Safety And Emergency Manager

North Marin Water District • Novato, CA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

North Marin Water District (NMWD) is excited to introduce its new Safety & Emergency Manager role. Under general direction from the Director of Operations, this position will provide leadership and oversight of the District’s safety, emergency preparedness, and regulatory compliance programs. Responsibilities include developing and administering occupational and industrial safety initiatives, coordinating emergency response planning, ensuring compliance with safety regulations, and serving as the District’s representative in local and regional safety and emergency management collaborations. This is a single staffed position and has no direct reports.

ABOUT US
NMWD is an independent special district formed under Division 12 of the California Water Code (County Water Districts) and provides potable water, recycled water, and wastewater services to more than 65,000 customers in Marin County and a portion of southern Sonoma County. The District was formed in 1948 and has a five-member Board of Directors, elected by Division for 4-year terms. These water and wastewater services are provided through four separate enterprises: Novato Water, Novato Recycled Water, the West Marin Water systems, and the Oceana Marin wastewater system. NMWD and the Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD) represent the two primary water providers in Marin County, with MMWD as the larger agency serving approximately three times the number of customers.

Organization
NMWD has 58 Full-Time employees organized into five departments consisting of Administrative Services, Utilities, Engineering, Operations and Water Resources. In addition to the General Manager, there are three other staff members appointed by the Board of Directors: The Director of Administrative Services/Auditor-Controller, who heads the Administrative Services Department, the Assistant GM/Director of Engineering that heads the Engineering Department and the Executive Assistant/District Secretary. The Departments work very collaboratively to ensure that all NMWD assets are functional, efficient, and maintained or replaced per industry standards and that all NMWD administration and operations comply with local, state and federal requirements. In 2025, NMWD staff, with the support of the Board of Directors, developed an updated five-year Strategic Plan for 2025–2030 . The planning process included a customer survey, an all-staff survey, and one-on-one interviews with selected staff members, senior staff, and members of the Board of Directors.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
North Marin Water District is seeking a highly skilled and motivated professional to lead and support the District's safety, emergency preparedness, and resiliency efforts. The ideal candidate will have the ability to develop, implement, and maintain comprehensive plans, protocols, training programs, and response procedures to effectively prepare for, respond to, and recover from a wide range of emergencies and disasters. We are looking for an experienced water industry professional with strong interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills, as well as demonstrated critical thinking and creative problem-solving abilities. The successful candidate will possess expertise in the development, implementation, and administration of occupational and industrial safety programs, with a thorough understanding of applicable state and federal safety regulations. This individual will also serve as the District's representative in local and regional safety, emergency management, and mutual aid programs, fostering collaboration with key stakeholders and partner agencies. If you are passionate about protecting employees, ensuring organizational preparedness, and promoting a culture of safety, we encourage you to apply for this exciting opportunity.

Requirements

• Possession of a high school diploma, or equivalent, supplemented with relevant specialized training in safety management (OSHA courses) and/or emergency management (FEMA, NIMS, SEMS courses) and five (5) years’ experience in the water, wastewater or utilities industries.
• Knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of emergency management including mitigation & prevention, preparedness, response and recovery phases.
• Knowledge of Cal/OSHA and Fed/OSHA regulations and requirements.
• Knowledge of current safety practices, construction safety orders, mandates and relevant trends related to injury and illness prevention.
• Knowledge of Incident command systems and incident management.
• Knowledge of the fundamentals of employee training.
• Knowledge of conditions that lead to major emergencies.
• Knowledge of principles and practices of program management.
• Knowledge of incident investigation practices.
• Knowledge of cybersecurity threats.
• Ability to evaluate and update policies and procedures.
• Ability to interpret laws and regulations related to safety and emergency management.
• Ability to provide current and compliant safety training to employees on a variety of topics.
• Ability to evaluate specific jobs to identify specific job hazards.
• Ability to exercise initiative, good judgment, tact, and discretion, as well as excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to maintain a variety of sophisticated spreadsheets and accurate records.
• Ability to problem solve and communicate effectively.
• Ability to manage and complete a variety of tasks and assignments concurrently.
• Ability to analyze, evaluate and assess program effectiveness.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Ability to apply a high degree of independent judgment.
• Ability to read and interpret complex and often conflicting plans, specifications, laws, regulations, rules and policies.
• Ability to prepare clear/concise written reports, memoranda, procedures and correspondence.
• Ability to speak clearly, concisely, and give public presentations.
• Ability to effectively train others in front of an audience.
• Ability to establish and maintain productive work relationships with a variety of people contacted in the course of work.
• Possession of a valid DMV Class C California driver’s license.
• Possession of a California Drinking Water Operator Certification Program (DWOCP) Grade D2 Water Distribution Operator Certificate or possession of a DWOCP Grade T2 Water Treatment Operator Certificate.

Nice To Haves

• Possession of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in industrial engineering, safety engineering, occupational health, business administration or related field; or full-time professional work experience in workplace safety which includes seven (7) years’ experience in water, wastewater or utilities.
• Possession of a DWOCP Water Treatment Operator T3 or higher, or possession of a DWOCP Water Distribution Operator D3 or higher is desired but not required.

Responsibilities

• Plans, organizes, administers, and oversees a wide range of safety and emergency management services in compliance with District policy.
• Researches, analyzes and develops recommendations on emergency management and safety-related issues.
• Monitors and analyzes laws and pending legislation which impact District operations.
• Stays current of new trends and innovations in the field of safety and emergency management, and continually monitors the District's compliance with federal and state laws and regulations.
• Performs policy analysis on a wide range of programs, District procedures, and services.
• Receives, researches and prepares responses to correspondence.
• Maintains records and database of employee safety and emergency response training.
• Determines employee safety and emergency response training needs.
• Delivers presentations to various groups, inside and outside the agency.
• Represents the District to outside agencies and organizations.
• Participates in outside community and professional groups and committees.
• Represents the District in safety and emergency response inspections.
• Develops, updates, and implements legally compliant district-wide safety programs and training.
• Coordinates all safety related testing and medical examinations.
• Conducts periodic inspections of facilities and operations to identify safety hazards.
• Investigates accidents and injuries, prepares and submits required reports.
• Recommends corrective actions to potentially hazardous work methods to comply with safety regulations and prevent injuries.
• Manages regularly scheduled safety meetings.
• Acts as the lead of the District Safety Committee.
• Coordinates with the Director of Operations, and Treatment and Distribution Supervisor, to update and administer the District’s Chlorine System Risk Management Plan at Stafford Lake Water Treatment Plant.
• Manages emergency response and recovery efforts in response to all types of emergencies; Coordinates with emergency responders and outside agencies in the event of an emergency.
• Develops policies to be followed in an emergency or natural disaster.
• Conducts emergency response assessments to evaluate disaster preparedness and make recommendations to improve efficiency and readiness.
• Develops and implements a multi-year Training and Exercise Plan that incorporates the District’s Emergency Response Plan (ERP) and Stafford Dam Emergency Action Plan (EAP) elements.
• Identifies threats, risks, hazards, and vulnerabilities to District facilities and infrastructure in coordination with the Engineering, Utilities, Operations departments.
• Coordinates with Director of Operations to update, administer and implement the District’s ERP.
• Coordinates with District departments and leads periodic updates to the District’s Annex in the Marin County Multi-Jurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP).
• Reviews, updates, and submits Hazardous Materials Business Plans (HMBPs) for all District facilities that store hazardous materials through the California Environmental Reporting System (CERS).
• Assists in implementing safety and emergency response work documentation through Asset Management work orders.
• May assist District management with safety-related issues such as physical security, ergonomics, and worker’s compensation investigations.

Benefits

• CalPERS retirement 2.5% at 55 formula. ( If new to CalPERS on or after January 1, 2013 or not from an agency with reciprocity with CalPERS, the formula is 2% at 62 by pension reform law .)
• The District pays up to 85% of monthly medical insurance premiums and covers 100% of dental and vision insurance premiums. Coverage is provided for employees and their eligible family members.
• Deferred compensation (457(b)) matches up to 1% of the annual salary.
• District paid life insurance.
• Educational reimbursement and employee assisted housing program available after completing probationary period.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: High school or GED