The Program Manager, at the grade of a Senior Planner, will be responsible for coordinating regional public safety program activities and Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) subawards in support of DHSPS and other operating departments within COG and/or jurisdictions represented by COG. This position will be supervised by the Chief of Homeland Security and Policy and the Chief of Public Safety and Health Preparedness.

SUMMARY

The Senior Planner is an advanced level professional position in regional emergency management and homeland security planning, inclusive of activities within the domains of public health, fire and rescue, transportation, and law enforcement, among others.
Daily activities for this position involve performing advanced planning duties, such as managing regional program activities in support of the Department of Homeland Security and Public Safety (DHSPS) and other operating departments within COG and/or jurisdictions represented by COG. The Senior Planner will manage large and/or complex projects and supervise staff. Guidelines and supervision for this position are provided by the Manager of Homeland Security and Policy in the DHSPS.

EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Bachelor’s degree and six or more years of professional experience in emergency management or related fields, such as defense, politics, public health, or public policy; or any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities relevant to the major duties of this position. Preferred: A master’s degree from an accredited university; thorough knowledge of intergovernmental coordination; and professional supervisory experience.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Demonstrated expert skills in verbal, written, and interpersonal communication. Substantial experience condensing complex topics to concise summaries appropriate for the general public. A keen understanding of boundaries in the presence of stakeholders, including politicians and agency leadership, and when/where to provide a value-adding opinion. Proven success in data visualization, the development of process figures, and graphic design. Preferred: multiple years of experience developing original drafts of governmental doctrine and/or policy. Experience with public outreach methods, such as marketing new personal preparedness techniques or regional training and programs.

COMPUTER KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

In-depth understanding of the MS Office Suite of programs, including Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and OneNote. Significant experience with Adobe InDesign or comparable desktop publishing software. Understanding of MS Sharepoint and OneDrive. Preferred: Several years of experience performing skilled quality control and quality assurance on public documents; and program performance auditing/evaluation
Mathematical Skills Understanding of statistics, economics, quantitative assessment techniques, and transforming qualitative data into quantitative data.
Certificates, Licenses, Registrations Professional certification will be included in consideration of acceptable experience and training.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to handle or feel objects or controls and talk or hear. Work is also occasionally performed in the field, requiring the ability to operate a motor vehicle to travel to various locations.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

Provide project activity tracking in support of the Manager; this may include supervision of contract staff or management of discrete projects with assigned staff peers.
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Specific work responsibilities of the Senior Planner include:

• Facilitating meetings with high-level homeland security, emergency management, and public safety stakeholders, while documenting and tracking action items and decision-making.
• Moving stakeholders forward on identified action items and decisions.
• Working closely with policy officials, senior managers, and subject matter experts on the development of strategic regional documents and decision support.
• Developing methods and techniques for plan (and/or program) evaluation and review of its spatial, fiscal, economic, social, environmental, and political impact.
• Preparing presentations and participate as required in conferences, meetings, and other public events.
• Providing expert input on complex policy and strategy matters by developing or managing the development of oral and written reports and responses to requests for information or data.
• Developing processes and methodology for regional strategy.
• Ability to manage a variety of highly specialized and technical problems in support of local and state officials.
• Maintaining an understanding of nationwide best practices by continually engaging diverse partners, reading new studies and reports, and staying abreast of the news.
• Coordinating project scheduling, progress evaluation, technical liaison, and interdepartmental coordination.
• Maintaining positive, trusting work relationships with coworkers and regional stakeholders.
• Making independent decisions on behalf of COG, in alignment with the organization’s vision and strategic direction.
• Attending professional conferences and training sessions as a representative of COG.
• Providing project activity tracking in support of the Manager of Homeland Security and Policy, including supervising contract staff or management of discrete projects with assigned staff peers