Deputy General Counsel

Requisition No: 883839


Agency: Division of Emergency Management

Working Title: Deputy General Counsel - 31001183

Pay Plan: SES

Position Number: 31001183


Salary: Salary to Commensurate with Experience


Posting Closing Date: 09/30/2026


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Deputy General Counsel

Office of the General Counsel

Florida Division of Emergency Management

This position is located in Tallahassee, FL

The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) plans for and responds to both natural and man-made disasters. These range from floods and hurricanes to incidents involving hazardous materials or nuclear power. FDEM is the liaison between federal, state, and local agencies. FDEM prepares and implements a statewide Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan, routinely conducts extensive exercises to test state and county emergency response capabilities, provides technical assistance to local governments as they prepare emergency plans and procedures, as well as conducts emergency operations trainings for state and local government agencies.

FDEM serves as the lead agency for the State Emergency Response Team (SERT), whose primary goal is the coordination of the state's efforts during disaster response and recovery. This coordination is conducted within the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) in Tallahassee. Additionally, FDEM manages the State Watch Office; the 24-hour a day operation tasked with providing situational awareness to stakeholders statewide. After a disaster, FDEM conducts damage assessment surveys and advises the Governor of the State of Florida on whether to declare an emergency and seek federal relief funds. It is against this backdrop that FDEM strives to demonstrate its mission of, "Coordinate, collaborate, and communicate with our community stakeholders for a resilient Florida", along with our vision of "Leading the Profession in building prepared and resilient communities".

Position Overview and Responsibilities:

This position serves as a Deputy General Counsel in support of and at the Direction of the General Counsel. Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Provide legal assistance and representation for FDEM, including the Executive Director, Deputy Directors, Bureau Chiefs, and other FDEM managers.
• Provide guidance and assistance to other governmental entities (state and local) and the public relating to chapter 252, F.S.
• Provide legal representation of FDEM in judicial and administrative proceedings and appeals.
• Provide legal research for FDEM staff.
• Provide legal assistance to the Executive Director of FDEM and managers/staff during activations of the SEOC.
• Perform legal review of procurements, grants, subgrants, contractual service agreements, contracts, memoranda of agreements, and other such agreements.
• Provide legal advice to FDEM staff regarding procurement and contracting procedures, federal and state statutes, federal and state regulations, rulemaking, and decisions determining the interests of third parties.
• Supervise or assist in office management and in supervising attorneys, law clerks, and staff in the Office of General Counsel (OGC).
• Provide guidance to help ensure that FDEM adheres to EOG/FDEM Code of Ethics. In addition, this position assists the General Counsel in reviewing and acting upon dual employment requests, reports of ethics violations, employee reports of gifts received and reports of racial, sexual, and disability discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
• Assist in providing counsel for the State Emergency Response Commission and Local Emergency Planning Committee.
• As needed, is willing and able to represent the General Counsel in all capacities, including responding to calls and emails after hours from FDEM Executive staff and the Executive Office of the Governor.
• As needed, assists in providing counsel regarding coordinating compliance with the non-discrimination requirements contained within The Americans with Disability Act (ADA). In addition, this position assists the General Counsel in reviewing and acting upon complaints of ADA violations and investigates same.
• Draft documents relating to states of emergency, including FDEM Emergency Orders, Governor Executive Orders, and requests for disaster declarations under the Stafford Act and presents same to the Executive Office of the Governor for review and approval/execution.
• Provides legal assistance, coordination, and support to the Executive Office of the Governor and/or other agencies, as requested, relating to emergency management activities.

In response to emergency events, FDEM employees may be required to work irregular hours, to work more than 8 hours per day, to work extended periods (including weekends and holidays), to work at locations other than their official headquarters, and to perform duties in addition to those outlined in the employee's position description. Employees must be able to deploy to emergency sites with limited advance notice.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of and/or interest in emergency management.
• Knowledge and experience in the practice of law.
• Knowledge of public contracting and procurement requirements set forth in chapter 287, F.S., and Rule 60A-1.002, F.A.C.
• Knowledge of the Administrative Procedures Act, chapter 120, F.S.
• Knowledge of grant management in compliance with section 215.97, F.S., and section 215.971, F.S.
• Ability to assist in developing clear, high-quality contractual documents and exhibits, including scope of work, deliverables directly related to the scope of work, performance criteria for each deliverable, and financial or other consequences for non-compliance with contractual requirements.
• Ability to utilize problem-solving techniques.
• Ability to plan, organize, coordinate, and complete work assignments in a timely manner.
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Ability to develop extensive knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of federal, state, and local government entities in response to public emergencies and disasters.
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment and/or individually, whether with internal or external stakeholders, on programmatic issues and/or principles.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Ability to monitor contractor/recipient/sub-recipient compliance with program requirements through review, analysis, and processing of financial and program deliverables, including expenditure, budgeting, staffing and progress reports, audits, and requests for payment.
• Skilled in reading comprehension, legal analysis, writing and research, and oral and written communication.
• Skilled in using Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook) and the ability to learn and navigate FDEM enterprise business systems.

Minimum Qualifications:

• An attorney in good standing with the Florida Bar.
• A minimum of three years' legal experience in the practice of law.
• Valid driver's license.
• Previous management experience in a supervisory role.
• Experience using Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook) and the ability to learn and navigate FDEM enterprise business systems.

Special Notes:

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

FDEM is committed to successfully recruiting and onboarding talented and skilled individuals into its workforce. FDEM appreciates the service and sacrifices made by veterans and their family members and recognizes the immeasurable value veterans bring to the workplace and is committed to increasing the number of veterans that serve in its workforce.

FDEM is committed to increasing recruitment and hiring of individuals with disabilities and improving employment outcomes. An individual with a disability is qualified if he or she satisfies the skills, experience, and other job-related requirements for a position and can perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation. Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must contact the FDEM Human Resources Office at View phone number on click.appcast.io. FDEM requests applicants notify the Human Resources Office in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.


Successful completion of background screening will be required for this position.


The State of Florida and FDEM participate in E-Verify. This federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.

In response to emergency events, FDEM employees may be required to work irregular hours, to work more than 8 hours per day, to work extended periods (including nights, weekends, and holidays), to work at locations other than their official headquarters, and to perform duties in addition to those outlined in the employee's position description. Employees must be able to deploy to emergency sites with limited advance notice.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center View phone number on click.appcast.io). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.

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