Description

Who We Are & What You’ll Do

The City and County of Denver, Office of Emergency Management (OEM), is seeking a Senior Emergency Management Specialist to lead complex programs and projects that strengthen the city’s preparedness and operational readiness. In this role, you will manage a programmatic portfolio, guide highimpact initiatives across OEM’s core mission areas, and support citywide coordination before, during, and after emergencies.

Denver OEM manages the City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and Joint Information Center (JIC) during emergencies or declared disasters to coordinate and synchronize Denver's emergency management operations. In this position, you will be required to participate in EOC activations and training, which may include staffing senior roles and leading citywide response operations. These activities may occur outside standard work hours, including evenings, nights, weekends, or holidays.

Specifically, as the Senior Emergency Management Specialist, you will:

• Oversee a programmatic portfolio that may include one or more of the following areas: Training and Exercise; Continuity; Operations; Logistics; Alert/Warning, Hazard Mitigation; Planning; Continuous Improvement.
• Lead senior level special projects as assigned; special projects may span multiple OEM programmatic areas and require coordination with OEM staff members and external stakeholders.
• Oversee assigned strategic agencywide programs, which may include Duty Officer Program, Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP), Strategic Preparedness Planning, Capability Tracking, or other programs as assigned.
• Review and improve emergency management plans and procedures, developing new SOPs as needed so teams have clear, usable guidance when emergencies or operational needs arise.
• Support capability development across preparedness activities (planning, organizing, equipping, training, and exercising) to implement the Citywide Preparedness Plan and OEM Strategic goals.
• Collaborate with city departments and private/public organizations with emergency roles to develop practical, coordinated multiagency planning approaches.
  Represent Emergency Management at senior level meetings or interviews in the absence of Emergency Management senior leadership, as needed.
  Lead budget management on program or project-specific grant funding.
• Train and mentor new Emergency Management Specialists on emergency management policies, procedures, and agency protocols.
  Serve as a rotating Duty Officer, support incident response, and lead key activities such as facilitating the Incident Coordination Group (ICG), action planning, leading preparations for major events and EOC activations, and developing after-action reports.
• Serve in senior coordination and advisory roles during activations of the EOC, including advising policy makers, guiding other EOC Staff, and making response decisions with limited oversight.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

What You’ll Bring 

Our ideal candidate is highly adaptable, possess strong interpersonal skills, and is confident in managing projects and spearheading decisions alongside senior leadership teams.  

 In addition, our ideal candidate has some or all the following experience, skills, and characteristics:

•  Adaptable and highly skilled in problem-solving complex issues with multiple stakeholders.
• Proven experience managing significant emergencies or crises.
• Sets a strong example through preparedness, followthrough, and clear communication, helping elevate OEM Values of accountability, adaptability, and empathy across the team.
• Proven program and project management skills with an emphasis on establishing realistic timelines, communicating progress updates, and proactively identifying gaps and opportunities.
• Brings steady, reliable judgment and professionalism, especially when navigating complex projects or highpressure situations.
  Builds trust with colleagues and partners through clear expectations, transparent communication, and respectful, solutions-focused collaboration.

 Required Minimum Qualifications

• Education requirement: Bachelor's Degree in Emergency Management, Political Science, Public Administration, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Experience Requirement: Five (5) years of professional experience in emergency management or a first responder discipline. (All positions will require experience in a specific emergency management area such as planning, operations, community relations, or logistics.).
• Education/Experience Equivalency: One (1) year of the appropriate type and level of experience may be substituted for each required year of post-high school education. Additional appropriate education may be substituted for the minimum experience requirements.
• License/Certifications: Requires a valid Driver's License at the time of application. Licenses and certifications must be kept current as a condition of employment.