Operations Section Chief

Introduction

We are a leading, national consulting firm that provides compassionate, full‑spectrum emergency management services including planning, preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation to the public and private sectors before, during, and after natural disasters or catastrophic events. Our mission is to deliver compassionate consulting services to local, state, federal, and industry clients, active in disaster response, recovery, and preparedness. We strive to be on time, on target, and on budget with services aligned to evolving threats and hazards.

Position Summary

• Job Title: Operations Section Chief
• Employment type: Full‑time, temporary; 12‑hour work days expected
• Compensation: $40–$55 per hour
• Location: Onsite at designated Emergency Operations Center in Colorado

Benefits

Temporary positions are not benefits eligible except as required by law.

Mission of Role

The Operations Section Chief (OC) works alongside the SERT Chief and Planning Chief to establish and pursue operational objectives of the State Emergency Response Team (SERT) through action planning. The role ensures effective coordination between state and local response agencies to achieve SERT's objectives.

Reasonable Accommodation

Reasonable accommodation will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this role.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate priority missions and resource deployment with Operations Section Branch Directors to align with operational objectives.
• Collaborate with the AHIMT Unit Leader to efficiently deploy requested teams and manage mutual aid requests.
• Identify resource needs beyond state agency inventories and communicate them to the Logistics Section Chief.
• Ensure SERT operational objectives meet local needs by coordinating with SERT field staff.
• Deploy and maintain communication with liaisons in affected areas through coordination with the SERT Field Operations Branch Director.
• Participate in Incident Action Plan meetings and provide an operational perspective.
• Conduct operational meetings with Branch Directors and Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) to resolve response issues and maintain coordination with the Plans, Logistics, and Finance & Administration Section Chiefs.
• Manage tactical incident activities to achieve incident objectives and oversee Incident Action Plan (IAP) implementation.
• Translate the decisions of agency leadership into action and coordinate those efforts with all responders.
• At the end of the operation explain status of field operations and make recommendations and projections.
• Participate in the development and implementation of a transition plan based on escalating incident complexity.
• Supervise the development of Operations Section related contingency plans for the incident.
• All other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality with sensitive customer and internal information.
• Capability to multi‑task when necessary.
• Strong familiarity with state and local government structures.
• Excellent critical thinking, strategic planning, and problem‑solving skills.
• Highly organized, detail‑oriented, and self‑motivated.
• Strong time‑management skills.
• Strong desire to help people.
• Flexibility and capacity to make quick decisions as disasters evolve.

Supervisory Responsibilities

May have lead responsibilities within projects or small teams with senior level support.

Expected Hours of Work

The schedule may vary, but 12‑hour work days are expected. Evening and weekend work may be required. Dependability and punctuality are paramount.

Travel Requirements

• Travel to work site.
• Willingness to deploy to client sites for extended periods.

Physical Demands

• Mobility required on‑site with clients.
• Sitting or standing for hours at a time.
• Ability to work at a computer for extended periods if needed.
• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs repetitively throughout the day and as needed.

Working Environment

• May work in an office, home environment, or field deployment, potentially outdoors in adverse weather conditions.
• Work may be on‑site with clients such as EOC, hospital, debris sites, or local government buildings.

Workplace Health & Safety

We are committed to fostering a safe and healthy workplace. Employees are expected to champion a culture of safety by complying with all health and safety policies and procedures, completing required training, identifying and reporting hazards, exercising sound judgment, and taking reasonable care to protect the health and safety of themselves, colleagues, clients, and the communities we serve.

Requirements

Experience and Education Required

• Bachelor's degree in Emergency Management or applicable field.
• Experience and knowledge of working within the Incident Command Framework at state or federal levels.
• Experience with financial management applications.
• Experience working in an Emergency Operations Center or disaster response, including at least two activations or exercises in a supervisory or key support capacity.
• Capable of critical decision‑making in a highly charged and dynamic environment.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office 365, particularly Excel.
• Completed training courses: IS‑100, IS‑200, ISC‑300, ISC‑400, IS‑700, IS‑800, E/G/L‑0191, E/L‑0958, O‑0305.

Experience and Education Preferred

• Five or more years of professional experience in emergency management.
• Master's degree in Emergency Management or related field.
• Applicable certifications:
• Certified Emergency Manager (CEM)
• ICS position‑specific certification preferred.
• Proficient with Web EOC.

Additional Qualifications

• Must be 18 years of age or older.
• Eligibility to work in the United States without employer‑sponsored visa required; we cannot employ those located outside the U.S.
• Must pass company and any applicable client background check and reference check upon offer of employment.

Benefits

Temporary positions are not benefits eligible except as required by law.

EEO Statement

AC Disaster Consulting is an Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status. This applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. AC Disaster Consulting will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any protected characteristic. Please remove or redact information that identifies applicant's age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at an educational institution from application documents prior to submission. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation by contacting the Human Resources team at We use E‑Verify for all candidates who are offered and accept a position with us.