Emergency Management Specialist

Agricultural Research Service • Manhattan, KS

3d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF), Physical Security, in Manhattan, Kansas. The incumbent assists the Emergency Manager with developing, coordinating, executing, and evaluating NBAF’s training and exercise program in alignment with Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) standards. The role supports continuity of operations and emergency preparedness through staff training, exercise evaluation, and maintaining emergency plans, policies, and procedures.

The position is designated as essential personnel. It involves office work as well as work in infectious-disease laboratories and other controlled or specialized facility areas. The employee must comply with facility safety, security, occupational health, containment, and personal reliability requirements, including applicable immunization, testing, monitoring, quarantine, and personal protective equipment requirements. A motor vehicle or commercial driver’s license is required.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national.
• Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with Selective Service or exempt.
• Must successfully complete applicable background investigation and fingerprint checks, continuous vetting, and the required Department of Justice Security Risk Assessment.
• Must pass E-Verify employment verification and provide direct deposit information for federal payments.
• Must serve a one-year probationary period.
• Must be able to serve during continuity-of-operations events, including government closures and other disruptions.
• Motor vehicle or commercial driver's license required.
• Drug testing is required before appointment and randomly thereafter; continued employment is conditional on negative results.
• Vaccines and participation in the facility Occupational Health Program and Personal Reliability Program are required as applicable.
• GS-09: One year of specialized experience comparable to GS-07 assisting with development, updating, or implementation of emergency management, continuity, preparedness, or incident response plans; supporting emergency training, drills, exercises, or readiness activities; and gathering, analyzing, and communicating information through reports, briefings, or program records. Alternatively, qualifying related graduate education or a combination of education and experience may be used.
• GS-11: One year of specialized experience comparable to GS-09 developing, coordinating, or evaluating emergency management, continuity, preparedness, or incident response programs and plans; planning, conducting, and evaluating emergency exercises, training programs, drills, or after-action reviews and implementing corrective actions; and analyzing requirements and providing recommendations, briefings, or reports to improve readiness and compliance. Alternatively, qualifying related doctoral education or a combination of education and experience may be used.
• Current federal employees applying for promotion must meet the 52-week time-in-grade requirement at the next lower grade level.
• Work requires moderate physical exertion during exercises, field deployments, and training setups, including possible lifting, moving materials, and prolonged standing.
• Must comply with laboratory safety and containment requirements, including use of PPE and, when required, tight-fitting respirators; respirator use requires medical evaluation and fit testing.
• Must be able to take a full-body shower with soap and shampoo without assistance and comply with restrictions on skin conditions, jewelry, piercings, external medical devices, and facial hair that affect containment or PPE requirements.
• Personnel entering biocontainment must comply with the five-day personal quarantine from specified susceptible animals after leaving containment; restricted livestock may not be housed where quarantine cannot be enforced.
• Must meet applicable health and fitness-for-duty requirements, including medical examinations and monitoring, and be able to obtain and maintain required favorable background adjudication and security risk assessment.

Responsibilities

• Ensure staff are trained and able to perform functions related to continuity of operations.
• Independently author formal After Action Reviews (AARs) for exercises, drills, real-world incidents, and readiness activities, synthesizing cross-functional observations into actionable findings.
• Assist the Emergency Manager in coordinating, developing, exercising, and revising emergency plans, policies, and procedures.
• Oversee technical and administrative updates to emergency plans, annexes, and standard operating procedures in accordance with the Emergency Management Plan (EMP).

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package available to eligible employees and their families.
• Recruitment or relocation incentive may be authorized, subject to a final determination by the hiring official.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed