COOP Planner - Subject Matter Expert (SME) III :: Washington, DC

Job Title: COOP Planner Subject Matter Expert (SME) III

Location: Washington, DC 20020



Work Mode: Hybrid 4 Days Onsite / 1 Day Remote



Duration: 6-month contract



Work Schedule: Monday Friday, 8:30 AM 5:00 PM EST Job Summary

We are seeking a highly experienced Continuity of Operations (COOP) Planner SME III to develop, update, and implement comprehensive continuity plans for a public-sector health organization. The selected candidate will assess existing continuity programs, identify operational gaps, develop high-level COOP plans, and establish procedures to ensure essential functions continue during emergencies and operational disruptions.

The ideal candidate will possess extensive experience in continuity planning, business continuity, emergency management, risk assessment, stakeholder coordination, and technical documentation.

Key Responsibilities

• Review existing continuity plans, policies, procedures, essential functions, and risk assessments to identify gaps and improvement opportunities.

• Conduct continuity assessments and gap analyses, documenting operational risks, dependencies, resource constraints, and recommended corrective actions.

• Develop and update comprehensive COOP plans, including essential functions, orders of succession, delegations of authority, alternate facilities, and critical staffing requirements.

• Establish continuity procedures for communications, cybersecurity, vital records, critical data, and interoperable systems.

• Develop supporting documentation, including activation checklists, continuity playbooks, functional annexes, and reconstitution and devolution plans.

• Facilitate stakeholder workshops, interviews, and planning sessions with leadership, program managers, continuity coordinators, and external partners.

• Coordinate stakeholder feedback, maintain document version control, track action items, and document planning decisions.

• Develop continuity training materials, presentations, and job aids for executives, managers, and staff.

• Support tabletop exercises (TTXs) and assist in preparing After-Action Reports (AARs) and Corrective Action Plans (CAPs).

• Prepare monthly status reports detailing project progress, risks, issues, decisions, and upcoming milestones.

• Maintain accurate, version-controlled planning documents and provide editable source files for final deliverables.

• Ensure all plans comply with applicable continuity guidance, organizational requirements, and approved documentation standards.

Required Qualifications

• Extensive experience in Continuity of Operations Planning (COOP), business continuity, emergency management, or enterprise continuity operations.

• Proven experience developing, reviewing, and implementing continuity plans for complex organizations.

• Strong understanding of continuity assessments, gap analysis, risk management, essential functions, and operational recovery strategies.

• Experience documenting orders of succession, delegations of authority, alternate facilities, vital records, critical staffing, and reconstitution procedures.

• Experience facilitating workshops, coordinating cross-functional stakeholders, and engaging executive leadership.

• Experience developing training materials and supporting emergency preparedness exercises.

• Excellent technical writing, analytical, documentation, and communication skills.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and collaboration tools.

• Ability to manage multiple deliverables, deadlines, stakeholder feedback, and document revisions.

• Ability to work onsite in Washington, DC, four days per week.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting government agencies, public health organizations, healthcare institutions, or other mission-critical operations.

• Familiarity with FEMA continuity guidance and emergency management frameworks.

• Knowledge of business continuity standards, organizational resilience, and disaster recovery concepts.

• Experience preparing exercise documentation, After-Action Reports, and Corrective Action Plans.