Emergency Management Training & Exercise Coordinator (Strategic Advisor 1)

Seattle City Light is hiring an innovative and adaptable emergency management professional to join us in our community role of delivering essential utility services when our customers need us most: during emergencies and disasters. This is an opportunity to have a profound impact on the safety and effectiveness of City Light’s Incident Management Team. A well-prepared team can save lives, minimize damage, and facilitate recovery efforts.

As our ideal team member, you will have a deep understanding of current and best practices in emergency management. You will also commit to thinking and acting “outside the box” to support both decision-makers and the frontline staff of the utility who provide essential services, even in the most challenging conditions. This role is highly visible and requires well-developed facilitation and presentation skills that can also be applied during incident response to advise the utility’s incident leadership.

In this role, you will be responsible for planning, designing, organizing and implementing emergency management tabletops, functional exercises and full-scale exercises designed to prepare individuals and teams for emergency situations. Your work will focus on enhancing readiness and response capabilities across the utility, to ensure teams can act swiftly, efficiently and effectively when real-world disasters or incidents occur. You may also be involved in helping to shape long-term plans by offering guidance on preparedness, risk mitigation, continuous improvement and resource management. This position will report to the Emergency Manager.

Seattle City Light, a department of the City of Seattle, is one of the nation’s largest municipally owned utilities in terms of the number of customers served. Over the years we have worked very hard to keep Seattle's electricity affordable, reliable, and environmentally sound. Today, City Light is a recognized national leader in energy efficiency and environmental stewardship. 

Here is more about what you’ll be doing: 

• Assess the skills, knowledge, and capabilities required for effective emergency response or operational performance;
• Design a comprehensive training program that aligns with the utility’s needs;
• Establish timelines and schedules for various training sessions and exercises; 
• Coordinate with the City of Seattle’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) to help allocate resources necessary to ensure successful program execution;
• Partner with other City departments and regional partners on joint exercises;
• Deliver the training sessions and real-world exercises that develop and test the skills and knowledge needed for emergency response and operational efficiency, ensuring participants stay engaged and challenges are addressed;
• Perform After Action Reviews (AARs) to identify strengths and weaknesses, with the ultimate goal of continuous improvement;
• Maintain detailed records of all trainings and exercises, including evaluations and corrective actions taken;
• Ensure all trainings and exercises are compliant with regulatory, accreditation and reporting requirements.

In addition to the skills and experience mentioned below, a successful applicant will have experience that reflects a commitment to creating fair and equitable outcomes and has: 

Experience: Three (3) years’ experience in emergency preparedness planning, emergency management operations, and/or disaster recovery operations at the local, state, or federal level, or other relevant experience.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in emergency management, or closely related field.

Equivalent combinations of education, training, certification and experience will be evaluated on an individual basis for comparability.

Work Environment/Physical Demands: 

• May require lifting objects weighing 25 to 40 pounds.
• May be required to work nights, evenings, weekends, and/or holidays. Overnight travel may be required.

License, Certification and Other Requirements: 

• Current Washington State driver's license or evidence of equivalent mobility; Washington State driver’s license required within 12 months of hire
• Current FEMA Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program certification
• Professional Development Series, Incident Command System (ICS) 100, 200, plus IS 700 and IS 800 are required. ICS 300 and 400 must be successfully completed within twelve (12) months of hire

Desired Qualifications - You will be successful if you have the following experience, skills, and abilities:

• Hands-on experience coordinating real-life training events, designing training and facilitating training relevant to this position
• Experience collaborating with various stakeholders to ensure program alignment and success
• Strong communication skills, both oral and written
• Experience balancing competing priorities with multiple deadlines
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Teams & PowerPoint
• Ability to independently identify and address challenges that arise in training

Please note this job advertisement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

The full salary range for this position is $104,567.04 to $156,850.56 annually.

Application Process

Please submit the following with your online application: 

• A cover letter in which you clearly describe how your knowledge, experience, skills, and abilities prepare you for the job responsibilities and qualifications outlined in the job announcement 
• A current resume of your educational and professional work experience. 

Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

Who May Apply: This position is open to all candidates that meet the qualifications.   Seattle City Light values diverse perspectives and life experiences. Applicants will be considered regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Seattle City Light encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQIA+, people with disabilities, veterans, and those with diverse life experiences.

Job offers are contingent on the verification of credentials and other information required by the employment process, including the completion of a background check. The background check will involve a criminal history check, which includes conviction and arrest records in compliance with the Seattle’s Fair Chance Employment Ordinance, SMC 14.17and the City of Seattle Personnel Rule 10.3. A driving history review may be conducted in compliance with SMC 4.79.020.Applicants will be provided an opportunity to explain or correct background information.

The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, holiday, and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents. More information about employee benefits is available on the City's website at: https://www.seattle.gov/human-resources/benefits/employees-and-covered-family-members/most-employees-plans.

Want to know more about Seattle City Light? Check out our web page: https://www.seattle.gov/city-light/about-us/careers.