SEOC Planning Section Chief

SEOC Planning Section Chief

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SEOC Planning Section Chief

Salary

See Position Description

Location

Centennial, CO

Job Type

Full Time

Job Number

RAA DHSEM 00362 0526

Department

Department of Public Safety

Division

Homeland Security and Emergency Management

Opening Date

06/02/2026

Closing Date

6/16/2026 5:00 PM Mountain

FLSA

Determined by Position

Type of Announcement

This position is open only to Colorado state residents.

Primary Physical Work Address

9195 East Mineral Ave, Centennial, CO 80112

Hiring Pay Rate

Anticipated Hiring Range: $7,686 - $7,985/month; $92,232 - $95,820/year

FLSA Status

Exempt; position is not eligible for overtime compensation.

Department Contact Information

Leticia Tavarez, View phone number on click.appcast.io, View email address on click.appcast.io

Salary Note

Although the full salary range for this position is provided, appointments are typically made at or near the range minimum.

How To Apply

Please submit an online application for this position at Reach out to the Department Contact to apply using a paper application, including any supplemental questions. Failure to submit a complete and timely application may result in the rejection of your application. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that application materials are received by the appropriate Human Resources office before the closing date and time listed.

• Description

• Benefits

• Questions

Department Information

This position is open only to current Colorado state residents.

A n eligible list established with this recruitment may be used to fill other similar positions within the Colorado Department of Public Safety in the next 12 months.

Our Mission - Engaged employees working together to safeguard lives and to provide diverse public safety services to local communities.

Our Vision - Creating safer and more resilient communities across Colorado.

Our Core Values - Unity, Honor, Service

The State of Colorado strives to create a Colorado for All by building and maintaining workplaces that value and respect all Coloradans through a commitment to equal opportunity and hiring based on merit and fitness.

The State is dedicated to non-discriminatory practices in everything we do, including hiring, employment, and advancement opportunities.

At CDPS, our culture is driven by our commitment to creating a safer Colorado and guided by a public service focus. We strive to provide effective solutions and services to our fellow Coloradans. We model a culture of collaboration, innovation, and growth for our employees. We maintain a professional and inclusive workplace.

Careers with a purpose:

If you are passionate about public safety and public service, and are eager to dedicate your career to serving Coloradans, consider joining CDPS. Our team at CDPS consists of exceptional individuals and is an environment where you can challenge yourself and acquire new capabilities to build a rewarding and fulfilling career.

We are committed to providing public safety services to our communities including safety on our roads, preparing for and mitigating environmental disasters such as floods and wildland fires, disaster recovery, combating crime, promoting school safety, and victim services.

Classification and Salary:

Emergency Preparedness & Communication Specialist V (

Anticipated Hiring Range: $7,686 - $7,985/month; $92,232 - $95,820/year

Full Salary Range: $7,686 - $12,299/month; $92,232 - $147,588/year

Benefits:

We provide a wide range of benefits to our employees.

• Medical and dental options are available for permanent employees and their dependents. We also offer short and long-term disability coverage, and life insurance that includes legal resources and discounts.

• Eligible employees receive Basic Life and AD&D insurance equal to their annual earnings subject to a minimum benefit of $50,000 and a maximum of $250,000. Basic Life and AD&D are provided by the State of Colorado at no cost to employees.

• The State of Colorado's Wellness Program, State of Health, is a no-cost, year-long program that supports an employee’s health and wellness goals. This program offers personalized health coaching, skill groups and more. Participants can earn a $20 per month health insurance premium discount.

• Through BenefitHub, State of Colorado employees have access to discounts, promotions and special programs from hundreds of retailers, restaurants, travel and entertainment venues throughout Colorado and across the country.

• State contribution into a Health Savings Account when enrolled in a High Deductible Health Plan.

• Eligible employees have access to medical leave under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ( and the State of Colorado Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program (FAMLI) ( .

• Eligibility for hybrid or other flexible work arrangements based on the nature of the role.

• We offer excellent retirement benefits including mandatory PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan, plus optional 401K and 457 plans. For information on mandatory employee salary deferral (in lieu of contribution to Social Security), visit Colorado PERA ( for details.

• We provide generous time off including 11 paid holidays annually and accrued annual and sick leave ( and four annual wellness days.

• The Employee Assistance Program (C-SEAP) is available in every region of the state. It is our effort to support the well-being of employees and the workplace. EAPs provide short-term counseling, referrals and resources, as well as training and organizational development services.

• Tuition reimbursement and reduced college tuition at CSU Global and DeVry University.

• We offer Credit Union of Colorado ( membership eligibility.

To learn more about State of Colorado benefits, please visit State of Colorado benefits ( .

Description of Job

About the Work Unit

This position is located within the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM). The division is a dynamic and diverse team that is committed to developing, administering and coordinating comprehensive and integrated statewide emergency management and homeland security programs. The Division’s work ensures the safety and security of Colorado and its infrastructure through unity of effort with local, tribal, state, federal, private, and nongovernmental partners.

The Office of Emergency Management conducts the four phases of emergency management (Preparedness, Response, Mitigation and Recovery) in coordination with other State Agencies and in support of local jurisdictions. It integrates emergency management efforts across all levels of government, including state, local, tribal and federal.

State Emergency Operations Center Section (SEOC):

The State Emergency Operations Center within the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) includes the Operations Unit, the Logistics Unit and the State Emergency Operations Center (State EOC). This section is responsible for maintaining day-to-day situational awareness of the state-wide emergency management environment and activities. It coordinates directly with other sections within OEM as well as with external partners to develop a comprehensive picture of the environment and assess key indicators of stability. The section collects and disseminates information to Division Leadership, Department Leadership, the Governor’s office, state agencies, and local jurisdictions before, during and after an incident or disaster and makes recommendations pertaining to response and recovery decisions and actions. The section develops and promulgates state processes and procedures for requesting and providing incident and disaster response and recovery resources to jurisdictions having authority and other state agencies. It executes these processes and procedures as required. The section maintains 24-hour communications monitoring and availability to jurisdictions having authority. The section develops and maintains current State EOC response plans and standard operating procedures for rapidly elevating the operational level of the center and operating it as required. The section oversees both internal and external State EOC position training, inclusive of Emergency Response Coordinators (ERC) and conducts exercises to test the State EOC. The section is the primary point of coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other federal agencies for response activities before, during and after an incident or disaster.

Work Environment

• Monday - Friday 8am-5:pm (Some flexibility on schedule)

• Hybrid schedule (3 days in office) with the potential to change

• Occasional meetings/training and visits to stakeholders/partners/subrecipients.

• During activations of the SEOC, may be required to report to the SEOC during nights, weekends, and/or holidays.

About the Job

The Planning Chief oversees the SEOC planning unit staff who collect, process and organize situation information, prepare situation summaries and develop projections and forecasts related to the incident.

Key Responsibilities

Incident and Long-Term Situational Information

• Determine incident information needs, gather data, and develop information into actionable intelligence for distribution to key stakeholders.

• Deliver incident briefings and updates to executive leadership.

• Collect, organize, and integrate incident status and situational information.

• Prepare and distribute incident information and intelligence products to leadership for decision-making.

• Identify, analyze, track, and report mid- and long-term trends and potential impacts to emergency management at the local, tribal, and state levels.

• Develop and maintain effective cross-function information flow for policy decisions and awareness across sections and agencies.

• Develop state plans for SEOC agency coordination for incidents and large-scale events.

• Coordinate with federal agency planning efforts to meet the needs of tribal and local agencies during incidents.

• Recommend focus areas for preparation, training, and exercises, and collaborate with personnel to integrate these into respective programs.

• Serve as the SEOC lead point of coordination with the OEM Plans, Assessments and Strategies Section for reviews and updates to the State Emergency Operations Plan and annexes.

SEOC Operational Planning

• Serves as the SEOC Plans Chief, overseeing the multi-agency emergency operations planning process within defined operational periods.

• Prepares comprehensive incident and special events planning in collaboration with diverse stakeholders.

• Convenes and directs strategic planning efforts to support SEOC operations.

• Facilitates objective-setting meetings with stakeholders to develop and refine incident objectives for leadership.

• Publishes clear and concise Incident Action Plans (IAPs) as required.

• Acts as the State’s Chief of Plans in the Joint Field Office during presidentially-declared disasters, working alongside FEMA and other federal agencies.

• Co-leads the production of critical joint state-federal planning products.

Deputy Officer

• Serves as a duty office to the SEOC as directed on the duty officer.

• Receives critical incident information and determines who should receive this information, dissemination method , and if further action is required.

• As required issues emergency alerts on behalf of local jurisdictions.

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights

Note, to be considered for this position, you must meet one of the following options for consideration.

Proven Experience, Knowledge, Skills

Eight (8) years of experience in Emergency Management, Emergency Response, or Military Response that includes planning.

OR Education and Experience, Knowledge, Skills

A Bachelor's degree and four (4) years of experience in Emergency Management, Emergency Response, or Military Response that includes planning.

OR

A Master's degree and two (2) year of experience in Emergency Management, Emergency Response, or Military Response that includes planning.

Preferred Qualifications and Competencies

• Direct experience developing Incident Action Plans (IAPs) and leading the planning process within an Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

• Experience coordinating planning and information-sharing efforts between state, tribal, local, and federal emergency management agencies, including working with FEMA in a Joint Field Office setting.

• Advanced experience in creating and presenting situational reports and actionable intelligence products to executive leadership.

• State of Colorado experience

Conditions of Employment

• Requires successful completion of a background investigation that includes a polygraph exam, a fingerprint based criminal history search, reference checking.

• Must be a Colorado resident at the time of application

• During activations of the SEOC, this position may be required to report to the SEOC during nights, weekends, and/or holidays.

• Must be able to successfully complete travel requirements to attend meetings, training and visit stakeholders/partners/subrecipients as required for the position with minimal or no business interruption.

Appeal Rights

If you receive notice that you have been eliminated from consideration for the position, you may protest the action by filing an appeal with the State Personnel Board/State Personnel Director within 10 days from the date you receive notice of the elimination. Also, if you wish to challenge the selection and comparative analysis process, you may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board/State Personnel Director within 10 days from the receipt of notice or knowledge of the action you are challenging. Refer to Chapters 4 and 8 of the State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures, 4 CCR 801, for more information about the appeals process. The State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures are available at A standard appeal form is available at: If you appeal, your appeal must be submitted in writing on the official appeal form, signed by you or your representative, and received at the following address within 10 days of your receipt of notice or knowledge of the action: Colorado State Personnel Board/State Personnel Director, Attn: Appeals Processing, 1525 Sherman Street, 4th Floor, Denver, CO 80203. Fax: View phone number on click.appcast.io. Phone: View phone number on click.appcast.io. The ten-day deadline and these appeal procedures also apply to all charges of discrimination.

Supplemental Information

Disability Accommodation

If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure equitable opportunity applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to Human Resources at: View email address on click.appcast.io .

The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them. Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.

Colorado Department of Public Safety is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship.

Recruitment Timeline Information and Important Notices

• Applications are considered complete and accurate at the time of submission. Therefore, additional information may not be solicited or accepted after your application has been received.

• Closing Date: All applications that are received by the closing of this announcement will be reviewed against the Minimum Qualifications in this announcement. Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications may proceed to the next step. Colorado Revised Statutes require that state employees are hired and promoted based on merit and fitness through a comparative analysis process.

• Supplemental Question: Effective responses to Supplemental Questions will directly relate to your professional experience, career accomplishments, and views about organizational values and approaches, and how they relate specifically to this position and requirements as you understand them. Answers generated by AI-tools will typically be unresponsive.

• Transcripts: An unofficial copy of transcripts must be submitted at the time of application should education be used as qualification. Transcripts from colleges or universities outside the United States must be assessed for U.S. equivalency by a NACES educational credential evaluation service. This documentation is the responsibility of the applicant and must be included as part of your application materials. Failure to provide a transcript or credential evaluation report may prevent your application from moving forward in the selection process.

• Military Veterans: If you are a military veteran you must submit a copy of your DD-214, Member 4 Copy, and VA disability letter if available/applicable at the time of application so we can determine if you are eligible for veteran's preference points. Military personnel who are stationed outside of Colorado may be eligible for this position by submitting the completed DD-2058 "State of Legal Residence" form.

• Application Tips : For an overview of State of Colorado application process and application tips, please view this video ( .

• Resumes, Cover Letters, or other documents submitted will not be reviewed, assessed, or used in the initial stages of the comparative analysis (transcripts submitted to verify that the applicant meets either the education requirement or minimum qualification substitution are exempt from this).

• Notifications: All correspondence regarding your status in the selection/examination process will be sent via email to the email address listed on your application. Include your current working email address on your application and check the email provided on your application frequently as you could receive time sensitive correspondence regarding this position. We highly recommend that you set up your email to accept messages from " state.co.us " and " View email address on click.appcast.io " addresses. It is your responsibility to ensure that your email will accept these notices and/or review your junk mail and spam filtered email.

• e-Verify: CDPS uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify ( , including your rights and responsibilities.

• Comparative Analysis Steps may include :

• Structured application review by a panel of SMEs

• Written sample of previous work

• In-person Panel Interview

The State of Colorado offers permanent employees a variety of benefits including medical, dental, life and disability insurance, as well as a comprehensive leave program. Please click the following link for detailed information:

Please note that each agency's contact information is different; therefore, we encourage all applicants to view the full, official job announcement which includes contact information and class title. Select the job you wish to view, then click on the "Print" icon.

01

Please describe how you meet the Minimum and Preferred Qualifications for this position, and why you are interested in working with the Colorado Department of Public Safety.

02

Please describe, in detail, your planning experience.

03

Please describe, in detail, your research process and methodology.

04

I understand the anticipated hiring range for this position is $7686 - $7985/month. If selected for hire, I am willing to accept an offer within this range.

• Yes, I agree

• No

05

Positions within the Colorado Department of Public Safety require a comprehensive background examination, including a polygraph, a fingerprint based criminal history check, driving history check and references. Are you willing to participate in this process as a condition of employment?

• Yes

• No

06

I understand that employees of the Colorado Department of Public Safety contribute to the Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) retirement benefit plan and do not contribute to Social Security.

• Yes, I understand that

• No

Required Question

Employer

State of Colorado

Address

See the full announcement by clicking the "Printer" icon located above the job title Location varies by announcement, Colorado, --

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