Emergency Management Specialist (Recovery) (Operations Section Chief Type 2)

Summary

This position is being announced under FEMA's Incident Management Assistant Team (IMAT) Program. This is a 1-year temporary appointment in the Excepted service. This position is located on a Type II, Regional IMAT Team and has a starting salary of 63.76 per hour ; however, the maximum salary possible in this position is $94.48 per hour. Salary listed includes locality pay.

Duties

What will I do in this position if hired? In this position, you will serve as an Emergency Management Specialist (Recovery) (Operations Section Chief Type 2) . When deployed, the Emergency Management Specialist (Recovery) (Operations Section Chief Type 2)'s typical assignments include: Managing all operations directly applicable to the primary mission of supporting State and Local Government and ensuring the overall safety and welfare of all section personnel. Developing, activating and supervising the Operations Section's organizational elements in accordance with the Incident Action Plan and directing it's execution. Ensuring that the structure and staffing are Incident Command System compliant. Ensuring that subordinates are qualified to perform assigned positions. Making organizational adjustments based on the complexity of the incident and requesting additional personnel, supplies, services, and equipment as needed. Ensuring subordinates are briefed on information relevant to their assignments and discussing any special safety considerations or hazardous situations. Ensuring subordinates receive needed training and coaching. Completing performance evaluations of subordinates. Coordinating with FEMA program leads (Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation) to ensure that the delivery of programs is consistent, meets customer needs and are implemented in accordance with Stafford Act requirements and current FEMA policies and operational processes. Offer executive advice and recommendations on the appropriate conduct of disaster incident operations to the Federal Coordinating Officer, Deputy Federal Coordinating Officer, the State Coordinating Officer, or the Tribal Coordinating Officer. When not deployed, the Emergency Management Specialist (Recovery) (Operations Section Chief Type 2)'s typical assignments include: Reporting to the IMAT Leader and providing leadership and oversight to operational planning efforts. Participating in development, execution and documentation of functions and plans that affect critical aspects of FEMA's mission, operational responses and programs. Participating in all training as required by position with states, territories and other Federal Agencies, professional development as required for team member development and FEMA Qualification System certification, in addition to emergency management training and workshops. Assisting in developing and submitting goals and objectives for new initiatives and programs and evaluating and providing recommendations for improving effectiveness of existing programs and activities. Providing authoritative guidance and leadership to programs impacting a major agency organization. Directing, reviewing and analyzing information from a variety of sources to support decision-making and planning. Supervising a group of employees and providing administrative and technical supervision necessary for accomplishing the work of the unit." What else do I need to know? At FEMA, our mission is to help people before, during and after disasters, and every employee at FEMA has a role in emergency management. Every FEMA employee has regular and recurring emergency management responsibilities, though not every position requires routine deployment to disaster sites. All positions are subject to recall around the clock for emergency management operations, which may require irregular work hours, work at locations other than the official duty station, and may include duties other than those specified in the employee's official position description. Travel requirements in support of emergency operations may be extensive in nature (weeks to months), with little advance notice, and may require employees to relocate to emergency sites with physically austere and operationally challenging conditions. This announcement is for a position as an IMAT CORE (Incident Management Assist Team, Cadre of Response/Recovery Employee). IMAT CORE employees are full time employees hired to directly support the response and recovery efforts related to disasters. IMATs are the first FEMA personnel deployed to an incident and manage the field-level federal response and early recovery with a primary focus on critical infrastructure stabilization, especially life-saving and life-sustaining efforts. Appointments to IMAT CORE positions may be renewed based upon workload needs and funding availability. Employees are hired under the Robert T. Stafford Act and are excluded from the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing jobs in the competitive service. They can be hired under a streamlined process instead of a competitive process. After 3 years of continuous service, Stafford Act employees may be granted competitive eligibility to apply for permanent full-time positions at FEMA. Appointments may be renewed based on workload, funding, and supervisory approval.

Requirements

To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo, successfully pass, and maintain a background investigation for Moderate Risk as a condition of placement into this position. This may include a credit check after initial job qualifications are determined, a review of financial issues, such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs (please visit: Mythbuster on Federal Hiring Policies for additional information). For more information on background investigations for Federal jobs please visit OPM Investigations. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office. Please ensure you meet the qualification requirements described below and that you clearly describe how your experience meets these requirements within your resume. Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. citizen to be considered for this position. You must successfully pass a background investigation. Selective Service registration required. You must be able to obtain and maintain a Government travel card Travel will be required. You may be required to be on a 24 hour on-call work schedule during emergency response periods. Please review the Additional Information section for additional key requirements.

Qualifications and evaluation

We will review your resume, supporting documentation, and your responses to the occupational questionnaire to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements listed in the announcement. If you are qualified, you may be referred to a hiring manager for consideration. Interview Requirement. Interviews may be required for this position. Failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration. We recommend that you preview the online questions for this announcement before you start the application process. To preview, please review: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12998888.

Education

No Educational Substitution: There is no educational substitution for this position, and you must meet the qualifications listed in the "requirements" section of this announcement.

Benefits

DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays. Other benefits may include flexible work schedules; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers. DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and developmental opportunities. For more information, go to the DHS Careers website and select "Benefits." Disabled veteran leave will be available to any federal employee hired on or after November 5, 2016, who is a veteran with a service- connected disability rating of 30 percent or more.

How to apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above by 11:59pm (EST) on 08/06/2026. Please note that this announcement may close sooner than the published close date if the application limit is reached. To begin, click the "Apply Online" button on the job announcement posting. Follow the directions to register or login if you have an existing account. Submit all required documents and complete the assessment questionnaire. Upon completion of your application, you will receive an acknowledgement email. Incentives may be offered depending on funding availability, the difficulty of positions to fill, and qualifications of applicants Only resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Applicants with resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. If you have questions about this announcement or the application process, please contact the Human Resources Specialist listed in the Agency Contact Information prior to the close of the announcement. An employee, job applicant, or an individual acting on behalf of the employee, may request a Reasonable Accommodation by emailing fema-ocr-ra@fema.dhs.gov with "time sensitive" in the subject line. To review the common definitions of terms found in this announcement, please visit the DHS Common Definitions page. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: Review your job status on your Application Dashboard. Your application dashboard is where you can view your application status and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

Required documents

Do not include photos, personally identifying information (PII) (including birthday and social security numbers), or personal information such as age, sex, medical history, etc. Resumes that include any of this information will be ineligible for further review. Your resume. Limit your resume to no more than two pages. The USAJOBS database will not allow an applicant to submit an application that includes a resume over two pages. For resume writing guidance, please review the requirements section of this announcement or visit the USAJobs Resource Center. Your responses to the job questionnaire. You will be directed to the online job questionnaire: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12998888 once you begin the application process for this position. Are you a current or former federal employee? This position does not have any competitive eligibility requirements. However, you will need to submit a Standard Form (SF)-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which demonstrates your current/highest grade level. Examples of appropriate SF-50s include promotions, within-grade increases and accessions. Award SF-50's will not be accepted. It is your responsibility to verify that any information entered or uploaded is received and is accurate. Determining your eligibility and qualifications is dependent on the supporting documentation and information provided, which may impact your referral for further consideration. If a document is not legible, Human Resources will not be able to view it in your application. All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English.

Additional information

STAFFORD ACT EXCEPTED SERVICE APPOINTMENTS: Cadre of On-Call Response/Recovery Employee (CORE) is an appointment type granted under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Section 306 (b), which authorizes FEMA to appoint such temporary employees as necessary to accomplish work authorized under the Act. Appointments under this authority within FEMA are made to the excepted service and are nonpermanent in nature. If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment. The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Homeland Security and its Components from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to FEMA-Misconduct@fema.dhs.gov. DHS uses E-verify, an internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities. Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions. During the application process you will have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. The salary range indicated in this announcement reflects the minimum locality pay up to maximum locality pay for all duty locations listed. The range will be adjusted for selected duty location. General Schedule locality pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages. Please note: first time hires to the Federal Government are typically hired at the Step 01. Deployment travel may be required, based upon agency needs. Deployment expectations can vary and will be discussed with candidates during the selection process. This is a Non-Bargaining Unit position.