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

The Office of Emergency Management (OEM) works to mitigate, plan, and prepare for emergencies; educate the public about preparedness; coordinate emergency response and recovery efforts; and develop tools and identify resources to support the overall preparedness of the City of Philadelphia.

The OEM mission is a 24/7/365 commitment. Mitigating, Preparing, Responding, and Recovering for planned and unplanned events requires around-the-clock dedication. The Operational Coordination Group Lead’s role is to provide general direction and leadership to the RIC Coordinators & EMLOs of the Operational Coordination Program and provide specific subject matter guidance to staff on the following subjects: program operations, training and exercising, administrative matters to include scheduling, and technology systems in use.

Candidates should possess a strong desire to work in a team-oriented, fast paced, flexible, professional public safety environment, and a willingness to serve the public in the sixth largest city in the nation. The ideal candidate has exceptionally strong leadership and negotiation skills, is self-motivated, inquisitive, adept at working with diverse groups in stressful situations, and has a proven track record of effectively operating under emergency circumstances. Additionally, the candidate should be detail oriented, have excellent technical writing skills, and have the ability to effectively mentor other staff members.  Work will require a rotating schedule to include nights, weekends, and holidays and will, at times, be conducted in the field as the sole OEM representative or in a group setting. 

Essential Functions

Under the administrative direction of the Operational Coordination Program Manager, the Operational Coordination Group Lead is responsible for a range of activities including the following:

• Manages a blended team of 6 to 7 direct reports of RIC and EMLOs
• Perform the duties of Regional Integration Center (RIC) Coordinator and Emergency Management Liaison Officer (EMLO) as needed.
• Manage training and development plans for the Operational Coordination Program and provide solutions for training gaps.
• Address needs and expectations of daily operations of the Operational Coordination Program.
• Maintain standards of RIC & EMLO work products through quality control checks and follow up as needed.
• Develop, implement, and maintain operational procedures.
• Provide technical support to RIC Coordinators & EMLOs for all incident management systems and equipment.
• Maintain scheduling activities.
• Provide support to Operational Coordination Program special projects.
• Provide oversight during the absence of the Operational Coordinator Program Manager.
• Serve on-call for planned and unplanned RIC and EMLO schedule vacancies.
• Augmenting staffing for the Regional Integration Center and/or EMLO operations during high-tempo operations
• Perform other work as required

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• ­ Strong interpersonal skills
• Effective oral and written communication skills
• ­Strong leadership and negotiation skills
• ­Confidence in front of groups
• Proven ability to operate and lead during emergencies
• ­ Sound judgement and ethical decision making
• ­ Professional conduct and accountability
• ­Proven time-management skills
• ­Reliable, responsible and team player
• ­Demonstrate professional conduct and accountability
• Embrace personal challenge and demonstrate leadership regarding organizational change

Work-Life

OEM personnel will be required to serve in an on-call capacity which may require work outside of typical business hours, for extended periods of time, during states of emergency, in a field environment, in the 24/7 watch center, and during activations of Philadelphia’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Example environments include but are not limited to scenes where materials are on fire, around compromised utilities, around compromised structures, near hazardous materials storage that may be compromised, in congregate living settings, in/near crowds, near downed vegetation or other debris, or near flooding and water-damaged materials. All work will be performed while donning a level of personal protective equipment recommended by the incident safety officer and that you are trained on. Example tasks include working at a computer, observing and documenting conditions, staffing an incident command post, communicating with responders or survivors, operating vehicles up to your licensed class, staffing facilities for survivors, transporting materials, being near a site where a serious injury or loss of life has occurred, sitting, standing, walking, climbing, crawling, or lifting/carrying materials. OEM personnel are essential workers.

Education and Experience

• Completion of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is required, a master’s degree is preferred
• Three (3) or more years’ experience working within an emergency management or other public safety organization is preferred
• Three (3) or more years’ experience supervising personnel is preferred, especially in completion of objectives under difficult circumstances or potentially hazardous situations
• One (1) or more years’ experience in a leadership capacity, with or without a formal title, is preferred.
• Familiarity with the City of Philadelphia is preferred
• Experience working in outdoor environments, specifically on the scene of emergency incidents, for prolonged periods is preferred
• Experiencing training or teaching audiences of different ages
• Experience providing feedback and guidance on work products to others
• An equivalent combination of education and experience in a related field will be considered with approval by MDO-OEM and the Office of Human Resources.

Licenses, Registrations, and Certification

• Possession of a valid proper class motor vehicle operator’s license issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania within six months of hire; commercial driver’s license to be pursued after employment
• Successful completion of FEMA Independent Study courses (IS 100.a, 200.a, 700.a, and 800.b) within first month of appointment.
• Candidate will have access to secure public safety information.  All selected applicants must undergo and successfully complete a background investigation as a condition of placement in this position.

Other requirements

• OEM personnel are essential, working during states of emergency or other city closures.
• All OEM personnel are “emergency managers first.” During times of disaster, work assignments and schedules may be altered to meet the incident objectives.
• Full-time residency within the City of Philadelphia geographic boundaries required within six months of hire.  There are no exceptions to this policy.
• Ability to physically perform the duties during and outside of normal business hours, to include driving and working outside.
• Nature of work inherently has risks, certain functions will require the use of various personal protective equipment (PPE) in hazardous situations.

TO APPLY: Interested candidates must submit a cover letter, writing sample and resume.

Salary Range: $68,000 - $71,577

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 successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire

Please note that effective September 1, 2021 the City of Philadelphia is requiring all new employees to present proof of vaccination against COVID-19. 

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 or send an email to [email protected].

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