Assistant General Manager (Strategic Planning & Policy)

Assistant General Manager (Strategic Planning and Policy)

THE SELECTION PROCESS

Submissions will be screened against the criteria listed in this brochure. The most qualified applicants will be invited to participate in a formal interview process with the City of Los Angeles. Interviews are expected to begin in early December. Questions and confidential inquiries may be referred to View email address on click.appcast.io.

ABOUT THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT

ABOUT THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT On July 1, 2000, the Emergency Management Department (EMD) was established by City ordinance. EMD, formerly known as the Emergency Preparedness Department, is responsible for the coordination of the City’s emergency planning, training, response, and recovery efforts during major disasters, such as fires, floods, earthquakes, acts of terrorism, and for major planned events in the City that require involvement of multiple City departments. EMD is also responsible for operational readiness of the City’s EOC. The EMD is the lead City department responsible for directing and supervising the City’s emergency management program, including mitigation, planning, preparedness, response, and recovery activities. EMD is responsible for providing coordination, compliance, assistance, oversight, and implementation of all emergency management activities, including but not limited to emergency plans, exercises, training, community outreach, emergency EOC readiness and response, and City recovery operations.

ABOUT THE POSITION

The Emergency Management Department (EMD) of the City of Los Angeles is seeking a highly experienced, strategic, and collaborative leader to serve as the Assistant General Manager (AGM) of Strategic Planning & Policy. Note: This position is one of two AGM positions at EMD. There is an existing Assistant General Manager for Emergency Operations and Recovery. While each AGM will be responsible for managing their specific branch, both will be expected to provide cross-functional support and serve in a backup capacity to ensure organizational continuity and leadership coverage during major events or transitions. The AGM of Strategic Planning & Policy will primarily focus on reshaping the Emergency Management policy development, strategic planning, and coordination with elected official offices. Key responsibilities for this position include: supervising staff in the Community Partnerships and Engagement, Administration and Finance, and Climate Resilience Divisions; and leading the departmental coordination and consequence management planning for major special events such as Super Bowl LXI and LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This role involves developing advanced planning documents, such as on-call emergency contracts to expand capacity for large-scale response and recovery, while ensuring seamless coordination and information sharing with the Mayor’s Office of Public Safety and elected officials. Responsibilities also include modernizing emergency management by updating administrative codes, Executive Directives, and City Charter language. The position also oversees the creation of the department’s strategic plan and annual reports, renewal of policies, MOUs, and other guiding documents to reflect current best practices. Policy monitoring is critical, involving tracking legislative changes across all government levels to anticipate impacts on Los Angeles. A major focus is community engagement, which includes leading public outreach campaigns, expanding the Ready Your LA Neighborhood and Ready Your LA Business programs to vulnerable groups, and liaising with the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment and 99 neighborhood councils. Additionally, the role involves supervising the development and tracking of the City’s first Heat Action and Resilience Plan (HARP). As the EMD Immigrant Affairs Liaison, the AGM updates the Immigration Preparedness Plan and training under Executive Directive 12. They represent the Department on the Mayor’s Climate Cabinet and in various working groups as the Departmental Chief Sustainability Officer and Racial Equity Officer. Internal management responsibilities include addressing human resources matters with the Personnel Department, managing recruitment, and leading strategic budgeting. Additionally, the AGM supports the City’s Emergency Operations Board (EOB) and Emergency Operations Organization (EOO) Working Group, while handling other assigned duties. The AGM also provides professional development, performance management, and annual evaluations of EMD staff; tracks internal and public-facing metrics as they relate to EMD’s annual goals and objectives; responds to Council motions, media inquiries, and California Public Records Act (CPRA) requests relative to the Divisions supervised; engages in strategic planning to include long-term goals, annual objectives, and key milestones respective to the Divisions supervised; ensures compliance with fiscal requirements, including grant terms, Emergency Operations Fund administration, and EMD budget implementation; and prioritizes divisional needs and develops funding requests through the annual budget process.

QUALIFYING EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

EDUCATION: A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in public administration, emergency management, homeland security, or a related field is required, with a master's degree preferred. EXPERIENCE: At least 5-7 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in emergency management, public administration, or a related field. This includes managing teams of various sizes, overseeing complex long-range projects and budgets, and directing interdepartmental coordination. Deep knowledge of emergency management frameworks such as the Incident Command System (ICS), National Incident Management System (NIMS), National Disaster Response Framework, National Disaster Recovery Framework, the Stafford Act, CA Emergency Services Act, and other applicable federal and state frameworks, guidelines, and regulations is essential. Candidates must also demonstrate the ability to lead during high-stress, concurrent, and time sensitive situations. The Successful Candidate will demonstrate: Expert knowledge of the City of Los Angeles policies, procedures, and political structure. Thorough understanding of federal, state, and local emergency management doctrine and processes. Extensive familiarity with the geography, demographics, and hazard profile throughout the City of Los Angeles. Ability to communicate complex emergency management concepts to unfamiliar audiences. A deep understanding of emergency management principles, including preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation. Ability to navigate the City of Los Angeles legislative process to codify plans and policies. A strong ability to analyze local, state, and federal policy changes and assess impacts on municipal operations. Strong collaborative relationships with local, State, and Federal elected officials, outside agencies, and community stakeholders. Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to track implementation and outcomes over time. Strong written communication skills, including drafting policy documents, executive briefings, and public facing materials. Strong interpersonal and communication skills for both internal and external audiences. Commitment to serve as spokesperson for the department at conferences, press events, executive-level meetings, etc. (This may include travel out of the city.) Ability to lead with cultural competency and equity. Ability to think strategically. Being politically astute, adaptable, collaborative, and having a deep understanding of how to operate within a complex municipal government environment.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND EXPECTATIONS

The incumbent is required to maintain availability for non-standard hours, including evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays, particularly during emergency activations.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The salary range for the Assistant General Manager of Strategic Planning & Policy is $148,227 to $216,692 per year. A highly competitive benefits package includes a defined benefit retirement plan to which both the employee and the City contribute; a multi-option deferred compensation plan; generous vacation and sick leave; 13 paid holidays per year; a flexible benefits plan including multi-option health, dental, and vision coverage; and family and domestic partner leave. *The position of Assistant General Manager in the Emergency Management Department is an exempt, at will management position. The incumbent will not accrue any civil service tenure, contractual employment rights or due process rights. The Assistant General Manager is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the General Manager. The incumbent may be removed, without any finding of cause, by the General Manager. #J-18808-Ljbffr City of Los Angeles