Regional Disaster Officer

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Job Description:

WHY CHOOSE US?

Joining the American Red Cross is like nothing else – it’s as much something you feel as something you do. You become a vital part of the world’s largest humanitarian network. Joining a team of welcoming individuals who are exceptional, yet unassuming. Diverse, yet uncompromising in unity. You grow your career within a movement that matters, where success is measured in people helped, communities made whole, and individuals equipped to never stop changing lives and situations for the better.

When you choose to be a force for good, you’ll have mentors who empower your growth along a purposeful career path. You align your life’s work with an ongoing mission that’s bigger than all of us. As you care for others, you’re cared for with competitive compensation and benefits. You join a community that respects who you are away from work as much as what you do while at work.

We are seeking a Regional Disaster Officer for the Central & South Texas Region - American Red Cross Central and South Texas Region

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW (Job Overview):

The Regional Disaster Officer (RDO) , a member of the Regional Leadership Team, serves as the senior disaster services executive for the Central & South Texas Region and is responsible for the strategic leadership, operational readiness, and effective delivery of disaster services across the region. Working in close partnership with the Regional Chief Executive Officer and Regional Leadership Team, the RDO serves as a strategic thought partner, helping to assess regional risks, establish priorities, develop strategies, and execute plans that strengthen disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and community resilience. The RDO oversees the implementation of disaster services through a team that includes directors, employees, and volunteers. This position is accountable for ensuring that regional programs are executed consistently, efficiently, and in alignment with organizational standards, established performance metrics, and the evolving needs of the communities served. The RDO ensures that employees and volunteers are assigned specific relationship management responsibilities with key emergency management officials, governmental agencies, nongovernmental organizations, community partners, and corporations that support disaster services. This includes developing and maintaining an effective account management approach to external partnerships.

During disasters, the Regional Disaster Officer serves in a senior operational leadership role for events of any scale and may participate in or lead larger operations at the regional, divisional, or national level.

The position is responsible for government partnerships, program management, measurement and evaluation, operational readiness, information management, preparedness, response management, and continuous improvement. The scope and complexity of the position are influenced by factors including the number of municipalities served, regional geography, population, disaster risk, frequency and scale of events, program activity, regional structure, and the presence of significant grant funding. The RDO provides leadership, guidance, development, and support to employees and volunteers, with a particular focus on building leadership capacity, elevating team performance, empowering decision-making, and strengthening the volunteer workforce.

All duties and responsibilities must be performed in compliance with applicable American Red Cross standard operating procedures and all applicable federal, state, and local regulations.

WHERE YOUR CAREER IS A FORCE FOR GOOD: Key Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Thought Leadership and Partnership with the Regional CEO

• Serve as the region’s senior leader and thought leader in emergency services, disaster policy, disaster operations, preparedness, recovery, and community resilience.
• Act as a trusted strategic thought partner to the Regional CEO, providing informed counsel regarding disaster risk, operational readiness, community needs, emerging issues, program performance, and opportunities to strengthen the region’s impact.
• Collaborate with the Regional CEO and Regional Leadership Team to translate organizational priorities into a clear and actionable regional disaster services strategy.
• Bring forward data-driven insights, informed recommendations, constructive challenges, and innovative solutions that strengthen organizational performance and advance the mission.

2. Strategy Development and Strategic Execution

• Lead the development, communication, and execution of a comprehensive regional disaster services strategy aligned with national, divisional, and regional priorities.
• Translate strategy into measurable goals, implementation plans, accountabilities, timelines, and performance indicators.
• Maintain a strong focus on disciplined execution by regularly evaluating progress, identifying barriers, managing risk, allocating resources, and adjusting plans when necessary.
• Ensure that regional strategies account for community vulnerability, population trends, geographic complexity, disaster risk, operational capacity, volunteer readiness, and the frequency and severity of disaster events.

3. Disaster Program Management

• Provide executive oversight for the implementation of disaster services programs throughout the region.
• Apply strong program management practices to ensure that initiatives are appropriately scoped, resourced, coordinated, implemented, measured, and continuously improved.
• Establish clear priorities, project plans, milestones, ownership, and accountability across the disaster services portfolio.
• Ensure that regional disaster programs are delivered consistently and in alignment with organizational guidance, standards, policies, and established performance metrics.
• Use data, program evaluations, operational reviews, and stakeholder feedback to assess outcomes, identify trends, address performance gaps, and improve service delivery.

4. Disaster Response and Operational Leadership

• Ensure that the region is prepared to execute a comprehensive and coordinated disaster response whenever required.
• Serve as the senior operational leader for the region during disasters of any scale, providing clear direction, sound judgment, timely decision-making, and effective coordination across functions and jurisdictions.
• Participate in leadership roles on larger disaster operations at the regional, divisional, or national level.
• Ensure that disaster services are delivered rapidly, equitably, consistently, and accessibly to meet the urgent and evolving needs of clients and impacted communities.
• Promote a culture of preparedness, readiness, accountability, learning, and continuous operational improvement.

5. Team Leadership, Development, and Empowerment

• Lead a high-performing regional disaster services team through subordinate directors and other staff.
• Responsibilities may include hiring, assigning work, establishing priorities, coordinating activities, training, coaching, developing talent, evaluating performance, and addressing performance concerns.
• Set clear expectations and create an environment in which employees are trusted, empowered, supported, and held accountable for delivering results.
• Develop the strategic, operational, and leadership capabilities of direct reports and emerging leaders.
• Build appropriate bench strength and succession plans to ensure continuity of leadership and operational readiness.
• Encourage candid dialogue, cross-functional problem-solving, innovation, and thoughtful decision-making at the appropriate organizational level.
• Oversight may include Service to the Armed Forces and International Services programs, depending on the structure of the region.

6. Volunteer Workforce Leadership

• Develop, engage, and support disaster volunteers, who represent the primary workforce for disaster service delivery.
• Provide strategic leadership for volunteer recruitment, onboarding, training, engagement, development, deployment, recognition, retention, and succession planning.
• Ensure that employees create a positive and inclusive volunteer experience characterized by meaningful work, clear expectations, appropriate support, and opportunities for leadership.
• Drive the development of Disaster Leadership Volunteers capable of meeting the current and future needs of the region, state, division, and national organization.
• Ensure volunteers are appropriately trained, equipped, empowered, and integrated into operational planning and decision-making.

7. Community Mobilization and External Partnerships

• Mobilize communities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies while meeting the needs and expectations of clients, volunteers, donors, partners, and other stakeholders.
• Build and sustain effective relationships with emergency management officials, government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, community-based organizations, corporations, funders, and other organizations supporting disaster services.
• Ensure that employees and volunteers have clearly defined relationship management and account management responsibilities for key external partners.
• Represent the American Red Cross with credibility, professionalism, and executive presence in meetings, public forums, emergency management settings, and community engagements.

8. Government Relations and Community Resilience

• Ensure strong coordination and communication with municipal, county, state, and federal government partners.
• Provide leadership for government partnerships, community preparedness, resilience initiatives, response planning, information sharing, and disaster recovery coordination.
• Serve as a trusted and credible representative of the American Red Cross with external leaders in emergency management, public safety, disaster policy, and community resilience.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen regional partnerships, close preparedness gaps, and build community capacity before disasters occur.

9. Collaboration and Organizational Leadership

• Build strong, collaborative relationships across the Regional Leadership Team and with chapter, divisional, and national partners.
• Work across organizational functions to align disaster services with fundraising, communications, volunteer services, community engagement, finance, human resources, Service to the Armed Forces, International Services, and other mission areas.
• Demonstrate an enterprise mindset by balancing regional priorities with broader organizational needs and contributing to initiatives beyond the immediate scope of the region.
• Address competing priorities and organizational challenges with maturity, transparency, sound judgment, and a solutions-oriented approach.

10. Executive Communication

• Communicate complex operational, strategic, and program information clearly and effectively to a wide range of audiences, including the Regional CEO, board members, employees, volunteers, government officials, community partners, donors, and national leadership.
• Provide timely, concise, and decision-oriented updates regarding disaster operations, program performance, risks, resource needs, emerging issues, and recommended actions.
• Demonstrate strong written communication, public speaking, facilitation, presentation, and executive briefing skills.
• Adapt communication style appropriately for operational, community, government, executive, and governance audiences.

11. Performance Measurement and Continuous Improvement

• Oversee implementation of disaster services in alignment with established organizational metrics and performance expectations.
• Establish effective systems for program measurement, evaluation, reporting, information management, and accountability.
• Monitor operational and program performance, identify trends and gaps, and implement corrective or improvement plans when necessary.
• Use qualitative and quantitative data to inform strategy, improve decision-making, strengthen preparedness, and demonstrate regional impact.
• Promote learning from disaster operations, preparedness activities, exercises, stakeholder feedback, and after-action reviews.

Scope and Decision-Making Authority

• Establish policies and operating practices appropriate to the function and consistent with organizational requirements.
• Interpret organization-wide policies and practices and recommend modifications when regional conditions, operational experience, or emerging risks indicate a need for improvement.
• Exercise significant independent judgment in matters related to disaster strategy, operational readiness, program execution, workforce leadership, resource deployment, external partnerships, and emergency response.
• The scope and complexity of the position are influenced by the region’s disaster risk assessment, geographic footprint, population, concentration of vulnerable communities, number of municipalities and government jurisdictions, frequency and scale of disaster events, grant-funded activity, program complexity, and organizational structure.

WHAT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED (Minimum Qualifications):

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required.

*A combination of education and relevant professional experience may satisfy the education and general experience requirements, provided that the combined years meet the minimum requirements for the position. Required management experience may not be substituted.

Professional Experience

Minimum of 10 years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

Experience should include progressively responsible leadership in areas such as:

• Disaster services or emergency management
• Complex program or portfolio management
• Strategy development and implementation
• Operational leadership
• Government or community partnerships
• Volunteer workforce leadership
• Organizational change or performance improvement

Management Experience

• Minimum of seven years of management experience.
• Experience leading through other leaders, including directors or senior managers, is strongly preferred.

Required Leadership Competencies

• The successful Regional Disaster Officer should demonstrate the following qualities:

Strategic Thought Leadership

• Ability to serve as a trusted, credible, and forward-looking thought partner to the Regional CEO and senior leadership.
• Ability to anticipate challenges, evaluate risks, identify opportunities, and develop informed recommendations.

Strategic Mindset

• Ability to see beyond immediate operational demands and connect daily work to long-term organizational objectives, community needs, and mission impact.

Strategy Development and Execution

• Demonstrated ability to create practical strategies and convert those strategies into measurable goals, coordinated work plans, clear accountability, and sustained results.

Program Management

• Proven experience managing complex programs, multiple workstreams, competing priorities, budgets, timelines, risks, stakeholders, and performance measures.

People Leadership and Talent Development

• Demonstrated ability to build strong teams, develop leaders, coach performance, create accountability, delegate effectively, and empower employees to make sound decisions.

Volunteer Management

• Demonstrated experience leading, developing, engaging, or supporting a substantial volunteer workforce.
• Ability to build an organizational culture that values volunteers as essential mission partners and leaders.

Collaboration and Relationship Management

• Proven ability to establish trust, facilitate collaboration, navigate differing viewpoints, and build productive relationships across functions, organizational levels, and external stakeholder groups.

Executive Communication

• Exceptional written, verbal, presentation, facilitation, and public speaking skills.
• Ability to communicate with clarity, confidence, diplomacy, transparency, and executive presence, particularly during complex or high-pressure situations.

Operational Leadership

• Ability to remain composed, decisive, adaptable, and solutions-oriented during emergencies, rapidly changing conditions, and periods of significant organizational demand.

Accountability and Results Orientation

• Demonstrated ability to set clear expectations, monitor performance, address gaps, make timely decisions, and achieve measurable results.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Proven record of leadership, collaboration, facilitation, problem-solving, and partnership management
• Strong strategic planning and execution capabilities
• Advanced program and project management skills
• Ability to lead through subordinate directors and influence without direct authority
• Ability to develop, empower, and hold employees and volunteers accountable
• Strong analytical skills and demonstrated ability to use data to support decisions
• Experience with measurement, evaluation, reporting, and process improvement
• Strong technical and executive writing capabilities
• Effective public speaking, presentation, and meeting facilitation skills
• Ability to build relationships with senior government, corporate, nonprofit, and community leaders
• Sound judgment and the ability to make timely decisions in complex or ambiguous situations
• Customer- and client-focused orientation
• Ability to remain flexible, organized, responsive, and solutions-oriented
• Strong external focus and team orientation
• Familiarity with applicable disaster program guidance and standards
• Proficiency with standard office technology, including mobile devices, laptops, internet connectivity tools, Project Management Tools such as ASANA, Reporting Tools such as PowerBI, and Microsoft Office applications such as Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel
• Ability to work effectively as a member of an executive leadership team
• Highly Desired: Spanish Bilingual

Travel

Travel is required. The position must be available to travel within and outside the region, including deployment to disaster operations, as organizational and operational needs require.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described below are representative of those required to perform the essential functions of the position successfully. While performing the duties of the position, the employee is regularly required to sit, use hands to handle or feel, and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to reach with hands and arms and is occasionally required to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.The employee must frequently lift or move up to 15 pounds and occasionally lift or move up to 30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required for the position include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. The typical work environment includes moderate noise, such as a business office with computers, phones, printers, and light traffic. The employee must be able to work in a small cubicle or comparable workspace and sit at a computer terminal for extended periods.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals to perform the essential functions of the position, consistent with applicable policies and law.

Disclaimer

The statements above are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by individuals assigned to this position. The description is not intended to represent an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, qualifications, or skills required of personnel in this classification.

PAY INFORMATION:

The salary range for this position is (Texas):  $125,760.00 - $138,300.00

Note that the American Red Cross sets salary ranges aligned to a specific geographic location in which the work is performed. The stated salary range in this posting is an average. The specific salary information will be shared at the time of phone screening based upon your location and qualifications.

BENEFITS FOR YOU:

As a mission-based organization, we believe our team needs great support to do great work. Our comprehensive package includes:

• Medical, Dental Vision plans
• Health Spending Accounts & Flexible Spending Accounts
• PTO:  Starting at 19 days a year; based on FLSA status and tenure
• Holidays:  11 paid holidays comprised of six core holidays and five floating holidays
• 401K with 6% match
• Paid Family Leave
• Employee Assistance
• Disability and Insurance: Short + Long Term
• Service Awards and recognition

Apply now!  Joining our team will provide you with the opportunity to

make your career a force for good!

The American Red Cross is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.
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Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, San Diego Fair Chance Ordinance, the California Fair Chance Act and any other applicable state and local laws.
 

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