Manager Ii (Deputy Director), Grade M2

Are you passionate about making a difference and being at the forefront of emergency preparedness and homeland security? Join our team as the Deputy Director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security and play a crucial role in safeguarding our community against potential threats and ensuring a coordinated and effective response in times of crisis. Join us in our mission to protect and serve our community in the face of adversity. This is an exciting opportunity to make a meaningful impact and contribute to the safety and resilience of Montgomery County.

The Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS) is responsible for planning, coordinating, preventing, preparing for, and protecting against major threats that may harm, disrupt, or destroy our communities, commerce, and institutions. Our mission is to effectively manage and coordinate the County’s unified response to, mitigation of, and recovery from the consequences of such disasters or events. This includes field deployments and on-scene coordination and support during and outside of normal business hours. We also serve to educate the public on emergency preparedness for all hazards and provide focused outreach to our diverse and special populations to protect, secure, and sustain critical infrastructures to ensure the continuity of essential services. Our office works with county government departments, local partner agencies, municipalities, community groups, and the public to address a variety of emergency management challenges.

As the Deputy Director, you will work closely with the Director and alongside a dedicated team to develop, implement, and oversee emergency management and homeland security programs that protect our community and infrastructure. You will have the opportunity to contribute to strategic planning, policy development, and resource allocation while collaborating with local, state, and federal agencies to enhance our overall emergency preparedness and response capabilities.

This position allows for some telework; however, emergency responses and operational needs can make such remote work impossible at times. Normal working hours, Monday through Friday, with occasional evening, night, and weekend work in response to emergencies and operational needs.

What you’ll be doing:

• Collaborate with the Director to develop and communicate a clear vision for emergency management and homeland security, aligning strategies with organizational goals and industry best practices.
• Lead the development and implementation of emergency management and homeland security policies, procedures, and protocols to effectively respond to natural and man-made disasters, including pandemics, terrorist threats, and other emergencies.
• Oversee the day-to-day operations of the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, including resource allocation, personnel management, and coordination with external agencies and stakeholders.
• Manage all financial administration of the office to include budgeting, appropriations, procurements, and contracts, as well as a broad portfolio of incoming and outgoing grants that support the county’s homeland security strategy.
• Develop and conduct training programs, drills, and exercises to ensure that personnel are well-prepared to respond to emergencies and that the community is educated and empowered to take appropriate action.
• Identify potential threats and vulnerabilities, conduct risk assessments, and develop mitigation strategies to minimize the impact of emergencies on our organization and the community.
• Serve as a key liaison with local, state, and federal agencies, as well as non-governmental organizations, to foster collaboration, information sharing, and coordinated responses to emergencies.
• Drive a culture of continuous improvement by monitoring performance metrics, conducting after-action reviews, and implementing lessons learned to enhance our emergency management capabilities.
• Routinely respond to emergencies of varying degrees of complexity during and outside working hours, serving in an Incident Command or Deputy Incident Commander role while operating on the scene of the emergency, at the Emergency Operations Center, or at the Department Operations Center.

A candidate should be able to:

• Provide leadership and strategic guidance in the development and implementation of emergency management and homeland security initiatives.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to assess vulnerabilities, identify risks, and develop comprehensive plans to mitigate potential threats.
• Oversee the coordination of emergency response efforts, including training, exercises, and drills to ensure readiness and effectiveness.
• Serve as a liaison with local, state, and federal agencies, as well as community organizations, to foster partnerships and enhance our collective ability to respond to emergencies.
• Manage all administration, finance, grants management, procurement, emergency response logistics/supply chain, and human resources.
• Stay current on emerging trends, best practices, and regulatory changes in emergency management and homeland security, and communicate relevant information to key stakeholders.
• Manage the County’s Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Public Assistance Program by submitting for FEMA reimbursement and providing training on FEMA Public Assistance Process.
• Work with the Emergency Management Group to develop and execute a homeland security and emergency management strategy for the county.
• Maintain an understanding of federal, state, and local laws and regulations that guide funding and reimbursement to support disaster mitigation, prevention, response, and recovery.
• Solve complex, interagency, and emergency problems through discussion or persuasion; issues may have substantial impact on the County or be controversial, which requires a high level of tact and sensitivity.
• Manage and mentor a team of dedicated professionals, providing support, guidance, and professional development opportunities.
• Report to work during a period of general emergency or liberal leave - considered an "Essential Employee". Required to respond to a variety of emergency situations and scenes that may occur at any time during the day or night and requiring operating in challenging scene conditions.

Prior to appointment, all applicants must successfully complete a comprehensive background investigation. The incumbent will be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period.

The selected employee must perform administrative functions in an office setting, but also maintain the ability to perform command-level tasks at the scene of emergencies or in the Emergency Operations Center for extended operating periods. These incidents may occur at any time during the day or night, requiring off-hour response, and occur in suboptimal weather and atmospheric conditions.

The individual selected will be subject to recall and must be reachable 24 hours per day.

As a manager/supervisor of unionized employees, this position has a responsibility for fostering a positive labor relations environment based on mutual trust, respect, and cooperation.

OHR reviews the minimum qualifications of all applicants, irrespective of whether the candidate has previously been found to have met the minimum requirements for the job or been temporarily promoted to the same position. This evaluation is based solely on the information contained in the application/resume submitted for this specific position/IRC.

Montgomery County Government is an equal opportunity employer, committed to workforce diversity. Accordingly, as it relates to employment opportunities, the County will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, in accordance with the law. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the Office of Human Resources via email to OHR@montgomerycountymd.gov. Individual determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made in accordance with all applicable laws.

Montgomery County Government also provides hiring preference to certain categories of veterans and veterans/persons with a disability. For more information and to claim employment preference, please refer to the Careers webpage on Hiring Preference.

All applicants will respond to a series of questions related to their education, relevant experience, knowledge, skills and abilities required to minimally perform the job. The applicant's responses in conjunction with their resume and all other information provided in the employment application process will be evaluated to determine the minimum qualifications and preferred criteria status. Based on the results, the highest qualified applicants will be placed on an Eligible List and may be considered for an interview. Employees meeting minimum qualifications who are the same grade will be placed on Eligible List as a "Lateral Transfer" candidate and may be considered for interview.

If selected for consideration for this position, you may be required to provide evidence that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities indicated on your resume.

Montgomery County Ethics Law: Except as provided by law or regulation, the County's "Public Employees" (which does not include employees of the Sheriff's office) are subject to the County's ethics law including the requirements to obtain advanced approval of any outside employment and the prohibitions on certain outside employment. The outside employment requirements of the ethics law can be found at 19A-12 of the County Code. Additional information about outside employment can be obtained from the Ethics Commission website.

Experience: Seven years of progressively responsible professional experience in a field related to the assigned area, three years of which were in a supervisory or executive capacity. Preferred: Experience in both financial management and emergency management.

Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree. Preferred: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a master’s degree in a discipline related to emergency management, homeland security, public safety, organizational leadership, or a similar course of study.

Equivalency: None

No Preferred Criteria. All minimally qualified candidates will be placed on the eligible list with the status of qualified and may receive an interview invitation.

Preference for interviews will be given to applicants with experience and expertise in the following areas.

To be considered for an interview, candidates should take the time to address each of these areas as a narrative that is included at the end of your resume, as a separate section, as the system only allows for one document to be submitted.

The narrative should explain the extent and relevancy of training and experience in the following areas:

• Experience in planning and executing all aspects of emergency management principles for local government, including public preparedness initiatives, mitigation efforts, government emergency operations, continuity of operations, and community recovery. Indicate if certification in Emergency Manager (CEM) by the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) has been obtained.
• Experience in organizing and managing cohorts comprised of representatives of interdisciplinary agencies and organizations over which you have no authority but must lead to implement whole-of-community preparedness, response, and recovery.
• Experience in the formulation, development, writing, adoption, and implementation of emergency management policies, procedures, plans, standards, regulations, guidance, and other written products that drive local actions in the preparedness, prevention, mitigation, response, and recovery phases.
• Experience managing department-level financial portfolios, including analysis, forecasts, projections, proposals, parameters, advocacy, approval, implementation, adjustments, accounting, and compliance. This includes procurement, development, and execution of contracts, personnel expenses, outgoing grants, capital improvement, and operating expenses. Reconciling revenue streams, such as incoming grants and permitting, should be included.
• Experiencing finding, applying for, managing, and executing local, state, and federal grants that support emergency management and homeland security. Preference is given to experience with federal grant programs including the Urban Area Securities Initiative (UASI), the State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSGP), and/or the Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG).