Regional Voluntary Agency Liaison

Texas Division of Emergency Management • Houston, TX

11d • Onsite

About The Position

The Regional Voluntary Agency Liaison, under general direction, assists with consultative services and technical assistance work administering the daily operations and activities of regional volunteer and donations management and assists in the development of Long-Term Recovery initiatives in communities. Work involves collaboration with internal and external stakeholders on planning, developing, implementing and managing of regional program activities to coordinate assistance for emergency and disaster victims through a network of community, faith-based and voluntary organizations and local governments. May train, lead, plan, assign, and prioritize the work of others. This position works under limited supervision, with considerable latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment. This position reports to the Regional Section Chief, Recovery and Mitigation administratively and programmatically coordinates with the Section Chief, Voluntary Agency Liaison. 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. This position is located on-site and not subject to telecommuting.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Two (2) years of related experience in program development.
• Working knowledge of, or the ability to rapidly assimilate information related to TDEM, State and Federal regulations, legislation, guidelines, policies and procedures.
• Must demonstrate an ability to exercise poise, tact, diplomacy and an ability to establish and maintain positive, working/professional relationships with internal/external customers.
• Must be organized, flexible, and able to effectively prioritize in a multi-demand and constantly changing environment; able to meet multiple and sometimes conflicting deadlines without sacrificing accuracy, timeliness or professionalism.
• Must be flexible, innovative and able to manage staff, responsibilities and priorities in a fast-paced, growth/change-oriented and time-critical environment.
• Must be able to construct and deliver clear, concise, and professional presentations to a variety of audiences and/or individuals.
• Ability to convey technical information in lay terms that can be understood by people with a variety of educational levels and working backgrounds.
• Skill in planning complex and integrated activities for large dissimilar groups of people who must coordinate interaction under conditions requiring critical responses in short time frames.
• Must demonstrate ability to quickly and efficiently access relevant information, and be able to utilize and/or present research and conclusions in a clear and concise manner.
• Must demonstrate an ability to examine data/information, discern variations/similarities, and be able identify trends, relationships and causal factors, as well as grasp issues, draw accurate conclusions, and solve problems.
• Must possess appropriate levels of proficiency with utilized software and systems and be able to learn new software/systems.
• Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Must demonstrate an ability to responsibly handle sensitive and confidential information and situations, and adhere to applicable laws/statutes/policies related to access, maintenance and dissemination of information.
• Must be able to work in safe manner at all times, avoiding shortcuts that have potential adverse results/risks, and must be able to comply with safety standards and best practices.
• Successful completion of the following courses within twelve (12) months of employment is required: IS-100, IS-200, ICS-300, ICS-400, IS-700, IS-800, IS-244.B, G-141, G-288, G-489, and G-608, FEMA courses; and any other training as may be determined.
• A valid Driver’s License in the State the applicant resides.
• Applicant must be able to successfully obtain a Texas Driver’s License by his or her start date.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in emergency management, social services, working with volunteers or community, faith-based, or voluntary agencies and organizations that are active during disasters.
• Additional work experience or the type described above may be substituted for the education requirement on a year-for-year basis. Thirty (30) semester hours is equivalent to one (1) year of experience.
• A completed advanced degree may be substituted in lieu of work experience.

Responsibilities

• Works in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders to develop and implement statewide program activities to coordinate assistance for emergency and disaster victims through a network of community, faith-based and voluntary organizations and local governments through regional engagement.
• Establishes goals and objectives; develops priorities, and standards for achieving goals; and manages evaluation activities for the regional volunteer and donations management programs.
• Serves as a regional liaison for declared and undeclared emergencies and disasters between TDEM staff, community and voluntary organizations, state agencies, local governments, and victims.
• Oversees operational coordination and supervision for donation centers and Volunteer Reception Center (VRC) as requested.
• Assists in the development of Long-Term Recovery Groups (LTRG) and Community Organizations Active in Disasters (COAD) in communities to ensure sustainability and individual recovery.
• Establishes and maintains an effective network of contacts with external stakeholders, such as community organizations, local emergency management personnel, and regional and local voluntary organizations.
• Coordinates and prepares management and productivity reports and studies.
• Develops and implements techniques for reporting progress on the activities of community, faith-based, and voluntary agencies and organizations.
• Participates in after-action reviews following emergency operations and obtain information for comprehensive after-action reports.
• Provides technical guidance to caseworkers, voluntary agencies, communities, and other personnel involved in providing disaster assistance services.
• Advises on State and Federal programs to assist local jurisdictions in recovery.
• Manages regional programs focusing on continued improvement while identifying areas that need change.
• Assists in the development of plans to implement changes needed and programs as required.
• Assists in the updating and delivery of TDEM disaster related training.
• Coordinates activities as outlined in the Volunteer and Donations Management Annex and assist with the updates to the annex as needed.
• Ability to operate agency vehicles and to transport staff and supplies within areas of disasters or emergencies or to maintain and/or develop relationships with stakeholders.
• Performs related work as assigned.
• Maintains a regular course of attendance during assigned work schedule and work extended hours as needed.
• Availability for after-hours and weekend work is required during deployments.
• Must be able to deploy on relatively short notice to disaster areas and to work for periods of several weeks or longer at temporary state-federal Joint Field Offices.

Benefits

• Availability for after-hours and weekend work is required.
• Ability to travel up to 40%.
• Face-to-face and person-to-person interactions are required.
• Maintains a regular course of attendance during assigned work schedule and work extended hours as needed.
• Availability for after-hours and weekend work is required during deployments.
• Must be able to deploy on relatively short notice to disaster areas and to work for periods of several weeks or longer at temporary state-federal Joint Field Offices.

What This Job Offers

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