Director of Emergency Services - Department of Emergency Management (0942)

The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management manages disaster preparation, mitigation, and response; 9-1-1 dispatch, and homeland security grant distribution for the City and County of San Francisco. DEM was created in 2006 by local legislation that reorganized the Emergency Communications Department and the Office of Emergency Services into a single agency. For more information on the Department of Emergency Management, please visit:  http://www.sfdem.org/ .  Application Opening:  Friday, July 17, 2026 Application Deadline:  Interested applicants are encouraged to apply immediately as the filing period may close at any time but no sooner than 4 PM (PDT) on July 31, 2026. Recruitment ID:  PEX-0942-0166602 Appointment Type: This is a Permanent Exempt (PEX) appointment not to exceed three (3) years.  This position is exempt from Civil Service Commission rules pursuant to the City and County of San Francisco, Charter Section 10.104, and incumbents are considered “at will” and serve at the discretion of the Appointing Officer.  This is a full time, 40 hours per week appointment. Position Description:  The Director of Emergency Services reports to the Chief Deputy Director of the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management (SFDEM). This position serves as the lead emergency manager for the City and County of San Francisco.  Under policy direction, this position establishes and implements the mission and long-term vision of SFDEM’s Emergency Services. This position oversees the development of strategic plans and interim goals, establishes policies and determines priorities, adjusts plans to respond to emerging and/or urgent issues, and directs the allocation of resources to achieve timely outcomes and measurable goals within budget guidelines.  The Director of Emergency Services makes decisions of critical impact affecting the safety and resiliency of the City and the public. This position assumes major responsibility for all programs and activities under Emergency Services.    Given the nature of emergency preparedness, response, and recovery requirements, the Director of Emergency Services will be expected to be on-call outside of normal business hours and will be expected to respond and/or report to work in the event of an emergency or other incident impacting San Francisco. This includes the ability to work nights, weekends, and holidays - sometimes with very little notice.  Major, important, and essential duties of the Director of Emergency Services position include, but are not limited to, the following:   Prioritize and align emergency management activities to executive direction, ensuring that operational priorities, messaging, and resource allocation reflect the City’s executive leadership needs and expectations. Demonstrate flexibility and adaptability by adjusting operational plans, staffing assignments, and response strategies as conditions evolve, including during rapidly developing incidents, shifting political priorities, or unexpected resource limitations. Exercise sound judgment under pressure by evaluating limited or conflicting information, making timely operational decisions, and clearly communicating next steps to staff, partner agencies, and departmental and city leadership. Model high‑performance behavior by setting expectations for responsiveness, accountability, and adaptability, reinforcing a culture of operational excellence within the Emergency Services team. Determine the organizational structure, staff assignments, service levels, and administrative systems required to accomplish mission and objectives in an effective and efficient manner that meet the needs of the City. Support and implement the Executive Director’s department-wide priorities and initiatives, including operations and incident management, preparedness and planning, training and exercise, external partnerships, and coordination of city resources related to citywide special events. Activate the City and County of San Francisco Emergency Operations Center (EOC) when appropriate; identify the appropriate level of activation and secure necessary staffing, and serve as primary EOC Director for all major incidents or events. Direct the production of citywide or regional preparedness trainings, exercises, workshops, and associated deliverables. Ensure compliance with federal and state Homeland Security and other applicable regulations. Consult with Mayor’s Office staff and Chief Deputy Director regarding the activities within Emergency Services and proper prioritization of citywide initiatives related to emergency preparedness. Coordinate with other City Departments regarding compliance with federal, state and local guidelines and directives, and their overall emergency preparedness responsibilities as agencies serving the City and County of San Francisco. This includes managing the network of citywide emergency managers across multiple City Departments. Coordinate with partner agencies, including representatives from the private sector, not-for-profit groups, community-based organizations, and other non-governmental organizations to ensure coordinated citywide emergency preparedness and response. Represent the Department before commissions, boards and committees, and representatives from federal, state and local agencies and jurisdictions. Oversee long-term financial planning, including directing the preparation and implementation of the unit’s annual budget, monitoring expenditures to ensure adherence to the approved budget, ensuring compliance with grant-funded position requirements, and coordinating with the Bay Area Urban Areas Security Initiative for grant submissions and allocations. Facilitate citywide working groups, briefings, or large coordinating meetings as needed. Guide the development of standard operating procedures for emergency operations and response. Promote and prioritize City Department and partner agency emergency preparedness and compliance th