Director of Emergency Management & ...

UC Santa Cruz is a public university combining the experience of a small, liberal arts college with the depth and rigor of a major research university. Known for innovation and experimentation, the campus is renowned for its beauty.

About the role

Reporting to the Associate Vice Chancellor of Risk & Safety Services, the Director of Emergency Management & Mission Continuity develops, implements, and monitors programs and policies supporting emergency preparedness, business continuity, and emergency response for the University.

Responsibilities

• Planning & Compliance (30%)
  • Develops, assesses, revises, and maintains the campus Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and other campus-level plans, policies, and procedures integrating FEMA and Cal OES standards.
  • Provides guidance, training, and assistance to departments in developing their emergency plans to interface with the campus EOP.
  • Ensures compliance of plans with regulatory requirements, including NIMS, SEMS, and ICS provisions.
  • Conducts hazard vulnerability assessments evaluating probability, risk, health and safety of responders, impacts to operations, infrastructure, environment, and institutional reputation.
  • Develops and maintains documents and checklists for emergency or disaster conditions.
  • Provides technical consultation on emergency management and preparedness across campus.
  • Coordinates departmental emergency response planning and resource mobilization.
  • Develops, implements, and trains usage of computer-based systems for tracking emergency conditions, ensuring compliance with FEMA and CalOES requirements.
  • Leads the development of a comprehensive campus business continuity program and supervises the Business Continuity Planner.
• Operations & Response (15%)
  • Visits field sites and crisis areas with little or no notice to assess and mitigate emergency situations.
  • Serves as the primary on-call Emergency Management Duty Officer as defined in the campus EOP.
  • Maintains campus Emergency Operations Center (EOC) readiness.
  • Leads crisis communication, including deployment of campus emergency notification systems (CruzAlert) and emergency management software (WebEOC).
  • Coordinates preparation of reports and applications for state and federal reimbursement and financial assistance.
  • Provides technical expertise during emergencies, including after-hours and on-call response, managing the emergency response process according to ICS structure.
• Training & Exercises (20%)
  • Develops, implements, and facilitates integration of ICS into campus emergency planning activities.
  • Trains and exercises top-level management, EOC staff, and departments in ICS and campus EOP usage.
  • Evaluates communication needs and develops training for primary and alternate communication systems.
  • Designs, plans, and conducts emergency management exercises (tabletop, functional, and full-scale drills) and coordinates campus participation in regional and state-level exercises.
  • Prepares instructional materials for emergency preparedness and response personnel.
• Administration & Partnerships (20%)
  • Serves as the campus expert on emergency management, including preparedness, response, and recovery.
  • Cultivates and maintains partnerships with city, county, and statewide agencies (e.g., FEMA, Cal OES, American Red Cross, DHS).
  • Coordinates campus plans with regional emergency frameworks and participates in system-wide policy development.
  • Evaluates and identifies response resources, developing agreements with external entities for relief materials.
  • Coordinates emergency management with campus programs (e.g., fire, law enforcement, hazardous materials, risk management).
  • Organizes meetings of the Campus Emergency Planning Committee and Critical Incident Response Team.
  • Provides advisory support to the Chancellors' Emergency Management Policy Group (EMPG).
• Demonstration Operations Team (DOT) Coordination and Support (10%)
  • Provides direct support to the DOT Manager (Associate Vice Chancellor, Risk and Safety Services).
  • Coordinates planning activities for DOT meetings, training, event planning, and event management.
  • Ensures alignment with the UCOP Civil Disobedience Initiative.
  • Coordinates and documents all training required for DOT.
  • Serves as the office of record for DOT documentation.
  • Monitors social media and campus calendar for upcoming/unannounced events.
• Other Duties (5%)
  • Participates in key planning committees for emergency management integration.
  • Researches and secures grant funding for emergency management programs (e.g., mitigation, recovery, training, equipment).
  • Coordinates the campus automated external defibrillator program.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in a related area and/or equivalent experience/training.
• Substantive, relevant, and recent professional-level experience in emergency management and planning in a large organization.
• Advanced knowledge of the National Incident Management System (NIMS), Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS), and Incident Command System (ICS).
• Experience in developing and writing standard operating procedures and emergency plans.

Pay

Budgeted salary range: $123,000 – $165,000 annually. Salary is commensurate with skills, qualifications, and experience.

Schedule

• Full-time, fixed appointment (100%, 40 hours per week).
• Monday–Friday, day shift.
• Career appointment with full benefits.