Director, Emergency Management

OhioHealth; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

OhioHealth in Columbus, OH seeks a Director of Emergency Management to provide strategic leadership for the organization’s enterprise emergency management and continuity program across all hospitals, ambulatory sites, and business units.

The role ensures readiness, regulatory compliance, and coordination with clinical, operational, facilities, security, IT, supply chain, and executive leaders to protect patients and operations during emergencies and disruptions.

Qualifications

• Master's Degree in a relevant field is required.
• Extensive knowledge of healthcare regulatory and accreditation standards (CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule, The Joint Commission, OSHA, NFPA).
• Proven ability to lead enterprise-wide emergency management programs and cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead and continuously improve the organization’s enterprise Emergency Management Program.
• Direct preparedness, response, and recovery activities across the health system.
• Develop and maintain the Emergency Operations Plan and annexes (evacuation, shelter-in-place, etc.).
• Coordinate Incident Command readiness and training, including HICS and activation criteria.
• Establish training programs and exercises; perform after-action reviews and action plans.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Emergency management

Regulatory knowledge

Incident command

Budget management

Education

Master's Degree

Job description

We are more than a health system. We are a belief system. We believe wellness and sickness are both part of a lifelong partnership, and that everyone could use an expert guide. We work hard, care deeply and reach further to help people uncover their own power to be healthy. We inspire hope. We learn, grow, and achieve more - in our careers and in our communities.

Job Description Summary

The Director, Emergency Management provides strategic leadership for the organization’s enterprise emergency management and continuity program across all hospitals, ambulatory sites, and business units. This role establishes and sustains an all-hazards program that protects patients, visitors, associates, and operations; ensures continuous readiness; and drives compliance with applicable regulatory and accreditation standards (e.g., CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule, The Joint Commission, OSHA, EPA, NFPA, and state/local requirements).

Reporting to the Sr Director, Physical Safety & Operational Resilience, the Director serves as the system subject‑matter expert for emergency management, incident command, and works closely with the Senior Director, Physical Safety & Operational Resiliency on continuity of operations planning. The Director partners with clinical, operational, facilities, security, IT, supply chain, communications, and executive leaders to plan for, respond to, and recover from emergencies and sustained disruptions, while strengthening organizational resilience through drills, exercises, after‑action improvement planning, and performance metrics.

Responsibilities And Duties

Own and continuously improve the enterprise Emergency Management Program using an all-hazards approach, ensuring program governance, standardization, and site adoption across the health system.

Lead and develop a team of emergency management professionals supporting preparedness, response, and recovery activities at care sites and across the enterprise; set priorities, standardize practices, and ensure consistent service delivery.

Lead the Hazard Vulnerability Analysis (HVA) process and translate findings into risk‑based mitigation strategies, preparedness priorities, and capital/operational recommendations.

Develop, maintain, and operationalize the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and supporting annexes (e.g., evacuation, shelter‑in‑place, utility failure, mass casualty), aligning with regulatory requirements and organizational strategy.

Serve as program lead for Incident Command (HICS) readiness, coordinate incident management structure, role training, job action sheets, and activation criteria.

Establish strategy, priorities, and annual planning for the enterprise emergency management training and exercise program (drills, tabletops, functional/full‑scale exercises, and regulatory‑required tests); ensure effective design, evaluation, after‑action reviews, corrective action plans, and timely closure of identified gaps.

Direct continuity of operations and business continuity planning in partnership with operational leaders, IT disaster recovery, supply chain, facilities, and clinical service lines to maintain critical services during disruptions.

Coordinate external preparedness and response with community partners such as regional healthcare coalitions, public health, emergency management agencies, EMS, law enforcement, fire, and vendor partners; support mutual aid and resource requests as applicable.

Lead emergency preparedness regulatory readiness activities, including documentation, evidence management, tracer preparation, and support during surveys (e.g., CMS, The Joint Commission) and emergency management reviews.

Partner with communications and executive leadership on crisis communication workflows, situational reporting, and leadership briefings, ensuring consistent, timely, and actionable information during events.

Oversee emergency/crisis communication systems and redundancies (e.g., mass notification platforms, backup telephone/telephony capabilities, and disaster radios) to ensure availability, testing, training, and sustained operational readiness.

Establish and report program metrics (readiness scores, exercise performance, corrective action closure, training completion) and present trends, risks, and improvement plans to senior leadership and committees.

Manage program budget and resources; develop business cases for preparedness investments; oversee vendor relationships supporting emergency management, notification, and resilience capabilities.

Provide leadership, coaching, and subject‑matter expertise to site emergency coordinators and cross‑functional stakeholders; support a culture of readiness through training and engagement.

Minimum Qualifications

Master's Degree (Required)

Additional Job Description

SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE

• Expert knowledge of healthcare regulatory and accreditation requirements related to emergency management and environment of care (e.g., CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule, The Joint Commission, OSHA, EPA, NFPA, and applicable state/local requirements).
• Advanced knowledge of emergency management best practices in healthcare, including HVA, EOP development, HICS/incident management, exercise design and evaluation, after‑action improvement planning, and integration with continuity of operations and disaster recovery.

Work Shift

Day

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

Department

Safety Management

Join us!

• if your passion is to work in a caring environment
• if you believe that learning is a life‑long process
• if you strive for excellence and want to be among the best in the healthcare industry

Equal Employment Opportunity

OhioHealth is an equal opportunity employer and fully supports and maintains compliance with all state, federal, and local regulations. OhioHealth does not discriminate against associates or applicants because of race, color, genetic information, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, ancestry, national origin, veteran status, military status, pregnancy, disability, marital status, familial status, or other characteristics protected by law. Equal employment is extended to all person in all aspects of the associate‑employer relationship including recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, transfer, compensation, discipline, reduction in staff, termination, assignment of benefits, and any other term or condition of employment.