Job Summary This position is in the Department of Health (DC Health) within the Health Systems and Preparedness Administration (HSPA), Office of Emergency Preparedness and Resilience (OEPR). DC Health promotes health, wellness, and equity across the District, and protects the safety of residents, visitors, and those doing business in the nation's capital. DC Health believes that all people - no matter their race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, education level, age, language, religion, ability, or geographic location - should have the opportunity to live healthy lives.
Integral to this role is a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Deputy Director of OEPR actively fosters a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion within the Office and across the Department, and ensures that plans, policies, and procedures reflect these values. They apply anti-racist and anti-oppressive principles to preparedness and response work, recognizing that emergencies fall hardest on residents who already face structural barriers, and they plan deliberately with and for people with access and functional needs. Their commitment is evident in how they lead staff, engage communities, and direct resources before, during, and after an emergency.
The incumbent will have the unique opportunity to lead the District's public health and medical preparedness, mitigation, response, recovery, and resilience program. OEPR is the District's public health and medical preparedness office and the operational lead for Emergency Support Function #8 (ESF-8), Public Health and Medical Services, under the District Response Plan. Working under the general direction of the Senior Deputy Director of HSPA, the Deputy Director oversees a portfolio that includes emergency operations planning; training and exercises; the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Program; the DC Medical Reserve Corps (MRC); logistics, medical countermeasures, and the receipt, stage, and store (RSS) warehouse; the Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) and Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) cooperative agreements and other preparedness awards; and healthcare system capacity monitoring, coordination, and information sharing. This is a senior leadership role for a recognized expert who can build readiness in steady state and exercise sound executive judgement when an activation demands it.
Major Duties and Responsibilities Serves as the senior manager responsible for the District's public health and medical preparedness and response program, and as a focal point within DC Health for readiness and operational capability across all hazards, including infectious disease, chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive incidents; severe weather and extreme temperatures; mass casualty and mass fatality events; and planned/unplanned special events, many of national significance. Directs the development, maintenance, and revision of the District's public health and medical emergency plans, including the ESF-8 Annex to the District Response Plan, DC Health's Health Emergency Coordination Center (HECC) plan, continuity of operations plans, medical countermeasure dispensing and distribution plans, medical surge and crisis standards of care planning, mass casualty and mass fatality plans, and hazardspecific annexes. Directs jurisdictional risk assessments and healthcare coalition vulnerability analysis, and ensures findings drive planning priorities, mitigation strategies, and grant work plans.
Leads the resilience portfolio of the Office, developing strategies that reduce the health consequences of foreseeable hazards before they occur, including climate-related health risk mitigation, healthcare infrastructure and supply chain resilience, and community-level preparedness initiatives conducted with community-based organizations, faith communities, Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs), and other trusted local institutions. Manages the agency's emergency preparedness training and exercise program consistent with HSEEP, including a multi-year integrated preparedness plan and the design, conduct, and evaluation of workshops, tabletop exercises, drills, and functional and full-scale exercises with District agencies, hospitals, healthcare facilities, EMS agencies, and regional and federal partners. Establishes NIMS/ICS and specific-specific training standards for DC Health emergency response personnel and directs the correct action process so that identified deficiencies result in documented changes to plans, training, equipment, and/or policy.
Qualifications and Education Specialized Experience: Specialized experience must have equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position to be filled. To be creditable, applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the line of progression.
Preferred Qualifications: A master's or doctoral degree in public health, emergency management, health administration, public administration, or a related field appropriate to the work of the position is preferred. Candidates with professional credentials such as Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) or Master Exercise Practitioner (MEP), and with completion of advanced Incident Command System training (i.e., ICS-300 and ICS-400), are preferred. Also preferred are candidates with experience serving as the responsible official for PHEP or HPP cooperative agreements, directing a healthcare coalition, providing executive oversight of an EMS system, or leading preparedness work with populations with access and functional needs.
Licenses and Certifications Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
Working Conditions / Environment The incumbent must be able to carry out official duties in a variety of settings and conditions. Routine work will occur primarily in an office setting. During activations, work will also take place in the DC Health HECC, the District's Emergency Operations Center, incident sites, healthcare facilities, and the RSS warehouse, and may involve extended shifts, consecutive operational periods, and work outside normal business hours.
Other Significant Facts Employment Sponsorship: Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa currently.
Agency Wide Consideration: Qualified individuals that submit applications for this vacancy may be considered for other current open vacancies for which they qualify within DC Health.
Tour of Duty: Monday - Friday 8:15am - 4:45pm. As an emergency employee, the incumbent must be available 24/7 and will work extended and irregular hours during activations.
Pay Plan, Series and Grade: MS-0301-15
Area of Consideration: Open to the Public
Promotion Potential: No Known Promotion Potential
Duration of Appointment: MSS At-Will - This is a Management Supervisory Service (MSS) appointment. Persons appointed to MSS positions do not acquire permanent status, but serve at the pleasure of the appointing personnel authority and may be terminated at any time.
Collective Bargaining Unit (Union): This position is not in a collective bargaining unit.
Position Designation: This position has been designated as
Security Sensitive. Pursuant to section 410 of Chapter 4 of the D.C. Personnel Regulations; in addition to the general suitability screening, individuals applying for or occupying security sensitive positions are subject to the following checks and tests:
This position has been designated as Essential. Employees occupying positions designated as Essential are required to:
- If requested, report to work, and/or remain at work, to perform crucial duties in emergency situations, including when the District government is closed or when most employees are dismissed early.
- Be available 24/7 basis and maintain continuous reachability by agency-issued communication equipment.
- Report to a designated duty location or incident site within the recall period established by the Senior Deputy Director.
- Work extended shifts and consecutive operational periods during activations.
- Carry or wear their official District government ID card during the period of the declared emergency.
Residency Requirement:(if applicable) If the position you are applying for is in the Career, Management Supervisory, or Educational Service at an annual salary of one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) or more, you must establish residency in the District of Columbia within one hundred eighty (180) days of the effective date of the appointment and continue to maintain residency within the District of Columbia throughout the duration of the appointment.
