Critical Infrastructure Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Your Opportunity
Stantec is seeking an Emergency Management Specialist - Project Manager, Critical Infrastructure to immediately integrate into programmatic emergency management work supporting one of the largest and most complex critical infrastructure systems in the United States. This position is based in the Sacramento, California metropolitan area and provides a strong, in-state, client-facing presence supporting work across Northern California.
This role will focus on managing and delivering active, multi-year emergency management and resilience programs for critical infrastructure owners, while also supporting growth with state agencies and regional utilities. Regular in-person engagement with clients in Northern California is expected, along with periodic travel within California to support project delivery, meetings, workshops, exercises, and stakeholder coordination.
Sitting at the intersection of emergency management, infrastructure operations, and program delivery, this position offers the opportunity to play a visible role on high-profile programs that truly matter. The successful candidate will serve as both a project manager and technical contributor-supporting active programmatic backlogs, delivering high-quality client work, building trusted relationships, and helping position Stantec for expanded engagement across California's critical infrastructure sector.
Your Key Responsibilities

• Programmatic Emergency Management Delivery. Immediately integrate into the management and delivery of an ongoing, large-scale programmatic emergency management contract supporting one of the largest and most complex critical infrastructure systems in California. Support active execution from day one, with increasing responsibility for coordination, client engagement, delivery leadership, and quality control.
• Project Management and Delivery Oversight. Manage the delivery of emergency management and resilience projects focused on critical infrastructure, with responsibility for scope, schedule, budget, staffing, and performance, while ensuring alignment with Stantec's quality, safety, and project management standards.
• Client Interface and Stakeholder Engagement. Serve as an in-state, client-facing point of contact in Northern California, supporting day-to-day coordination and facilitating meetings, workshops, and exercises with client stakeholders. Build and maintain strong working relationships with infrastructure owners, agencies, utilities, and regional partners.
• Technical Contribution and Quality Leadership. Serve as a key technical contributor responsible for developing and reviewing high-quality, client-ready deliverables, including, but not limited to, Emergency Action Plans, Emergency Operations Plans, Continuity of Operations Plans, discussion- and operations-based exercises, after-action reports, program and capability assessments, and related emergency management and resilience products.
• Infrastructure Integration and Cross-Practice Collaboration. Collaborate with Stantec's infrastructure teams to integrate emergency management and resilience services into projects and proposals related to critical infrastructure systems, including, but not limited to, dam and reservoir operations, conveyance systems, and power generation, SCADA, and control systems. Identify opportunities to expand scope through alignment with engineering, operations, and asset management services.
• Practice Support and Staff Development. Support practice growth by serving as an entry point for California account and project managers seeking emergency management and resilience expertise. Provide technical leadership to junior staff through mentorship, coaching, and training, with the expectation that this role will quickly progress into supervising emergency management personnel in California.

Your Capabilities and Credentials

• Demonstrated senior-level experience delivering emergency management and resilience services for critical infrastructure systems, including water, energy, transportation, or other large, regulated assets.
• Proven ability to manage projects and support programmatic delivery efforts, including coordination of multidisciplinary teams and responsibility for scope, schedule, budget, and quality.
• Strong working knowledge of emergency management frameworks and standards, including ICS, NIMS, SEMS, FEMA's Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP), and continuity planning principles.
• Demonstrated experience developing high-quality, client-ready emergency management and resilience deliverables, including, but not limited to, EOPs, EAPs, COOPs, and training and exercise programs.
• Strong facilitation, communication, and client engagement skills, with experience working directly with senior-level stakeholders.
• Proven ability to produce clear, concise, and technically sound written deliverables for complex, regulated environments.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Professional certifications relevant to emergency management, exercises, or project delivery-such as CEM, MEP, PMP, or equivalent credentials-are desirable.

Qualifications
Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in emergency management, planning, engineering, public administration, environmental science, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and progressively responsible professional experience.
• Minimum of 10-15 years of progressively responsible experience in emergency management, resilience planning, infrastructure operations, or a closely related field, with demonstrated application to large-scale critical infrastructure systems.
• Experience supporting public agencies, utilities, or infrastructure owner-operators within complex regulatory and operational environments.
• Valid driver's license and satisfactory driving record.

Typical office environment working with computers and remaining sedentary for long periods of time. Field work may include exposure to the elements including inclement weather.
This description is not a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that may be required of the employee and other duties, responsibilities and activities may be assigned or may be changed at any time with or without notice.
Stantec is a place where the best and brightest come to build on each other's talents, do exciting work, and make an impact on the world around us. Join us and redefine your personal best.
About Stantec - Stantec is a global leader in sustainable engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting. The diverse perspectives of our partners and interested parties drive us to think beyond what's previously been done on critical issues like climate change, digital transformation, and future-proofing our cities and infrastructure. We innovate at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships to advance communities everywhere, so that together we can redefine what's possible.
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About Us
Grounded in safety, quality, and ethics, our experts lead their fields with dedication, a creative spirit, and a vision for growth. We draw from more than 20 technical specialties worldwide and are devoted to fostering a community of diverse talents, backgrounds, and expertise. Here, you can apply your passion and collaborate with top environmental professionals on work that's vital to our clients and the communities they serve.
Join a team that's naturally committed to the environment.
About the Team
Pay Transparency: In compliance with pay transparency laws, pay ranges are provided for positions in locations where required. Please note, the final agreed upon compensation is based on individual education, qualifications, experience, and work location. At Stantec certain roles are bonus eligible. Actual compensation for part-time roles will be pro-rated based on the agreed number of working hours per week.
Benefits Summary: Regular full-time and part-time employees (working at least 20 hours per week) have access to medical, dental, and vision plans, a wellness program, health saving accounts, flexible spending accounts, 401(k) plan, employee stock purchase program, life and accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D) insurance, short-term/long-term disability plans, emergency travel benefits, tuition reimbursement, professional membership fee coverage and paid family leave. Regular full-time and part-time employees will receive ten paid holidays in each calendar year. In addition, employees will be eligible to accrue vacation between 10 and 20 days per year and eligible for paid sick leave (and if more generous, in accordance with state and local law).
Temporary/casual employees have access to 401(k) plans, employee stock purchase program, and paid leave, in accordance with state and local law.
The benefits information listed above may not apply to union positions because benefits for such positions are governed by applicable collective bargaining agreements