Working Title: Safety & Emergency Management Program Director (SEMPD)

Classification: WMS Band 4

Job Status: Full-Time/Permanent

WDFW Program : Director’s Office

Duty Station: Olympia, Washington – Thurston County

Remote work noted as follows: This position offers some flexibility in scheduling; however, it requires regular in-office presence to effectively fulfill its responsibilities.

Posting Timeframe: This recruitment is scheduled to be posted until April 24, 2025. Application review is ongoing, submit your application materials as soon as possible, this recruitment may be closed at any time.

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Lead Safety. Drive Change. Protect People.

At Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), our mission includes safeguarding the people who protect Washington’s lands, waters, and wildlife.

We are seeking a strategic and experienced leader to serve as our Safety & Emergency Management Program Director (SEMPD). A high-impact role responsible for shaping and driving a culture of safety across our agency.

This is more than just a compliance role; it’s a leadership opportunity for someone who thrives on collaboration, innovation, and proactive risk management.

The SEMPD will serve as the agency’s top safety expert, working directly with executive leadership, staff, and external partners to implement world-class safety standards and emergency preparedness strategies.

In this role, you will:

Set the vision for agency-wide safety and emergency management programs
Lead a team of safety professionals to advance policies, training, and compliance
Ensure regulatory compliance with OSHA, state, and federal safety laws
Develop and oversee WDFW’s Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) and Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP)
Advise executive leadership on critical safety decisions that impact employees, operations, and public trust
Develop process and procedures to stop unsafe operations when necessary to protect employees and resources
Foster a proactive safety culture through communication, training, and continuous improvement initiatives

This is a career-defining opportunity for a leader who is passionate about protecting people, preventing risk, and ensuring operational resilience. If you have the expertise, leadership skills, and vision to elevate safety at WDFW, we want to hear from you.

What to Expect:

Among the varied range of responsibilities held within this role, the Safety & Emergency Management Program Director will,

Provide the Executive Management Team (EMT) with real-time safety concerns, safety recommendations, and decisions to establish a safety culture with robust safety processes, expert personnel, and best practices training.
Develop and maintain robust and productive relationships with all EMT members to ensure full implementation of a safety culture throughout WDFW.
Lead and communicate clearly and consistently with the entire agency about safety changes and safety culture.
Lead, grow and support the safety professionals at WDFW
Evaluate field emergency management and safety programs in conjunction with safety managers.
Develop proactive and reactive actions to identify problem areas and ensure emergency and security plans as well as facilities and equipment meet established Federal, State, and local guidelines.
Managing the Safety and Emergency Management Office.
Develop, monitor, and update safety regulatory and awareness policies and educational training for management, supervisors, and employees.
Distribute safety regulations and appropriate industry "best practices," as well as internal "best practices" to management, supervisors, and employees to ensure continuous learning and improvement in health and safety performance.
Analyze safety performance, make recommendations, and drive positive changes.
Develop, monitor, and distribute WDFW safety goals and/or benchmarks to employees and subcontractors.
Lead and participate in project safety meetings as well as significant safety incident investigations and root cause analyses.
Manage interactions and effectively communicate with all levels of management, outside support/consulting, and regulatory agency personnel.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Work Setting, including hazards: Desk assignment with some field work for emergency management support.

Schedule: Typically, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday – Friday, may be required to work occasional weekends and evenings, depending on workload.

Travel Requirements :Some travel may be required throughout the State to attend trainings, meetings and conferences.

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications:

Seven (7) years of leadership/managerial experience in organization wide emergency management, safety, or security operation principles.

Experience must include applying management principles including strategic and operational planning.

And all the following:

Demonstrated experience in leading cultural change across an organization; experienced in leveraging multiple approaches to helping people adopt and implement sustained change.
Demonstrated experience in leading continuous improvement activities and programs, leveraging processes, tools, and best practices.
Excellent soft skills in communicating effectively with all levels of the organization.
Effective in influencing change across functional boundaries.
Budget development and cost management experience.
Strategic planning and project management experience.
Management/Senior Leadership experience.
Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook, etc.)

Certifications/Licenses:

Valid Driver's License

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:

Certificates of Completion for National Incident Management System (NIMS) Courses 700, 100, 200 and 800 to be completed within six (6) months of employment - additional certificates required as NIMS expands their training program.
First Aid, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Certification to be completed within six (6) months of employment.
Complete Incident Command System (ICS) 300 and 400 within one (1) year of employment.
Complete the basic Community Emergency Response Team training class within one (1) year of employment.

Preferred Qualifications:

In addition to the requiredqualifications, our ideal applicant will possess some or all the following:

Bachelor's degree with major study in Occupational Safety, Public Safety, Emergency Management, Public Administration or equivalent.
Post education certifications such as Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) or Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM).

Your application should include the following:

A completed online application showcasing how your qualifications align with the job requirements.
An up-to-date resume.
A cover letter detailing your interest in the position, your relevant skills and experience, and why you are the ideal candidate.
At least three professional references with current contact information.

Supplemental Information

In addition to and other , there are other that WDFW employees may be eligible for. Click the “Benefits” tab at the top of this announcement to learn more.

Important Note:

All new employees must complete an Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9 Form) on their first day of work. If hired for this or any position at WDFW, you will be required to provide documentation proving you are eligible to work in the United States. For a list of acceptable documents, please use the following link:

Veteran and Military Spouse Preference Notice:

Per RCW 73.16.010 Veterans and qualifying spouses who meet the minimum qualifications of a position are eligible for preference during the initial application review stage.To receive this benefit, please do the following:

Notify us of your veteran or military spouse status by email at kaila.daudt@dfw.wa.gov.
Veterans only –Attach a copy of your DD214 (Member 4 copy), NGB 22 or USDVA signed verification of service letter.
Please redact any PII (personally identifiable information) data such as social security numbers.
Subject line must include recruitment number, position, and spouse/veteran (example: 2024-1234 – Biologist 1 – Veteran)
Include your name as it appears on your application in careers.wa.gov.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Employer

As part of WDFW’s efforts to advance respectful and inclusive work environments, the Agency expects inclusivity as part of our professional interactions and communications. Therefore, we want to ensure that all individuals feel welcome, are treated fairly and respectfully. All staff are empowered to fully contribute to serving their work unit, Agency, and the citizens of Washington.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and gender identity diversity. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons of disability, persons over 40 years of age, disabled and Vietnam era veterans and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply.

Request an accommodation: Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format please contact Jayme Chase by phone 360-902-2278 or email Jayme.Chase@dfw.wa.gov, or the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at 800-833-6388.

Technical Difficulties: If you are having technical difficulties creating, accessing, or completing your application, please call NEOGOV toll-free at (855) 524-5627 or .

Other questions: If you have other questions regarding this position, please reach out tolank">kaila.daudt@dfw.wa.govand reference job #2025-01850.

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Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife jobs

Safety & Emergency Management Program Director - WMS Band 4