Disaster Services Specialist - Emergency Appointment

County of Los Angeles; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

County of Los Angeles seeks an Emergency Disaster Services Specialist to support disaster preparedness, response, and recovery across the county. Under an emergency order, hires may last up to 90 days with a path to permanent employment, and performance is weighted 100% during the initial period.

The role requires coordinating with multiple agencies, developing plans, educating the public, and representing the department at meetings.

Qualifications

• Four years of administrative/advisory or staff experience at independent responsibility level.
• One year of experience in a disaster or emergency services program.
• Ability to respond during emergencies and work irregular hours.
• Valid California Class C Driver License or equivalent transportation access.

Responsibilities

• Develop, coordinate, evaluate and monitor disaster and emergency requirements and plans.
• Develop long-range plans for countywide emergency preparedness and disaster services.
• Consult with government and private agencies for multi-agency approaches.
• Develop educational materials and represent the department at speaking engagements.
• Initiate and conduct research in emergency preparedness and disaster services.
• Represent the manager at meetings and conferences.
• Interpret policies to staff, other departments, and community groups.
• May act for the manager in the absence of the manager.

Skills

Disaster planning

Interagency coordination

Emergency preparedness education

Policy development

Public speaking

Job description

Position/Program Information

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT: OPEN COMPETITIVE - EMERGENCY

Applications will be accepted from Wednesday, October 21, 2026 until Monday, October 26, 2026 before 5:00 p.m.(PT). All applications must be received before 5:00 p.m.(PT) on Monday, October 26, 2026, to be accepted.

The LA County Board of Supervisors has unanimously ratified a Proclamation of Local Emergency in response to the windstorms and wildfires, including the Palisades and Eaton Fires, that have devastated communities across the County. We are looking for qualified and passionate individuals to assist the County in mobilizing resources and support needed to help our residents recover and rebuild. If you are looking for a new career that will directly benefit the population of LA County, this may be the opportunity for you.

Aging and Disabilities is seeking qualified candidates to fill an emergency Disaster Services Specialist vacancy related to this unprecedented natural disaster.

Under the emergency order, applicants who meet the requirements may be hired for an initial period of up to 90 days, with an opportunity for permanent County employment.

During your initial work period, you will be assessed on your work performance. This assessment will be weighted 100%.

Those who successfully pass the assessment will be considered for permanent appointment to Disaster Services Specialist.

Essential Job Functions

• Assists in developing, coordinating, evaluating and monitoring of the County's disaster and emergency requirements, and devises plans to respond to or mitigate disastrous events.
• Assists in developing long-range plans for the Countywide emergency preparedness and disaster services system.
• Consults with departmental, city, county, state, federal, and local governments and private agencies to develop multi-disciplinary and multi-agency approaches to the provisions of emergency services.
• Develops educational materials and programs related to emergency preparedness and disaster services, and represents the department through speaking engagements as directed.
• Initiates and conducts research in the field of emergency preparedness and disaster services.
• Represents the manager at meetings, conferences, workshops, and other forums.
• Interprets program policies and concepts to department staff, other County departments, other agencies, and interested groups and individuals in the community.
• May act for the manager in the latter's absence.

Requirements

Four years of highly responsible administrative*, advisory**, or staff*** experience analyzing and resolving problems of organization, programs, systems and procedures, or planning demonstrating knowledge, skills, and abilities required in program planning, organizational management and public relations. One year of the required experience must have been in a disaster or emergency services program.

You MUST meet the above requirement(s) in order to be appointed to fill any vacancies related to this recruitment.

Special Requirements

Candidates must be willing and able to respond during emergencies and disaster activations, which may require reporting on short notice; working evenings, nights, weekends, holidays, and extended or irregular hours; and reporting to Emergency Operations Centers, Department Operations Centers, field offices, or other assigned locations throughout Los Angeles County.

• Administrative capacity is defined as experience at the level of independent responsibility for assignments of average difficulty analyzing and making recommendations for the solution of problems of organization, budget, personnel, information services, programs, facilities planning, materials management, and general management.
• Advisory capacity is defined as one who, as an expert in a specialized field, expresses views, provides opinions, and recommends courses of action to be taken on problems present by by others for resolution.
• Staff capacity is defined as experience at the senior level with extensive knowledge of program related area, processes and procedures, and experience in the specific subject matter.

License

A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions.

Physical Class

II - Light: This class includes administrative and clerical positions requiring light physical effort that may include occasional light lifting to a 10-pound limit and some bending, stooping, or squatting. Considerable ambulation may be involved.

Desirable Qualifications

• Experience developing, implementing, or coordinating emergency preparedness, response, recovery, or mitigation activities involving individuals with access and functional needs (AFN).
• Knowledge of AFN principles and practices, including function-based approaches such as the Communication, Maintaining Health, Independence, Support and Safety, and Transportation (C-MIST) framework.
• Experience developing or implementing policies, procedures, protocols, operational plans, or other frameworks that define organizational roles and responsibilities.
• Experience applying accessibility and inclusive emergency planning principles, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), accessible communications, and language access.
• Experience conducting community engagement, outreach, training, exercises, or preparedness activities involving individuals with access and functional needs and organizations that serve AFN populations.
• Experience using demographic, geographic, program, or service-delivery information to identify AFN populations, community needs, service gaps, available resources, and potential impacts during emergencies.
• Training in incident command, emergency operations, emergency public/media communications, and/or multiagency coordination.

Exam Content

During your initial work period, the appointing department will evaluate your performance. Those who achieve a passing score on this evaluation will be considered for permanent appointment.

Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion (ARDI)

The County of Los Angeles recognizes and affirms that all people are created equal and are entitled to all rights afforded by the Constitution of the United States. The Department of Human Resources is committed to promoting Anti-racism, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts to address the inequalities and disparities amongst race. We support the ARDI Strategic Plan and its goals by improving equality, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment, selection, and employment practices.

Equal Employment Opportunity/Non-Discrimination Statement

The County of Los Angeles is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and is committed to non-discrimination in the County workforce, regardless of age (40 and over); ancestry; color; ethnicity; religious creed; protected family or medical leave status; disability; marital status; medical condition; genetic information; military and veteran status; national origin; race ; sex; gender; sexual orientation; or any other characteristic protected by State or federal law. For more information, please visit: https://employee.hr.lacounty.gov/eeo-programs/.

Testing Accommodations For Applicants

The County of Los Angeles complies with all federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants and employees with disabilities. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application process, please contact the testing accommodation coordinator listed on the job posting. Hearing impaired applicants with telephone teletype equipment may leave messages by calling the teletype phone number on the job posting. For more information on accommodations, please visit: https://hr.lacounty.gov/accessibility/.

Fair Chance

The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer. Except as otherwise permissible under applicable laws, you will not be asked to provide information about conviction history unless you receive a conditional offer of employment. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct and adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and will also consider potential mitigating factors, which may include, but is not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s). If asked to provide information about conviction history, any convictions or court records which are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with County Fair Chance Policies and the Fair Chance Act (Gov. Code Section 12952).

Employment Eligibility

Final appointment is contingent upon verification of U.S. citizenship or the right to work in the United States.

Career PathFinder

Resources to help current and prospective employees plan a career with Los Angeles County are available. To explore career paths to and from nearly all job titles, please visit our interactive Career PathFinder application at http://career-pathfinder.hr.lacounty.gov.

Veteran’s Credit

Pursuant to the County Charter and County policy, in all open competitive examinations (i.e., examinations open to everyone), the County of Los Angeles will add a credit of 10 percent of the total credits specified for such examination to the final passing score of an honorably discharged veteran, as well as the spouse of a deceased or disabled veteran, who served in the Armed Forces of the United States under specific conditions.

For more information on veteran’s credit, please visit: https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dhr/205102_PPG_115.pdf