EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR

The salary for this position is: $6,173 - $8,119 monthly.

Thurston County Emergency Management is seeking an experienced, collaborative, and forward-thinking Emergency Management Coordinator - Operations to help strengthen the County’s readiness to coordinate and sustain emergency operations.

This position serves as a key operational leader within Emergency Management and is responsible for ensuring the County’s Emergency Coordination Center (ECC), operational procedures, systems, and personnel are ready when they are needed. The Operations Coordinator leads ECC readiness efforts, coordinates the Emergency Management Duty Officer program, develops and maintains operational procedures and tools, supports ECC workforce training and qualification, and leads the Countywide Continuity of Operations (COOP) program.

This is a hands-on emergency management position for someone who enjoys turning plans into operational capability. The successful candidate will work across County departments and with regional partners to build practical systems, develop people, solve operational challenges, and continuously improve how Thurston County coordinates during emergencies.

If you enjoy building systems that work, developing people, collaborating across organizations, and helping ensure an emergency operations center is truly ready before the emergency happens, we encourage you to apply.

Essential functions may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Emergency Coordination Center Readiness - Lead the operational readiness of the County’s primary and alternate Emergency Coordination Centers, including procedures, position checklists, job aids, equipment, technology, supplies, and operational systems. Conduct routine readiness assessments, identify capability gaps, and coordinate improvements with County departments, vendors, and partners.
• Emergency Operations & Duty Officer Program - Develop and maintain operational procedures and standardized guidance supporting County emergency coordination. Serve as program lead for the Emergency Management Duty Officer program and help ensure duty personnel have the procedures, information, tools, and expectations necessary to effectively respond to emerging incidents.
• Situational Awareness & Operational Systems - Coordinate systems and processes that support situational awareness, information management, and a common operating picture during emergencies. Work with GIS, information technology, public safety, and other partners to develop and maintain dashboards, decision-support tools, and other operational capabilities.
• ECC Workforce Development & Training - Coordinate recruitment, onboarding, training, qualification, and sustainment of the County’s Emergency Coordination Support Team. Develop position-specific training and qualification standards, coordinate recurring ECC training opportunities, and help build a capable and scalable workforce to support emergency operations.
• Continuity of Operations & Government - Lead the Countywide Continuity of Operations (COOP) program and provide guidance and technical assistance to County departments in developing, maintaining, and exercising continuity plans. Establish standards, templates, and review processes and support development and maintenance of the County’s Continuity of Government (COG) Plan.
• Training, Exercises & Continuous Improvement - Coordinate recurring ECC training and support exercises designed to evaluate emergency operations and continuity capabilities. Participate in after-action reviews and improvement planning and ensure lessons learned from incidents and exercises are incorporated into procedures, checklists, training, and operational practices.
• Emergency Response - Participate in the Emergency Management Duty Officer rotation and serve in ECC leadership or other assigned positions during activations. Support ECC activation, staffing, operational coordination, situational awareness, information management, and continuity of essential County functions during emergencies.
• Partner & Stakeholder Coordination - Build and maintain effective working relationships with County departments and leadership, incorporated jurisdictions, tribal governments, public safety agencies, Washington Emergency Management Division, neighboring jurisdictions, and other organizations necessary to support emergency readiness and continuity.

To view the full job classification, click here:Emergency Management Coordinator

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Work Environment - Work is generally performed in an office environment but may include supporting activities at training events, meetings, or operational locations throughout the county. Lifting and carrying of materials, equipment or other items weighing up to 50 lbs. may be required.
• Schedule - This is a full-time position. Once the selected candidate successfully passes a six-month probation, alternate schedules may be considered with telework up to two days a week.
• Travel Requirements - Occasionally may need to attend meetings, workshops and other trainings.
• Customer Interactions - Daily interactions with staff, partners, and stakeholders (in-person, email, Microsoft Teams, telephone).

WHY JOIN OUR TEAM:

At Thurston County Emergency Management, we believe strong emergency management starts with strong relationships, teamwork, flexibility, a willingness to continually improve, and making a difference. We offer:

• A collaborative, supportive, and mission-driven work environment
• Opportunities to work alongside local, state, tribal, and federal, nonprofit, and private-sector partners
• Meaningful work that directly strengthens County’s preparedness and operational readiness
• The opportunity to build and improve programs, systems, and capabilities that make a difference when our community needs them most

Thurston County values the diversity of the people it hires and serves. Inclusion to us means fostering a workplace in which individual differences are recognized, appreciated, and responded to in ways that fully develop and utilize each person’s talents and strengths. We are dedicated to recruiting and developing a talented workforce from various cultures, lifestyles, backgrounds, and perspectives who are committed to our vision and core values. Thurston County Racial Equity and Inclusion Webpage

WHAT WE OFFER OUR EMPLOYEES:

• Work-Life Balance: We are committed to ensure that our staff experience the reward of public service, while also sustaining a routine that suits each individuals’ lifestyle.
• Plan For Your Future: As a member of our team, you will enjoy great employee benefits, including a retirement plan, pre-tax savings accounts, as well as comprehensive health care and dental/vision care for you and your family. Please visit Thurston County Employee Benefit Plans for more information.
• Paid Leave: Full-time regular employees earn paid vacation in addition to paid holidays.
• Robust Training Program: Employees are encouraged to attend County paid training to help them further their career, learn new skill sets, and stay on top of emerging trends in our industry. We also encourage our staff to participate in professional organizations and attend conferences.
• Deferred Compensation: The County offers 3 voluntary deferred compensation plans for employees who would like to set aside additional deferred tax dollars into a retirement savings plan.
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA): Employees can take advantage of Section 125 flexible spending accounts for out-of-pocket health care and daycare expenses with pre-tax dollars.
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness: This is a federal program which allows full-time public service employees who have made qualifying payments for certain loans, to get their student loans repaid. Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

Why you’ll love it here: Thurston County is located between Seattle and Portland in Western Washington’s South Puget Sound Region. Perched in between the mountains and the ocean, the area boasts the perfect blend of year-round outdoor activities including boating, hiking, skiing, and more. The region is also home to the state capitol city of Olympia, known for its many restaurants, microbreweries, coffee shops, farmer’s markets, kids’ activities, history, and art events. Discover more about life in Thurston County at Experienceolympia.com.

Message to potential applicants: We understand that some potential applicants are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every one of the functions or skills listed in a job description. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and we understand that may be someone who will learn some of these skills on the job. If you are interested in this position, and meet the minimum qualifications, we encourage you to go ahead and apply! Feel free to think about how you will bring your own set of skills to the role and tell us about the potential that you hold.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in business or public administration, education, industrial safety, law enforcement, or related field.
• Three years experience in the areas of emergency preparedness, industrial safety, public administration, education, adult training and exercise coordination, curriculum design and development, training and exercises in emergency management, law enforcement, fire service industrial safety, public administration or closely related area. Additional experience can be substituted for education on a year for year basis.
• Ability to utilize a personal computer with applicable software to successfully perform essential functions of the position.
• Successfully pass a background check.

DESIRED SKILLS:

• Experience with Emergency Operations Center/Emergency Coordination Center operations, including activation, coordination structures, operational procedures, and incident management.
• Strong working knowledge of the Incident Command System (ICS), National Incident Management System (NIMS), and emergency management principles and practices.
• Ability to translate plans, policies, and concepts into practical procedures, checklists, job aids, training, and operational tools.
• Experience developing or delivering emergency management training, exercises, or position-specific qualification programs.
• Knowledge of Continuity of Operations (COOP) and Continuity of Government (COG) principles and the ability to assist departments in developing practical continuity capabilities.
• Ability to assess operational readiness, identify gaps, develop solutions, and follow improvements through implementation.
• Strong organizational and project-management skills with the ability to manage multiple programs, priorities, and deadlines.
• Ability to build productive working relationships and coordinate across departments, disciplines, jurisdictions, and levels of government.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex emergency management concepts clearly and practically.
• Ability to remain flexible, organized, and effective in a dynamic environment and during emergency activations.
• Comfortable using technology and information systems to support situational awareness, operational coordination, training, documentation, and decision-making.
• A collaborative, service-oriented approach with an interest in developing people, improving systems, and strengthening organizational readiness.

OTHER RELATED RECRUITMENT INFORMATION:

Questions about this recruitment? Please contact: Kyle Bustad at[email protected]

This position is:

• Not represented by a union
• Eligible for benefits
• May be eligible for overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)

Items requested for consideration:

• Application
• Resume
• Letter of Interest
• Supplemental Questions - Please attach your responses to the following questions to your application for consideration:
  • Describe your experience working in or supporting an Emergency Operations Center (EOC), Emergency Coordination Center (ECC), or similar multi-agency coordination environment. Include your role(s), level of responsibility, types of incidents or activations you supported, and specific functions you performed.
  • This position is responsible for helping develop and sustain a trained and qualified ECC workforce. Describe your experience developing, coordinating, or delivering emergency management training or exercises. How have you helped move participants beyond basic training toward being capable of performing effectively during an actual emergency?
  • Describe your experience with Continuity of Operations (COOP), Continuity of Government (COG), or organizational continuity planning. If you have not directly managed a continuity program, describe comparable experience working across multiple departments or organizations to develop and implement a preparedness or operational program.

Please note: Information in this announcement is subject to change without notice at any time during the length of the job advertisement.

THURSTON COUNTY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Thurston County is committed to provide equal opportunity to all persons seeking or having access to its employment, services and activities, which is free from restriction based on race, sex, marital status, color, creed or religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, including gender expression or identity, pregnancy, status as an honorably discharged veteran or military status, genetic information, or the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, unless based upon bona fide occupational qualifications. Applicants with disabilities who need accommodation with the application or selection process should contact Thurston County’s Human Resources, at (360) 786-5498. Those who are deaf, deaf-blind, hard of hearing or speech impaired may use the statewide relay system to reach Thurston County offices and departments to conduct their business telephonically. Relay users can simply dial 7-1-1 (or 1-800-833-6388) to connect with Washington Relay.