C.E.A. B, Southern Regional Administrator

California Governor's Office of Emergency Services; California; On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

CalPERS pension

401(k) and 457(b) plans

Flexible schedules

Generous paid time off

Health, dental & vision insurance

Job summary

California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) seeks a Southern Regional Administrator to provide strategic leadership across 11 counties and 200+ cities. The role oversees regional programs, mutual aid, and readiness activities, guiding policy and intergovernmental collaboration with federal, state, and local partners.

The ideal candidate has extensive emergency management experience, strong policy expertise, and a proven ability to build high-performing teams under pressure.

Qualifications

• Extensive emergency management experience across preparedness, response, recovery, and operations.
• Experience leading multi-agency programs across jurisdictions.
• Strong strategic, policy, and operational planning capabilities.
• Familiarity with FEMA programs, grants, and disaster recovery operations.
• Proven leadership and staff development skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic, operational, and intergovernmental leadership across 11 counties and 200+ cities.
• Oversee regional emergency management programs and regional readiness activities.
• Build partnerships with local, state, federal, tribal, military, and other partners.
• Advise on emergency management policy, FEMA programs, and mutual aid.
• Represent Cal OES in executive briefings and high-level negotiations.

Skills

Emergency leadership

Strategic policy

Intergovernmental liaison

Communication with executives

Staff development

Decision making under pressure

Analytical skills

Job description

Join the leadership team of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) — the nation’s premier state-level emergency management and homeland security agency, charged with protecting the people of California from all threats and hazards.

Cal OES employs over 1,700 dedicated individuals who achieve the agency’s mission through service to all. It is a dynamic, high energy work environment, where a team oriented approach to complex problem solving is encouraged and skills and leadership development of its employees is a priority.

If you are an experienced leader seeking a challenging and rewarding opportunity to strengthen public safety and emergency management across Southern California, we encourage you to apply for the Southern Regional Administrator position.

About the Opportunity:

The Southern Division seeks an experienced emergency management leader to provide strategic, operational, and intergovernmental leadership across 11 operational county areas and more than 200 cities. The position plays a critical role in strengthening regional preparedness, response, recovery, continuity of operations, and mutual aid capabilities.

The Southern Regional Administrator leads regional emergency management programs and advances policies, plans, and operational frameworks aligned with state and federal requirements, FEMA standards, and regional needs. The incumbent also oversees the activation, staffing, and operational readiness of the Southern Regional Response Team, the CalOES Southern Region Campus and the alternate Emergency Operations Center in Southern California.

As a senior representative of Cal OES, the incumbent builds and maintains partnerships with local, state, federal, tribal, military, and other governmental organizations; provides guidance on emergency management policy, FEMA programs, mutual aid, and disaster recovery; and may serve as a Deputy State Coordinating Officer or Governor’s Authorized Representative at a Joint Field Office following a major disaster declaration.

The ideal candidate is an accomplished emergency management leader with:

• Extensive emergency management experience spanning preparedness, response, recovery, continuity of operations, and disaster operations, including leadership of complex, multi-agency programs across multiple jurisdictions.
• Strong strategic and policy expertise, including developing, implementing, and evaluating emergency management plans, procedures, and operational frameworks in alignment with state and federal requirements.
• Operational expertise in Emergency Operations Centers, incident management, mutual aid, regional coordination, and emergency response readiness.
• Knowledge of FEMA programs and disaster assistance, including applicable regulations, grant requirements, and recovery operations. Experience with declared disasters and emergency management grants is highly desirable.
• Proven leadership and staff development skills, including building high-performing teams, managing performance, and supporting professional growth.
• Exceptional judgment and analytical skills, with the ability to make timely decisions under pressure, manage competing priorities, and use exercises, after-action reviews, and operational data to drive continuous improvement.
• Outstanding communication, collaboration, and relationship-management skills, including the ability to brief executive leaders and elected officials, develop actionable policy recommendations, negotiate effectively, and influence outcomes across organizational and jurisdictional boundaries.

When you join Southern Region, you join a family of professionals that function as a team. You will build trust and camaraderie with your co-workers, as together you respond to emergencies and challenging situations. Cal OES provides employees with a variety of career choices and opportunities. We hope that you will consider a rewarding and challenging career with us!

You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.

Desirable Qualifications:

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

• Extensive experience in emergency management, disaster preparedness, response, recovery, continuity, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex, multi-agency emergency management programs.
• Experience directing emergency management operations across multiple jurisdictions or geographic areas.
• Experience managing and developing professional staff, including performance management, recruitment, training, and organizational development.
• Demonstrated ability to make sound decisions in high-pressure, rapidly changing environments.
• Demonstrated experience developing, implementing, and evaluating emergency management policies, procedures, plans, and operational frameworks.
• Strong analytical ability and experience developing policy recommendations for senior executives.
• Experience managing or coordinating complex emergency or disaster operations involving multiple agencies and jurisdictions.
• Familiarity with state, federal, local, tribal, and/or military emergency response structures.
• Experience serving in an incident management, recovery, coordination, or executive role during a declared disaster would be highly desirable.
• Experience with the Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) or other emergency management grant programs.
• Demonstrated success building collaborative relationships with local government, state agencies, federal agencies, tribal governments, military organizations, and other emergency management partners.
• Experience representing an organization before executive-level governmental or intergovernmental bodies.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to brief senior executives and elected or appointed officials.
• Strong organizational, negotiation, facilitation, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to developing staff and building high-performing teams.
• Ability to communicate complex emergency management, regulatory, and operational issues clearly to both technical and executive audiences.

Working Conditions:

The Southern Regional Administrator position headquarters is based in Orange County, but will be expected to travel throughout the state.

DMV Pull Program

Participation in the DMV Pull Program is required. The position(s) require(s) a valid Driver’s License (DL). You must answer the questions addressing your DL on your application. Ensure you provide your DL number, class, expiration date, and any endorsements and/or restrictions.

Conflict of Interest

This position is designated under the Conflict of Interest Code and is required to complete Form 700 within 30 days of appointment. Failure to comply with the Conflict of Interest Code requirements may void the appointment.

All hires may be subject to a criminal background check.

Department Information:

The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture by hiring and retaining individuals from a variety of backgrounds and personal experiences. Our employees are empowered with the tools and resources necessary to meet our mission, while continuing to expand equity and inclusion efforts at all levels of the organization. We are committed to the spirit and work required to ensure the safety and resilience of every community in California.

The Response Directorate leads the State’s incident response efforts and maintains critical situational awareness throughout emergencies and disasters. The Directorate supports immediate actions to save lives, protect property, reduce impacts, and meet the basic needs of affected communities.

The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) responds to a broad range of threats and hazards, including natural disasters, human-caused incidents, technological hazards, accidents, planned events, and other emergencies. The Directorate also supports proactive preparedness activities and coordinates mutual aid to ensure resources are available when and where they are needed.

The Response Directorate strengthens and supports local response efforts by coordinating state government, private sector, and nongovernmental partners in support of local governments and other affected entities. Response operations are conducted in accordance with the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) and are designed to promote effective coordination, communication, and resource management across all levels of government and partner organizations.

In the event of an emergency, employees may be contacted and requested to report to work in the event of an emergency. This contact may be outside of your normal working hours (evenings/nights, weekends, and holidays). This service may require irregular work hours, work locations other than the official duty location, and may include duties other than those specified in your official position description. Travel requirements in support of emergency operations may be extensive in nature (weeks to months), with little advance notice, and you may be required to relocate to emergency sites.

More information may be found here: Southern Region Response Operations | California Governor's Office of Emergency Services

Department Website: http://www.caloes.ca.gov

Cal OES is conveniently located near downtown, many local eateries, financial institutions, and the Light Rail Station. Cal OES employees are eligible for a number of benefits and working for us is a great opportunity to join a committed team. Benefits include but are not limited to the following:

• Excellent CalPERS state pension plan
• 401(k) and 457(b) Plans
• Flexible Schedules
• Generous paid time off
• Health, dental & vision insurance for the employee and their family
• Investment in careers development
• Free Parking
• Electric Carport

Benefit information can be found on the CalHR website and the CalPERS website.

Questions about the application process?