First Responder Program Manager

This role serves as a first responder for live community safety services, delivering real-time operational support during active incidents and safeguarding the integrity of services such as Search Party for Dogs, Fire Watch, and Community Requests. You will monitor and manage live events, collaborate with external partners, and ensure accurate, timely communication to affected communities. Outside of active incidents, you will document workflows, identify opportunities for automation, and help build scalable operational playbooks that enable these services to grow efficiently and safely. Responsibilities Monitor and respond in real time to operational issues across Search Party for Dogs, Fire Watch, and Community Requests, ensuring continuous and reliable service. Serve as a first responder for live community safety events, making timely decisions in ambiguous and time-sensitive situations. Support third-party partners, including animal shelters and pet technology platforms, in initiating and managing Search Parties for missing pets. Coordinate with Watch Duty reporters during active fire events to ensure accurate Fire Watch data and appropriate, timely notifications to nearby communities. Assess wildfire-related information and determine the appropriate geographic polygons or areas to notify users, following established guidelines and procedures. Supervise AI-assisted workflows for Community Requests, monitoring outputs, flagging high-risk events, and escalating to local agencies or relevant authorities when appropriate. Maintain detailed incident logs, ensuring accurate documentation of actions taken, timelines, and outcomes for each event. Conduct post-event retrospectives to capture lessons learned, identify process gaps, and recommend improvements to operational workflows. Develop, document, and maintain clear standard operating procedures (SOPs) for each community safety service, ensuring they are easy to follow and up to date. Identify manual processes that are suitable for automation, document requirements, and partner with engineering teams to design and implement automation solutions. Work within established escalation processes, ensuring that AI-assisted decisions and human interventions align with safety and trust standards. Follow SOPs consistently while also exercising strong judgment when situations fall outside of defined guidelines. Participate in an on-call rotation with defined response service-level agreements (SLAs), ensuring timely coverage for critical incidents. Collaborate with internal stakeholders and external partners to refine workflows, improve data quality, and enhance overall service reliability. Communicate clearly and professionally with partners, agencies, and other stakeholders during active events and follow-ups, ensuring alignment and shared understanding. Contribute to a nimble, fast-moving team environment by sharing insights, proposing improvements, and helping define the operational scope of emerging safety features. Essential Skills Minimum of 3 years of experience in trust and safety operations, community operations, crisis communications, or a closely related field. Demonstrated safety or wellness experience in areas such as trust and safety operations, community operations, or crisis communications. Strong judgment and decision-making skills in ambiguous, high-pressure, and time-sensitive situations. Comfort working with AI-assisted workflows and escalation processes, including monitoring AI outputs and determining when human intervention is required. Experience in process documentation, workflow design, or operations automation, with the ability to translate complex processes into clear, repeatable steps. Excellent written communication skills for coordinating with partners, agencies, and internal stakeholders. Ability to follow detailed standard operating procedures while recognizing when exceptions are necessary for safety and effectiveness. Bachelor’s degree in any field. Additional Skills & Qualifications Experience in emergency management, public safety dispatch, or 911 or crisis center operations. Experience working with third-party API integrations or partner support, particularly in operational or safety-related contexts. Familiarity with animal welfare organizations or pet technology platforms and their operational needs. Additional experience in process documentation, workflow design, or operations automation beyond core requirements. Experience participating in on-call rotations and meeting defined response SLAs. Interest in using AI and technology to improve neighborhood safety and community outcomes. Desire to work on a nimble team with opportunities to shape and define operational scope and best practices. Motivation to grow professionally in a role that offers significant room for individual development and impact. Work Environment This position operates in a hybrid work model, with an expectation to be onsite in Hawthorne three times per week. Standard hours are Monday through Friday, approximately 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with potential for weekend coverage as needs evolve. The role involves participation in an on-call rotation with defined response SLAs, which may require occasional work outside standard business hours during critical incidents. You will work closely with AI‑assisted tools, operational dashboards, and partner platforms to monitor and manage live community safety events. The team environment is nimble and impact‑driven, with a focus on using AI and automation to make neighborhoods safer and to improve how communities receive timely, accurate safety information. The culture emphasizes collaboration, continuous improvement, and personal growth, offering meaningful opportunities to shape operational playbooks and contribute directly to community safety. Job Type & Location This is a Contract position based out of Hawthorne, CA. Pay and Benefits The pay range for this position is $40.00 - $41.00/hr. Benefits Medical, dental & vision Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre‑tax and Roth post‑tax contributions available Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) Short and long‑term disability Health Spending Account (HSA) Transportation benefits Employee Assistance Program Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave) The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law. If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please contact View email address on click.appcast.io . Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools. #J-18808-Ljbffr Aston Carter