Emergency Management Specialist

Salary: $33.66 - $43.27 Hourly
Location : 800 Madison Street (Fire Administration), Lynchburg, VA
Job Type: Full-time
Job Number: 03685
Department: Fire
Opening Date: 09/30/2026
Closing Date: 10/11/2026 11:59 PM Eastern


Description
The City of Lynchburg is an Equal Opportunity Employer
The City of Lynchburg is seeking a highly organized and experienced Emergency Management Specialist to support the administration and coordination of the City's comprehensive emergency management program. This professional position assists the Emergency Management Coordinator (Fire Chief) in planning, preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation activities across City departments and partner agencies.

This role is responsible for coordinating emergency management initiatives, maintaining operational readiness of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), administering grants and planning programs, and supporting policy-level coordination during emergencies and planned events. The position requires strong leadership, interagency coordination, and program management skills and may require working nights, weekends, and holidays during emergencies or major events.

Essential Duties
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following:

• Assist the Emergency Management Coordinator in developing, implementing, and evaluating the City's emergency management programs, including preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation initiatives.
• Coordinate Emergency Operations Center (EOC) planning, activation, staffing coordination, and operational readiness to ensure systems, procedures, and facilities remain fully functional.
• Maintain and update emergency operations plans, hazard mitigation plans, continuity of operations plans (COOP), and supporting operational procedures.
• Coordinate interdepartmental emergency planning initiatives and support departments in integrating preparedness and continuity planning into routine operations.
• Manage and administer emergency management grants, including application development, compliance tracking, reporting, and financial documentation.
• Oversee emergency management information systems (e.g., WebEOC and Crisis Track) and ensure accurate documentation, reporting, and information sharing during incidents.
• Coordinate emergency preparedness training, exercises, and After-Action Reviews to improve operational readiness and capability development.
• Serve as liaison with regional, state, federal, and private-sector partners to support coordinated planning and incident response.
• Prepare briefings, reports, and planning documents for City leadership related to emergency preparedness, operational readiness, and disaster response activities.
• Provide operational coordination support during incidents, planned events, and emergency activations, including resource coordination and situational awareness activities.

ADDITIONAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following:

• Provide supervisory oversight for assigned emergency management staff and coordinate program work priorities as delegated by the Emergency Management Coordinator.
• Represent the City on regional committees, working groups, and multi-agency planning initiatives.
• Conduct community preparedness outreach and support Whole Community resilience initiatives.
• Other duties to provide direct or indirect services to the citizens may be assigned.
• When unusual situations occur and/or the City Manager declares a State of Emergency, all City employees may be required to accept special assignments and perform as needed to ensure appropriate service delivery.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This position provides programmatic and project-level supervision for assigned emergency management staff and coordinates cross-departmental emergency planning activities.

Minimum Education and Experience Required


QUALIFICATIONS To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Coursework in Emergency Management, Public Administration, Homeland Security, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• Knowledge of federal, state, and local emergency management regulations.
• The preferred candidate will possess:
  1. Some experience in emergency management, public safety, or a related field
  2. Certification in emergency management (e.g., FEMA, NIMS, or IAEM certifications)

Additional Requirements


Depending on work assignment, may be required to perform a variety of duties in support of operational requirements and direct citizen service delivery such as acting as a back-up to other staff and response to weather-related and other emergencies. May be required to work outside of normal work hours, to report to work during inclement or unusual weather or other conditions or to respond in other abnormal situations.

• Must successfully complete IS100 and IS700 National Incident Management (NIMS) training within 90 days of employment. May also be required to complete higher levels of NIMS training as determined appropriate for the position.
• Relevant background checks must be satisfactorily completed.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and apply findings to program development.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment and collaborate with various stakeholders.
• Familiarity with emergency management principles, financial administration, and program evaluation.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and data analysis tools.
• Ability to remain calm and organized in high-pressure situations.

The City offers an array of benefits combined with direct salary/wages in order to establish a total compensation package that supports the City's goals of attracting, rewarding, and retaining employees who are both representatives of the community and are also able to deliver exceptional services.

• Employees in full-time positions are eligible for the following benefits:
  • Medical, dental, and vision coverage
  • Retirement through the Virginia Retirement System (VRS);
    the City's contribution is based on a rate determined bi-annually by the VRS Board and employees pay 5% of base pay (pre-tax) towards their VRS benefit
  • Life insurance at no cost to the employee
  • Optional benefits such as 457 deferred compensation, Roth IRA, flexible spending accounts, etc.
  • Eligibility for parental leave and tuition assistance
  • Paid Time Off
• Employees in hourly and part-time positions may be eligible for benefits depending on the position

Employees of the City of Lynchburg may also be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program for federal student loans

Additional information about City benefits can be found on our and in the
01


This position serves as a liaison with public and private sector partners on coordinated planning and incident response. Please describe your experience in assisting with emergency preparedness and response.
02


This position may require working nights, weekends, and holidays during emergencies or major events. Are you able to work during those hours and days if needed?

• Yes
• No

03


Please detail your level of proficiency and experience with emergency management information systems.
04


This position provides supervisory oversight for assigned emergency management staff as delegated by the Emergency Management Coordinator. Please describe your supervisory experience including scope of work.
05


This job will require you to satisfactorily complete relevant background checks. Do you understand this requirement and agree to participate?

• Yes
• No

06


DMV Release Notice: This position requires a valid driver's license and acceptable driving history. I hereby certify that I have read and understand the DMV Record Release Notice and give the City permission to obtain my driving record.

• Yes
• No

07


If you answered in the above question that you currently possess a Virginia Driver's License, please provide your License Number.
08


(Current Out-of-State applicants and applicants who have had an Out-of-State Drivers License at any time in the last 3 years): I agree to provide, WITHIN 2 WEEKS OF MY APPLICATION, a copy of my driving record from that state where I am currently licensed or have been licensed within the past 3 years. I will contact Human Resources within 2 weeks if I am unable to obtain my out of state driving record in that time. I understand that my application may not be considered for this position until I submit my out of state driving record.You can email this information to View email address on click.appcast.io, or fax to View phone number on click.appcast.io or mail this information to Human Resources, 900 Church Street, Lynchburg VA 24504. Include the name of the position for which you are applying. If you have a driving record less than 30 days old you can upload as an attachment to your application.

• Agree to provide record within 2 weeks of application date
• Do not agree (I understand I will no longer be considered for this position if I disagree.)
• Not applicable (I have not had an Out-of-State Driver's License during the past 3 years.

Required Question