Planning Section Chief

Academic Req: Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university required, with a degree in Emergency Management, Homeland Security, Public Administration, or a related field preferred.

Certifications: ICS-300 and ICS-400 required. Professional emergency management certification (CEM, AEM, or state equivalent) preferred.

Experience Req: Minimum 7 years of professional experience in emergency management, disaster response/recovery, public safety, or a related field, with at least 3 years of emergency planning and project management experience. Minimum of 3 years of supervisory experience, including a leadership role during a real-world disaster response.

Summary: The Planning Section Chief (PSC) plays a critical role in both daily and response operations, serving as the focal point for data and information gathering, fusion, synthesis, and planning cycles. The PSC coordinates closely and routinely with all section chiefs and offices of primary responsibility to develop comprehensive and efficient plans, strategies, and concepts of operations. They manage an extensive library of standard operating procedures, protocols, and forms, ensuring operational readiness. A strong candidate is highly detail-oriented, exceptionally organized, and skilled at producing clear, concise procedural documents and plans while leveraging critical thinking to anticipate and address challenges others may overlook.

 If you do not meet the required years of experience but believe your professional background closely aligns with the responsibilities and expectations of this role, we strongly encourage you to apply. At National EMR, we prioritize hiring the right person with the right skill set strictly adhering to outlined requirements.

Critical Action Items & Measurable Deliverables

1. Planning Leadership: Lead the Planning Section during steady state and emergency activations, overseeing relevant functions and personnel to support preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. Participate in budget preparation and long and short-term program development for the department.
2. Team Leadership & Supervision: Supervise and mentor Planning Section staff, including Deputy Planning Section Chiefs, Unit Leaders, and support personnel. Provide guidance, effectively delegate tasks, and ensure accountability for deliverables. Develop the Planning Section cadre by training, mentoring, and evaluating PRN personnel.
3. Improvement Efforts: Drive improvement efforts by assessing organizational gaps and identifying areas for improvement, providing strategic feedback to leadership to adapt objectives and priorities and enhance agency effectiveness. Facilitate meetings and after-action reviews, ensuring follow-up actions are tracked and communicated to strengthen programs and initiatives.
4. Project Management: Oversee the planning, execution, and completion of projects, ensuring successful outcomes and alignment with agency goals and objectives.
5. Documentation Development & Management: Develop and oversee the development of agency plans, protocols, manuals, reports, executive summaries, presentations, Incident Action Plans (IAPs), Situation Reports, contract reports, and other relevant documents in accordance with the incident action planning process and organizational standards. Oversee and maintain up-to-date protocol libraries by coordinating annual reviews with agency leadership.
6. Concept of Operations (CONOPS) Development: Coordinate closely and routinely with all section chiefs and other department leadership to develop and maintain CONOPS that meet agency contractual obligations, complying with federal, state, and local law and grant/contract guidance.
7. Edit & Proofread: Review, proofread, and edit agency documentation, including reports, plans, and communications, as needed, to ensure accuracy and adherence to organizational standards.
8. Maintain Situational Awareness: Monitor critical information systems to maintain situational awareness of developments in emergency management and facilitate intelligence and information sharing across the division and/or agency. Timely communicate key information to leadership and stakeholders, including events that could trigger emergencies and impact contract activation.
9. Weather Tracking: Track weather conditions at operational locations utilizing different systems and applications, and issue severe weather reports as needed.
10. Data Collection, Analysis, and Reporting: Oversee the collection, analysis, and validation of data from multiple sources to inform operational decisions. Develop effective reports based on collected data and provide accurate and actionable insights to enhance operational effectiveness.
11. Visualization Development: Create and edit visual content, including charts, graphs, maps, and reports, to effectively communicate findings and support decision-making.
12. Critical Information Systems: Collaborate with the Critical Information Systems team to support the development, buildout, and updates of WebEOC boards to enhance operational efficiency and situational awareness.
13. Planning P: Facilitate planning meetings and translate discussion into strategies and tactics. Facilitate the incident action planning process to help synchronize operations.
14. Response Documentation & Archival: Support agency response documentation and ensure proper archival of records by managing SharePoint sites, organizing file structures, and granting access to team members and stakeholders as requested.
15. Represent the Agency: Attend and represent the agency at federal, state, and local meetings and conferences with emergency management community partners.
16. Incident Response Deployment: Participate as a member of the Incident Management Team (IMT). Attend all mandated training for IMT and report for active duty when required.
17. On-Call Support: Participate in an on-call rotation outside of business hours and during weekends to provide support for emergencies and incident injects as needed.
18. Other Possible Duties: Plan, assign, and supervise the work of others and perform other job duties as assigned.

Requirements

1. ICS Expertise: Strong understanding of ICS principles, the Planning “P,” and Incident Action Plan development and utilization.
2. Project Management Skills: Knowledge of the principles of strategic, operational, and tactical action planning and experience managing multiple projects, adapting to shifting priorities, and coordinating with diverse teams to meet objectives.
3. Regulatory Knowledge: Familiarity with local, state, and federal laws and regulations relevant to program areas, emergency management, and public administration.
4. Communication: Outstanding verbal and written communication skills, including excellent technical writing skills and experience presenting complex information to diverse audiences.
5. Data Analysis: Proficiency in analyzing and synthesizing data into concise, actionable reports and recommendations.
6. Problem-Solving: Strong critical thinking, creative problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
7. Technical Proficiency: Advanced proficiency in MS Office Suite and familiarity with GIS tools, WebEOC, and data analysis platforms, with the ability to learn new systems as
8. Attention to Detail: Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail in planning and documentation.
9. Adaptability: Ability to thrive in fast-paced environments, independently manage tasks, and exercise sound judgment.
10. Team Collaboration: Commitment to fostering a collaborative culture and maintaining professionalism, adhering to the chain of command.
11. Availability and Flexibility: Willingness and availability to participate in on-call rotations; work long and flexible hours including nights, weekends, and holidays; and travel or deploy as needed to support emergency response and deployment operations.
12. Other Requirements: Valid driver’s license, clear drug test(s), and authorization to work in the U.S.