Project Specialist (Disaster Recovery & Redevelopment Plan)

YA Group; United States; On-site; USD 58,254 - 87,381; Full time

Job summary

A consulting firm in the United States is seeking a Project Specialist to support the development and implementation of disaster recovery plans. This role requires strong stakeholder engagement and project management skills, along with a Bachelor's degree in a relevant field and at least 3 years of professional experience. The ideal candidate will possess advanced communication skills and proficiency in Microsoft Office. Occasional travel to counties is required. Salary range is $58,254.00 – $87,381.00.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 years' professional work experience required.
• Familiarity with federal and state disaster recovery programs.
• Willingness to travel to counties for in‑person meetings as needed (Up to 20%).

Responsibilities

• Support county officials in developing disaster recovery plans.
• Lead stakeholder meetings to shape detailed disaster recovery plans.
• Oversee the lifecycle of mitigation projects from start to finish.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Community planning

Disaster recovery

Advanced written and verbal communication

Conflict resolution

Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365

Ability to work independently

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field

Tools

Adobe Acrobat

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

Job description

Project Specialist (Disaster Recovery & Redevelopment Plan)

Join to apply for the Project Specialist (Disaster Recovery & Redevelopment Plan) role at YA Group

YA is an international professional services organization providing forensic consulting, engineering, risk mitigation, and related services. Founded over 25 years ago as a property damage consulting firm, YA has expanded through organic growth and strategic acquisitions. Today, YA has over 700 professionals dedicated to excellence, partnership, and driving innovation. YA’s Government Services division partners with government and corporations to protect the communities we love. Our team specializes in emergency management, disaster mitigation, grants administration, floodplain management, urban and regional planning, and community resilience for public, private, and non‑profit sector clients. Government Services brings the insight and creative strategies needed to deliver outstanding results to clientele around the nation.

Summary

This role will primarily support county officials, emergency managers, and community stakeholders in developing, refining, and implementing comprehensive disaster recovery plans. Occasional travel may be required to facilitate stakeholder engagement workshops and in‑person meetings.

In addition, the role may also support federal and state grant programs throughout all stages of the project lifecycle from pre‑award review to closeout – working closely with local, state, and federal partners to ensure compliance, monitor progress, and facilitate communication across stakeholders.

Candidates located in North Florida or Georgia are strongly encouraged to apply.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Build and maintain strong working relationships with local governments and agencies to understand their disaster recovery needs.
• Lead stakeholder meetings, workshops, and planning sessions to shape detailed disaster recovery plans.
• Coordinate with different groups to ensure the planning process is fair, inclusive, and data‑based.
• Serve as subject matter expert on recovery plans, funding opportunities, and resilience strategies.
• Draft, edit, and finalize county‑level Disaster Recovery and Redevelopment plans.
• Track engagement activities and provide regular progress updates to internal teams and clients.
• Stay current with state and federal disaster recovery policies, funding mechanisms (e.g., FEMA, HUD CDBG‑DR), and planning best practices.
• Oversee the lifecycle of mitigation projects from pre‑award review to award closeout, communicating and collaborating with all applicable parties (counties, cities, state, etc.).
• Review mitigation project applications submitted, ensuring proper procedures are followed during the application review process, and answering questions as needed.
• Submit completed project applications to FEMA for funding.
• Draft project agreements, reviewing requested modifications and updating as needed until a final agreement has been executed.
• Continuously monitor active projects, reviewing quality reports, processing payments, communicating with all involved parties and ensuring compliance regulations are met.
• Collect, analyze, organize, and summarize financial/grant data.
• Assist with federal and client‑specific reporting requirements.
• Track and monitor budgets; communicate results with project and client management.
• Research and maintain fluency in rules and regulations associated with various federal programs, including but not limited to FEMA, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF), programs under the Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act (IIJA), or other federal funding workstreams with state and local clients.
• Assist client performance management of FEMA funds through routinely and proactively assessing the overall portfolio, anticipating challenges, and providing recommendations.
• Upon completion of projects, oversee final project inspections and closeout processes referencing the original project agreement.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Emergency Management, Hazard Mitigation, Urban Planning, Public Administration, Environmental Science, Economics, or a related field required.
• Minimum of 3 years' professional work experience required.
• Experience in stakeholder engagement, community planning, or disaster recovery.
• Familiarity with federal and state disaster recovery and mitigation programs, including HMA (HMGP, FMA, BRIC), hazard mitigation planning, Block Grants (CDBG, CDBG‑DR), and FEMA/HUD recovery frameworks.
• Advanced written and verbal communication skills, with expertise in facilitation and conflict resolution.
• Proficiency with Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Office 365, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and Power Apps (BI, Query, Automate).
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple projects and timelines.
• Willingness to travel to counties for in‑person meetings as needed (Up to 20%).

Fraudulent Recruitment Alert

Please be vigilant against fraudulent recruitment attempts. YA will never ask for personal financial information (such as bank account numbers or identification numbers) via social media or chat-based apps. We also will not request money for the purchase of business equipment or conduct interviews solely via text message.

All official email communications regarding your application will come from [e-mail] or directly from a member of our talent team using an @yagroup.com domain name.

If you suspect any fraudulent activity, please contact us directly at [e-mail].

Seniority level

Mid‑Senior level

Employment type

Full‑time

Job function

Project Management and Information Technology

Industries

Business Consulting and Services

Salary Range: $58,254.00 – $87,381.00 (3 days ago)