Emergency Management Specialist (CEMA) - Training, Exercise and EOC Readiness

About the role

The Emergency Management Specialist — Training, Exercise & EOC Readiness builds and sustains the systematic preparedness program that ensures the City of St. Louis is trained, exercised, and ready before the next disaster occurs.

Responsibilities

• Designs, develops, delivers, and documents a multi-year training program for CEMA staff, city department heads, EOC-assigned personnel, and operational partners, aligned to the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the National Qualification System (NQS).
• Conducts citywide ICS/NIMS training, ensuring every department head, supervisor, and key employee understands their emergency role before the next activation — not during it.
• Develops position-specific training, job aids, and position qualification pathways for all EOC positions, establishing a documented credentialing standard for EOC assignment.
• Coordinates joint training delivery with St. Louis Fire Department certified instructors, SEMA, FEMA/EMI, and regional partners under existing and future memoranda of agreement.
• Maintains complete training records sufficient to satisfy EMAP Standard 4.10, federal grant requirements, and NIMS compliance reporting.
• Designs, plans, conducts, and evaluates a progressive, multi-year exercise program compliant with the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP), including seminars, tabletops, functional exercises, and full-scale exercises.
• Develops exercise scenarios grounded in the City’s THIRA, hazard-specific annexes, and real-world incident history, in coordination with the Chief Planner.
• Recruits and manages external evaluators and SEMA/FEMA facilitation for major exercises to ensure independent evaluation of CEMA-designed events.
• Captures and documents lessons learned from exercises and real-world incidents, and implements corrective actions.
• Manages the steady-state readiness of the Emergency Operations Center as a program: activation standard operating procedures, battle rhythm templates, position binders, checklists, displays, seating and organization charts, and information flow processes.
• Administers the City’s crisis information management platform, including user accounts, boards, templates, and proficiency training for all EOC-assigned personnel.
• Conducts and documents recurring EOC readiness checks, including systems, communications, and activation drills, and verifies the facility can transition from cold status to operational within established standards.
• Maintains the EOC staffing roster and position credentialing tracker in coordination with the Deputy Commissioner, ensuring trained, qualified personnel are identified for every EOC position across multiple operational periods.
• Identifies EOC facility, technology, and equipment requirements and refers procurement, inventory, and maintenance actions to the Logistics Manager.
• During EOC activations, serves in an assigned Incident Command System position, typically as Situation Unit Leader within the Planning Section, responsible for situational awareness, information display, and situation reporting.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Emergency Management, Public Administration, Homeland Security, Education/Instructional design, or a closely related field; plus two years of professional experience in emergency management, public safety training, exercise design, military readiness/training, or a closely related field.
• Completion of IS-100, IS-200, IS-700, and IS-800 at time of appointment.
• Completion of ICS-300 and ICS-400 within 12 months of appointment.
• Completion of the HSEEP course (K0146/L0146 or successor) within 12 months of appointment, if not already held.
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license while employed by the City of St. Louis.

Qualifications

• Working knowledge of national emergency management doctrine, including NIMS, ICS, the National Preparedness System, FEMA CPG 101, and HSEEP methodology.
• Demonstrated ability to design and deliver instruction to audiences ranging from line employees to department directors and elected officials.
• Demonstrated ability to plan, conduct, and evaluate exercises and to translate findings into tracked, completed corrective actions.
• Strong writing ability, including after-action reports, improvement plans, standard operating procedures, and training curricula.
• Ability to build cooperative relationships across city departments, regional partners, and state and federal agencies.
• Experience serving in an activated EOC during a real-world incident, including experience in a Planning Section or Situation Unit role.
• Experience administering WebEOC or a comparable crisis information management platform.
• Experience developing training or exercise programs within an EMAP-accredited or accreditation-seeking program.

Skills

• Working knowledge of EOC operations, crisis information management systems, and emergency communications.
• Ability to perform calmly and effectively during emergency activations and under sustained operational tempo.
• Knowledge of community preparedness and emergency volunteer program management, including the FEMA CERT program model and volunteer coordination practices.

Benefits

Salary: $52,286 - $78,416
Position Grade: 210G
Department: City Emergency Management Agency
Job Type: Full-Time (Permanent)

Pay

$52,286 - $78,416

Schedule

Full-Time (Permanent)