Assistant Director, Emergency Management

The Department of Public Safety exists to support the goals of the university - teaching, research and patient care - by fostering a safe and secure environment in which members of the Tufts community can learn, work and live. Whereas safety and security are responsibilities shared by the entire community, the mission is achieved by applying leadership and our unique expertise to partnerships designed to prevent loss, reduce harm, and solve problems. The Office of Emergency Management seeks to minimize the effects of disasters and help the university to remain focused on its chief goals by administering a university emergency management program to prevent hazards; mitigate risks; and prepare for, respond to, and recover from major incidents.

The Assistant Director assumes a leadership role in the Emergency Management program's activities to prepare for disasters and sustain critical operations and mission continuity. In collaboration with the Director and other relevant stakeholders, the Assistant Director develops relationships with administrators and operations personnel throughout the university, developing stakeholder-engaged planning, training and exercises designed to evaluate plans and build preparedness, and assess the management of resources used in emergency response. The Assistant Director's activities are aligned with long-term resilience-building activities and strategic risk reduction. The Assistant Director acts as the successor to the Director as Emergency Manager during major incident response.

Stakeholder Collaboration and Engagement

• Convene stakeholders in the continuing development, evaluation, and maintenance of written plans for emergency operations, continuity of operations (university and department-level), resource management, threat and risk identification, long-term hazard mitigation planning, and resilience building. Ensure plans are in compliance with Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP) standards, appropriate documentation is maintained, and annual reports are submitted.
• Supports the Director of Emergency Management in providing regular updates and reports to the Vice President for Operations, the Executive Director of Public Safety, and when requested, to University Officers and Trustees regarding the status of the university's emergency preparedness.

Training and Exercises

• Plan and deliver training and exercises, focusing on evaluating plans and sustaining capabilities necessary to cope with disasters caused by the hazards identified that will or may affect Tufts University.

Risk Reduction and Process Improvement

• Develop after-action reports and corrective action plans for exercises and actual incident response.
• Track the implementation of corrective actions and improvement plans.

Emergency Preparedness

• Foster strong relationships and liaise with partner institutions of higher education, local, state, and national agencies on emergency and resiliency planning to enhance collaborative emergency preparedness and response capabilities.
• Lead education and outreach efforts, including physical and digital media, to inform and prepare members of the Tufts community in the prevention of hazards and coping with disasters.

Communication and Resource Management

• Assure the ongoing management of resources - technological and material - used in emergency response, including Emergency Operations Centers, virtual coordination tools, warning platforms, equipment, supplies, vendor contracts, and mutual aid.
• Evaluate and implement solutions to enhance situational awareness and response capabilities.
• Lead the process of training and testing the emergency management notification systems; TuftsAlert and Alertus.

Emergency Response

• Serves as the backup to the Director of Emergency Management, as the senior university official responsible for directing the work of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in the event of an emergency impacting the university.
• Supports the university in response to major planned or unplanned incidents by serving in the Emergency Operations Center in any necessary capacity, including the role of Emergency Manager.

Basic Requirements:
Knowledge and experience typically acquired by:

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent education or equivalent experience
• At least five years of experience in emergency management, preferably in a higher education setting
• Strong facilitation, instructional, and presentation skills
• Demonstrated initiative, ability to work with others, and come up with innovative and creative solutions to problems
• Ability to work independently and organize time effectively
• Ability to advance ideas through different levels in the organization
• Ability to work effectively across operating units, effectively influencing others
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Attention to detail
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage large, complex projects involving multiple work streams and stakeholders
• Knowledge of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command System through minimum certification in ICS 100, 200, 300, 700, 800
• Knowledgeable in systems administration, proficient in the use of Microsoft Office suite
• Current and valid Motor vehicle operator's license with no major infractions or violations
• Associate Emergency Manager (AEMTM) or state-level certified emergency manager (must obtain within first full calendar year of employment)
• Knowledge of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command System through minimum certification in ICS 100, 200, 300, 700B, 800C

Preferred Qualifications:

• Certified Emergency Manager (CEM)
• Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP)
• Certificate of Business Continuity Institute (CBCI)