Data is as of 6/15/2025.
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City of Austin - JOB DESCRIPTION

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Director, Homeland Security & Emergency Management
FLSA: Executives/1 EEO Category: (10) Official/Adm
Class Code: 12672 Salary Grade: E00
Approved: January 19, 2006 Last Revised: August 28, 2024

Purpose:
 
Under the direction of the Assistant City Manager, this position is responsible for leading, managing and directing all City of Austin Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) activities; implementing the preparedness cycle to ensure the City’s continuous improvement in preparing for and responding to incidents, emergencies, crises, and disasters; provides administrative and budgetary direction; and ensures the effective and efficient operation of HSEM programs.
Duties, Functions and Responsibilities:
  Essential duties and functions, pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include the following. Other related duties may be assigned.
  1. Directs City-wide operations across all phases of emergency management to ensure preparedness, mitigation of risk, and efficient and effective response and recovery.
  2. Oversees the execution of the City-wide emergency management programs, to include the development of departmental short and long-term planning goals and objectives for all-hazard mitigations, preparedness, response and recovery activities.
  3. Provides management and administration oversight of departmental staff and directs Emergency Operations Center (EOC) operations during activation.
  4. Oversees the administration of the Homeland Security Grant Program/Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI), coordinating with all applicable departments to ensure grant allocations meet grant requirements and help fulfill gaps within the City’s response capabilities.
  5. Promotes emergency preparedness in the community
  6. Ensures compliance with City, State, and Federal government rules and regulations.
  7. Oversees and prepares HSEM’s annual operating budget for submission to the City Manager.
  8. Leads the planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluation and taking corrective actions with other City departments, outside agencies, and stakeholders to ensure effective coordination during incident response.
  9. Represents the department before the Mayor and Council, City departments, County, State and Federal officials, customers, professional associations, media, and the public.
  10. Serves on various taskforces, groups and committees within the City and region.
Responsibilities - Supervisor and/or Leadership Exercised:
 
  • Responsible for the full range of supervisory activities including selection, training, evaluation, counseling, and recommendation for dismissal.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
  Must possess required knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience and be able to explain and demonstrate, with or without reasonable accommodations, that the essential functions of the job can be performed.
  • Knowledge of fiscal planning and budget preparation.
  • Knowledge of the principals and practices of public administration.
  • Knowledge of laws and regulations pertaining to homeland security and emergency management.
  • Knowledge of supervisory and managerial techniques and principles.
  • Skill in oral and written communications.
  • Skill in handling multiple tasks and prioritizing.
  • Skill in using computers and related software applications.
  • Skill in data analysis and problem solving.
  • Skill in preparing and analyzing budgets, reports, and studies.
  • Skill in handling conflict and uncertain situations
  • Skill in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with the City Manager, elected officials, other department heads, media, city employees and the public.
  • Ability to maintain effective communication and working relationships with Boards and Commissions, city employees and the public.
  • Ability to use an equity lens and framework to create inclusive, diverse, and safe workplaces and community programs.
  • Ability to handle sensitive, highly nuanced interactions during situations/events that may be complex, stressful and/or unfamiliar.

 
Minimum Qualifications:
 
  • Graduation with a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in Liberal Arts, Public Administration, Business Management, Emergency Management, Homeland Security, or in a field related to the job, plus six (6) years of progressively responsible work in emergency management/public safety administration, two (2) years of which were in a managerial capacity.
Licenses and Certifications Required:
 
  • None

This description is intended to indicate the kinds of tasks and levels of work difficulty required of the position given this title and shall not be construed as declaring what the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position shall be. It is not intended to limit or in any way modify the right of management to assign, direct and control the work of employees under supervision. The listing of duties and responsibilities shall not be held to exclude other duties not mentioned that are of similar kind or level of difficulty.