Senior Project Manager, Emergency Management Recovery (ACDC Pacific)

AC Disaster Consulting•San Diego, CA

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Project Manager supports the effective operation of the Directive Project Management Office while also leading and managing complex emergency management and FEMA Public Assistance (PA) recovery projects. This role is responsible for ensuring PMO standards, governance, and best practices are consistently applied across all projects, while directly managing project scope, schedule, budget, and client relationships. The PMO plays a critical role in policy compliance, recovery program implementation, quality control, capability development, and continuous improvement across federal, state, and local disaster recovery initiatives.

Requirements

Advanced understanding of project management methodologies, FEMA Public Assistance programs, and emergency management frameworks.
Strong working knowledge of state and local emergency plans, agencies, and funding sources.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to brief diverse stakeholders.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
Ability to train, coach, mentor, and lead teams in fast-paced, deadline-driven environments.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365, particularly Excel.
Bachelor’s degree in emergency management, business administration, project management, or a closely related field (experience may substitute on a year-for-year basis).
PMP certification is required within 6 months of hire for successful candidate. Proof will be requested.
7+ years of FEMA Public Assistance experience.
5+ years of project management, leadership, and oversight experience including planning, budgeting, scheduling, and contract compliance for PA recovery projects.
At least 2 years of direct leadership experience or leadership of large/complex project teams or programs.
8+ years of advanced or subject matter expert-level experience in emergency management functions.
Must be 18 years of age or older.
Eligibility to work in the United States without employer sponsored visa is required. We are not able to employ those located outside of the US.
Must pass company and any applicable client background check and reference check upon offer of employment.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in a related field (or equivalent experience).
Demonstrated leadership of large-scale disaster recovery or emergency management programs.

Responsibilities

Manage critical FEMA Public Assistance and emergency management projects, ensuring all contract scope of work elements are delivered on time and within budget.
Lead client communications, stakeholder briefings, and coordination with federal, state, and local agencies.
Identify potential impacts of state, federal, and local policy changes and brief leadership and clients on implications for recovery programs.
Maintain accuracy and integrity of PMO systems, dashboards, reporting tools, and project documentation.
Measure project and portfolio performance to identify risks, trends, and improvement opportunities.
Present PMO insights, trends, and recovery progress to leadership and clients.
Utilize industry best practices, standards, and FEMA guidance throughout the full project lifecycle.
Ensure compliance with PMO governance standards, FEMA PA requirements, and applicable state and federal policies.
Design, deliver, and support training programs, mentoring, and study groups for Project Managers, SMEs, and project teams.
Facilitate onboarding and ongoing coaching for PMs and staff on PMO methodology, tools, templates, and compliance expectations.
Manage stage-gate reviews, audits, quality control processes, and corrective action plans.
Perform quality control reviews of consultant deliverables and client-provided documentation.
Maintain and contribute to the PMO best practices library, training materials, job aids, and playbooks.
Lead development and maintenance of project schedules, work plans, resource plans, budgets, and cost tracking.
Track RAID logs, action items, risks, and decisions at project and portfolio levels.
Prepare and review technical specifications, analyses, studies, reports, and recovery documentation.
Support broader emergency management, security, and safety activities as required.
Ensure consistent reporting cadence and adherence to contract and client requirements.