Chief of Regional Public Safety Programs

Paylocity; Washington, Northern (District of Columbia, KY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) seeks a Chief of Regional Public Safety Programs to lead planning, coordination, and oversight of regional safety initiatives across the National Capital Region. You will manage governance, budgets, and a small staff, coordinating with DHSPS and other COG departments to ensure successful grant-funded and locally funded projects.

This senior role requires extensive experience in homeland security and public safety, with a focus on strategic

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in public policy or related academic field.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• Requires three years of progressive supervisory and professional work experience in the homeland security and public safety realm.
• Requires three years or more management experience.
• Requires six or more years of relevant experience.

Responsibilities

• Oversee regional public safety programs and ensure alignment with regional priorities.
• Lead governance, budgets, strategic planning, and staff supervision for regional programs.
• Develop and maintain program analyses, briefings, and decision-support materials.
• Oversee grant-funded programs such as UASI and STC and ensure compliance and performance.
• Facilitate communication across committees and partner agencies and report to leadership.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in public policy

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

MS Office Suite

SharePoint

OneDrive

Teams

Job description

Description

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) is seeking a Chief of Regional Public Safety Programs to support the Department of Homeland Security and Public Safety (DHSPS) and other operating departments within COG and/or jurisdictions represented by COG.

In this role, your focus will be to lead planning, coordination, and oversight of regional public safety programs across the National Capital Region (NCR), and will be responsible for governance, financial management, strategic planning, and staff supervision to ensure effective delivery of both grant-funded and locally funded initiatives. The chief will manage a team of three employees, and coordinate with and oversee work completed by vendors supporting the mission. Guidelines and supervision for this position are provided by DHSPS Managing Director. This is a full‑time position.

Requirements

Required Competencies:

Program Oversight & Strategic Planning

• Oversee a portfolio of regional public safety programs, ensuring alignment with regional priorities and operational requirements.
• Lead development and revisions of long-term strategic plans, priorities, goals, capital improvement projects, and multi-year budgets to inform strategic planning and enhance transparency in collaboration with program managers.
• Lead the continued transition of UASI grant‑funded programs to alternative funding sources, including the development of decision support materials, and clear transition plans with defined governance structures and policy, and measurable success metrics.
• Identify program, policy, and governance gaps and develop corrective recommendations and actions.
• Provide appropriate level information and progress of regional initiatives to leadership and elected officials to include regional public safety programs, UASI grant projects, and other grant and locally funded initiatives.
• Facilitate the Steering Committee meetings for regional programs to define program direction, investment priorities, and operational standards.

Governance & Regional Coordination

• Establish and maintain governance documents, including Memorandums of Understanding (MOU), policies and program frameworks.
• Ensure effective support to regional committees and working groups, including agendas, meeting materials, and documentation of decisions and action items.
• Oversee development of decision‑support materials, briefings, and program analyses.
• Facilitate communication across committees, disciplines, and partner agencies; elevate regional risks, gaps, and priorities as needed.
• Serve as a central point of coordination for information‑sharing and reporting on regional public safety programs and projects.
• Ensure regional public safety programs have defined governance, performance measures, and transition or sustainment plans.

Finance Management & Budget Oversight

• Oversee budget development, forecasting, and financial tracking for regional public safety programs.
• Monitor expenditures, revenue, and funding allocations of regional programs to ensure fiscal accountability and return on investment.
• Develop mid- and long-range budget projections for regional public safety programs in coordination with the Program Managers and Steering Committees.

Grants, Contracts, & Procurement

• Oversee management of grant‑funded programs, including the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grant and the Secure the Cities (STC), ensuring compliance and performance.
• Coordinate with purchasing and accounting on procurement activities related to regional public safety programs and grant‑funded programs, including Requests for Proposals (RFP), Requests for Information (RFI), contracts, purchase orders, and consortium opportunities.
• Support vendor/contractor evaluations and technical selection committees.
• Support project development, stakeholder coordination, and contractor performance for major initiatives.

Staff Supervision & Organizational Leadership

• Manage and oversee all activities of direct reports, delegate tasks appropriately, monitor performance and ensure accountability.
• Support staff professional development and conduct performance evaluations.
• Facilitate reporting up, down and across the organization of committees, information on identified gaps that impact the region and ensure-cross discipline communication and collaboration.
• Maintain lateral communication with the Chief of Public Safety and Health Preparedness and the Chief of Homeland Security and Policy to stay abreast of regional priorities and programs.

Required Knowledge and Skills:

Education and Professional Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in public policy or related academic field. Master’s degree preferred.
• Requires three years of progressive supervisory and professional work experience in the homeland security and public safety realm.
• Requires three years or more management experience.
• Requires six or more years of relevant experience.
• Other combinations of experience and education will be considered.

Computer Knowledge and Skills

• Proficiency in Microsoft (MS) Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Experience with MS SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

Professional certification will be included in consideration of acceptable experience and training.

COG is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the workplace.