Director, Emergency Management

University of Calgary; Calgary; On-site; CAD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

The Director, Emergency Management at the University of Calgary leads day-to-day operations of emergency management and business continuity across a large campus. Reporting to the Senior Director, Security & Emergency Management, this role drives incident response, program implementation, and readiness, including serving as acting director during absences.

The position requires expertise in multi-stakeholder coordination, staff leadership, training, and compliance with Alberta emergency

Qualifications

• University degree in a related field; equivalent combinations of education and experience considered.
• Minimum 10 years emergency management experience, ideally in post-secondary settings, including 7+ years in progressive leadership roles within large, complex, multi-stakeholder organizations.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams, including leaders and technical specialists.
• Experience responding to large scale/impact incidents in the roles of Incident Commander and Emergency Operations Centre Director.
• Required certifications: Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) or equivalent; Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP) or equivalent; advanced Incident Command System (ICS 300/400).
• Demonstrated leadership of enterprise-wide emergency management and business continuity programs across multi-site environments, including pandemic or large-scale disruption planning.
• Proven ability to advise executive leadership during major incidents, leading high-risk responses, and effectively influence key stakeholders, regulators and partners.
• Strong policy development and interpretation skills with experience in audit compliance, and regulatory reporting.
• Ability to manage competing priorities in high-pressure environments.
• Knowledge of Alberta emergency legislation/frameworks (e.g., Disaster Services Act, Alberta Emergency Plan, Calgary Municipal Emergency Plan, CEMA) is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Full managerial authority for direct reports, including hiring, onboarding, coaching, development, performance management, and discipline up to termination.
• Lead the development and implementation of mass notification systems (e.g., building paging, emergency app).
• Oversee organizational structure and service delivery, including resource allocation, staff guidance, and operational priorities.
• Mentor and coach response teams (FRT, IMTF, CMT) to support ongoing capability development.
• Lead and facilitate training for FRT, IMTF and CMT, including coordination with external partners (e.g., police, CEMA, insurers).
• Maintain effective working relationships with all levels of staff and management to share information, solicit input, and improve processes.
• Represent the university as an industry leader in emergency management through presentations to industry groups (e.g., CARA, CAUBO) and committees.
• Develop short and long-range plans for continuous improvement of the emergency management program and forecast trends to meet financial obligations.

Skills

Leadership

Incident command

Emergency management

Stakeholder engagement

Crisis response

Education

University degree in a related field

Equivalent combinations of education and experience

Tools

Regulatory knowledge

Policy development

Job description

Within VP Finance, we are currently seeking a Full-time Regular Director, Emergency Management.

Reporting to the Senior Director, Security & Emergency Management, the Director, Emergency Management is accountable for the day-to-day operational leadership, execution, and continuous improvement of the university's emergency management & business continuity programs. This includes responsibility for incident & crisis response, program implementation, and operational readiness across a large, complex campus environment. In absence of the Senior Director, the Director will be required to act in their capacity, including decision making, providing advisory support, and facilitating emergency response.

The Director serves as a key operational decision-maker during emergency and crisis situations, directing coordinated response efforts across Operational & Tactical response units, briefing and advising Senior Leaders for Strategic Response. The position oversees staffing, training, resource allocation, and system implementation, while fostering strong internal and external partnerships with university stakeholders and municipal and provincial agencies.

The typical hours of work for this position are Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:30pm. The Director must be available for emergency response and call out (24/7) beyond typical working hours. Potential job stressors include those associated with emergency response conditions, time critical deadlines, injury or fatality management, and legal ramifications related to issues or incidents.

Summary of Key Responsibilities

(job functions include but are not limited to):

Leadership

• Full managerial authority for direct reports, including hiring, onboarding, coaching, development, performance management, and discipline up to termination.
• Support the Senior Director, Security & Emergency Management in resource planning and allocation to achieve strategic objectives.
• Provide expert leadership and consultation on emergency management; serve as senior liaison with response and regulatory agencies.
• Develop and monitor departmental KPIs, ensuring resources and benchmarks are met; align goals with university strategy.
• Lead the development and implementation of mass notification systems (e.g., building paging, emergency app).
• Oversee organizational structure and service delivery, including resource allocation, staff guidance, and operational priorities.
• Continuously assess and improve processes, systems, and internal controls.
• Mentor and coach response teams (FRT, IMTF, CMT) to support ongoing capability development.
• Lead and facilitate training for FRT, IMTF and CMT, including coordination with external partners (e.g., police, CEMA, insurers).

Administration/Communications

• Maintain effective working relationships with all levels of staff and management to share information, solicit input, and improve processes.
• Communicate effectively with senior members of all university departments to ensure participation in the programs within emergency management.
• Liaise with external departments, government bodies, and others for coordinating with municipal and provincial disaster and emergency response agencies.
• Build regular reports on activities, indicators and outcomes related to emergency management.
• Communicate effectively with senior leaders across the university to ensure participation in, and compliance with, emergency management programs.
• Represent the university as an industry leader in the field of emergency management through the preparation and delivery of presentations to industry groups such as CARA, CAUBO and other emergency and disaster conferences, participate in steering committees and Campus Alberta initiatives.
• Develop short and long-range plans for the continuous improvement of the emergency management program and forecast trends to meet financial obligations.

Management Systems and Compliance

• Responsible for the overall development, implementation, management and auditing of the university's emergency management program.
• Draft programs, plans and standard operating procedures related to emergency response and business continuity.
• Interpret and provide guidance for compliance with all applicable policies, legislation and regulations impacting emergency response and business continuity.
• Provide recommendations for improvements and work with management of the university faculties and departments to develop emergency response and business continuity plans.

Qualifications / Requirements

• University degree in a related field; equivalent combinations of education and experience considered.
• Minimum 10 years emergency management experience, ideally in post-secondary settings, including 7+ years in progressive leadership roles within large, complex, multi-stakeholder organizations.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams, including leaders and technical specialists.
• Experience responding to large scale/impact incidents in the roles of Incident Commander and Emergency Operations Centre Director.
• Required certifications: Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) or equivalent; Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP) or equivalent; advanced Incident Command System (ICS 300/400).
• Demonstrated leadership of enterprise-wide emergency management and business continuity programs across multi-site environments, including pandemic or large-scale disruption planning.
• Proven ability to advise executive leadership during major incidents, leading high-risk responses, and effectively influence key stakeholders, regulators and partners.
• Strong policy development and interpretation skills with experience in audit compliance, and regulatory reporting.
• Ability to manage competing priorities in high-pressure environments.
• Knowledge of university operations and Alberta emergency legislation/frameworks (e.g., Disaster Services Act, Alberta Emergency Plan, Calgary Municipal Emergency Plan, CEMA) is an asset.

Application Deadline: August 25, 2026

We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.

This position is classified in the Management Career Band, Level 3 of the Management and Professional Staff Career Framework.

For a listing of all management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our Management and Staff Careers website.

UCalgary is Canada's entrepreneurial university, located in Canada's most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada's leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy ii' taa'poh'to'p committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

The university's commitment to the Indigenous Strategy is evident through the oversight of 18 Elders serving on the Circle of Advisors and the many unit-based circles working towards implementation of the strategy including the Faculty Advisory Circle and teams such as the Office of Indigenous Engagement, the Writing Symbols Lodge, and the Indigenous Research Support Team. Many Indigenous-based events and processes are impacting curriculum, programming and polices at the University of Calgary.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Institutional Commitments ([email protected]) and requests for accommodations can be sent to People & Culture ([email protected]).

Do you have most but not all the qualifications? Research show that women, racialized and visible minorities, and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At UCalgary we are committed to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces and encourage you to apply if you believe you are right for this role.

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.