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UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty.

UW Emergency Management (UWEM) is part of the UW’s Division of Campus Community Safety. This new Division (launched in academic year 2022-2023) leads planning, prevention, response and recovery for the UW through three key emergency and safety response units, UW Emergency Management, UW SafeCampus, and UW Police (Seattle Campus). UWEM provides strategic direction as well as technical and consulting services for the Seattle campus. The team defines enterprise-wide standards for planning and training, and acts as a liaison with UW’s other two campuses (Bothell and Tacoma) in addition to other university locations. (UWEM works in partnership with UW Medicine’s emergency preparedness staff who are in primary roles for UW Medicine locations and employees.) The UWEM team owns developing and updating the University’s foundational plans for emergency preparedness; delivers individual and group training, workshops, seminars, drills and exercises; and distributes general materials to help the campus community prepare for campus crises, disasters and major emergency incidents; and develops frameworks for recovery and ongoing resiliency. UWEM convenes and manages the Weather Status Assessment Group; maintains the Seattle Campus Emergency operations Center; and supports openings/closings of the University’s virtual EOC, in addition to playing a key role in incident management.

We have an outstanding opportunity for a Director of Emergency Management to manage, enhance and oversee the emergency management framework necessary to advance the University of Washington in achieving excellence in the areas of disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.

Primary responsibilities include:

1) Prepare the University community to respond to emergencies that might significantly affect or impact the University of Washington (for example, communicable disease outbreaks, earthquakes, storms, floods, violence and major civil disturbances)
2) Manage and support improvements to programs that address the requirements of coordinating emergency management planning throughout the University community by updating and maintaining functional materials, completing mitigation plans, and establishing an effective training program.
3) Ensure consistent delivery of emergency management program efforts at all UW locations, through technical support, guidance and provision of expert assistance to staff on campuses and at satellite locations.
4) Coordinate effectively with the University President, President’s Cabinet and other senior leadership in both planning for and responding to emergencies.
5) Support business resumption after a disaster.
6) Ensure effective disaster and major emergency response activities are followed.

Core Competencies

Demonstrate personal integrity and trustworthiness.

Manage stressful situations and changing priorities effectively.

Anticipate, recognize and resolve problems.

Be responsible and accountable.

Use organizational skills and provide attention to details.

Maintain a positive, optimistic, and success-oriented attitude.

Exercise professionalism, which includes being tactful and courteous.

Exhibit a professional work ethic.

Continuously promote a safe work environment.

The new Division of Campus Community Safety unifies front-line public safety units across the University for a holistic approach to campus community safety, innovation in approaches, and clarity in leadership responsibility and accountability. Key units include UW Emergency Management, SafeCampus and the Seattle campus UW Police Department. Division staff work daily in partnership with units across and outside the UW system to both create safer, welcoming campus environments; prepare for potential natural or human-made disasters; and respond appropriately to incidents.

Duties & Responsibilities

NOTE: % level of efforts may shift greatly between major duties, especially in response/recovery.

Mitigation (25%)

Maintain a cycle of Threat & Hazard Identification Risk Analysis (THIRA) using data from past historical experiences and prior Hazard Identification and Vulnerability Assessments (HIVA).

Use the strategic risk reduction and management plan guidelines produced by the State of Washington and Federal Emergency Management Agency/DHS to maintain a Hazard Mitigation Plan.

Utilize model programs, procedures and processes, including the incorporation of a comprehensive business recovery and resumption plan, and other methods to integrate loss reduction into the basic functions of the campus.

Partner with others to ensure that the University’s risk assessment regarding disaster impacts are considered while developing long term strategic risk reduction plans.

Preparedness (25%)

Support the efforts of and seek guidance on work program priorities and preparedness initiatives from the UW’s Preparedness Oversight Committee (POC).

Work closely with UW organizational units, community groups, and state, county, and city agencies to gain broad-based support and assistance for preparedness initiatives.

Evaluate campus preparations already begun, including existing plans and policies (the UW Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan and the campus master plan) to determine the usefulness of these plans and policies for long term disaster project planning.

Develop a method of assisting University administrators so they can easily use preparedness and mitigation plans to understand risks to their campus units’ including personnel, research and other activities, and can use the plans’ guidelines to prepare unit/department plans to manage and reduce the units’ risks. (Unit Response Plans)

Assess and prepare a campus-wide training plans for academic units and administrative departments for personnel, students, researchers, and other services so that they can better respond to emergencies that might suddenly and significantly affect the University of Washington (for example, terrorist attacks, civil disturbances, earthquakes, storms, and floods).

Develop or organize training, preparation of drills and exercises, and communication plans for on-going activities and reports.

This also includes training, preparation for drills/exercises, preparing communication materials, establishing communication activities, and negotiating cooperative agreements with surrounding County and City jurisdictions.

Support the UW’s Continuity and Resiliency Program Manager in the development and testing of university business continuity management plan and process.

In coordination with campus partners and advisory committee members, conduct drills/exercises at all levels of the organization to test emergency plans and procedures.

Establish appropriate networks and draft contractual agreements and MOUs, as appropriate, with external groups, agencies, and other partners to support anticipated resources needs for response and recovery efforts.

Ensure appropriate materials, supplies, space/functionality and training of responders for fully-functional Emergency Operations Centers for the UW Seattle campus (primary, backup and virtual).

Develop grant applications to federal, State and private/foundation groups that support or enhance programs/initiates that further EM strategic goals.

Ensure timely completion of all deliverables assigned, and appropriately resourced to UWEM staff (those identified by UW senior leadership, the POC and those resulting from mandates or audit findings).

Provide general emergency management outreach to the campus community via passive (website and social media) and active methods (presentations, seminars, lectures, orientation sessions, etc.).

Response (20%)

With the support of the POC and enhanced authorities granted as part of the CEMP and UW Administrative Policies, ensure and report on institution-wide compliance with all UW, State and Federal mandates and requirements.

Support the UWEM Duty Officer function by acting as one of the staff members, on a rotational basis, responsible to monitor/answer the UWEM 24/7 duty phone (evenings, weekends, holidays)

Lead and support the situational assessment and decision-making process of the UW’s Weather Status Assessment Group (WSAG).

In conjunction with the POC members and other allied university units (i.e., Medical Center and UW-Tacoma and UW-Bothell) prepare and conduct annual drills and exercises to test emergency plans.

Act at the EOC Director, leading the University’s centralized command center response to major emergencies and disasters

Represent UWEM as a core member of the UW’s Crisis Communications Team (CCT), with responsibilities to participate, support and provide 24/7 input on alert and warning activities impacting UW-Seattle campus operations.

Recovery (20%)

Working with other campus resources and committees and historical data from UW and other higher educational institutions as well as the Hazard Mitigation Plan, develop a recovery framework to ensure that the essential elements will be operating within a certain pre-determined time period after a campus disaster.

Lead efforts to schedule, conduct, publish and track efforts developed as part of a standardized incident/event After-Action Review (AAR) process.

Identify systems, contracts and communications that need to be in place by an identified timeframe.

Develop a method of checking on the regular maintenance of such systems.

Assist UW’s official Applicant Agent after a federally-declared disaster in gathering damage and needs assessment, coordinating internal meetings and collecting cost and repair data.

Other (10%)

Direct and manage all administrative functions of UW Emergency Management Office, including direct supervision of staff, student interns/employees and contractors.

Review past, and refine operational EM metrics demonstrating program effectiveness and efficiencies. Include key indicators in the development of an Annual Report shared with UW senior leaders, POC and the general campus community.

Using FEMA, EMAP national accreditation guidelines, and current/approved UW Emergency Management Strategic Plan as guidance, direct and support continuous improvements related to the efforts and priorities for UWEM.

Undertake other activities as appropriate, supported and defined by the Campus Community Safety Vice President,

Represent and act as an advocate for UWEM on various internal and external partner and key stakeholder committees and advisory boards (i.e., U-wide Health & Safety Committee, Campus Safety Advisory Committee, UW-Medicine Disaster Management Committee, City of Seattle Disaster Management Committee, WA State Emergency Management Division’s State Agency Liaison Workgroup, UW Advisory Committee on Communicable Diseases, etc...)

Other duties as required

Requirements include:

Master’s degree in a relevant field such as, but not limited to public health, emergency management, environmental health & safety, or urban or environmental planning and management AND at least four years or more experience in some phase of emergency preparedness activities, public administration, project management, or contingency planning. NOTE: A bachelor’s degree with 6 years of relevant experience may be substituted

Skill in developing reports and training materials, conducting special studies, and conducting training and drills.

Experience in arranging, planning and facilitating groups/meetings where there are diverse issues and concerns.

Experience in making public presentations to diverse audiences.

Understanding of government and/or academic organizations and decision-making processes.

A basic knowledge of the concepts related to earthquakes and other natural hazards, and risk assessments.

Experience in all Microsoft Office suite of products, web publishing tools, social media development.

Demonstrated active involvement with local, state and national emergency and disaster professional organizations.

Ability to elicit and use ideas from committee members, community and diverse campus stakeholder and partners.

Ability to balance personal views with the ideas and viewpoints of other partners.

Ability to formulate specific plans and materials from several complex information sources with prose suitable to lay audiences.

Ability to work interactively with senior administration, committees, advisory groups, to plan and conduct workshops or meetings.

Ability to make effective public presentations.