1

Emergency Management Assistant Jobs in California

As an Emergency Management Specialist you will be responsible for the following duties: * Supports ... Serves as an Assistant Project Manager / Operational Planning Team member in developing operational ...

As an Emergency Management Specialist you will be responsible for the following duties: * Supports ... Serves as an Assistant Project Manager / Operational Planning Team member in developing operational ...

New

As an Emergency Management Specialist you will be responsible for the following duties: * Supports ... Serves as an Assistant Project Manager / Operational Planning Team member in developing operational ...

New

As an Emergency Management Specialist you will be responsible for the following duties: * Supports ... Serves as an Assistant Project Manager / Operational Planning Team member in developing operational ...

As an Emergency Management Specialist you will be responsible for the following duties: * Supports ... Serves as an Assistant Project Manager / Operational Planning Team member in developing operational ...

New

As an Emergency Management Specialist you will be responsible for the following duties: * Supports ... Serves as an Assistant Project Manager / Operational Planning Team member in developing operational ...

New

As an Emergency Management Specialist you will be responsible for the following duties: * Supports ... Serves as an Assistant Project Manager / Operational Planning Team member in developing operational ...

As an Emergency Management Specialist you will be responsible for the following duties: * Supports ... Serves as an Assistant Project Manager / Operational Planning Team member in developing operational ...

New

As an Emergency Management Specialist you will be responsible for the following duties: * Supports ... Serves as an Assistant Project Manager / Operational Planning Team member in developing operational ...

New

next page

Showing results 1-20

Emergency Management Assistant information

See California salary details

$28.6K

$47.8K

$68.6K

How much do emergency management assistant jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 19, 2026, the average yearly pay for emergency management assistant in California is $47,763.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $41,400.00 and $47,900.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is an emergency management assistant?

Emergency Management Assistants are professionals who support emergency management teams in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters or emergencies. They handle administrative tasks, maintain records, assist in developing emergency plans, and help coordinate communication between agencies and the public. Their work is crucial in ensuring that emergency response operations run smoothly and efficiently. Emergency Management Assistants often work for government agencies, non-profits, or private organizations involved in disaster preparedness and response.

What does an emergency management assistant do?

Emergency Management Assistants often handle tasks such as maintaining emergency contact lists, updating preparedness plans, coordinating training sessions, and managing documentation related to drills and incidents. They play a crucial role in supporting the emergency management team by ensuring that communication channels are clear and resources are organized. Their work helps streamline response efforts and ensures the organization is ready for any emergencies. Additionally, they may assist in liaising with local agencies, which fosters strong collaborative relationships.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an emergency management assistant?

To thrive as an Emergency Management Assistant, you need a solid understanding of emergency response protocols, organizational skills, and typically a background in emergency management or a related field. Familiarity with incident management systems like NIMS/ICS, emergency notification tools, and relevant certifications such as FEMA courses is highly valuable. Attention to detail, strong communication, and the ability to remain calm under pressure are crucial soft skills for this role. These competencies ensure effective coordination and support during emergencies, contributing to public safety and efficient disaster response.

What is the difference between Emergency Management Assistant vs Emergency Management Coordinator?

AspectEmergency Management AssistantEmergency Management Coordinator
CredentialsTypically requires a high school diploma or equivalent; some roles may prefer certifications like ICS or FEMA coursesRequires similar certifications; often a bachelor's degree in emergency management, public safety, or related fields
Work EnvironmentSupports emergency planning and response teams, often in government or public safety agenciesLeads emergency preparedness efforts, manages response operations, and coordinates with agencies
Employer & IndustryGovernment agencies, public safety organizations, non-profitsGovernment agencies, large organizations, public safety departments

While both roles support emergency management efforts, the Emergency Management Assistant typically provides support and administrative assistance, whereas the Emergency Management Coordinator leads planning and response initiatives. The Assistant role is ideal for entry-level positions, while the Coordinator role involves more responsibility and leadership in emergency situations.

What skills are needed to be an emergency management assistant?

Emergency management assistants need strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills to coordinate disaster response efforts effectively. They should be familiar with emergency protocols, have the ability to work under pressure, and often require certifications such as CPR or first aid. Proficiency with computer software and the ability to collaborate with various agencies are also important.

What are the most commonly searched types of Emergency Management jobs in California?

The most popular types of Emergency Management jobs in California are:

What job categories do people searching Emergency Management Assistant jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Emergency Management Assistant jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Emergency Management Assistant jobs?

Cities in California with the most Emergency Management Assistant job openings:

Infographic showing various Emergency Management Assistant job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 87% Full Time, 10% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 84% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 13% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $47,763 per year, or $23 per hour.

Emergency Management Specialist (Planning Section Chief Type II)

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Oakland, CA • On-site, Remote

$63.76 - $94.48/hr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 8 days ago


Federal Emergency Management Agency rating

8.5

Company rating: 8.5 out of 10

Based on 18 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

219th of 846 rated public administrative organizations


Job description

Summary
This position is being announced under FEMA's Incident Management Assistant Team (IMAT) Program. This is a 2-year temporary appointment in the Excepted service. This position is located on a Regional IMAT Team, and has a starting salary of 63.76 per hour; however, the maximum salary possible in this position is $94.48 per hour. Salary listed includes locality pay.
Learn more about this agency
Duties
Help
What will I do in this position if hired?
In this position, you will serve as an Emergency Management Specialist (Planning Section Chief Type II).
When deployed, the Emergency Management Specialist (Planning Section Chief Type II) 's typical assignments include:
  • Coordinating federal support for response and recovery to natural and man-made incidents that result in considerable levels of damage, or disruption severely impacting the affected population and infrastructure requiring sustained federal recovery support.
  • Determining appropriate organizational structure based on supervisor's direction and ensures the structure and staffing are Incident Command System (ICS) complaint.
  • Coordinating with the State/Territory to establish a unified planning effort to include coordinating with the State/Territory Planning Section Chief.
  • Ensuring required/requested reports, briefings and geospatial information products are complete, accurate, and distributed properly to provide geospatial analytic tools to demonstrate a clearer vision of success at a disaster.

When not deployed, the Emergency Management Specialist (Planning Section Chief Type II) 's typical assignments include:
  • Coordinating the implementation of a full-cycle preparedness program (training, exercise, and evaluation) aligned with the concepts and methodologies of the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program and Agency guidance to support the maintenance of team readiness.
  • Providing planning technical expertise, coordinating internal/external planning efforts, and participating in and at times leading large intra/inter-agency deliberate and crisis action planning efforts.
  • Represent the team in the development of FEMA incidernt mangement, situational awareness, and planning doctrine.

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.
This announcement is for a position as an IMAT CORE (Incident Management Assist Team, Cadre of Response/Recovery Employee). IMAT CORE employees are full time employees hired to directly support the response and recovery efforts related to disasters. IMATs are the first FEMA personnel deployed to an incident and manage the field-level federal response and early recovery with a primary focus on critical infrastructure stabilization, especially life-saving and life-sustaining efforts. Appointments to IMAT CORE positions may be renewed based upon workload needs and funding availability. Employees are hired under the Robert T. Stafford Act and are excluded from the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing jobs in the competitive service. They can be hired under a streamlined process instead of a competitive process. After 3 years of continuous service, Stafford Act employees may be granted competitive eligibility to apply for permanent full-time positions at FEMA.
Appointments may be renewed based on workload, funding, and supervisory approval.
Requirements
Help
Conditions of employment
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 Moderate 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 and that you clearly describe how your experience meets these requirements within your resume.
Conditions of Employment
  • You must be a U.S. citizen to be considered for this position.
  • You must successfully pass a background investigation.
  • Selective Service registration required.
  • You must be able to obtain and maintain a Government travel card
  • Travel will be required.
  • You may be required to be on a 24 hour on-call work schedule during emergency response periods.
  • Please review the Additional Information section for additional key requirements.

Qualifications
All qualifications and eligibility requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
To qualify for thisEmergency Management Specialist (Planning Section Chief Type II) position at the IT-04 level, you must possess one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the IT-03 level in the Federal government, which has equipped you with the skills needed to successfully perform the duties of the position. Experience may be obtained in the federal government, a state or local government, or private sector, and must demonstrate the following:
  • Preparing and managing aspects of the incident Action Plan (IAP) and its components; including developing incident objectives and identifying operational resources;
  • Collaborating with State, Local, Federal, Tribal and nongovernmental partners to establish, organize and manage unified planning efforts; and
  • Receiving, analyzing, and disseminating incident information that supports decision makers and enables appropriate and effective action during disasters.

Please read the following important information to ensure we have everything we need to consider your application:
  • Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.
  • Your resume serves as the basis for experience related qualification determinations, and you must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience and education (if applicable), as it relates to this job opportunity. Please use your own words, be clear, and specific when describing your work history. We cannot make assumptions regarding your experience.

Are you qualifying based on your work experience?
  • Qualifications are based on your ability to demonstrate in your resume that you possess one year of the specialized experience for this announcement at a comparable scope and responsibility. To ensure all of the essential information is in your resume, we encourage you to use the USAJOBS online Resume Builder. If you choose to use your own resume, it must contain the following information organized by experience/position: (1) job title, (2) name of employer, (3) start and end dates of each period of employment (from MM/DD/YY to MM/DD/YY), (4) detailed description of duties performed, accomplishments, and related skills, and (5) hours worked per week (part-time employment will be prorated in crediting experience). Federal experience/positions must also include the occupational series, grade level, and dates in which you held each grade level.
  • Are you a current or former FEMA Reservist/Disaster Assistance Employee (DAE)? To accurately credit your experience from intermittent positions and Reservist Deployments, you must list the dates (from MM/DD/YY to MM/DD/YY) of deployments that are relevant to your qualifying experience, along with the job title and specific duties you were responsible for during each deployment.
  • Determining length of General or Specialized Experience is dependent on the above information. Failure to provide the above information in your resume may result in your application being found "not qualified."
  • Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills, and provides valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
  • For additional information on crediting experience and/or education, please reference the OPM General Schedule Qualification Standards

Education
No Educational Substitution: There is no educational substitution for this position, and you must meet the qualifications listed in the "requirements" section of this announcement.
Additional information
  • STAFFORD ACT EXCEPTED SERVICE APPOINTMENTS: Cadre of On-Call Response/Recovery Employee (CORE) is an appointment type granted under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Section 306 (b), which authorizes FEMA to appoint such temporary employees as necessary to accomplish work authorized under the Act. Appointments under this authority within FEMA are made to the excepted service and are nonpermanent in nature.
  • If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.
  • The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Homeland Security and its Components from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to FEMA-Misconduct@fema.dhs.gov.
  • DHS uses E-verify, an internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.
  • Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.
  • During the application process you will have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.
  • The salary range indicated in this announcement reflects the minimum locality pay up to maximum locality pay for all duty locations listed. The range will be adjusted for selected duty location. General Schedule locality pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages. Please note: first time hires to the Federal Government are typically hired at the Step 01.
  • Deployment travel may be required, based upon agency needs. Deployment expectations can vary and will be discussed with candidates during the selection process.

Expand Hide additional information
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
Benefits
Help
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays.
Other benefits may include flexible work schedules; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers. DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and developmental opportunities. For more information, go to the DHS Careers website and select "Benefits." Disabled veteran leave will be available to any federal employee

What Federal Emergency Management Agency employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom