Public Assistance Program Specialist

State of Oklahoma • Oklahoma City, OK

1d • $62,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) is seeking a Public Assistance Program Specialist to support its Recovery area. This position is located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This is a regular, full-time position governed by the Oklahoma Civil Service system and is subject to a required 12-month trial period. The specialist will perform professional-level emergency management work supporting State Disaster assistance, FEMA Public Assistance (PA), and statewide disaster recovery operations. This role involves providing technical assistance, project coordination, damage documentation review, and applicant support for federally declared disasters and recovery operations. The position serves as a liaison between applicants, state personnel, and federal partners to ensure compliance with FEMA Public Assistance policies, regulations, and grant requirements. Responsibilities include project development, eligibility review, reimbursement coordination, and operational support for disaster recovery and resilience efforts.

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in business, public administration or urban planning plus one year of qualifying experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience, substituting one year of experience in a technical capacity in emergency preparedness planning or emergency management operations, or in public assistance or disaster recovery operations at the local, state or federal level for each year of the required education plus one additional year of qualifying experience.
• Knowledge of emergency management, disaster recovery, and emergency response principles and practices.
• Knowledge of FEMA Public Assistance policies, procedures, grant administration requirements, and disaster recovery assistance programs.
• Knowledge of principles and practices of program planning, project implementation, and operational coordination.
• Knowledge of state and federal laws, rules, regulations, and guidance pertaining to disaster recovery, reimbursement, procurement, and emergency assistance programs.
• Knowledge of disaster preparedness, recovery operations, and coordination of state, federal, tribal, local, military, and civilian emergency response resources.
• Knowledge of public administration principles and practices.
• Knowledge of documentation management, operational reporting, charting, and records retention practices.
• Knowledge of training techniques and applicant technical assistance methods.
• Knowledge of local and county concerns associated with emergency planning, disaster recovery, and infrastructure restoration.
• Knowledge of Microsoft 365 and standard office productivity applications.
• Skills in reviewing and organizing technical, operational, financial, and project documentation.
• Skills in coordinating multiple recovery projects, deadlines, and operational priorities simultaneously.
• Skills in providing applicant technical assistance and disaster recovery program support.
• Skills in conducting operational tracking, reporting, compliance monitoring, and reimbursement coordination activities.
• Skills in researching and resolving documentation discrepancies, eligibility concerns, and compliance issues.
• Skills in preparing reports, correspondence, guidance materials, and operational documentation.
• Skills in presenting information and conducting meetings or trainings with applicants, stakeholders, and partner agencies.
• Ability to evaluate emergency situations and adopt effective courses of action within disaster recovery and emergency management environments.
• Ability to interpret and apply FEMA guidance, regulations, policies, and emergency management procedures.
• Ability to analyze and communicate disaster recovery and emergency response information to applicants, officials, stakeholders, and partner agencies.
• Ability to encourage applicant compliance with state and federal emergency management and disaster recovery requirements.
• Ability to gather, analyze, and organize information from printed, electronic, financial, operational, and recorded sources.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with applicants, FEMA personnel, partner agencies, and staff.
• Ability to present ideas, operational information, and technical guidance clearly and concisely in both written and verbal formats.
• Ability to plan, coordinate, and support disaster recovery operations, applicant coordination efforts, and emergency management activities.
• Ability to anticipate, identify, and resolve operational, compliance, documentation, and coordination issues.
• Ability to prepare and review complex reports, reimbursement documentation, and recovery-related records.
• Ability to operate effectively under pressure and adapt to rapidly changing priorities and operational conditions during disaster recovery activities.
• Ability to obtain and maintain required FEMA Independent Study (IS) and NIMS/ICS training.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive applicant and disaster recovery information.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and manage multiple concurrent projects and deadlines.
• Must possess a valid Oklahoma driver license at the time of appointment and be willing and able to perform all job-related in-state and out-of-state travel associated with the position.
• Must maintain the physical and mental stamina necessary to perform disaster recovery and emergency management work, including work under conditions involving heavy workloads, physical exertion, extreme heat, smoke, dust, or other adverse environmental conditions.
• Ability to lift and carry equipment, records, or other materials associated with disaster recovery operations and field deployments.
• Must be willing and able to participate in twenty-four-hour duty officer rotations and emergency response assignments as required.

Nice To Haves

• Experience supporting FEMA Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation, or other federal disaster recovery programs.
• Experience working within emergency management, public safety, government, grant administration, or disaster recovery environments.
• Experience with procurement compliance, reimbursement processing, grants management, contracts, or project documentation review.
• Experience conducting applicant coordination, field inspections, operational reporting, or disaster recovery activities.
• Experience developing or maintaining standard operating procedures, guidance documents, reports, or training materials.
• FEMA Professional Development Series (PDS) completion or related FEMA training.
• Associate Emergency Manager (AEM) or Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) designation, or active pursuit of emergency management certification.
• Degree conferred by an accredited institution of higher education in Emergency Management.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and support administration of FEMA Public Assistance recovery programs in accordance with state and federal requirements.
• Assist in the implementation and administration of FEMA Public Assistance program activities for federally declared disasters.
• Support applicant coordination efforts throughout disaster recovery operations.
• Interpret and apply FEMA Public Assistance policies, guidance, and eligibility requirements.
• Maintain program documentation and ensure compliance with applicable regulations and procedures.
• Support recovery operations by coordinating with internal divisions, applicants, contractors, and FEMA personnel.
• Support processing and administration of State Disaster assistance activities, including required documentation, applicant coordination, tracking, reporting, and other assigned program requirements.
• Coordinate with applicants and agency personnel to support timely processing of State Disaster assistance from initial request through completion.
• Support development, review, and management of FEMA Public Assistance projects and documentation.
• Review damage documentation, project information, and supporting records for completeness and eligibility.
• Assist applicants with development and submission of project documentation and reimbursement requests.
• Support project formulation activities, including scope of work review, cost documentation, and damage validation.
• Coordinate with FEMA personnel regarding project development questions, requests for information, and eligibility determinations.
• Monitor project progress and support timely completion of recovery milestones.
• Provide technical assistance and guidance to disaster applicants throughout the recovery process.
• Serve as a point of contact for applicants regarding Public Assistance program requirements and procedures.
• Provide guidance related to documentation standards, procurement compliance, cost eligibility, and project administration.
• Conduct meetings, briefings, and applicant coordination activities.
• Assist applicants in resolving programmatic issues or documentation concerns.
• Maintain professional working relationships with local, tribal, state, and federal stakeholders.
• Support disaster recovery field operations and emergency management activities.
• Participate in recovery operations associated with federally declared disasters and emergency events.
• Conduct field visits, applicant site inspections, and damage validation activities as required.
• Support deployment activities associated with Joint Field Offices (JFOs), recovery centers, or field operations.
• Assist with coordination of recovery data, operational reporting, and situational awareness activities.
• Support continuity of recovery operations during high-volume disaster periods.
• Support State Emergency Operations Center operations during activations and perform assigned SEOC functions in accordance with incident priorities.
• Maintain situational awareness of Public Assistance and recovery-related activities and provide operational information, coordination, and reporting through established SEOC processes.
• Support compliance monitoring and grant management activities associated with FEMA Public Assistance funding.
• Maintain organized records and documentation in accordance with state and federal retention requirements.
• Assist with compliance reviews, audits, and monitoring activities.
• Support tracking of project obligations, expenditures, deadlines, and closeout activities.
• Identify and escalate potential compliance concerns or documentation deficiencies.
• Assist with implementation of corrective actions and process improvements.
• Support continuous improvement of recovery operations, processes, and applicant services.
• Identify opportunities to improve recovery workflows and operational efficiency.
• Assist with development of training materials, guidance documents, and process improvements.
• Support data collection, reporting, and program analysis activities.
• Maintain awareness of changes to FEMA guidance, policy updates, and emerging recovery best practices.
• Contribute to agency recovery readiness and resilience initiatives.
• Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Competitive state retirement benefits with employer matching
• 11 paid holidays each year
• A generous benefit allowance to offset the cost of health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance premiums for employees and their eligible dependents
• Opportunities for professional growth and cross-agency collaboration

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level