Emergency Management Director

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POSITION

Reporting to the assistant vice president of environmental health and safety, the emergency management director is a professional, administrative, and supervisory leader responsible for directing and managing all aspects of the emergency management program. This includes all phases of emergency management (prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery) as well as Fire and Life Safety.

This influential position helps to ensure that mission critical functions within the university community are prepared to operate during, and efficiently recover after, a crisis, disaster, or incident. The director will perform administrative and operational tasks, implementing and administering the requirements of the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA section 304) and the management of professional staff and student employees.

The scope of work requires a broad professional and comprehensive knowledge of emergency management, business continuity, emergency operations planning, local hazard mitigation planning, emergency operations center readiness, disaster recovery, fire and life safety operations and an ability to effectively work across all levels of the University.

Additional Duties and Responsibilities

• Participate in developing and maintaining strategic emergency management plan and supporting plans and procedures.
• Prepare and present concise, logical, oral and written reports and explain policy, procedures or recommendations.
• Develop, update, and maintain all necessary program documents, such as the Hazard Mitigation Plan, Emergency Operations Plan, strategic emergency management plan, and all supporting policies and procedures.
• Analyze and monitor trends in higher learning emergency management; recommend and/or implement improvements in emergency preparedness, response, and recovery to ensure the university is well prepared for all hazards.
• Advise university departments on their business, academic, and research emergency plans, and coordinate interdepartmental activities associated with preparedness, and continuity of operations.
• Develop tabletop, functional, and full-scale exercises to evaluate and improve the university’s ability to respond to disasters and emergencies.
• Organize and maintain the university’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC). During emergencies, provide support and assistance to the Incident Commander(s) and oversee the functioning of the EOC.
• Monitor potential emergencies and disasters and notify appropriate personnel; maintain the EOC and ensure equipment is in working order.
• During emergency and disaster situations, take direction from and support the work of the Incident Commander; oversee and support the functioning of the EOC; coordinate and participate in the recall of employees and other support resources; ensure that EOC positions are staffed and that personnel are trained to perform assigned duties.
• Maintain and develop valued partnerships with the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency, the State of Iowa Homeland Security, Story County Emergency Management, City of Ames, and other local municipalities.
• Research, apply for, and allocate grant funding to enhance the university’s ability to respond to disasters and emergencies; manage grant programs and projects; maintain eligibility requirements for county, state, and federal financial reimbursement programs.
• Represent the university with local and state regulatory agencies, utility and other services, planning committees, and media representatives; provide briefings, and develop written literature and presentations to inform the public.
• Perform a variety of administrative, operational, research, and analytical duties in support of the program; develop reports, recommend policies and procedures.
• Manage the emergency preparedness budget; recommend and monitor expenditures.
• Develop and implement campus emergency preparedness programs through interactions with ISU students, faculty, and staff as well as local and state partners.
• Develop and administer engaging emergency training and exercise programs, develop after-action reports, and implement corrective action plans.
• Work with campus clients to analyze continuity and emergency planning needs, evaluate campus risk exposures and recommend plans and procedures to improve preparedness, continuity, and resilience.
• Provide support for university emergencies that occur during the workday, evenings, weekends, and/or holidays.
• Develop campus preparedness initiatives through special events, communications, signage, posters, and outreach campaigns.
• Ensure campus maintains “StormReady” Campus designation awarded by the National Weather Service.
• Work within EH&S to ensure preparedness for various workplace hazards, including fire and chemical, radiological, biological spills/releases, compressed/liquefied gas releases.
• Perform other related duties as assigned by the Assistant Vice President of Environmental Health and Safety.

QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college/university and seven years of progressively responsible managerial or supervisory experience in emergency management, preparedness, business continuity or related experience. Experience in civil defense, police, fire and/or equivalent combination of training and experience will also be considered.

The successful candidate will have knowledge of the Incident Command System (ICS) and National Incident Management System (NIMS); experience in appraising emergency situations, supporting disaster responses, and/or developing training activities or emergency planning for organization preparedness; and knowledge of and ability to interpret federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations. Further, an ability to analyze problems, identify alternative solutions, project consequences of proposed actions and implement recommendations in support of goals; work cooperatively with the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds of university personnel and students, and to create a respectful and inclusive workplace; establish and maintain positive and harmonious working relationships; and gain cooperation through discussion, motivation, and persuasion are all important for this director. Knowledge and support of the university mission; an ability to maintain a customer service and educational mindset when engaging the public and campus community; and the ability to manage and lead in a complex, rapidly changing environment are all key characteristics of the next director. In addition, the successful candidate will be familiar with principles and practices of budget preparation and administration, have effective written and oral communication skills, and possess the ability to motivate, supervise, and develop staff.

Preferred qualifications include an advanced degree in public administration, business administration, risk management, emergency management, community regional planning or relevant field. Further, formal training and/or certification in disaster response, emergency operations, emergency management planning, business continuity, risk management, Adult CPR, First Aid, and AED. Training or certifications such as Certified Environmental Manager (CEM), Associate of Risk Management (ARM), Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP), and Incident command training (FEMA, ICS courses, etc.).

In addition to the stated qualifications and characteristics, Iowa State stakeholders identified the following characteristics as important for the emergency management director position (in no particular order):

• Adept at conceptualizing a full emergency management program for higher education.
• An authentic communicator capable of truly understanding an audience and how to effectively listen and connect with their needs.
• Possess an extensive background in the creation and implementation of emergency management programs, plans, and training within complex organizations.
• A solid understanding of fire safety and risk assessment to both support and advocate for the staff and their needs.
• Capacity to command a room through demonstrated confidence, knowledge, experience, and strength of presence.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience with real, large-scale emergency and/or crisis situations.
• A strong community builder and collaborator, capable of building bridges between departments, faculty, staff, students, local, regional, and state agencies.
• Ability to successfully navigate difficult situations with poise, calm, and tact.
• Possess a genuinely inclusive leadership style that is confident, approachable, motivational, and transparent, with the ability to be firm, clear, direct, and consistent with staff and others.
• A transformative, collaborative leader to help make emergency management a fixture of the Iowa State culture.
• A forward-thinking professional, aware of trends and best practices and how to effectively incorporate these into the campus community.
• Demonstrated cultural competence with a strong belief in the value of diversity in enriching the learning experience and the quality of life on campus.
• A highly energetic, positive individual with a strong sense of self.
• Possess solid coaching and mentoring skills to assist in the further development of the office staff.
• Demonstrated ability to lead a group of highly skilled leaders and professionals.
• Capacity to continually evaluate policies and procedures using knowledge obtained through drills or actual events to inform change.
• Ability to coordinate emergency preparedness training and drills for all levels of stakeholders across the institution.
• A willingness to be visible on campus, to be present, to participate in the life of the campus, and to provide service wherever requested.
• Maintain a solid network of seasoned professionals at the forefront of the field of emergency management from which to draw upon for guidance and support.
• A strategic thinker with an ability to see both short- and long-term issues and develop appropriate solutions.
• Innovative technology experience to further enhance emergency management efforts increasing efficiency and streamlining processes.
• Ability to exercise exceptional judgment and intuition.

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF THE ROLE

The new director will encounter the following opportunities and challenges:

• The new director has a solid foundation upon which to build and grow.
• The staff is very talented and passionate about their work.
• Senior administration is supportive of emergency management and fire safety.
• The director will be expected to creatively inspire change and lead the effort to educate the entire campus community regarding fire safety, emergency plans, and preparedness.
• Work to effectively train, coach, and empower the emergency management and fire safety staff and instill a culture of constant evaluation and improvement.
• Completely understand the unique challenges, needs, and culture of Iowa State.
• Provide training and emergency specific practices to allow all constituents a level of comfort and confidence in their specific roles.
• Help ensure business continuity plans are all up-to-date and accurate.
• The Department of Public Safety has an emergency management director who is responsible more for the response side of an emergency. These two directors will need to forge a strong partnership to seamlessly work together for the safety of the campus.
• Lead efforts to conduct all pertinent training for the campus community including tabletops.
• Serve as a resource for the campus on all things emergency management; maintaining accurate information, current research, and online tools for the campus community to easily access.
• Completely understanding the unique challenges and needs of a complex, de-centralized organization.
• Ensure the office does not operate within a silo and only engages others when an emergency arises. This director needs to make sure the office is included in meetings and decisions that may impact fire safety and/or emergency management.
• Review all policies and procedures ensuring that they are accurate, clear, and easily accessible to the campus community.
• Iowa State is an incredible institution constantly evolving and improving.
• The new director has the ability to create a structure from which the office and the campus can excel.
• The leadership is open to positive change and to trying new ideas and initiatives.
• Environmental Health and Safety has experienced some recent changes with leadership transitions and retirements, including the department reporting through the Office of General Counsel. Overall, these changes have proven to be positive, but the department is still learning and the director should be aware of this new reporting structure.
• Currently, the institution’s Emergency Operations Plans are being revised and updated. The new director may come in on the tail end of this process yet will need to embrace the plan and begin to educate and train to the plan.