Operations Specialist

This position is located in Response and Recovery, Response Directorate, Disaster Emergency Communication Division, Maynard MERS detachment. The ideal candidate for this position will possess an in-depth knowledge of emergency planning and preparedness, organization, functions and authorities. This knowledge is required to recognize emergency situations, alert appropriate authorities, recommend courses of action, formulate responses, and notify appropriate organizations.

What will I do in this position if hired? In this position, you will maintain the MERS Operations Center in a state of operational readiness and situational awareness. Typical assignments include: Monitors increased government readiness activities and alerts appropriate for MERS Managers, FEMA Regional Directors and disaster response team personnel. Monitors various government and private sector systems to gather and disseminate emergency information relating to the occurrence, magnitude, and impact of actual or potential emergencies. Analyzes facsimile, news reporting services, computer based systems, weather information services, telephones and other government information and communications systems for potential and actual emergency situations. Provides a focal point from which management officials may obtain current status information on operational matters. Prepares and presents operational briefings to MERS and Region management on current activities and possible MERS responses. Prepares and presents orientation briefings to MERS visitors both at home station and when deployed. What else do I need to know? At FEMA, our mission is to help people before, during and after disasters, and every employee at FEMA has a role in emergency management. Every FEMA employee has regular and recurring emergency management responsibilities, though not every position requires routine deployment to disaster sites. All positions are subject to recall around the clock for emergency management operations, which may require irregular work hours, work at locations other than the official duty station, and may include duties other than those specified in the employee's official position description. Travel requirements in support of emergency operations may be extensive in nature (weeks to months), with little advance notice, and may require employees to relocate to emergency sites with physically austere and operationally challenging conditions.

To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo, successfully pass, and maintain a background investigation for Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk as a condition of placement into this position. This may include a credit check after initial job qualifications are determined, a review of financial issues, such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs (please visit: Mythbuster on Federal Hiring Policies for additional information). For more information on background investigations for Federal jobs please visit OPM Investigations. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office. Please ensure you meet the qualification requirements described below. Key Requirements: You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position. You must successfully pass a background investigation. Selective Service registration required. Current federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements. You must be able to obtain and maintain a Government credit card. You must be able to deploy with little or no advance notice to anywhere in the United States and its territories for an extended period of time. Please review the Additional Information section for additional key requirements.