State Integration Officer

MDEM is looking for a diligent, detail-oriented individual who is excited about making Maryland a safer place to live and work by assisting with the Training & Exercise Unit.

MDEM’s mission is to proactively reduce disaster risks and reliably manage consequences through collaborative work with Maryland’s communities and partners. MDEM is the department of State government with primary responsibility and authority for emergency preparedness policy, and for coordinating hazard mitigation, incident response, and disaster recovery. MDEM is a national leader in Emergency Management that provides Maryland residents, organizations, and emergency management partners with expert information, programmatic activities, and leadership in the delivery of financial, technical, and physical resources “to shape a resilient Maryland where communities thrive.” We do this by being Maryland's designated source of official risk reduction and consequence management information.

NOTE: This position operates within an on-call rotating schedule according to assignment within the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) to attend to all emergencies on a statewide 24/7 basis. This may involve working 12-hour shifts extended periods of time in support of 24-hour consequence management activities.

The Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM) is the Department of State government with primary responsibility and authority for emergency preparedness policy, and for coordinating hazard mitigation, incident response, and disaster recovery. MDEM works to ensure that all Marylanders engage in preparedness activities and that the entire state is more disaster resilient. The Preparedness Branch – Training & Exercise Unit is a critical part of MDEM’s mission and the successful execution of the Agency’s Center for Preparedness Excellence. This position reports to the Training & Exercise Unit Supervisor.

This position serves the State of Maryland, its State Agencies, and local jurisdictions in the following area:

• Emergency and Disaster response and recovery operations as needed and/or assigned by the Department Secretary, Directors or Operations Personnel.
• Serve as the State Integration Officer to Training & Exercise Unit, and Preparedness Branch;
• Develop After-Action Reports (AAR) and Improvement Plans (IPs)
• Develop and implement a system for the prioritization and tracking of corrective actions.
• Serve on the design team and support the development of discussion-based and operations-based exercises in coordination with the State Exercise Program.
• Develop and Maintain the State of Maryland Integrated Preparedness Plan (IPP) and associated products.
• Form and sustain a cadre of trained and competent evaluators for use during the evaluation of real world events and exercises.
• Support the development of data-driven reports on T&E Unit program activity
• Support the delivery of emergency management and professional development training courses
• Provide technical assistance
• Support the completion of the State’s Threat and Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment/ Stakeholder Preparedness Review (THIRA/SPR)
• Support MDEM EMAP coordinator
• Planning assistance
• Support the Department’s activities in the National Capital Region (NCR)
• Preparedness Branch Support
• Support the Department’s statewide activities
• Support MDEM’s strategic goals and objectives for emergency management
• Support Maryland’s strategic goals and objectives for homeland security
• Support and participate in Consequence Management Directorate and overall

Department initiatives and programs. The position will also support Department programs, projects, and activities related to the overall Department mission, and may be tasked to support other duties as assigned by the Manager of the Preparedness Branch In order to fulfill these responsibilities, this position requires strong communication, managerial, supervisory, and leadership skills, as well as strong technical and presentation skills.

Emergency and Disaster response and recovery operations as needed and/or assigned by Department Secretary, Directors, or Operations Personnel: Employee will be expected to staff the SEOC upon activation for consequence management activities. Employee may be called to duty at any time, day or night, and is expected to report to the SEOC or assigned duty location within two (2) hours of notification. Employee will attend training and retain competencies to be appropriately prepared for SEOC staffing needs including understanding and mastery of all five components of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the Maryland Emergency Management System (MEMS). Employee will support SEOC activities, which may involve extended work hours, as well as extraordinary stress levels, given that a disaster event would occur requiring SEOC activation.  Employee will be expected to perform command and supervisory functions for incident management needs with competence and reliability under NIMS and MEMS. Employee is expected to support ongoing recovery operations as it relates to their specific Branch roles/responsibilities. Employee may be required to report to an alternate location to perform SEOC duties in support of MEMS stakeholders or in the event of a Continuity of Operations Program (COOP) Plan activation.

Serve as the State Integration Officer: This position serves as the State Integration Officer in the Training & Exercise Unit of the Preparedness  Branch and is responsible for identifying capabilities, operational activities, and/or plans, policies, and procedures to be tested and validated through exercises.

Develop After-Action Reports (AAR) and Improvement Plans (IPs): This position is responsible for developing and/or overseeing the development of After-Action Reports (AARs) and Improvement Plans (IPs) for all incidents, events and exercises that detail identified areas for improvement, best practices, capability gaps and associated corrective actions.

Develop and Implement a System for the Prioritization and Tracking of Corrective Actions: This position is responsible for developing and implementing a sustainable system for the cataloging, prioritization and tracking to completion of all corrective actions from department AARs and external AARs with tasks assigned to the department.

Develop and Maintain the State of Maryland Integrated Preparedness Plan

(IPP) and Associated Products: This position is responsible for the development and maintenance of the State of Maryland’s triennial Integrated Preparedness Plan (IPP) and any necessary supporting/supplementary products ensuring that ensuring that gaps identified in After-Action Reports from real-world events and exercises, the State THIRA/SPR and data from external sources and stakeholders are incorporated into the development of the plan.

Serve on the design team and support the development of discussion-based and operations-based exercises in coordination with the State Exercise Program: This position will serve on the design team of exercises developed by the State Exercise Program primarily as the lead evaluator or in a consultation role to the appointed lead evaluator to ensure sound exercise evaluation practices are incorporated into planning from the conceptualization of exercise objectives through the completion of the AAR. In some instances, this position may serve as the design lead of an exercise, responsible for the

development, planning, facilitation/control of exercises of all types under the guidance of the State Exercise Officer.

Support the development of data-driven reports on T&E Unit program activity: This position will support the T&E Unit Supervisor in capturing Unit activity data through the collection and analysis of program relevant activity and the analysis/ display of this data in charts, graphs and reports. This data will be utilized to make ongoing program adjustments.

Form and sustain a cadre of trained and competent evaluators for use during the evaluation of real-world events and exercises: This position is responsible for forming and sustaining a cadre of trained and competent evaluators for use during the evaluation of real-world events and exercises of all types. This position will provide/ recommend training for evaluators and continuously ensure proficiency across cadre conducted work/ developed

products. All administrative tasks related to the sustainment of this cadre and its associated processes will additionally be the responsibility of this position.

Support the delivery of emergency management and professional development training courses: Support the State Training Officer and other MDEM training elements in the delivery of emergency management and professional development training courses in Maryland. Support may include instructing courses related to area of expertise and/or courses for which appropriate instructor training will be provided.

Provide technical assistance: This position provides technical assistance and support to State departments/agencies, regional organizations, and local jurisdictions on the development and sustainment of continuous improvement programs, HSEEP doctrine consistent exercise/real-world event evaluation and AAR development, and other topics related to the daily duties of the position.

Support the completion of the State’s Threat and Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment/ Stakeholder Preparedness Review (THIRA/SPR): This position will support the MDEM Planning and Assessment Unit in the development and maintenance of the State of Maryland THIRA/SPR and ensure that data from these products are incorporated into the schedule of T&E activities in consultation with the other programs within the T&E Unit.

Support the MDEM EMAP coordinator: Support the MDEM Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP) by maintaining records and documentation and provide other support to the EMAP Coordinator as needed. Serve as the EMAP Accreditation Manager in the absence of the Training & Exercise Unit Supervisor.

Planning assistance: This position will provide support to the Planning Unit and Assessment Unit with the development, revision, and maintenance of consequence management plans and planning products.

Support the Department’s activities in the National Capital Region (NCR): This position supports the NCR including serving as the State’s representative on one or more working groups, Specific duties include representing Department priorities and interests in regional project development, briefing all activities to Employee’s supervisor, and attending program and project management meetings in the NCR.

Preparedness Branch support: This position supports the Prepared Branch, Branch sponsored activities as well as the Branch’s units including the Planning Unit, Training & Exercise Unit, State Continuity Program, and the Radiological Emergency Preparedness Unit.

Support the Department’s statewide activities: This position supports Department activities including developing, promoting, and implementing assigned plans, documents, and other materials related to the Maryland Emergency Management System. This may include, but not be limited to, conducting capability assessments and developing operational plans. Provide support and assistance for the development and delivery of training and

exercise.

Support MDEM’s strategic goals and objectives for emergency management.

Support Maryland’s strategic goals and objectives for homeland security.

Support and participate in Consequence Management Directorate and overall Agency initiatives and programs, as assigned by the Preparedness Branch Manager, Consequence Management Director, Deputy Executive Director, and/or the Executive Director. Support the MDEM Consequence Management, Disaster Risk Reduction, and Mission Support Directorates as needed.

Education: Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate.

Experience: Six years of administrative staff or professional work.

Notes:

1. Candidates may substitute 30 college credit hours from an accredited college or university for each year up to four years of the required experience.

2. Candidates may substitute the possession of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and two years of experience in administrative staff or professional work for the required experience.

3. Candidates may substitute the possession of a Master's degree from an accredited college or university for the required experience.

4. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a commissioned officer involving staff work related to the administration of rules, regulations, policy, procedures and processes, or overseeing or coordinating unit operations or functioning as a staff assistant to a higher ranking commissioned officer on a year-for-year basis for the required experience.

§  Prior experience (through work or education) in  data science, statistics, data analytics, business analytics, research, and/or emergency management

§  Prior experience with Google Workspace, Smartsheets, Tableau, and/or other platforms that require data entry, sorting and analysis.

§  Prior experience developing Integrated Preparedness Plans (IPP), Threat & Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment and Stakeholder Preparedness Reviews (THIRA/SPR), and/or After-Action Reports and Improvement Plans (AAR/IPs)

Contractual employees who work for an agency covered under the State Employee and Retiree Health and Welfare Benefits Program, have a current employment contract and work 30 or more hours a week (or on average 130 hours per month) may be eligible for subsidized health benefits coverage for themselves and their dependents. As a contractual employee, you will be responsible for paying 25% of the premiums for your medical and prescription coverage, including any eligible dependents you have enrolled. The State of Maryland will subsidize the remaining 75% of the cost for these benefits. You can also elect to enroll in dental coverage, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, and life insurance, but will be responsible to pay the full premium for these benefits.

Leave may be granted to a contractual employee who has worked 120 days in a 12 month period. This leave accrues at a rate of one hour for every 30 hours worked, not to exceed 40 hours per calendar year.

Online applications are highly recommended. However, if you are unable to apply online, the paper application and supplemental questionnaire may be submitted to: Maryland Department of Emergency Management, 5401 Rue Saint Lo Drive, Reisterstown, MD 21136. Paper application materials must be received in our office by the closing date for the recruitment. No postmarks will be accepted.

For questions regarding this recruitment, please call Kiara Jones at 410-702-3714 or email at kiara.jones@maryland.gov .

MD TTY Relay Service 1-800-735-2258.

We thank our Veterans for their service to our country.

People with disabilities and bilingual candidates are encouraged to apply.

As an equal opportunity employer, Maryland is committed to recruitment, retaining and promoting employees who are reflective of the State's diversity.