Environmental Disaster Planner

PHMC is proud to be a leader in public health. PHMC requires that all employees are fully vaccinated with the Covid-19 vaccine before the first day of employment.

Job Overview:

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH), through its Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness Program (BT-PHP), located within the Division of Disease Control, is the lead administrative and planning agency for public health emergency preparedness and response in the City of Philadelphia. BT-PHP is responsible for establishing local public health preparedness priorities, developing, and testing response plans, coordinating with local, state, and federal partners, and managing the public health response to real events.

The Environmental Disaster Planner will conduct planning to address the Environmental Disasters and hazards that are most likely to impact Philadelphia and the surrounding region. This position is Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with occasional work after hours and on weekends to support Program activities. This is a grant-funded position; continuation of the position is contingent upon sustained funding.
This is not remote work. The applicant will work from the Health Department offices or other locations as assigned. This job may require moderate physical effort including lifting materials and equipment of less than 50 pounds and involves viewing a CRT or VDT screen 50 to 75 percent of the time. The position requires responding to public health emergencies on short notice and some after-hours activities to achieve Program objectives.

This position reports to the Policy, Planning and Evaluation Manager.

Responsibilities:

• Identify likely threats and hazards that could result in Environmental Disasters, such as chemical spills and industrial accidents, and assess probability, severity, and level of readiness to respond.
• Develop planning documents that outline activities across the immediate, short-term, mid-term, and long-term response and recovery phases to likely scenarios.
• Develop risk communication materials that address the information needs of various stakeholders across a variety of scenarios.
• Build a subject matter expert panel to advise on planning and response actions related to hazardous exposures that impact public health. Convene regular meetings of the group to ensure ongoing readiness to address Environmental Disasters.
• Research Environmental Disasters and identify best practices and lessons learned that are applicable to local planning efforts.
• Develop and facilitate staff trainings on topics related to key threats and response actions.
• Create a compendium of references and resources that can be consulted to inform planning and response actions.
• Collaborate with emergency management, healthcare, state and federal agencies, and other partners to conduct planning and response activities.
• Conduct climate and health planning activities, including collaborating with partner agencies on citywide climate resilience efforts.
• Participate in Public Health Preparedness program activities including trainings, exercises, and real public health response activities.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills:

• Excellent research and writing skills.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively, manage complex information, and work with various teams and stakeholders.
• Flexibility, professionalism, and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously are highly valued attributes

Experience:

• Three or more years of relevant experience working in public health, emergency management, or a related field. Previous non-profit or government experience a plus.

Education Requirement:

• Master’s degree in environmental health or similar field from an accredited college or university.

Salary:

• Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications. This position comes with a comprehensive benefits package consisting of medical and dental coverage, paid sick, vacation, and personal time, and a retirement plan.

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Contact Information:

We are dedicated to building a staff that reflects the diversity of Philadelphia. Interested applicants should submit an electronic cover letter that expresses the individual’s interest and experience along with a resume to:

Gina Daddi

Staffing Coordinator

Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Division of Disease Control

1101 Market Street, 12th Floor

Philadelphia, PA 19107

Gina.Daddi@phila.gov