Director of Emergency Management

Full Job Description

Why Travis County?

Vision:

Travis County will be recognized as the best county in the US for all racial, ethnic, and economic groups. Getting there will require:

• Soliciting community engagement to better understand the needs and solutions of County residents
• Closing every divide, everywhere east and west
• Achieving measurable equity in investment, availability of services, and results
• Reducing crime & jail populations, supported by increased/effective mental & behavioral health services so that the community will be safer
• Delivering nationally recognized climate resilience, environmental stewardship, greenhouse gas reductions, and disaster preparedness programs
• Implementing an effective, continuously improving, innovative strategy that achieves its goals

Mission:

Building a Travis County where ALL people can thrive with dignity and respect.

Position Summary:

The Director of Emergency Management provides strategic leadership and operational oversight of the County’s comprehensive emergency management program. This position is responsible for planning, coordinating, and directing activities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural or human-caused disasters affecting the County’s residents, infrastructure, and regional partners.

The Director serves as the County’s primary emergency management authority under the Texas Disaster Act and advises the County Judge and Commissioners Court on matters related to preparedness, response coordination, recovery, mitigation, and resilience. The incumbent ensures the County’s compliance with federal and state regulations, manages grant funding, and leads a professional emergency management team that supports an all-hazards approach to protecting life, property, and critical services. This position reports directly to the County Judge.

The Director must be capable of managing operations during disasters/major incidents and working closely with municipalities, hospitals, school districts, first responders, non-profits and other stakeholders.

Distinguishing Characteristics

This job classification is with in the Management job family. Incumbent(s) perform high-level emergency management functions while also providing substantial management and administrative oversight, which includes overseeing the Emergency Operations Center and serving in a command role during emergencies, developing and leading drills, exercises, and training programs for staff, partners, and the public, oversight of emergency response, continuity of operations, and hazard mitigation plans for Travis County, and coordination of operational procedures within the division and across partners, including coordination and management of public and private resources (personnel, equipment, facilities, and supplies).

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Requirements

• Develop, implement, and maintain the County’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP), and hazard-specific essential support functions (ESFs) in compliance with the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) and FEMA guidance.
• Coordinate the activation, staffing, and management of the County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) during major incidents, including disaster declarations, evacuation operations, and resource coordination.
• Direct the County’s emergency preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation activities in collaboration with municipalities, first responders, healthcare systems, utilities, schools, and regional partners.
• Serve as the primary liaison to TDEM, FEMA, and the Capital Area County of Governments, and other jurisdictions on emergency management matters.
• Lead the County’s disaster recovery and hazard mitigation programs, including grant applications, damage assessments, after-action reviews, and public assistance reimbursement.
• Oversee training and exercises for County departments and partner agencies to ensure operational readiness; design and execute tabletop, functional, and full-scale exercises using Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program compliant methodology.
• Develop and maintain public outreach and preparedness education initiatives; coordinates with the County’s Public Information Officer (PIO) or PIO functions during emergencies.
• Administer department budget, manage staff performance, and oversee procurement of emergency management equipment, technology, and contracts.
• Maintain compliance with the National Incident Management System (NIMS), Incident Command System (ICS), and applicable state and federal emergency management regulations.
• Provide executive-level briefings and recommendations to the Commissioners Court, County Judge, and County Executive Leadership on emergency preparedness, risk mitigation, and resilience priorities.
• Represent the County in local, regional, and state emergency management forums and committees.
• Directs the development, implementation and maintenance of the county’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) and related ESFs (e.g., hazard-specific, mass care, volunteer/donations management, public information).
• Develop and maintain strong liaison relationships with county departments, municipalities, fire/EMS, law enforcement, public works, utilities, volunteer organizations, private sector and others to coordinate emergency planning, response efforts and resource sharing.
• In major incidents, direct, monitor and coordinate emergency response operations, which may include ordering evacuations, opening and managing shelters, implementing special-needs plans, coordinating volunteers and donations, and overseeing damage assessment and recovery operations.
• Directs, prepare and/or deliver regular training programs, drills and exercises (tabletop, functional, full-scale) for county staff, partner agencies and stakeholders to test and refine response plans.
• Directs and oversees the inspection of emergency management facilities, communications systems, equipment and supporting infrastructure to confirm operational readiness.
• Monitor regulatory developments (federal, state and local) affecting emergency management, preparedness funding and response operations; ensure the county remains compliant with applicable laws and grant requirements.
• Oversee the development of emergency-preparedness education and outreach materials for the public, coordinate public information during disasters, and present to civic groups, schools and business organizations.
• Prepare and administer departmental budget, apply for federal and state grants, oversee procurement of emergency management resources and monitor expenditures.
• Maintain programmatic records, compile situational reports, after-action reports, preliminary damage assessments and recovery status updates.
• Advise county leadership and partner agencies on mitigation strategies, long-term recovery planning and resilience initiatives.
• Other duties as assigned.

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Qualifications

Education and Experience:
Bachelor’s degree in emergency management, Homeland Security, Public Administration, Fire Science, or related field and seven (7) to ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in emergency management, disaster response, or public safety.

And

Five (5) years or more in a senior management or command role leading multi-agency emergency operations or emergency preparedness programs.

Demonstrated experience in a jurisdiction serving 500,000 or more residents and familiarity with Texas emergency management statutes and systems.

Preferred:
Proven ability to think strategically about disaster resilience and long-term recovery.
Demonstrated experience building collaboration across jurisdictions, agencies and sectors.
Familiarity with Texas hazards (e.g., hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, wildfires, hazardous materials incidents) and local response protocols.
Composed under pressure, adaptable and able to lead during major incidents.
Strong sense of public service, integrity and commitment to the safety and well-being of the community.

Licenses, Registrations, Certifications, or Special Requirements:
Certifications and Licensing for Texas Emergency Managers

Required (upon hire or within 6 months):
NIMS/ICS Certifications: ICS 100, 200, 300, 400, 700, 800
FEMA Professional Development Series (PDS) and Advanced Professional Series (APS) Completion
Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) Certification
Continuity of Operations (COOP) Planner Certification (IS-546 or equivalent)
Public Information Officer (PIO) Training – FEMA IS-29 and L-105 or L0952 (or Texas equivalent)

Knowledge of:

• Comprehensive knowledge of emergency management principles, hazards and risk-reduction strategies, mitigation planning, incident command systems (ICS), state/federal emergency management frameworks, and of Texas Disaster Act and NIMS framework.

Skill in:

• Skilled in analyzing information, crisis decision-making, coordinating multi-agency responses, and managing complex incident operations.
• Proficient with technology used in emergency management, such as GIS/ArcGIS software, emergency operations systems (e.g., ArcGIS, WebEOC, Everbridge or CodeRed), database/query software, and the Microsoft Office suite.

Ability to:

• Excellent communication (oral and written), presentation and interpersonal skills; ability to build and maintain effective relationships with diverse stakeholders including government agencies, the public, non-profits and private sector.
• Ability to organize, plan and prioritize tasks; manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Ability to manage budgets and grants, and apply for emergency-management funding from local, state and federal sources and lead teams during high-stress incidents.
• Ability to plan strategically, manage multiple priorities, and maintain composure under stress.
• Demonstrated leadership in supervising staff, coordinating training/exercise programs and managing relationships across agencies and jurisdictions.
• Demonstrated commitment to community resilience, fairness, and transparent public service.

Additional Information

Physical requirements include the ability to lift/carry up to 25 pounds occasionally, visual acuity, speech and hearing, hand and eye coordination and manual dexterity necessary to operate a computer and office equipment. Subject to standing, walking, sitting, repetitive motion, reaching, climbing stairs, bending, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, pushing, pulling, balancing, client/customer contact, squatting to perform the essential functions.

Travis County employees play an important role in business continuity. As such, employees can be assigned to business continuity efforts outside of normal job functions.

This job description is intended to be generic in nature. It is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The essential duties, functions and responsibilities and overtime eligibility may vary based on the specific tasks assigned to the position.

Work Hours: Monday - Friday 8 am - 5 pm
Department: County Judge

Location: 700 Lavaca, Suite 2.600 Austin, TX 78701

Criminal, Credit, Driving, Education, and Employment Background Checks Required.

For updates or questions about this posting, contact: Kate.Garza@traviscountytx.gov