On Call Emergency Managers, Recovery

This Opportunity

WSP is one of the world's leading professional services firms, dedicated to preparing communities for the future while building on a legacy of over a century of engineering excellence. Our Emergency Management team supports clients nationwide — and in US territories — as they prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters of every scale. We're looking for dedicated professionals ready to bring their expertise to communities when they need it most.

WSP is expanding its On-Call Emergency Management Recovery Cadre and is seeking qualified On-Call Emergency Managers, Recovery to support disaster recovery operations. As work is performed at the point of deployment, these roles have the potential to report out of any WSP USA office including Tallahassee, FL; Miami, FL; Tampa, FL; Orlando, FL; Jacksonville, FL; Birmingham, AL; New Orleans, LA; Raleigh, NC; Columbia, SC; Dallas, TX; Houston, TX; Los Angeles, CA; or Sacramento, CA.

We are seeking individuals who are eager to support emergency management recovery efforts on an on-call basis. This is not a full-time position and opportunities are project-dependent. 

Selected candidates must be available to travel with minimal notice and able to deploy anywhere in the United States with 24-48 hours' notice. Candidates should also be prepared to sustain demanding work schedules, including extended hours and consecutive days, throughout an assignment. 

Your Impact

• Lead and oversee disaster recovery operations for assigned clients, directing teams of specialists through all phases of recovery, including funding, documentation, and rebuilding processes. 
• Deploy to Emergency Operations Centers and/or Field Staging Areas before, during, and after disasters to lead recovery operations on the ground and serve as the primary point of contact for client leadership. 
• Supervise and mentor recovery staff across logistics, supply coordination, cost documentation, and resource management functions, ensuring quality and consistency of deliverables. 
• Oversee the analysis and evaluation of project applications, supporting documentation, and inspection reports to ensure accuracy and compliance with applicable federal, state, and local recovery program requirements (including FEMA Public Assistance). 
• Manage a portfolio of recovery projects from initiation through closeout, ensuring quality, completeness, staffing adequacy, and on-time delivery. 
• Oversee the use of grant management and tracking systems to monitor client progress, documentation status, and funding milestones across multiple projects. 
• Serve as subject matter expert on procurement, contracting, and grant compliance requirements across various disaster recovery funding sources, advising both staff and clients. 
• Lead training and onboarding for recovery staff to maintain team readiness and deployment eligibility. 
• Build and maintain client relationships, acting as a trusted advisor to agency leadership throughout the recovery lifecycle.

EXAMPLES OF WORK: (NOTE: These examples of work are representative of the work, but every position classified for this job may not perform all examples of work listed. Conversely, this is not an all-inclusive list of work examples.)

• Provide strategic and technical guidance to applicants and staff throughout the disaster recovery process, including interpretation of FEMA Public Assistance policies, eligibility requirements, procurement standards, and insurance considerations. 
• Direct the review of project documentation, damage assessments, invoices, contracts, and supporting records to determine compliance with applicable federal, state, and program requirements, and resolve escalated issues. 
• Lead grant administration activities across the project lifecycle, including project formulation, documentation development, funding review, closeout activities, appeals, audits, and requests for information. 
• Oversee field visits, site inspections, and damage assessments, and guide the development of recovery strategies and funding recommendations. 
• Direct the use of grant management systems and other tools to track project status, monitor compliance, maintain records, and ensure timely delivery across a team's workload. 
• Manage staffing plans, assignments, and performance for a team of recovery specialists during deployment.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years professional experience, including 1+ years in an Emergency Management role (Response, Recovery or related), or equivalent.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Emergency Management, Public Administration, or similar/related concentration, or equivalent.
• Extensive knowledge of Emergency Management principles, methods and techniques.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook (Email), Word, and Excel.
• FEMA Emergency Management Institute Independent Study - Professional Development Series certification.
• Travel Required - Must be able to travel to client sites as project warrants
• Exercise responsible and ethical decision-making regarding company funds, resources and conduct and adhere to WSP’s Code of Conduct and related policies and procedures. 
• Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and ability to abide by WSP’s health, safety and drug/alcohol and harassment policies.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Emergency Management (or related field).
• Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) or equivalent professional certification.
• Prior experience supervising or managing multi-person recovery teams in a deployed environment. 
• Strong background in writing, reviewing, and approving recovery-related funding documentation (e.g., project worksheets or comparable eligibility scopes). 
• Demonstrated expertise in financial compliance review as it relates to disaster funding programs. 
• Experience managing client relationships and serving as an escalation point for complex or high-visibility recovery projects.

Additional Requirements

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk, driving in a vehicle, or working on a computer.
• Prolonged periods of walking or standing. 
• Ability to walk on uneven terrain in adverse weather, occasionally.
• Must be available for travel and deployment to support client operations at field locations for extended periods.
• Selected candidates must successfully pass company and client-required background and reference checks, as applicable.

Compensation:

Expected Salary (all locations): $40-$45/hour

Expected Salary (Colorado only): $40-$45/hour

WSP USA is providing the compensation range that the company in good faith believes it might pay and offer for this position, based on the successful applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities in addition to internal equity and specific geographic location. WSP USA reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s sex or other status protected by local, state, and/or federal law.

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