Posted: May 29, 2025
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Emergency Management Staff Officer (Communications)

Full-time
Salary: Annually
Application Deadline: Jun 17, 2025
Other

The Department of Emergency Management in Honolulu is hiring for an Emergency Management Staff Officer on a temporary (limited-term) basis with the potential of conversion to a permanent appointment. This position serves as the Telecommunications Officer within the department and focuses on identifying and meeting operational communication requirements for the department and the City's emergency operations center (EOC) and serves as the subject matter expert on communications systems and plans. 

Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Working with City agencies and private sector partners to manage a comprehensive and high-performing program for operational communications planning to ensure the capacity for timely communications among and between affected impacted communities and all response forces by any and all means available, including voice, data and video.
  • Developing and maintaining components of the City’s Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan that address City coordination to assess, stabilize and restore communications systems. 
  • Continually evaluating the City’s emergency communications systems and reports to the DEM Director on the City’s current and future needs. 
  • Maintaining up to date knowledge of telecommunication and information systems and technology with potential use cases for DEM and the EOC.
  • Monitoring national trends and researching best practices from other jurisdictions and lessons learned from real world events to identify enhancements to existing systems and technology.
  • Planning and budgeting for the acquisition, maintenance and replacement of telecommunication systems, equipment, and services used by the Department for both day-to-day and emergency operations, to include coordinating procurement/acquisition of identified components with the DEM Logistics Officer, preparing technical specifications for the purchase of telecommunications equipment, systems and services, and evaluating bids from vendors and supervises contractors providing services related to design, installation and maintenance of Department telecommunications equipment.
  • Serving as the technical subject matter expert and providing support to DEM, EOC, and Oahu Warning Point staff on emergency alert and warning systems, including but not limited to the Outdoor Warning Siren System and the Integrated Pubic Alert and Warning System (IPAWS). 
  • Serving as the point of contact with the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA) on issues related to these systems, including testing, software and equipment installation, maintenance, and user access, and ensuring City compliance with federal, state and local laws, codes and regulations related to operation of emergency alert and warning systems.
  • In coordination with DEM Plans and Operations Officer and Volunteer Services Coordinator, providing technical support for all elements of DEM’s Emergency Management Reserve Corps (EMRC) volunteer program to ensure volunteers have the necessary communications equipment and related training to perform emergency duties.


Special Work Requirements: Subject to call 24-hours per day for emergencies. Contact via cellular telephone. Position requires driving to any location on the island to perform damage assessment or support to on-scene incident command.

Apply today!  If you qualify for the position, your name will be eligible for referral to the hiring department for further consideration for the current job opening, as well as future vacancies with this job title.


 

Additional Job Information

Applications must be submitted online at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/honolulu to be accepted.

**Actual salary commensurate with applicable experience, pending approval**  

Some notifications will be sent via e-mail. You are responsible for monitoring instructions and correspondence from this office by checking your email account in a timely manner. To ensure proper delivery, please make sure you:
     - use a valid e-mail account;
     - verify your e-mail address is entered correctly on your GovernmentJobs account;
     - are subscribed to e-mail notices;
     - check your spam folders; and
     - add [email protected] and [email protected] to your contact list.

Notifications may also be sent via text message if opted into the service.  Data and text messaging fees apply.


Minimum Qualification Requirements

At time of application, you must be a citizen, national or permanent resident alien of the United States or a non-citizen eligible under federal law for unrestricted employment. 

EDUCATION REQUIREMENT:
Equivalent to graduation from a regionally-accredited four-year college or university with major work in public administration, business administration or a related field.

Substitution: Work experience may be substituted for a bachelor's degree on a year-for-year basis. Such experience must have provided the knowledge, skills, and analytical ability normally gained from attainment of a bachelor's degree. 

 

The education requirement must be met at the time of application.  Education obtained outside of the United States must be comparable to a degree earned at a regionally-accredited college/university in the United States. In order to receive credit for the education, a foreign credential evaluation (FCE) must be provided. We also reserve the right to request further information about your academic program, evidence of comparability, or an original transcript.

 

Verification Requirement: In order to be given credit for your education, clearly list your education credentials on your application.  As part of the hiring process, you may be asked to furnish documentation to verify your education to satisfy this education qualification requirement.  If available, please attach an electronic copy of your diploma and/or official transcript which shows the embossed seal or applicable FCE to your application. Or mail a photocopy of your documents to the following address: Department of Human Resources, 650 South King Street, 10th Floor, Honolulu, HI 96813. Copies will not be returned. Unofficial transcripts will not be accepted. All information on your documentation must be legible and complete in order to be given credit.  

 

If you do not have your documentation to verify your education at this time, please note that if selected for the job, you will need to furnish verification documents in order to move forward in the hiring process.
 


EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT:
Four years of responsible professional (post-bachelor's degree, non-clerical) experience in the development and maintenance of plans and procedures for emergency communications operations which required the knowledge of: communications principles, practices and techniques and their application; amateur radio capability (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service); communications facilities and resources in the community.

NON-QUALIFYING EXPERIENCE:
Having the required number of years of experience will not in itself be accepted as qualifying for the position. Your overall experience must have been of such scope, level, and responsibility as to conclusively demonstrate the ability to perform the duties of the position.
 
LICENSE REQUIREMENT:
Possession of an appropriate valid driver's license (automobile/Type 3), prior to appointment.

 

Examination Process

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE EVALUATION
In addition to meeting the above minimum qualifications, your application will be further evaluated. Your score will be based on the quality and quantity of your education, experience and/or other related job requirements and competencies applicable to the position. Failure to provide sufficient information may result in your application being rejected or your receiving a lower score.  

EXAMINATION WEIGHT:
Education and Experience Evaluation..........................100%


EMPLOYMENT SUITABILITY:
Due to the nature of this position, selectees are required to be fingerprinted as part of the employment suitability review (i.e., background check). Criminal history record information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center will be reviewed.