Emergency Operations Leader: Readiness & COOP

Thurston County; Olympia (WA); On-site; USD 69,000 - 91,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Retirement plan

Healthcare and dental/vision

Paid time off

Professional development opportunities

Flexible telework up to two days aweek

Job summary

Thurston County Emergency Management in Olympia, WA is seeking an experienced Emergency Management Coordinator – Operations to lead the ECC readiness, duty officer program, and COOP efforts. This hands-on role partners with county departments and regional partners to turn plans into operational capability.

You will develop procedures, train staff, manage dashboards and incident response tools, and ensure the ECC is prepared before emergencies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business or public administration, education, industrial safety, law enforcement, or related field.
• Three years experience in emergency preparedness, industrial safety, public administration, education, adult training and exercise coordination, curriculum design and development, training and exercises in emergency management, law enforcement, fire service industrial safety, public administration or closely related area. Additional experience can be substituted for education on a year for year basis.
• Ability to utilize a personal computer with applicable software to successfully perform essential functions of the position.
• Successfully pass a background check.

Responsibilities

• Emergency Coordination Center Readiness - Lead the operational readiness of the County’s primary and alternate Emergency Coordination Centers, including procedures, position checklists, job aids, equipment, technology, supplies, and operational systems. Conduct routine readiness assessments, identify capability gaps, and coordinate improvements with County departments, vendors, and partners.
• Emergency Operations & Duty Officer Program - Develop and maintain operational procedures and standardized guidance supporting County emergency coordination. Serve as program lead for the Emergency Management Duty Officer program and help ensure duty personnel have the procedures, information, tools, and expectations necessary to effectively respond to emerging incidents.
• Situational Awareness & Operational Systems - Coordinate systems and processes that support situational awareness, information management, and a common operating picture during emergencies. Work with GIS, information technology, public safety, and other partners to develop and maintain dashboards, decision-support tools, and other operational capabilities.
• ECC Workforce Development & Training - Coordinate recruitment, onboarding, training, qualification, and sustainment of the County’s Emergency Coordination Support Team. Develop position‑specific training and qualification standards, coordinate recurring ECC training opportunities, and help build a capable and scalable workforce to support emergency operations.
• Continuity of Operations & Government - Lead the Countywide Continuity of Operations (COOP) program and provide guidance and technical assistance to County departments in developing, maintaining, and exercising continuity plans. Establish standards, templates, and review processes and support development and maintenance of the County’s Continuity of Government (COG) Plan.
• Training, Exercises & Continuous Improvement - Coordinate recurring ECC training and support exercises designed to evaluate emergency operations and continuity capabilities. Participate in after‑action reviews and improvement planning and ensure lessons learned from incidents and exercises are incorporated into procedures, checklists, training, and operational practices.
• Emergency Response - Participate in the Emergency Management Duty Officer rotation and serve in ECC leadership or other assigned positions during activations. Support ECC activation, staffing, operational coordination, situational awareness, information management, and continuity of essential County functions during emergencies.
• Partner & Stakeholder Coordination - Build and maintain effective working relationships with County departments and leadership, incorporated jurisdictions, tribal governments, public safety agencies, Washington Emergency Management Division, neighboring jurisdictions, and other organizations necessary to support emergency readiness and continuity.

Skills

Emergency management experience

Cross-agency collaboration

Program development

Education

Bachelor's degree in business or public administration, education, industrial safety, law enforcement, or related field

Job description

Thurston County Emergency Management in Olympia, WA is seeking an experienced Emergency Management Coordinator – Operations to lead the ECC readiness, duty officer program, and COOP efforts. This hands-on role partners with county departments and regional partners to turn plans into operational capability.

You will develop procedures, train staff, manage dashboards and incident response tools, and ensure the ECC is prepared before emergencies.