Emergency Management Specialist

Duties:

• Participates in an emergency management team that identifies and resolves complex resource and healthcare management changes before during and after emergency situations.
• Oversees the Emergency Management Program and Preparedness for the medical center and community based outpatient clinics.

• Acts jointly with the Chief Fiscal Officer in the development maintenance and tracking of budgets and capital expenditure plans.

• Performs support work for the Emergency Management Program by tracking and procuring contingency supplies and equipment maintenance of databases and ensure resources are available and meets mission objectives.

• Provides support work in organizing network emergency management support activities as necessary.

• Serves as the primary point of contact coordinating with the VHA Office of Emergency Management with regards to the program in the absence of the VISN Network Emergency Manager.

• Ensures facilities meet all applicable accreditation and regulatory requirements maintaining operational readiness and capability.

• Collaborates with the Network Emergency Manager in establishing emergency preparedness program priorities scheduling work activities to meet the goals and objectives for field sites.

• Interacts in a professional and competent manner with individuals of executive level responsibilities and authority.

• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Position is subject to recall around the clock for emergency management operations which may require irregular work hours work locations other than the official duty station and may include duties other than those specified in the employees official position description. Travel requirements in support with little advanced notice and may require employees to relocate to emergency sites with physically austere and operationally challenging conditions.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Emergency Management Specialist/PD99789S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincolns promise To care for those who have served in our nations military and for their families caregivers and survivors - by serving and honoring the men and women who are Americas Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans.

Whole Health is an approach to health care that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their life to the fullest. VA is committed to Whole Health and values Veteran and Employee health and wellbeing. As a VA employee you will practice Whole Health in an environment that supports personalized and proactive care.

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
• Subject to background/security investigation
• A current valid state drivers license is required. Note: We cannot accept photographs. Therefore please do not submit a copy of your license with your application package. If an interview is requested you will be required to provide your drivers license for verification of required endorsements.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public determining if your employment advances the public interest we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification in writing that your continued employment advances the public interest.

To qualify for this position applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement 08/03/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. The grade may have been in any occupation but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade as required by the this instance you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience that equipped you with the knowledge skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties this position and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-11) in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience in emergency management where you applied your knowledge of the laws guidelines and policies governing various emergency management programs and operations to assist in developing executing and analyzing an emergency management program; applying data analytical and evaluation methods to determine program compliance with emergency preparedness and management rules and regulations; and applying a working knowledge of a variety of emergency contingency and operations plans policies and directives to provide advice and assistance. At this level applicants should possess skills to prepare emergency situation status reports that describe response and recovery efforts needs and preliminary damage assessments and prepare plans that outline operating procedures to be used in response to disasters or emergencies and in recovery from these events. Note: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title duties month and year start/end dates AND hour worked per week.

Best Qualified Criteria:

• Leads a full comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) /Continuity of Operations Plan for a large complex healthcare system or comparable organization covering all phases of emergency management.
• Manages or co-manages an emergency management program for a medium-to-large facility with substantial CEMP/COOP responsibility.
• Supports specific elements of CEMP/COOP such as annexes hazard vulnerability analysis or continuity tasks under guidance.
• Basic related experience in emergency management safety preparedness or continuity planning with limited direct CEMP/COOP involvement.

Preferred Experience:

• Healthcare emergency management program leadership: Leading or managing a Comprehensive Emergency Management Program (or equivalent) in a hospital VA or large healthcare system including writing and maintaining Emergency Operations Plans and Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) plans.
• Federal/VA and interagency coordination: Direct experience coordinating with VA Office of Emergency Management (VA OEM) Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) offices National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) and DoD/Emergency Support Function (ESF) partners or similar federal state and local emergency management agencies.
• Incident management Hospital Command Center (HCC) and decontamination operations hands on experience activating staffing and supporting a HCC or Incident Management Team during drills and real incidents and or managing or supervising decontamination programs (First Receiver Decon) including Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPRs) and other specialized equipment unit leaders and team training and sustainment funding.
• Exercise design Hazard Vulnerability Analysis (HVA) and Emergency Management analytics designing and evaluating exercises using Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) principles writing After-Action Reports and Improvement Plans and tracking corrective actions to closure and or conducting healthcare Hazard Vulnerability Analyses using data gathering and evaluation methods to assess risk and regulatory compliance (The Joint Commission (TJC) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) NIMS etc.).
• Volunteer deployment and large-scale staff coordination Managing a Disaster Emergency Personnel System (DEMPS) type programs equivalent including recruiting training and deploying volunteers for national or regional mission and or maintaining automated alert and notification systems cascade call lists and employee/patient accountability processes before during and after emergencies.

License Requirement: A current valid state drivers license is required. Note: We cannot accept photographs. Therefore please do not submit a copy of your license with your application package. If an interview is requested you will be required to provide your drivers license for verification of required endorsements.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment: The work is mostly sedentary although some physical effort may be required to meet fieldwork requirements. Lifting 50 pounds moving pushing etc. During emergency events the employee would be expected to work significant extended hours under very austere conditions. Work is generally in an office setting but emergency incidents and training and exercise events may require prolonged duty days and/or work to be conducted under austere field conditions. Position may require frequent travel.

For more information on these qualification standards please visit the United States Office of Personnel Managements website at

Required Experience:

IC