About This Position
The Emergency Management Director provides executive leadership for the City of Phoenix Office of Emergency Management, overseeing all aspects of preparedness, prevention, mitigation, response, recovery, and resilience for the fifth-largest city in the United States.
During emergencies and large-scale planned events, the Emergency Management Director serves as the City's principal emergency management advisor, coordinating multi-agency response efforts and providing strategic recommendations to executive leadership on life safety, resource allocation, public information, and continuity of government.
The Emergency Management Director Will Routinely
- Lead the development and implementation of emergency operations plans, continuity of operations strategies, hazard mitigation programs, threat assessments, and emergency preparedness policies.
- Direct the readiness, activation, and operational performance of the City's Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
- Ensure compliance with NIMS, the National Response Framework (NRF), and all relevant state and federal emergency management requirements.
- Manage a diverse portfolio of homeland security and emergency management grants, including planning, reporting, and oversight of grant-funded initiatives.
- Develop, administer, and monitor departmental budgets to support emergency management and homeland security programs.
- Oversee and guide emergency management personnel, including staffing, performance management, and professional development.
- Represent the City in regional, state, and national emergency management and homeland security committees, workgroups, and initiatives.
IDEAL CANDIDATE
- Strategic planning ability to develop long-term resilience initiatives while simultaneously managing short-term operational demands in a large metropolitan region.
- Skill in coordinating and maintaining partnerships across government agencies, community organizations, and private-sector stakeholders to strengthen regional preparedness.
- Broad knowledge of disaster and emergency management, including natural hazards (extreme heat, severe weather, wildfires), hazardous materials incidents, terrorism, cybersecurity threats, and public health emergencies.
- Capacity to assess evolving risks, identify emerging hazards, and design mitigation strategies that protect more than 1.6 million residents.
- Strong communication, collaboration, and decision-making abilities to lead and unify diverse groups during both planning phases and crisis response.
- Analytical and problem solving skills to evaluate data, anticipate operational challenges, and guide policy development.
- Adaptability to shifting environmental, technological, and societal conditions that influence community vulnerability and emergency response needs.
SALARY
Up to $196,081.60 annually.
Pay Range Explanation
- Hiring range is an estimate of where you can receive an offer. The actual salary offer will carefully consider a wide range of factors, including your skills, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, training, and internal equity.
- The City contributes 9% of salary into 457/401(a) plans with no matching required. $6,000/annual car allowance and $1,440/annual cell phone allowance.
Benefits
A comprehensive Executive benefits package is offered which includes:
- Traditional pension with employer and employee contributions, click here for more details: Pension Information
- 401(a) and 457 plans with employer contributions
- Choice of generous medical HMO, PPO, or HSA/HDHP plans
- Medical enrollment includes a monthly $150 City contribution to a Post-Employment Health Plan
- Wellness incentive of up to $720 annually
- Dental, vision, and life insurance options
- Employer paid long-term disability
- Free Bus/light rail pass
- Tuition reimbursement program up to $6,500 per year
- Paid time off includes 13.5 paid holidays, 12 vacation days, and 15 sick days and personal leave days
- Paid Parental Leave for eligible employees up to 480 hours (12 weeks) of paid leave for the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child during a 12-month period
- Federal Student Loan Forgiveness offered through Savi
For more details, visit: Executive Benefits.
Minimum Qualifications
- Five years of supervisory emergency service experience at a level that has facilitated expertise with emergency management, the National Incident Management System, and the National Response Framework.
- Master's degree in public or business administration, emergency management, government management, industrial engineering, or a related field.
- Other combinations of experience and education that meet the minimum qualifications may be substituted.
- All finalists for positions are subject to a criminal background check applicable to the department or position.
- Some positions require the use of personal or City vehicles on City business. Individuals must be physically capable of operating the vehicles safely, possess a valid driver's license and have an acceptable driving record. Use of a personal vehicle for City business will be prohibited if the employee is not authorized to drive a City vehicle or if the employee does not have personal insurance coverage.
- For information regarding pre-screening and driving positions, click here.
- The City job description can be found here.
Preferred Qualifications
The minimum qualifications listed above, plus experience:
- Leading emergency management programs, emergency operations, or complex incident response.
- Leading strategic planning and developing organizational policies, plans, or initiatives.
- Serving in a leadership role during complex incidents or emergency responses using the Incident Command System.
- Communicating with executive leadership, elected officials, media, and community stakeholders.
- Building and maintaining collaborative partnerships with government agencies, community organizations, and external stakeholders.
- Managing budgets, grants, contracts, and organizational resources to support strategic and operational objectives.
- Supervising diverse teams, managing performance, and leading organizational change.
- Leading homeland security, threat assessment, and community resilience initiatives.
- Providing executive leadership while effectively navigating complex political and organizational environments.
RECRUITMENT DATES
Recruitment closes August 17, 2026. All materials must be received by 11:59 p.m. on this date.
This is a position-based recruitment and will not result in any ongoing eligibility list. This recruitment and any selection processes resulting from this recruitment may be used to fill other related vacancies within the organization now or in the near future.
How To Apply
Apply online by completing the required information and attaching,
as one document, your cover letter and resume. Please include your experience as it relates to the qualifications stated above. Only the highest qualified may be posted to the eligible to hire list. The results of the resume screening process will be sent to your primary email address.
WE ARE HERE TO HELP
- Job interviews may be held by video or audio conference.
- If you are in need of computer resources, click here for free options.
- Arizona at Work has frequent classes to help with resume writing, interviewing skills, and general career guidance. Click here for more information.
- Explore other Employment Opportunities with the City of Phoenix.
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- If you require assistance at any stage of the application process due to an accessibility issue, please contact the Human Resources Department by phone at (602) 495-5700 or by text at (800) 367-8939. You may also fill out and submit a Reasonable Accommodation Request Form.
REFERENCE
Emergency Management Director, JC:61520, ID# 62513, 7/28/26, USM, AW, Benefits:010
Building the Phoenix of tomorrow.
#DoWorkThatMakesPhoenixWork
City of Phoenix is an equal opportunity employer. AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and other national service alumni who meet the required qualifications are encouraged to apply.
