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We are seeking a Regional Disaster Officer for the Central & South Texas Region - American Red Cross Central and South Texas Region

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW (Job Overview):

The Regional Disaster Officer (RDO) , a member of the Regional Leadership Team, serves as the senior disaster services executive for the Central & South Texas Region and is responsible for the strategic leadership, operational readiness, and effective delivery of disaster services across the region. Working in close partnership with the Regional Chief Executive Officer and Regional Leadership Team, the RDO serves as a strategic thought partner, helping to assess regional risks, establish priorities, develop strategies, and execute plans that strengthen disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and community resilience. The RDO oversees the implementation of disaster services through a team that includes directors, employees, and volunteers. This position is accountable for ensuring that regional programs are executed consistently, efficiently, and in alignment with organizational standards, established performance metrics, and the evolving needs of the communities served. The RDO ensures that employees and volunteers are assigned specific relationship management responsibilities with key emergency management officials, governmental agencies, nongovernmental organizations, community partners, and corporations that support disaster services. This includes developing and maintaining an effective account management approach to external partnerships.

During disasters, the Regional Disaster Officer serves in a senior operational leadership role for events of any scale and may participate in or lead larger operations at the regional, divisional, or national level.

The position is responsible for government partnerships, program management, measurement and evaluation, operational readiness, information management, preparedness, response management, and continuous improvement. The scope and complexity of the position are influenced by factors including the number of municipalities served, regional geography, population, disaster risk, frequency and scale of events, program activity, regional structure, and the presence of significant grant funding. The RDO provides leadership, guidance, development, and support to employees and volunteers, with a particular focus on building leadership capacity, elevating team performance, empowering decision-making, and strengthening the volunteer workforce.

All duties and responsibilities must be performed in compliance with applicable American Red Cross standard operating procedures and all applicable federal, state, and local regulations.

WHERE YOUR CAREER IS A FORCE FOR GOOD: Key Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Thought Leadership and Partnership with the Regional CEO

• Serve as the region's senior leader and thought leader in emergency services, disaster policy, disaster operations, preparedness, recovery, and community resilience.
• Act as a trusted strategic thought partner to the Regional CEO, providing informed counsel regarding disaster risk, operational readiness, community needs, emerging issues, program performance, and opportunities to strengthen the region's impact.
• Collaborate with the Regional CEO and Regional Leadership Team to translate organizational priorities into a clear and actionable regional disaster services strategy.
• Bring forward data-driven insights, informed recommendations, constructive challenges, and innovative solutions that strengthen organizational performance and advance the mission.

2. Strategy Development and Strategic Execution

• Lead the development, communication, and execution of a comprehensive regional disaster services strategy aligned with national, divisional, and regional priorities.
• Translate strategy into measurable goals, implementation plans, accountabilities, timelines, and performance indicators.
• Maintain a strong focus on disciplined execution by regularly evaluating progress, identifying barriers, managing risk, allocating resources, and adjusting plans when necessary.
• Ensure that regional strategies account for community vulnerability, population trends, geographic complexity, disaster risk, operational capacity, volunteer readiness, and the frequency and severity of disaster events.

3. Disaster Program Management

• Provide executive oversight for the implementation of disaster services programs throughout the region.
• Apply strong program management practices to ensure that initiatives are appropriately scoped, resourced, coordinated, implemented, measured, and continuously improved.
• Establish clear priorities, project plans, milestones, ownership, and accountability across the disaster services portfolio.
• Ensure that regional disaster programs are delivered consistently and in alignment with organizational guidance, standards, policies, and established performance metrics.
• Use data, program evaluations, operational reviews, and stakeholder feedback to assess outcomes, identify trends, address performance gaps, and improve service delivery.

4. Disaster Response and Operational Leadership

• Ensure that the region is prepared to execute a comprehensive and coordinated disaster response whenever required.
• Serve as the senior operational leader for the region during disasters of any scale, providing clear direction, sound judgment, timely decision-making, and effective coordination across functions and jurisdictions.
• Participate in leadership roles on larger disaster operations at the regional, divisional, or national level.
• Ensure that disaster services are delivered rapidly, equitably, consistently, and accessibly to meet the urgent and evolving needs of clients and impacted communities.
• Promote a culture of preparedness, readiness, accountability, learning, and continuous operational improvement.

5. Team Leadership, Development, and Empowerment

• Lead a high-performing regional disaster services team through subordinate directors and other staff.
• Responsibilities may include hiring, assigning work, establishing priorities, coordinating activities, training, coaching, developing talent, evaluating performance, and addressing performance concerns.
• Set clear expectations and create an environment in which employees are trusted, empowered, supported, and held accountable for delivering results.
• Develop the strategic, operational, and leadership capabilities of direct reports and emerging leaders.
• Build appropriate bench strength and succession plans to ensure continuity of leadership and operational readiness.
• Encourage candid dialogue, cross-functional problem-solving, innovation, and thoughtful decision-making at the appropriate organizational level.
• Oversight may include Service to the Armed Forces and International Services programs, depending on the structure of the region.

6. Volunteer Workforce Leadership

• Develop, engage, and support disaster volunteers, who represent the primary workforce for disaster service delivery.
• Provide strategic leadership for volunteer recruitment, onboarding, training, engagement, development, deployment, recognition, retention, and succession planning.
• Ensure that employees create a positive and inclusive volunteer experience characterized by meaningful work, clear expectations, appropriate support, and opportunities for leadership.
• Drive the development of Disaster Leadership Volunteers capable of meeting the current and future needs of the region, state, division, and national organization.
• Ensure volunteers are appropriately trained, equipped, empowered, and integrated into operational planning and decision-making.

7. Community Mobilization and External Partnerships

• Mobilize communities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies while meeting the needs and expectations of clients, volunteers, donors, partners, and other stakeholders.
• Build and sustain effective relationships with emergency management officials, government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, community-based organizations, corporations, funders, and other organizations supporting disaster services.
• Ensure that employees and volunteers have clearly defined relationship management and account management responsibilities for key external partners.
• Represent the American Red Cross with credibility, professionalism, and executive presence in meetings, public forums, emergency management settings, and community engagements.

8. Government Relations and Community Resilience

• Ensure strong coordination and communication with municipal, county, state, and federal government partners.
• Provide leadership for government partnerships, community preparedness, resilience initiatives, response planning, information sharing, and disaster recovery coordination.
• Serve as a trusted and credible representative of the American Red Cross with external leaders in emergency management, public safety, disaster policy, and community resilience.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen regional partnerships, close preparedness gaps, and build community capacity before disasters occur.

9. Collaboration and Organizational Leadership

• Build strong, collaborative relationships across the Regional Leadership Team and with chapter, divisional, and national partners.
• Work across organizational functions to align disaster services with fundraising, communications, volunteer services, community engagement, finance, human resources, Service to the Armed Forces, International Services, and other mission areas.
• Demonstrate an enterprise mindset by balancing regional priorities with broader organizational needs and contributing to initiatives beyond the immediate scope of the region.
• Address competing priorities and organizational challenges with maturity, transparency, sound judgment, and a solutions-oriented approach.

10. Executive Communication

• Communicate complex operational, strategic, and program information clearly and effectively to a wide range of audiences, including the Regional CEO, board members, employees, volunteers, government officials, community partners, donors, and national leadership.
• Provide timely, concise, and decision-oriented updates regarding disaster operations, program performance, risks, resource needs, emerging issues, and recommended actions.
• Demonstrate strong written communication, public speaking, facilitation, presentation, and executive briefing skills.
• Adapt communication style appropriately for operational, community, government, executive, and governance audiences.

11. Performance Measurement and Continuous Improvement

• Oversee implementation of disaster services in alignment with established organizational metrics and performance expectations.
• Establish effective systems for program measurement, evaluation, reporting, information management, and accountability.
• Monitor operational and program performance, identify trends and gaps, and implement corrective or improvement plans when necessary.
• Use qualitative and quantitative data to inform strategy, improve decision-making, strengthen preparedness, and demonstrate regional impact.
• Promote learning from disaster operations, preparedness activities, exercises, stakeholder feedback, and after-action reviews.

Scope and Decision-Making Authority

• Establish policies and operating practices appropriate to the function and consistent with organizational requirements.
• Interpret organization-wide policies and practices and recommend modifications when regional conditions, operational experience, or emerging risks indicate a need for improvement.
• Exercise significant independent judgment in matters related to disaster strategy, operational readiness, program execution, workforce leadership, resource deployment, external partnerships, and emergency response.
• The scope and complexity of the position are influenced by the region's disaster risk assessment, geographic footprint, population, concentration of vulnerable communities, number of municipalities and government jurisdictions, frequency and scale of disaster events, grant-funded activity, program complexity, and organizational structure.

WHAT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED (Minimum Qualifications):

Education

• Bachelor's degree required.

*A combination of education and relevant professional experience may satisfy the education and general experience requirements, provided that the combined years meet the minimum requirements for the position. Required management experience may not be substituted.

Professional Experience

Minimum of 10 years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

Experience should include progressively responsible leadership in areas such as:

• Disaster services or emergen