extensive deployments with little notice, irregular hours, work away from the official duty station, and physically austere or operationally challenging conditions. Employees may be recalled around the clock for emergency operations and may be required to attend a three-week in-person training course in Emmitsburg, Maryland, within six months of onboarding; FEMA covers travel expenses.

Requirements

One full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the IT-02 level in the Federal government; experience may be from federal, state, or local government, or the private sector.
Experience developing and maintaining emergency response or recovery plans.
Experience integrating or assisting with the integration of partner agencies into a unified response and/or recovery structure supporting senior leadership priorities and intent.
Experience leading a team through activities such as providing guidance, communicating priorities, and/or delegating authority.
U.S. citizenship.
Successfully pass and maintain a Public Trust-High Risk background investigation.
Register for Selective Service, if applicable.
Obtain and maintain a Government travel card.
Be available for travel and, potentially, a 24-hour on-call schedule during emergency response periods.
Attend a required three-week in-person training course in Emmitsburg, Maryland, within six months of onboarding.
Meet all qualification and eligibility requirements by the announcement closing date.
There is no educational substitution for the required specialized experience.

Responsibilities

When deployed, rapidly and effectively share information throughout the incident organization and with disaster stakeholders.
Coordinate with FEMA Stafford Act program managers to help ensure program delivery meets customer needs and complies with Stafford Act requirements and FEMA policy.
Develop strategies and tactics in support of incident objectives.
When not deployed, contribute to developing, executing, and documenting functions and plans that affect FEMA’s mission, operational responses, and programs.
Provide basic instruction on disaster-related topics to regional, state, and local authorities.
Participate in regional catastrophic planning for all-hazard responses.
Assist in developing plans, goals, and objectives for new initiatives and programs.
Evaluate existing programs and activities and recommend improvements.
Coordinate federal support for disaster response and recovery.