A best-in-class city that attracts best-in-class talent, Philadelphia is an incredible place to build a career. From our thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact.

As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you’re interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here.

What we offer

• Impact - The work you do here matters to millions. 
• Growth - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it? 
• Diversity & Inclusion - Find a career in a place where everyone belongs.
• Benefits - We care about your well-being.

Agency Description

Philadelphia’s Office of Sustainability (OOS) is responsible for implementing Greenworks: A Vision for a Sustainable Philadelphia, the City’s comprehensive sustainability plan. OOS works with partners to improve the quality of life in all Philadelphia neighborhoods, reduce the City’s carbon emissions, and prepare Philadelphia for a hotter, wetter future. The Energy Office, housed within OOS, manages municipal government energy operations. The team that makes up OOS works interdependently to achieve these goals by drawing upon the wide range of professional and lived experience among team members. Members often collaborate in workgroups of people with complementary skills to maximize OOS’s collective expertise.

OOS prioritizes professional growth and development across the team. Learning and capacity building occurs in an individual and team context. The entire team convenes regularly to strengthen skills and competencies through training, knowledge exchange, resource sharing, and peer-to-peer support. In addition to all-staff development opportunities, team members create individualized professional development plans to develop specialized skills and explore areas of learning interest.

The Program Manager for Infrastructure and Floodplain Resilience will focus on strengthening the internal enabling environment for the development of infrastructure systems and capital improvement projects that withstand the increasing effects of a changing climate, such as higher average temperatures, severe storms, and floods. The role will have broad responsibility to coordinate with and provide technical advice to City agencies regarding potential impacts of climate change on public investments and infrastructure assets that keeps our communities functioning. By improving analytical capabilities and bridging critical resource gaps, the Program Manager will support agency partners in driving innovation and implementing strategies to build infrastructure resilience that align with their operating model and risk profile.

With flooding being already Philadelphia's leading natural hazard and expected to become more prevalent by the end of the century, the Program Manager will have a particular focus on advancing a more comprehensive approach to flood risk management. This work will include providing programmatic support and subject-matter expertise to targeted initiatives to manage flood risk in flood-prone areas, including updating flood maps, plans, and policies, in addition to activities related to the administration of the National Flood Insurance Program. The position will steward critical intergovernmental relationships with Federal and Commonwealth agencies (i.e., FEMA and PEMA) and facilitate intragovernmental coordination through the Philadelphia Flood Risk Management Task Force.

This is a full-time, permanent position. It reports to the Chief Resilience Officer.

Essential Functions

Flood Mitigation Program Administration  

• Contribute technical expertise and assist with updates to the Flood Insurance Rate Maps.
• Support compliance and coordination activities that keep Philadelphia eligible to participate in FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program. 
• Oversee the administration of FEMA’s Flood Mitigation Assistance grant program and Commonwealth flood grant programs.
• Perform public outreach and engagement that improves residents’ understanding of flood risk.
• In emergency situations, including disaster response and recovery, participate on the City’s Emergency Response Team as requested by the Office of Emergency Management.

Infrastructure Resilience Planning and Delivery Support

• Conduct comprehensive assessments to understand the vulnerability of public infrastructure to climate-related risk.
• Develop and support the implementation of resilience plans which focus primarily on improving the abilities of public infrastructure systems to withstand the accelerating effects of climate change through near- and long-term steps. 
• Coordinate research activities to ensure activities reflect best practices in proactive planning and implementation of resilience solutions for City infrastructure systems and capital improvement projects.
• Provide technical assistance to support the mainstreaming of climate risks and resilience into infrastructure planning.

Intragovernmental and Intergovernmental Coordination

• Serve as the community representative for floodplain management studies, mapping activities, and projects initiated by Federal and Commonwealth agencies, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, adjacent communities, and others.
• Assist and cooperate with FEMA and the Pennsylvania Floodplain Manager representatives during Community Assistance Visits, Community Rating System Program reviews, Letters of Map Change, Community Acknowledgement Forms, and other floodplain management program actions for coordination.
• Provide staffing and administrative support to the Philadelphia Flood Risk Management Task Force.
• Serve as a technical advisor and subject matter expert to related interagency City initiatives

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Floodplain Management – Well-versed in the National Flood Insurance Program and its relationship to the City of Philadelphia; adept in relevant Commonwealth regulations and programs and their relationship to the City of Philadelphia; demonstrates ability to interpret and analyze the provisions, scope, and parameters of municipal codes and related ordinances as they apply to development in flood prone areas; understanding of the basic principles of surveying, building construction, and hydrology and hydraulics. 
   
• Climate Resilience Expertise - Demonstrated knowledge of climate scenarios, climate change impacts, adaptation, and vulnerabilities; adept in current and emerging best practices related to infrastructure resiliency, including adaptative design and risk management; technical expertise in climate risk and flood zone forecasting.
   
• Research and Data Analysis - Well-versed in sifting through a vast array of informational resources and producing products (written or digital) that harvest meaningful insights.
   
• Communication - Demonstrates strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate technical information into accessible forms and adapt styles to diverse audiences and different cultural environments.
   
• Relationship Management - Relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences; demonstrated experience (professional or non-professional) in building and maintaining relationships with low-wealth and community of color communities and executing projects involving multiple constituencies.

Education and Experience  

• Bachelor’s Degree, or a combination of 4 years of education and/or relevant experience, planning, environmental studies, engineering, or related field.  
   
• At least (5) years of relevant experience and at least three (3) years of specific experience in infrastructure systems, floodplain management, and climate resiliency-related programs.
   

Preferred Qualifications
 

• Graduate degree in planning, environmental studies, engineering, or related field
   
• Additional certifications, such as Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP) or Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) 

Salary: $70,000 - $80,000

Successful candidate must be a City resident within six months of hire.

Vaccination status

As a condition of employment with the City of Philadelphia, employees starting employment on or after September 1, 2021 must be vaccinated.

Did you know?

• We are a Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program qualified employer
• 25% tuition discount program for City employees (and sometimes spouses and dependents as well) in partnership with area colleges and universities
• We offer Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents
• Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
• Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Generous retirement savings options are available

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670

 For more information, go to the Human Relations website: http://www.phila.gov/humanrelations/Pages/default.aspx