Location: Houston,TX, USA
APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED FROM: ALL PERSONS INTERESTED
DIVISION: OFFICE OF PUBLIC SAFETY & HOMELAND SECURITY
REPORTING LOCATION: CITY HALL ANNEX, 900 BAGBY ST., 2ND FLOOR, HOUSTON, TX 77002
WORKDAYS & HOURS: MONDAY - FRIDAY; 8:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.*
* Subject to change*
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES/ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
The City of Houston Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security is responsible for managing federal homeland security grants for the Greater Houston region, as well as leading and supporting homeland security preparedness projects and activities (e.g., conducting plan reviews, writing reports, developing exercises) for the Houston region.
The Homeland Security Grants Programs division of the City of Houston's Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security is seeking to hire up to 6 grant funded positions to support homeland security planning and public safety activities, regional preparedness programs, manage grant-funded initiatives, facilitate the regional training and exercise program, and support regional technologies for the City of Houston and the counties of Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, and Montgomery. Candidates may select all of the positions they are interested in and have experience in.
1. Training and Exercise Coordinator
Primary responsibility is to lead and develop strategies for needs analysis, development, and administration of a region-wide training and exercise program.
Duties include but are not limited to:
* Collaborate with regional partners to identify training and exercise needs and gaps.
* Coordinate with providers to deliver trainings to regional partners and facilitate associated administrative tasks (e.g., identifying training space, socializing training opportunities with partners, capturing metrics).
* Collaborate with partners to develop and conduct discussion- and operations-based exercises and associated documentation and materials.
* Maintain a list of qualified instructors in the region.
* Maintain a list of training resources available to the region.
* Maintain a library of local and regional exercise resources, such as templates and after-action reports.
* Develop and maintain training and exercise content on the Houston UASI website.
* Provide training and exercise subject matter expertise to jurisdictions.
* Support regional planning activities.
2. Crisis Information System (WebEOC) Administrator
Primary responsibility is to serve as the project lead on the design and implementation of the regional WebEOC system and as the point of contact for both the users of the system and vendor.
Duties include but are not limited to:
* In coordination with the Crisis Information System Programmer, implement and maintain the greater Houston region's crisis information system; troubleshoot and resolve system issues with the users; and escalate difficult issues to the vendor.
* Develop and maintain technology policies, procedures, and plans.
* Report new WebEOC system functions and changes to users and stakeholders.
* Maintain a network of trained sub-administrators (sentinels) who assist their jurisdiction/organization with basic WebEOC functions (e.g., incident creation, user account resets) and serve as a first line for WebEOC support and training.
* Serve as administrator for any jurisdiction or agency without a sub-administrator.
* Maintain the WebEOC governance.
* Maintain relevant pages on the Houston UASI website.
* Co-chair the WebEOC Work Group, facilitate monthly WebEOC Work Group meetings, and participate in monthly Regional Technology Work Group meetings.
* Maintain knowledge of other local and regional systems/technologies and collaborate with other administrators to identify and implement processes to share information across disparate platforms.
* Ensure that regional technology systems are inclusive of the whole community and that they comply with any local, state, or federal standards for accessibility.
* Participate in after-action reviews region-wide to gather input on applicable technology shortcomings and successes.
* Support regional planning activities.
3. Crisis Information (WebEOC) Programmer
Primary responsibility is maintaining and building technological capabilities in WebEOC in partnership with the Crisis Information System Administrator.
Duties include but are not limited to:
* In coordination with the Crisis Information System Administrator, implement and maintain the greater Houston region's crisis information system; troubleshoot and resolve system issues with the users; and escalate difficult issues to the vendor.
* Design and implement applications to meet evolving needs and technological capabilities.
* Develop and deliver crisis information system trainings throughout the region for both users and sub-administrators.
* Develop exercises to validate the use and configuration of system processes, boards/views/pages, and server administration for common operating picture systems.
* Develop and maintain technology policies, procedures, and plans.
* Report new WebEOC system functions and changes to users and stakeholders.
* Maintain a network of trained sub-administrators (sentinels) who assist their jurisdiction/organization with basic WebEOC functions (e.g., incident creation, user account resets) and serve as a first line for WebEOC support and training.
* Serve as administrator for any jurisdiction or agency without a sub-administrator.
* Maintain the WebEOC governance.
* Participate in monthly WebEOC Work Group and Regional Technology Work Group meetings.
* Maintain relevant pages on the Houston UASI website.
* Maintain knowledge of other local and regional systems/technologies and collaborate with other administrators to identify and implement processes to share information across disparate platforms.
* Ensure that regional technology systems are inclusive of the whole community and that they comply with any local, state, or federal standards for accessibility.
* Participate in after-action reviews region-wide to gather input on applicable technology shortcomings and successes.
* Support regional planning activities.
4. Public Information System Coordinator
Primary responsibility is to build and maintain information sharing systems for the Houston UASI region.
Duties include but are not limited to:
* Coordinate regional information sharing by employing the programs available in Microsoft 365 (e.g., Teams, SharePoint, Power Automate, Power Apps).
* Manage and develop content on the Houston UASI website.
* Help regional partners access the region's information sharing system by creating user accounts and troubleshooting issues.
* Support the region's committees and workgroups in implementing the regional information sharing system through activities such as developing SharePoint sites, establishing Teams sites and channels, automating workflows, and building apps.
* Innovate and implement methods for capturing, analyzing, and shaping data using the regional information sharing system.
* Collaborate with administrators of various partner organizations' information systems to identify and implement methods of information sharing through APIs or alternative processes.
* Develop and maintain documentation related to the use of the regional information sharing system (e.g., user agreements, governance, data sharing agreements, training resources).
* Develop and conduct regional information sharing trainings and exercises.
* Participate in monthly Regional Technology Work Group meetings.
* Support regional planning activities.
5. Mass Care and Medical Planner
Primary responsibility is collaborating with partners to develop, review, and update plans, particularly mass care- and medical-related planning.
Duties include but are not limited to:
* Lead and support regional homeland security planning activities (generally) while also focusing on regional mass care- and health and medical-related planning activities.
* Develop plans and memoranda of understanding/mutual aid agreements to facilitate local and regional resupply of shelters and other mass care sites during a terrorist incident.
* Perform analyses of traditional and medical shelter needs and compare the results to existing equipment caches.
* Develop a strategy for identifying and engaging with community leaders and other nonprofit and community-based organizations that serve members of the region who are medically fragile or have medical needs that are dependent on technology.
* Facilitate the State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry (STEAR) Advisory Committee.
* Develop and maintain a grants/capabilities assessment for the UASI Health and Medical Committee.
* Facilitate the analysis of regional mass care equipment caches to determine regional capabilities and gaps.
* Participate in monthly Planners Work Group meetings.
* Support and facilitate regional preparedness activities.
6. Evacuation Planner
Primary responsibility is to serve as a specialized regional planner, focused on assisting jurisdictions with evacuation planning, exercising, analysis, and plan modifications as needed, and assisting the region with the State's evacuation technology.
Duties include but are not limited to:
* Lead and support regional homeland security planning activities (generally) while also focusing on regional no-notice terrorism incident evacuation planning activities.
* Develop and maintain evacuation planning resources for the UASI region, including procedures to be followed and methods to account for employees and visitors for both general and disadvantaged populations.
* Analyze the results of regional evacuation hub exercises and report findings in an annual whitepaper.
* Coordinate with the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC), Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and other regional partners on evacuation planning considerations.
* Analyze data using GIS and other methods to determine requirements to evacuate disadvantaged populations (e.g., those with disability, access, and functional needs (DAFN)).
* Support planning and analysis related to the State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry (STEAR).
* Develop exercises to test regional no-notice terrorism incident evacuation capabilities.
* Participate in monthly Planners Work Group meetings.
WORKING CONDITIONS
The position is physically comfortable, the individual has discretion about walking, standing, etc. Teleworking is not permitted for this position and as a Tier 2 employee, this position may be assigned to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) during large disasters at the discretion of the supervisor and/ or department director.EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
Requires a bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Public Administration or a field directly related to the type of work being performed.
Graduate degrees related to the type of work to be performed may substitute for the experience requirement on a year-for-year basis.
EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS
Three years of professional administrative, financial or analytical experience related to the type of work being performed are required.
Professional experience related to the type of work to be performed may substitute for the education requirement on a year-for-year basis.
LICENSE REQUIREMENTS
Valid Texas Driver's License and compliance with the City of Houston policy on driving (Administrative Policy 2-2).Preferences shall be given to those candidates that have experience in:
* Administrating a web-based information system with a large userbase
* Strategic planning
* Project management
* Written and oral communication
* Convening groups and coordinating resources to implement desired goals
Must demonstrate proficiency with productivity programs (e.g., Outlook, Word, PowerPoint) and collaboration software/ platforms (e.g., Teams, SharePoint).
Preference shall be given to eligible veteran applicants provided such persons possess the qualifications necessary for competent discharge of the duties involved in the position applied for, such persons are among the most qualified candidates for the position, and all other factors in accordance with Executive Order 1-6.SELECTION / SKILLS TESTS REQUIRED
None; however, the department may administer a skills assessment test.
SAFETY IMPACT POSITION Yes
If yes, this position is subject to random drug testing and if a promotional position, candidate must pass an assignment drug test.
GRANT FUND POSITION
Grants and Special Funded positions are dependent upon continued available funds. If funding is no longer available, employees may be laid off or transferred.
SALARY INFORMATION
Factors used in determining the salary offered include the candidate's qualifications as well as the pay rates of other employees in this classification.
PAY GRADE: 26
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
Only online applications will be accepted for this City of Houston job and must be received by the Human Resources Department during active posting period. Applications must be submitted online at: www.houstontx.gov.
To view your detailed application status, please log-in to your online profile by visiting: or call 832-###-####.
If you need special services or accommodations, call 832-###-####. (TTY 7-1-1)
If you need login assistance or technical support call 855-###-####.
Due to the high volume of applications received, the Hiring Department will contact you directly, should you be selected to advance in our recruitment process.
All new and rehires must pass a pre-employment drug test and are subject to a physical examination and verification of information provided.
EOE Equal Opportunity Employer
The City of Houston is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.