Director, Austin Energy Emergency Management

Job Description:

Director, Austin Energy Emergency Management

Description

About This Position

This position provides leadership and oversight for the utility’s Emergency Management Program, ensuring comprehensive preparedness, response, and recovery capabilities for electric generation, transmission, and distribution operations. The role is responsible for implementing strategic planning goals, directing emergency planning, coordinating training and exercises, and ensuring regulatory compliance and response readiness. The position serves as a key member of the Incident Management Team, collaborates with internal and external stakeholders, manages program performance and budgets, and supervises staff to ensure effective response during emergency activations and continuous improvement of emergency management functions.

Job Description:

Director, Austin Energy Emergency Management

Purpose:

Under minimal direction with considerable latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment, this position directs Austin Energy’s (AE) hazards programs including the Department Operations Center (DOC), Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), training, planning, and response activities related to natural hazards and malicious acts affecting the electric utility.

Duties, Functions and Responsibilities:

Essential duties and functions, pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include the following. Other related duties may be assigned.

• Oversees and directs the development of short- and long-term Emergency Management planning goals and objectives for the department, including operations and services provided, with a focus on response functions needed to provide electric services.
  
• Develops, implements, and monitors the Incident Command System and Emergency Operations Plans, as required by or in consideration of Federal, State, and Local regulations and requirements. Functions as AE Incident Commander in their absence during event activation.
  
• Coordinates post-emergency after-action reviews and makes recommendations for corrective action.
  
• Develops, implements, and conducts training programs, seminars, and disaster exercises, with a focus on electric system emergency events including manual load shed, black start restoration, hot or cold weather events, cyber and physical critical infrastructure attacks.
  
• Ensures operational readiness of various communication systems, resource supplies, and other emergency response tools.
  
• Maintains and oversees the electric utility critical load registration process, periodic review, and critical load list in accordance with department policy and applicable regulatory requirements.
  
• Oversees and coordinates the development of programs to receive and provide mutual aid assistance.
  
• Coordinates and collaborates with multiple stakeholders on interdepartmental and interagency issues, projects, and protocols.
  
• Ensures compliance with city, state, and federal government rules and regulations.
  
• Monitors and evaluates program effectiveness and implements improvement strategies.
  
• Prepares and administers the annual budget and associated financial reports, and identifies, as necessary, budgetary needs.
  

Responsibilities - Supervisor and/or Leadership Exercised:

Responsible for the full range of supervisory activities including selection, training, evaluation, counseling, and recommendation for dismissal.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Must possess required knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience and be able to explain and demonstrate, with or without reasonable accommodations, that the essential functions of the job can be performed.

• Knowledge of utility industry processes, practices, and operational trends.
  
• Knowledge of regulatory processes and rules impacting AE.
  
• Knowledge of supervisory and managerial techniques and principles.
  
• Knowledge of budgeting methods and systems.
  
• Skill in handling extremely intense and chaotic emergency situations.
  
• Skill in handling conflict and uncertainty.
  
• Skill in planning, organizing, and monitoring personal and subordinate employee work assignments.
  
• Skill in training and leading disaster exercises.
  
• Skill in facilitating cooperative group decision making among diverse organizations and individuals serving on planning committees.
  
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally, in writing, and in making presentations to large groups
  
• Ability to deal effectively and cooperatively with a wide range of Local, State, and Federal government officials, the news media, and private business.
  
• Ability to use an equity lens and framework to create inclusive, diverse, and safe workplaces and community programs.
  
• Ability to assimilate and act timely on conflicting, incomplete, and disparate information to meet overall objectives.
  
• Ability to coach and develop subordinate staff.
  
• Ability to understand and explain complex issues to non-utility stakeholders and to establish and maintain effective communication and working relationships with City employees and the public.
  
• Ability to analyze and resolve irregular events.
  

Minimum Qualifications:

• Graduation with Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in Public Administration, Business Management, Emergency Management, Homeland Security, Engineering, or in a field related to the job.
  
• Six (6) years of experience, including three (3) years of experience in a field related to emergency response or planning, three (3) years of experience in a field related to utility or business operations, including two (2) years of experience which were in a lead, supervisory, or management capacity.
  
• Additional years of experience in Homeland Security/Emergency Management may substitute for education up to a maximum of four (4) years.
  
• Graduation with a Master’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in a Government, Management, or Emergency Management field may substitute for one (1) year of required experience.
  

Licenses and Certifications Required:

• Valid Texas Class C Driver License.
  
• Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) by the International Association of Emergency Managers or ability to acquire certification within one (1) year of employment.
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Utility Emergency Management Experience: Have led preparedness, response, and recovery for electric operations (gen/transmission/distribution), including storm, wildfire, cyber, or grid reliability events.
  
• Incident Command System (ICS) & NIMS Proficiency (ICS-100/200/300/400, IS-700/800): Formal training completed and practical experience serving on an Incident Management Team (IMT) in Section Chief and/or Command Staff roles.
  
• Emergency Planning & Exercise Design Leadership: Built and maintained Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs), Continuity of Operations (COOP), and conducted HSEEP-aligned tabletop and full-scale exercises.
  
• Regulatory & Standards Competence for Utilities: Working knowledge of FEMA/DOE guidance, state utility commission requirements, NERC reliability standards related to emergency preparedness, and OSHA considerations.
  
• Cross-Functional Stakeholder Coordination: Proven collaboration with internal operations (generation, Transmission & Distribution system ops), external agencies (city/county/state EM, mutual aid, vendors), and public information teams.
  
• Program & Budget Management: Managed emergency management program portfolios (training, equipment, technology), set KPIs, tracked performance, and managed budgets.
  
• Leadership & Staff Management: Experience supervising Emergency Management staff and overseeing high-pressure activations, including driving measurable continuous-improvement efforts.
  

Notes to Candidate:

Location:

2500 Montopolis, Austin, TX 78741

Days and Hours:

Monday through Friday. 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
40 Hour Work Week (Hybrid Available)

Additional work hours may be required to support the 24-hour Utility operations, which may include evenings, weekends, holidays, inclement weather and emergency closures.

Salary:

$121,600 - $156,300 annually, depending on qualifications and experience.

Working with Austin Energy provides a number of health and welfare benefits such as low-cost medical, dental, vision, paid leave time, a highly competitive retirement plan, career development opportunities and more. Please click HERE for more information.

Employment Application:

• The City of Austin employment application is an official document; incomplete applications will not be considered.
  
• Please be sure to detail on the application all current and previous employment that you wish to be considered as part of your qualifications.
  
• The Employment Record should be complete with job titles, employment dates, job duties, functions, and responsibilities for each position held. Starting salary will be based on overall relevant experience from your application.
  
• Résumés will not be accepted and statements such as “see résumé” will not be accepted. You may use “N/A” for fields that are not applicable.
  
• Please note that Austin Energy may close the job posting at any time after 7 days from the date of the initial advertisement. Once the job posting has closed, applications cannot be changed.
  

If you are selected as a top candidate:

• Verification of your education (which may include high school graduation or GED, undergraduate and/or graduate degrees) will be required. You must provide proof of education from an accredited organization/institution.
  
• If you are identified as a top candidate and are in the military or a veteran, you will need to provide a copy of your DD-214 prior to confirming a start date.
  
• This position requires a criminal background investigation.
  

Fair Labor Standards Act:

• This position is classified as EXEMPT (Salaried). Exempt employees are not eligible for overtime compensation.
  

Essential:

This has been designated as an Essential Employee position. In the event of a City-designated emergency, Essential Employees provide services that impact the public health, safety, utility services, and welfare of members of the Austin community and other employees and ensure the continuity of essential operations. In such an emergency, Essential Employees may be called back in, may be required to modify their schedule, may be assigned to a City-designated work site, or may be retained on site to assist with operations and recovery.

Driving Requirement:
This position requires a valid Texas Class C Drivers’ License or the ability to acquire one by your hire date. City of Austin employees that promote or transfer into driving required positions must meet the City of Austin’s Driver Record Evaluation (DRE) requisite. To be considered for a driving position, external applicants cannot have more than six City Driver Points (CDP) within a period of thirty-six (36) months.

Important Note to Applicants:
Please be aware that the Job Posting Close Date reflects the final day to apply, but the posting will close at 11:59 PM the day before the date listed. All application steps, including attachments and submission, must be fully completed before that time.

We also recommend that you save or print a copy of the job posting for your records. Once a posting has closed, it will no longer be viewable in the system.

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EEO Statement for City of Austin:

The City of Austin will not discriminate against any applicant or employee based on race, creed, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, age, religion, veteran status, disability, or sexual orientation. In addition, the City will not discriminate in employment decisions on the basis of an individual's AIDS, AIDS Related Complex, or HIV status; nor will the City discriminate against individuals who are perceived to be at risk of HIV infection, or who associate with individuals who are believed to be at risk.

City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you require reasonable accommodation during the application process or have a question regarding an essential job function, please call (512) 974-3210 or Texas Relay by dialing 7-1-1.

Closing Date/Time: 2026-07-23