Director, Risk and Emergency Management

University of California, Davis; Davis (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

A major university in California is seeking a Risk Director to provide strategic leadership for risk management. This role includes overseeing insurance programs, emergency management, and compliance efforts. The successful candidate will work closely with senior leadership to ensure comprehensive risk policies are in place. Responsibilities also include managing a team and developing data analytics strategies. Candidates should possess a Master's degree in a related field and substantial experience in risk management and crisis response.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in risk management and strategic leadership roles.
• Strong understanding of regulatory compliance and crisis management protocols.
• Expertise in data analytics for risk assessment.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for campus risk management.
• Supervise the Campus Emergency Manager and related staff.
• Lead initiatives for risk identification and mitigation.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Risk management

Crisis management

Compliance knowledge

Data analytics

Education

Master's degree in Risk Management or related field

Job description

Under the direction of the Safety Services Associate Vice Chancellor, the Risk Director provides strategic leadership for campus Risk Management, including Insurance and Claims Administration, Worker’s Compensation, Emergency Management, Mission Continuity, and Youth Protection. This role advances a comprehensive enterprise approach to identifying, assessing, and managing risk in support of the University’s teaching, research, and public service missions. The Director works closely with senior leadership to guide institutional strategies related to enterprise risk exposure, regulatory compliance, crisis management, and loss mitigation. The Director builds cross‑functional partnerships to elevate risk awareness and embed enterprise risk management principles into campus decision‑making.

The position directly supervises the Campus Emergency Manager, Mission Continuity Planner, Risk Analysts, Workers' Compensation Analysts, and the Youth Protection Specialist, providing strategic direction and accountability across all functional areas.

Apply By Date

Sunday, May 3, 2026 by 11:59pm; screening and selection can begin any time.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Risk & Strategic Leadership (20%)

• Establishes strategic direction and long‑range planning for enterprise risk, resilience, and institutional risk tolerance.
• Advises senior leadership on emerging and evolving risks, including reputational, operational, financial, compliance, safety, and crisis‑related exposures.
• Leads enterprise‑wide risk identification, assessment, mitigation, reporting, and governance initiatives.
• Represents the campus in systemwide Risk Management forums and collaborates with UCOP and external partners on policy development, insurance strategy, and risk initiatives.
• Promotes integration of risk‑informed decision‑making into institutional planning and operations.

Insurance, Claims & Self‑Insurance Program Oversight (30%)

• Provides executive oversight of campus insured and self‑insured programs, including General Liability, Auto Liability, Employment Practices Liability, Property, Professional Liability, Travel, Fine Arts, Marine, Workers’ Compensation, and specialty coverages.
• Provides executive oversight of the Workers’ Compensation program, including claims administration, supplemental benefits, OSHA compliance, regulatory reporting, and strategic loss prevention initiatives.
• Directs and participates in campus claims and litigation strategy in coordination with defense counsel, UCOP, Third Party Administrators (TPAs), brokers, and campus leadership to ensure timely, compliant, and fiscally responsible resolution of matters.
• Oversees and ensures timely underwriting submissions, broker negotiations, coverage analysis, and insurance placement to optimize protection of institutional assets and financial resources.
• Reviews complex, high‑exposure, or sensitive claims and participates in settlement strategy and risk mitigation planning.
• Ensures compliance with federal, state, and University policies, statutory requirements, and systemwide insurance guidelines.
• Monitors loss trends, benchmarking data, and financial exposure to inform strategic risk mitigation initiatives and reduce claim frequency and severity.
• Builds reports and presents outcomes to leadership as needed.

Emergency Management & Business Continuity (25%)

• Provides executive oversight of campus emergency preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery programs. Includes strategic support, investment and policies around ongoing training and institutional capacity building.
• Ensures compliance with NIMS/SEMS and regulatory emergency planning requirements.
• Coordinates, integrates, and aligns emergency management and mission continuity efforts with campus programs, leadership, and safety governance structures.
• Provides strategic guidance to campus leadership, committees, departments, and safety partners to strengthen preparedness and response capabilities.
• Directs enterprise‑wide Business Impact Analysis and continuity planning efforts to strengthen institutional resilience.
• Advices senior leadership during Emergency Operations Center activations and crisis response efforts. Will serve as EOC Director for situation dependent issues and events.

Youth Protection & Compliance Leadership (5%)

• Provides oversight and strategic direction for campus youth protection initiatives, ensuring compliance with Protection of Minors policies and regulatory requirements.
• Ensures development of training programs, compliance monitoring, risk mitigation strategies, and reporting mechanisms to safeguard minors participating in university programs.
• Advises campus leadership on youth safety risk exposures and oversees corrective actions related to non‑compliance or emerging risk trends.
• Provides strategic guidance to campus leadership, committees, departments, and safety partners to strengthen preparedness and response capabilities.

Data Analytics & Reporting (5%)

• Directs development of dashboards, benchmarking, and risk analytics to inform leadership decisions.
• Ensures regulatory compliance reporting including OSHA recordkeeping, Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting, and systemwide risk reporting requirements. Utilizes trend analysis to guide loss prevention and strategic risk reduction.

Be Smart About Safety Program Oversight (5%)

• Provides executive oversight of the campus Be Smart About Safety (BSAS) program, ensuring strategic allocation of funds to support loss prevention, loss control, and safety enhancement initiatives.
• Establishes campus processes for identifying risk priorities, soliciting proposals, coordinating review and approval, and tracking measurable outcomes.
• Maintains accurate records of submissions, decisions, and outcomes.
• Ensures BSAS funding aligns with eligible risk categories and supports measurable reductions in frequency and severity of losses, including workers’ compensation, liability, property, auto, and employment‑related exposures.
• Partners with campus stakeholders to promote awareness, implementation, and accountability for BSAS‑funded initiatives.

Supervision & Organizational Leadership (10%)

• Establishes and maintains collaborative relationships with exterior partners across the enterprise to inform and affect risk‑based policy and decision making.
• Provides leadership and oversight to professional staff across specialized risk disciplines.
• Exercises authority to hire, transfer, suspend, lay off, recall, promote, discharge, assign, reward, or discipline other employees, or responsibility to direct them, or to adjust their grievances, or effectively to recommend this action.
• Establishes performance expectations, promotes professional development, and ensures operational excellence and accountability.
• Fosters a culture of compliance, collaboration, service excellence, and continuous improvement.

The University of California, Davis is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status.