Planning Section Chief - Humanitarian Response

wfgrp; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

The Workforce Group, a LEMOINE company, seeks an experienced Planning Section Chief to guide emergency operations. You will oversee planning, data analysis, and the development of Incident Action Plans for each operational period, ensuring documentation reflects current and anticipated incident objectives.

This role requires leading planning meetings, coordinating input from multiple sections, and ensuring adherence to FEMA NIMS and ICS standards, with 24/7 centers and flexible hours as deployed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Emergency Management or a related field.
• Minimum 3 years of emergency management planning experience.
• Experience preparing Incident Action Plans (IAPs) and leading multi-agency planning.
• Strong knowledge of FEMA’s NIMS and ICS frameworks.
• Experience supporting state or federal emergency operations preferred.
• Ability to manage complex information and high-pressure decisions.
• Excellent analytical, organizational and written communication skills.
• FEMA ICS trainings completed prior to deployment.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all planning activities for incident operations and track personnel and resources.
• Facilitate IAP development and coordinate input from operational sections.
• Analyze data to identify trends, forecast needs, and inform leadership.
• Maintain incident documentation: situation reports, charts, maps.
• Coordinate with Operations, Logistics, and Finance/Administration.
• Support incident objectives, strategies, and contingency planning.
• Lead planning briefings and disseminate IAPs and updates.
• Maintain after-action documentation and capture lessons learned.
• Ensure adherence to NIMS and ICS standards across activities.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Skills

IAP preparation

Multi-agency coordination

Data-driven decision making

NIMS/ICS knowledge

Written communication

Bilingual English/Spanish

FEMA ICS trainings

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Emergency Management / Public Administration / Human Services

Job description

Summary

The Workforce Group, a LEMOINE company, is seeking an experienced Planning Section Chief to support emergency operations under the Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness and Response (OHSEPR). This key leadership position is responsible for overseeing the collection, analysis, and dissemination of incident-related data to guide operational decision-making. The Planning Section Chief facilitates planning meetings, develops the Incident Action Plan (IAP) for each operational period, and ensures all documentation accurately reflects current and anticipated incident objectives. These emergency response centers function 24/7 with shifts lasting up to 12 hours, necessitating flexible scheduling and extended hours to meet operational demands. Location: Varies by Deployment (Emergency Response Center or Designated Site).

Duties and Responsibilities

• Oversee all planning activities related to incident operations, ensuring accurate tracking of personnel, resources, and situational developments.
• Facilitate incident action planning meetings and coordinate input from all operational sections to develop comprehensive Incident Action Plans (IAPs).
• Compile and analyze data to identify operational trends, forecast resource needs, and support leadership decision-making.
• Maintain up-to-date incident documentation, including situation reports, organizational charts, resource summaries, and operational maps.
• Collaborate with the Operations, Logistics, and Finance/Administration Sections to ensure alignment of objectives, strategies, and resource availability.
• Support the development and implementation of incident objectives, operational strategies, and contingency plans.
• Lead planning briefings and ensure dissemination of IAPs and situational updates to all relevant stakeholders.
• Manage and maintain documentation for after-action reviews, ensuring lessons learned are captured for future operations.
• Ensure all planning and documentation activities adhere to FEMA’s National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command System (ICS) standards.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Bachelor’s degree in Emergency Management, Public Administration, Human Services, or a related field.
• Minimum 3 years of experience in emergency management, disaster response, or incident planning.
• Experience as a Type 3 Section Chief is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience preparing Incident Action Plans (IAPs) and leading multi-agency coordination meetings.
• Strong knowledge of FEMA’s National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command System (ICS) frameworks.
• Prior experience supporting state or federally coordinated emergency or humanitarian operations is strongly preferred.
• Ability to manage complex information and make data-driven recommendations in high-pressure environments.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and written communication skills.
• Bilingual fluency in English and Spanish, Farsi, Dari, Pashto, and/or Arabic is strongly preferred.
• Completion of required FEMA Incident Command System trainings is mandatory prior to deployment.

We are an equal-opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, age, protected veteran status, or disability status.