Emergency Management Director
Job Location:
Pocatello, ID - USA
Monthly Salary:
Posted:
Application Deadline:
Vacancies:
Job Summary
About Bannock County
Bannock County serves more than 90000 residents and is anchored by Pocatello - a regional hub with a strong industrial base a major university and a diverse risk environment that includes wildfire corridors seismic activity hazardous materials infrastructure and severe weather. The Office of Emergency Management plays a central role in protecting this community coordinating preparedness response and recovery across local state federal and private-sector partners.
Why This Role Matters
Bannock County is at an inflection point. Increasing risk complexity growing interagency coordination demands and heightened expectations for community readiness require a more proactive relationship-driven emergency management program.
The next Emergency Management Director will be first and foremost a builder - of relationships of trust and of community commitment to preparedness. Emergency management doesnt work without willing partners. The ability to earn buy-in from elected officials first responders private industry leaders and community organizations is not a nice-to-have in this role. It is the job.
This is a single-incumbent director-level position with direct access to elected county leadership. You will serve as the countys principal advisor on emergency management and as the Commissioners Authorized Representative to regional state and federal partners. The technical dimensions of the role are real - and supported. A dedicated county grants team and an established community partner provide hands-on assistance with federal grant programs so you can focus on what matters most: leading the program and building the coalitions that make it work.
| We can teach emergency management. We cant teach the instinct to build trust the drive to bring people together or the ability to make a community believe that preparedness matters. If those describe you we want to hear from you. |
What Success Looks Like
In the first year a successful Director will:
- Have built trusted productive relationships with the Sheriff Fire Chief city and county department leaders and key community stakeholders
- Have earned credibility with the Board of County Commissioners as a reliable clear-eyed and technically sound advisor
- Be actively championing a culture of preparedness - making the case for emergency readiness in terms that resonate with each audience
- Have a clear picture of the countys risk landscape and a prioritized plan for addressing the most critical gaps
- Have the programs grant portfolio and compliance requirements organized and on track working in partnership with the county grants team
Over time a successful Director will:
- Develop proactive approaches utilizing planning and mitigation driven decisions not solely reactionary response
- Become the trusted convener for multi-agency coordination - the person all partners want at the table
- Strengthen the countys positioning for state and federal funding through strong relationships and well-managed programs
- Build a resilient program that deploys multi-agency networks contingency plans and strengthens continuity of operations
Key Responsibilities
Program Oversight Advocacy & Relationship-Building
- Performs all duties responsibilities and interactions in a professional effective compliant and safe manner according to Federal State County and local laws ordinances and policies
- Collaborates with the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) to establish departmental goals objectives priorities performance measures and work plans
- Advises and updates the Board of County Commissioners and other elected officials on emergency management events risks priorities work plans policies and program status
- Represents the county as the BOCCs Authorized Representative for emergency management matters involving local regional state and federal emergency management partners
- Cultivates and sustains productive relationships with local governments public safety officials other first responders community organizations private industry partners and other local regional state and federal partners to strengthen countywide preparedness and resilience
- Provide regular strategic updates and policy guidance to the Board of County Commissioners and elected officials
Planning & Preparedness
- Leads Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) capability assessments resource identification and other related risk-analysis to integrate findings into strategic planning mitigation training and grant and funding requests
- Develops maintains distributes and coordinates county All-Hazards Emergency Operations and Mitigation Plans Incident Action Plans Continuity of Operations Plans and supporting checklists and procedures for mitigation preparedness response continuity and recovery
- Research and adapt best practices from peer jurisdictions state agencies and federal partners
Training Exercises & Community Engagement
- Champions a culture of preparedness through community engagement public education and clear presentations to elected officials County employees partner agencies community groups and the public
- Chairs the Bannock County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) and leads multi-jurisdictional planning to prioritize mitigation projects and protect critical infrastructure
- Plans organizes and conducts community and interagency drills exercises and training events consistent with applicable grant local regional state and federal requirements
Emergency Operations
- Coordinates facilitates and secures the needed staffing resources partner and agency communication and other needed functions of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) during exercises training events emergencies recovery and mitigation
- Assesses rapidly developing situations recommends appropriate courses of action and responds to emergency activations as needed including during evenings weekends and for extended operational periods
- Prepares After Action Reports and improvement plans tracks corrective actions and incorporates lessons learned into plans training and program priorities
Budget Grants and Compliance
- Identifies and pursues Homeland Security (DHS) Idaho Office of Emergency Management (IOEM) and other grant funding opportunities in collaboration with Bannock County grants team sub-recipients and other community partners
- Supports program grant implementation compliance reporting and sub-recipient performance oversight in collaboration grants support staff
- Ensures compliance with all applicable federal state and local emergency management requirements and DHS programs
- Recommends and manages the departmental agreements budgets and prepares and tracks expenditures
- Maintains accurate logs records reports financial documentation plans and other records required for program continuity accountability and compliance and
Other Responsibilities
- Performs other tasks or responsibilities as assigned or necessary to meet department and County objectives.
Core Competencies
This role is designed for a relationship-builder and program champion. The knowledge skills and abilities below reflect what we believe successful candidates will enact on a regular basis:
Knowledge | |
Emergency Management Code & Principles | Federal state County and local emergency services authorities laws regulations policies and program requirements Emergency management principles and all-hazard planning across mitigation preparedness response continuity and recovery |
Assessment & Planning | Threat and hazard identification methods capability assessment resource identification mitigation planning and critical-infrastructure protection and how to integrate risk-analysis in emergency planning |
Emergency Management Operations | Emergency Operation Center operations public safety response and escalation framework NIMS ICS exercise design after-action processes and multi-agency incident coordination |
Grant & Budget Management | Public-sector budgeting grant-funded program administration sub-recipient oversight records management and compliance documentation. |
Skills | |
Communication & Persuasion | Communicate and present complex sensitive or urgent information clearly accurately and persuasively in oral and written form Lead through influence motivate collaboration and maintain effective working relationships with people who do not report to the position |
Cross-Group & Training Effectiveness | Build collaborative and effective EOC activities and coordinate people information resources and priorities during activations Develop maintain administer and evaluate emergency plans procedures training drills and exercises and |
Organization & Technology | Manages multiple concurrent priorities deadlines and stakeholder demands without losing detail or momentum Works independently and in teams while managing concurrent priorities and time-sensitive deadlines Effectively utilize standard emergency communication and office technology and other job-related emergency management systems. |
Abilities | |
Composure Under Pressure | Remain calm fair and decisive in stressful or rapidly evolving situations by maintaining sound judgement focusing teams and modeling professionalism during urgent situations |
Problem Solving & Adaptability | Analyze situations quickly and objectively recognize actual and potential hazards and determine or recommend an appropriate course of action Navigate ambiguous fast-moving situations with practical creative solutions and is comfortable making learning and adjusting quickly to make sound decisions with incomplete information and |
Relationship Building & Trust | Builds consensus trust and productive relationships across jurisdictions and with elected officials agencies responders community organizations private industry and the public. |
Required Qualifications
All of the following are required at the time of application:
- Three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in emergency management public safety public administration or a closely related field
- Three (3) years of leadership program management or director-level responsibility
- Completion of NIMS/ICS courses ICS-IS-700 IS-800) or ability to obtain within the first six (6) months
- Valid drivers license and
- Ability to respond to emergency activations on a no-notice basis including evenings weekends and extended operational periods.
Preferred Qualifications
Candidates with any of the following will receive preference in the selection process:
ü Bachelors degree in emergency management Public Administration Homeland Security or related field ü Seven (7) or more years of relevant experience and 5 years of leadership experience ü Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) certification or progress toward certification ü FEMA Advanced Professional Series (APS) certificate ü Experience with Homeland Security and Idaho Office of Emergency Management grant programs compliance and systems ü Operational experience using NIMS/ICS WebEOC GIS IPAWS and FEMA systems in real-world incidents and ü Military emergency management public safety or civil affairs experience.
Compensation & Benefits
The starting salary for this position is $66955.20 annually (Grade 15S) with placement commensurate with qualifications and experience. Bannock County offers a competitive public-sector benefits package designed to support the whole employee:
- PERSI retirement (defined benefit pension) with optional 401(k) and 457(b) retirement plans
- Medical dental and vision insurance with optional Flex Spending Account (FSA)
- Employer-paid life and long-term disability insurance
- Generous paid leave and 11 paid holidays
- Supplemental plans available for life accident cancer critical illness and other coverage
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) employer
- Professional development support including budgeted CEM and FEMA training
Work Environment & physcial requirements
The principal duties of this position are typically performed in an office environment at meetings and training locations throughout Bannock County and the region in the EOC and occasionally at emergencies or disaster sites. Emergency assignments may involve high-pressure conditions irregular schedules travel exposure to inclement weather or incident-site hazards and extended work periods.
Physical requirements include (with or without reasonable accommodation):
- Sufficient clarity of speech and hearing to receive instructions communicate effectively in person and by telephone or radio and recognize sounds associated with emergency conditions
- Sufficient visual acuity to read and prepare written and electronic materials review maps and operational information and operate a motor vehicle
- Sufficient manual and fine-motor dexterity to prepare records and reports and operate standard office and emergency management equipment and
- Sufficient mobility flexibility agility reflexes and physical strength to work in office and EOC settings and respond to emergency locations while lifting to 25 pounds.
How to Apply
Submit a completed Bannock County employment application a current resume and a cover letter describing your experience building relationships across diverse organizations and why you are drawn to this role. Applications submitted without all three components will not be considered.
| Application portal: Application deadline: Until filled Questions: / |
Bannock County is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Veterans preference is applied in accordance with Idaho Code.
Required Experience:
Director
