Infrastructure Protection Program Manager (Project Position)

State of Washington•Multiple Locations Statewide, WA

6d•Remote

About The Position

The Department of Commerce is seeking an Infrastructure Protection Program Manager, also known as an Emergency Management Program Specialist 4, to join the Energy Division. This role is crucial for supporting the Washington State Energy Resilience and Emergency Management Office, focusing on energy resilience, emergency management, and energy security. The position works under the direction of the Energy Resilience and Emergency Management Director to implement state regulations ensuring proper planning, response, and restoration coordination across government and private sectors. Responsibilities include providing expert-level support in energy infrastructure protection, cybersecurity, physical security, response coordination, planning, training, and exercises. The role involves implementing the Energy Emergency Management Office strategic plan and State Energy Security Plan, conducting outreach with various partners, and fostering collaborative relationships to enhance statewide energy security and disaster resiliency. This is a Project Position with funding through May 2, 2027. The department values diversity, equity, and inclusion, encouraging curiosity, bold thinking, and collaboration.

Requirements

Nine (9) years of combined experience and/or education as described below or one (1) year of experience as an Emergency Management Program Specialist 3.
Completion of IS235.c Emergency Planning Independent Study Course from the Emergency Management Institute
One (1) year experience in supervising professional staff
One (1) year experience performing emergency planning for organizations of 25 or more personnel in the last 5 years.
One (1) year experience working with catastrophic, comprehensive emergency management, infrastructure protection, recovery, hazard mitigation, business continuity, or continuity of operations plans.
One (1) year experience facilitating an emergency planning process
Three (3) or more of the following areas or work related to the position: Emergency management, Homeland security, Disaster or hazard mitigation planning, Emergency communications systems, Financial management (grant management, contracting, claims management, budgeting), Training/education, Public information/affairs, Program/project management, Scientific environmental analysis or planning, Civil/structural engineering, and/or urban planning.
Demonstrated technical/legal knowledge and aptitude of principles of emergency management, the National Incident Management System (NIMS), and the incident command system; performance management principles; concepts for development of training using adult learning styles; state and federal rules and regulations related to emergency management functions.
Ability to lead, direct, coordinate, monitor and evaluate a project or program having a specific goal to be achieved within a specific time.
Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing to conduct training, provide proactive responses, advice, reports and comprehensive documentation.
Ability to convey ideas and information in writing using language that is appropriate to both the complexity of the topic and the knowledge and understanding of the listener/reader.
Ability to employ leadership skills in making assignments, coaching, providing guidance and training teammates.
Accountability--Meets commitments, works independently, accepts accountability, handles change, sets personal standards, stays focused under pressure, meets attendance/punctuality requirements.
Customer Service--Handles customer questions and complaints, communicates with customers, handles service problems politely and efficiently, always available for customers, follows procedure to solve customer problems, understands company products and services, maintains pleasant and professional image.
Integrity--Deals with others in a straightforward and honest manner, is accountable for actions, maintains confidentiality, supports company values, conveys good news and bad.
Leadership--Leads through change and adversity, makes the tough call when needed, builds consensus when appropriate, motivates and encourages others.
Teamwork--Meets all team deadlines and responsibilities, listens to others and values opinions, helps team leader to meet goals, welcomes newcomers and promotes a team atmosphere.
Results Focus--Targets and achieves results, sets challenging goals, prioritizes tasks, overcomes obstacles, accepts accountability, sets team standards and responsibilities, provides leadership/motivation.
Communication--Communicates well both verbally and in writing, creates accurate and punctual reports, delivers presentations, shares information and ideas with others, has good listening skills.
Organizational Savvy--Operates within the organization's formal and informal structures, builds allies and relationships across departments, uses allies to build consensus and create results, is appropriately diplomatic, understands others' roles and perspectives, can sell projects and ideas across the organization.
Computer Skills--Skilled in the use of computers, adapts to new technology, keeps abreast of changes, learns new programs quickly, use computers to improve productivity.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with energy sector stakeholders such as electrical utilities and petroleum refiners.
Knowledge of generation, transmission, and distribution systems for the electrical grid, petroleum, and liquid natural gas systems.
Demonstrated skills in facilitation and stakeholder work.
Demonstrated communications skills and experience gathering and documenting customer requirements.
Experience with Microsoft Office.
Certificates of completions for FEMA courses: IS-100, IS-200, IS-300, IS-400, IS-700, IS-800
Experience implementing Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program.

Responsibilities

Administers, establishes, and facilitates statewide workgroups to address energy infrastructure protection, cybersecurity, physical security, critical energy infrastructure information data governance.
Serves as the primary alternate POC, State’s Energy Emergency Assurance Coordinator (EEAC) to the Department of Energy.
Serves and leads work in internal, statewide, and national collaborative energy sector forums, sharing best practices, supporting new practices in the state, and contributing to multi-state and national energy security, energy infrastructure protection, cyber and/or physical security.
Coordinates with outside organizations including FEMA Region 10, CISA Region 10, Department of Energy Region 10, and DOE Headquarters regarding energy sector disruptions.
Coordinates with the state’s energy sector owners/operators to share information on technology, risks, threats, vulnerabilities, and standards.
Develops and maintains trusted relationships with neighboring states, energy sector-specific associations, energy sector critical infrastructure partners, Washington State Fusion Center, Department of Homeland Security CISA Region X, Department of Energy Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response.
Serves on the Emergency Management Council’s Cybersecurity Advisory Committee as the energy sector subject matter expert.
Serves on DHS Region 10 Critical Infrastructure and Resilience Committee as the Washington State energy sector subject matter expert.
Supports the Electric Vehicle Coordinating Council as the energy infrastructure protection subject matter expert.
Administers the state’s energy cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection plan, including coordinating development, review, and update processes, and community engagement.
Administers the energy cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection planning workgroup.
Conducts outreach and education efforts on the state's energy cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection.
Participates as the state energy critical infrastructure protection and cybersecurity subject matter expert in other agencies, statewide, and multi-state planning efforts.
Administers the state’s critical energy infrastructure information (CEII) program, including developing and maintaining data handling procedures and training.
Develops and maintains plans and procedures for energy data management.
Aligns program materials to necessary industry standards, including EMAP, NIMS, ICS, DHS CISA, and NIST.
Administers the state’s energy infrastructure protection and cybersecurity training and exercise program.
Develops, facilitates, participates in, and/or supports energy sector exercises with federal, state, local, tribal, and energy sector partners.
Administers the NERC GridEx exercise program for Washington State and all participating electric utilities.
Develops and coordinates workforce development and in-state training opportunities.
Develops and maintains the energy critical infrastructure portion of the state Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment process.
Develops and maintains a process and modeling for cross-sector dependency mapping of energy critical infrastructure assets.
Integrates critical energy infrastructure analysis into the ESF 12 situational awareness platform.
Actively participates in the Energy Resilience & Emergency Management Office strategic planning process.
Participates in short and long-term strategic planning at the division, agency, and statewide levels.
Develops metrics and creates reports quarterly to document progress on desired outcomes.
Recommends, develops, modifies, or informs policies, plans, and strategies to align with the state’s energy transition strategy.
Recommends changes to state policies, RCWs, and WACs to the EREMO Director.
Reviews and provides input on state-drafted policies and procedures.
Reviews previous significant energy disruptions for lessons learned.
Recommends changes to engagement processes with partners.
Provides direct supervision of the Energy Emergency Operations Program staff.
Participates in interviewing and selecting supervised positions.
Reviews and evaluates work of lower-level staff.
Identifies and communicates training opportunities.
Facilitates inclusive team meetings, managing performance, providing oversight, and leadership.
Administers the internship program for the Energy Emergency Management Office.
Operates as the primary subject matter expert for infrastructure protection during emergency coordination activities.
Serves as the alternate ESF 12 Operations Team Lead and back-up connection point with the Operations Section in the state emergency operations center (SEOC).
Implements relevant energy emergency plans.
Coordinates State Resource Allocation Requests for energy supply disruptions.
Creates and distributes support and request templates.
Evaluates energy emergency situations across the state.
Integrates state and federal agency interaction in response to an energy emergency.
Provides policy recommendations or actions to the Energy Resilience & Emergency Management Director related to response activities.
Participates in agency-wide project workgroup opportunities.