Radiological Emergency Preparedness Site Specialist (Program Planner 3)

State-of-Iow; Johnston (IA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

IPERS retirement

Paid time off

Holidays

401A employer match

Employee discounts

Job summary

Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) seeks a Radiological Emergency Preparedness (REP) Site Specialist in Johnston, IA. You will lead off-site planning, coordinate interagency exercises, and support state activations to enhance nuclear preparedness across Iowa.

Ideal candidates bring REP, emergency management, and regulatory experience, with strong communication and organizational skills. Some travel and on-site presence required, with potential limited remote work after

Qualifications

• Minimum seven years of full-time work experience in a related program.
• Knowledge of NRC and FEMA rules and doctrine.
• Experience developing operational plans and training records.
• Excellent written and verbal communication across diverse agencies.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage priorities.
• Willingness to travel and participate in on-site activations.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate off-site emergency planning for nuclear facilities in/near Iowa.
• Assist counties with radiological emergency planning and EAS verification.
• Orchestrate drills and training exercises with utilities, FEMA, and state partners.
• Manage statewide TLD program and KI stockpiles within 10-mile zones.
• Maintain FEMA/NRC doctrine currency and respond to inquiries.
• Serve as SEOC Operations Officer during activations and emergencies.

Skills

Radiological Emergency Preparedness

Emergency management

Regulatory compliance

Interagency coordination

Communication skills

Education

Graduation from an accredited school of law

Tools

NRC/FEMA doctrine

Job description

Only applicants who meet the Minimum Qualification Requirements and meet all selective requirements (listed below) will be placed on the eligible list.

In the face of complex threats, Iowa relies on meticulous preparation—and that’s where you come in. Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) is seeking a highly motivated, detail- oriented, and solution-focused professional to serve as our Radiological Emergency Preparedness (REP) Site Specialist at our office in Johnston, IA.

In this dynamic role within our Response Division, you will serve as the primary focal point for Iowa's REP program, ensuring state agencies and local communities are thoroughly prepared for potential radiological incidents at nuclear power facilities in and around the state. Balancing high-level strategy with real-world application, you will lead off-site emergency planning, coordinate complex interagency exercises, and step-up during state activations.

This is your chance to make a direct, lasting impact on Iowa's resilience—driving nuclear readiness and protecting communities across the state.

Who We Are:

The Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management’s (HSEM) Mission Statement is Enhancing the quality of life for Iowans by preparing our State and building resilient communities. The person selected for this position will demonstrate actions and behaviors guided by the HSEM’s four core values:

MISSION ORIENTED - We are resolute in our service to Iowans

INTEGRITY - We conduct ourselves with honesty and are transparent in our actions

DISTINGUISHED - We are leaders in our field

ONE TEAM - We collaborate, connect, and share

What We Are Seeking

We are seeking an organized, innovative, and resilient professional who is ready to lead complex planning and foster strong interagency partnerships. Reporting to the Preparedness Bureau Chief and collaborating closely with the REP Program Manager, the ideal candidate brings sharp problem-solving skills, a collaborative mindset, and a commitment to operational excellence.

A background in Radiological Emergency Preparedness, emergency management, or regulatory compliance is preferred, but we welcome adaptable candidates who are quick learners and driven by process. Candidates should be comfortable navigating federal guidelines, managing critical statewide equipment programs, and representing the Department in both steady-state planning and active emergency operations.

We are looking for someone who is reliable, agile, and committed to safeguarding Iowa’s communities— someone ready to manage high-stakes priorities and support the agency's mission.

Desired skills and abilities include:

• Demonstrated experience or background in Radiological Emergency Preparedness at the local, state, or federal level
• Familiarity with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and FEMA rules, regulations, and REP doctrine, with the ability to interpret and enforce federal standards
• Experience developing operational plans, procedures, and maintaining meticulously detailed training records
• Exceptional communication skills, including writing, speaking, listening, and negotiating across diverse partner agencies
• High degree of organization, self-discipline, and time management to independently drive projects and manage priorities
• Resilience and agility to step into active operational roles—such as SEOC Operations Officer— during exercises or real-world disaster activations

What you will do

This position will support HSEM’s mission by serving as the REP program focal point, leading nuclear power facility preparedness, and supporting response operations through the following responsibilities:

• Coordinating off-site emergency planning and activities for nuclear power generation stations in and near Iowa
• Assisting counties in southwest and eastern Iowa with radiological emergency planning, training timelines, and verifying functional Emergency Alert Systems (EAS)
• Orchestrating drills, rehearsals, and training exercises in coordination with utilities, FEMA, host/risk counties, and state agency partners
• Managing the statewide thermoluminescent dosimetry (TLD) program—including vendor coordination, ordering, and distribution—and maintaining potassium iodide (KI) stockpiles in 10- mile Emergency Planning Zones
• Ensuring program compliance by responding to FEMA inquiries, maintaining NRC/FEMA doctrine currency, and preparing the Annual Letter of Certification
• Serving as Operations Officer during State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) activations to mobilize critical resources during disasters and exercises, while providing flexible support across HSEM response elements

What We Offer You

• Competitive pay and benefits package including health, dental, flexible spending, and life insurance.
• Opportunities for professional growth and development.
• Paid time off effective immediately (biweekly vacation, separate sick leave, accruals rollover on a yearly basis, and 9 paid holidays per year).
• Iowa Public Employee Retirement System (IPERS) Retirement Package with employer match
• Retirement Investors Club (RIC) (Employer Sponsored Retirement Plan).
• Optional 401A plan with employer contributions: The State makes match contributions into the employee’s selection of investments in a 401(a)-employer match account. The match is $1 for every $1 contributed up to a $75 monthly maximum.
• Employee Discount Programs from variety of vendors (vision, cellular, fitness, recreation, season passes, travel, counseling; legal, financial).

For additional information on benefits, please visit the Iowa Department of Administrative Services website at https://das.iowa.gov/human-resources/employee-and-retiree-benefits.

Travel:

Travel required.

Working Hours

7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. or 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. or 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

This position will require a presence in the office on a regular basis. There will be a potential option for some remote work once on‑boarding and training have been completed, but this is not a fulltime remote work position

HSEM is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy or pregnancy‑related condition, consistent with applicable state and federal policies and regulations.

E-Verify and Right to Work

The State of Iowa participates in E-Verify, a federal program that helps employers confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. Within the required timeframe, new hires will be verified through the E-Verify system to ensure authorization to work in the United States. The State of Iowa also complies with the federal Right to Work laws, which protect employees’ rights to work without being required to join a labor organization. For more information, please visit www.e-verify.gov.

204 Emergency Planning (State and Local):

6 months experience, 12 semester hours, or a combination of both in the entire emergency planning process from meeting and working with partners to developing and writing the plan to working back through an approval process with the partners. Knowledge of emergency management and the systems and processes employed in Response, Recovery, Mitigation and Preparedness are essential

Applicants must meet at least one of the following minimum requirements to qualify for positions in this job classification:

1. Seven years of full-time work experience in the administration or operation/execution (i.e., providing consultation and/or technical assistance to stakeholders, research and analysis, or enforcement of program guidelines/policies/procedures) of a program (i.e., the provision of a service or an administrative oversight/enforcement responsibility).
2. All of the following (a, b, and c):
   a. One year of full-time work experience in the administration or operation/execution (i.e., providing consultation and/or technical assistance to stakeholders, research and analysis, or enforcement of program guidelines/policies/procedures) of a program (i.e., the provision of a service or an administrative oversight/enforcement responsibility); and
   b. A total of four years of education and full-time experience (as described in part a), where thirty semester hours of accredited college or university course work in any field equals one year of full-time experience; and
   c. A total of two years of graduate-level education and full-time experience (as described in part a), where twenty-four semester hours of accredited graduate college or university course work in any field equals one year of full-time experience.
3. Graduation from an accredited school of law.
4. Current, continuous experience in the state executive branch that includes nine months of full-time work as a Program Planner 2 or twenty-seven months of full-time work as a Program Planner 1.

Some positions in this class may require an applicant to have the ability to pass a background investigation.