Salary : $157,264.49 - $191,159.32 Annually
Location : Santa Rosa, CA
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: 26/08-0774-O
Department: Department of Emergency Management (DEM)
Opening Date: 08/12/2026
Closing Date: 9/1/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
Bargaining Unit: 50

Position Information

About the Position

As the Deputy Director of Emergency Management, you will serve as a key member of the department's executive management team, providing strategic leadership for the County's emergency management programs. You will oversee five direct reports and two Extra-Help positions responsible for emergency preparedness, community alert and warning programs, community preparedness programs, and administrative services while ensuring County emergency-related plans comply with state and federal requirements. You will also lead the County's Emergency Staff Development Program, recommend emergency management policies and procedures, and serve as one of the Directors of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) during emergency activations.

Additional responsibilities include:

• Developing, implementing, and maintaining emergency operations plans, functional annexes, training programs, and emergency exercises
• Coordinating emergency preparedness activities, incident activations, and short-term disaster recovery efforts
• Representing the County through presentations, committees, advisory groups, and partnerships with government agencies, community organizations, and Operational Area stakeholders
• Serving as the department's Safety Officer
• Acting on behalf of the Director of Emergency Management, as assigned or during the Director's absence

Important Information About This Position

• This position serves on a rotating basis as one of the Directors of the EOC during emergency activations and may be required to respond outside of regular working hours, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and overnight shifts
• On an as-needed basis, this position may serve as the department's Duty Officer and respond to emergency incidents throughout Sonoma County
• During emergency activations, this position may be required to work extended shifts exceeding eight hours per day and work weeks longer than five days
• This position requires flexibility and the ability to work effectively under adverse physical and mental conditions, including being at emergency scenes, incident base camps, other jurisdiction EOC, and may experience inclement weather, and stressful situations

The ideal candidate is a collaborative and strategic leader who inspires confidence, builds strong relationships, and exercises sound judgment in complex and evolving situations. They will communicate effectively with diverse audiences, foster collaboration across organizations, and are committed to developing others while advancing the County's emergency management mission. The ideal candidate will also possess many of the following:

• Experience leading comprehensive emergency management programs, including disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and resilience initiatives
• Experience developing, implementing, and maintaining emergency operations plans, functional annexes, training programs, exercises, and after-action reports
• The ability to build collaborative partnerships with government agencies, Operational Area partners, community organizations, and other stakeholders to coordinate emergency management initiatives
• Knowledge of public alert and warning systems and emergency management technologies
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, including experience presenting to elected officials, community organizations, and diverse stakeholder groups
• Political acumen and the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Excellent critical thinking, sound judgment, and problem-solving skills
• The ability to adapt to changing priorities, make sound decisions under pressure, and lead effectively during emergency incidents and disaster operations
• A commitment to mentoring staff and fostering a collaborative, high-performing team environment

The following training and certifications are highly desirable, but not required:

• FEMA Professional Development Series
• Incident Command System (ICS) 100, 200, 300, 400, 700, and 800
• State of California Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS)
• California Professional Emergency Manager (CA-PEM)
• Certified Emergency Manager (CEM)

What We Offer

Working at the County of Sonoma offers expansive opportunities for growth and development, the ability to be a part of a challenging and rewarding work environment, and the satisfaction of knowing you're working to better our communities. You can also look forward to flexible work arrangements and excellent benefits* including:

• Hybrid Telework - A schedule that meets the needs of our staff, department operations, and the communities we serve may be available depending on the assignment
• Salary Advancement - A salary increase after 1,040 hours (6 months when working full-time) for good work performance; eligibility for a salary increase for good performance every year thereafter, until reaching the top of the salary range
• Paid Time Off - Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals, 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year
• Staff Development/Wellness - Annual benefit allowances of up to $2,000 and ongoing education/training opportunities
• County Paid Health Premium Contributions - 100% premium contribution for the majority of employee-only and employee + family health plan options
• Post-Retirement Health Reimbursement Arrangement - County contributions to help fund post-retirement health insurance/benefits
• Retirement - A pension fully integrated with Social Security
• Incentive Retirement Savings Plan (IRSP) and 457 Voluntary Deferred Compensation - 3% of salary County contribution to a 401(a), in addition to the County matching up to 1% of base salary in 401(a), based upon employee contribution
• Paid Parental Leave - May be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) after 12 months of County employment
• Additional Benefits - Excellent dental, vision, disability, life insurance, employee assistance program, professional development, and more
• Student Loan Debt Relief - County employees may be eligible for through the U.S. Department of Education

*Salary is negotiable within the established range. Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can be found in the and our

This recruitment is being conducted to fill a Deputy Director of Emergency Management position in the Department of Emergency Management. This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time, part-time, or extra-help (temporary) positions as they occur during the active status of the list. Qualified County employees who wish to be considered for future positions should consider applying to this recruitment.

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire to be completed.
Minimum Qualifications
Experience and Education: Any combination of education, experience, and training which would provide the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed. Normally, graduation from an accredited college or university with a degree in emergency management, public safety, business or public administration, or a closely related field, and four years of progressively responsible experience managing a governmental civil defense, disaster, and/or emergency management program, two years of which included supervising staff.

License: Possession of a valid driver's license at the appropriate level including special endorsements, as required by the State of California, may be required depending upon assignment to perform the essential job functions of the position.

The position advertised on this announcement requires possession of a valid California Driver's License.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Considerable knowledge of: the principles, practices, and methods of emergency management; the laws, rules, and regulations governing the establishment and maintenance of emergency services systems; the modern equipment and systems utilized in emergency management including the Incident Command System (ICS), Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS), and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), or equivalent systems; conditions leading to major emergencies, their effects, mitigation, response lines, resource requirements, damage assessment, recovery methods, and safety survival procedures; the operation of an emergency management center; federal and state policies and guidelines for emergency services and assistance; federal and state emergency services programs and funding procedures; principles and practices of program development and administration; principles and practices of supervision and performance management, budget and fiscal management, and public and general administration; office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, and databases; English grammar, usage, and syntax.

Ability to: plan, organize, and direct comprehensive emergency management programs; supervise and evaluate the performance of subordinate managers and other staff; analyze problems, identify service needs, and develop effective courses of action; establish and adjust priorities; plan and develop new programs to meet objectives; assess budgetary needs and make projections; understand, interpret, and explain related laws, regulations, and policies; work independently and make sound decisions; maintain collaborative and cooperative working relationships; resolve conflicts; professionally represent the department and advise managers and supervisors on a wide variety of emergency management issues; analyze emergency situations and implement effective courses of action; communicate effectively both verbally and in writing including public speaking; prepare and direct the preparation of comprehensive written reports and oral presentations; review staff work; work under significant pressure, be subject to extended work hours, and be on-call in case of emergencies.

Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying

• Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
• You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
• You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
• Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.

Please visit to review more detailed information about the hiring process, including the application process, examination steps, and department selection process.

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire to be completed.

Responses to supplemental questions will be scored using position-specific criteria. Please provide specific and detailed responses of a reasonable length to allow for a thorough assessment of your qualifications. Responses that state, "See Resume" or "See Application" may be considered insufficient and therefore may not be scored.

The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:

An Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (weight 100%) will be conducted to evaluate each applicant's application and supplemental questionnaire for satisfaction of minimum qualifications (pass/not pass); and for educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities which relate to this position. Personally identifiable information (PII) is removed from the standard application fields and applicable attachments. This PII blind screening practice redacts a candidate's personal information that could potentially influence or bias the scoring process. Personal information includes the applicant's name, former last name, address, phone number, email, driver's license number, school name, education start and end dates, age, date of birth, gender, and race. This PII blind screening practice helps contribute to a fair and equitable examination process.

Each applicant will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Relevance of work history, related experience, and achieved level of education and/or training as described in the application and responses to the supplemental questions.

Candidates demonstrating possession of the minimum qualifications will be placed on an employment list in order of most qualified to least qualified based on the achieved score received in the Application