Description

Hello, we’re Metro! Metro is dedicated to shaping a better future for the greater Portland region. The work the people of Metro do every day benefits the lives of the people who live here, today, and tomorrow.

Join Metro’s Office of Risk, Readiness, & Resilience (R3) as an Emergency Manager and play a central role in shaping how the organization prepares for, responds to, and recovers from emergencies and operational disruptions. In this position, you’ll have the opportunity to lead a high-impact, agency-wide program, collaborate with a wide range of internal teams and regional partners, and drive meaningful improvements in organizational readiness and resilience.

You’ll build and strengthen Metro’s emergency management capabilities, guide strategic planning efforts, and lead a team dedicated to ensuring continuity across operations, facilities, and services. This role offers the chance to influence long-term resilience strategies, elevate coordination during critical incidents, and make a tangible difference for employees, visitors, and the broader community. Focused on program leadership, planning, and coordination, this position is ideal for someone who wants to lead from a strategic level rather than in a first-response or field-response capacity.

As the Emergency Manager you will:

• Lead Metro’s emergency management program, including preparedness, response, recovery, and continuous improvement activities.
• Supervise emergency management staff and provide coaching, direction, and performance management.
• Manage program budgets, contracts, work plans, and operational priorities.
• Coordinate development and implementation of Metro’s Integrated Preparedness Plan (IPP) and Emergency Operations Plan (EPP).
• Partner with departments to identify capability gaps, establish preparedness priorities, and strengthen organizational readiness.
• Design and deliver emergency management training, exercises, and after-action improvement initiatives.
• Coordinate incident management and emergency response activities across Metro departments and regional partners.
• Support Emergency Operations Center (EOC) activation, coordination, and operational readiness
• Represent Metro in local, regional, state, and federal emergency management coordination efforts.
• Build collaborative relationships that advance preparedness, information sharing, and regional resilience.

Attributes for success:

• Knowledge of emergency management practices, including how incidents are managed and coordinated across the agency, and the ability to turn that knowledge into clear, usable plans.
• Experience working with different teams, departments, or partner organizations to plan, coordinate, and support emergency response efforts.
• Ability to build strong working relationships and collaborate effectively, using a people-focused and service-oriented approach.
• Skill in turning big-picture strategies into practical actions that can be implemented in real situations.
• Experience leading, supervising, or supporting staff and teams, including coaching and helping others grow in their roles.
• Ability to handle multiple priorities and work with different stakeholders, staying flexible and effective in complex situations.
• Good judgment and decision-making skills, especially when information is limited or situations are changing quickly.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to stay calm and clear during high-pressure situations, with experience supporting training, exercises, or emergency operations, and a focus on continuous learning and improvement.

Requirements

TO QUALIFY

We will consider any combination of relevant work experience, volunteering, education, and transferable skills as qualifying unless an item or section is labeled required. Please be clear and specific in your application materials on how your background is relevant. 

Minimum qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in the assigned program area or related field (examples could be Emergency Management, Public Administration, Organizational Leadership)
• Three (3) years leading or supervising people, and 
• Two (2) years project management experience in a similar role or area of responsibility, or
• Any combination of education, professional, volunteer and lived experience that provides the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the classification duties and responsibilities.

Required: Be able to successfully complete a background check at time of hire.

Hybrid Telework

This position is designated as “hybrid telework.” You will be required to work onsite and at times have the option to work away from your assigned work location. The specific schedule and balance of onsite and telework will be discussed with the hiring manager at the time of offer. Employees must reside in Oregon or Washington to work at Metro. Please note, the designation of hybrid telework may be subject to change at a future time.

Like to have qualifications

You do not need to have the following preferred qualifications/transferable skills to qualify. However, keep in mind we may consider them when identifying the most qualified candidates. Your transferable skills are any skills you have gained through education, work experience, including the military, or life experience that are relevant for this position.

• Experience working in local, regional, state, or federal government
• Professional certifications related to emergency management

If interested in this opportunity and would like to read more or to apply, visit our website www.oregonmetro.gov/job by the closing date of 7/5/2026.