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Emergency Management Director Jobs in Reston, VA

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Emergency Management Director information

See Reston, VA salary details

$40.6K

$102.6K

$181K

How much do emergency management director jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 2, 2026, the average yearly pay for emergency management director in Reston, VA is $102,640.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $75,400.00 and $125,900.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What's the average salary for TDEM positions?

The average salary for Emergency Management Directors, including those working in Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) roles, typically ranges from $70,000 to $100,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and level of responsibility. These positions often require strong leadership, planning skills, and relevant certifications such as ICS or NIMS training.

What education is required to be an emergency management director?

Emergency management directors typically need a bachelor's degree in emergency management, public safety, or a related field. Relevant experience in emergency services or public safety is also important, and some roles may require certifications such as the Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) credential.

Is emergency management in demand?

Emergency management directors are in increasing demand due to the growing frequency and complexity of natural and human-made disasters. They often require specialized training, certifications, and strong organizational skills, and employment is expected to grow faster than average in the coming years.

How hard is it to get hired at FEMA?

Getting hired as an Emergency Management Director at FEMA typically requires relevant experience in emergency management, strong organizational skills, and often a background in public safety or related fields. The hiring process can be competitive, involving multiple interviews, background checks, and sometimes security clearances or certifications such as ICS or NIMS training.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an Emergency Management Director, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Emergency Management Director, you need expertise in disaster response planning, risk assessment, and crisis management, typically supported by a relevant bachelor's degree and experience in emergency services. Familiarity with emergency management software (like WebEOC), FEMA guidelines, and certifications such as CEM (Certified Emergency Manager) are highly valuable. Strong leadership, communication, and decision-making skills help coordinate teams and effectively collaborate with government agencies and the public. These skills and qualifications are crucial to ensure effective preparedness, response, and recovery during emergencies, minimizing risk and protecting communities.

What does an Emergency Management Director do?

An Emergency Management Director is responsible for developing plans and procedures to respond to natural disasters and other emergencies. They coordinate disaster response or crisis management activities, provide training and guidance to public agencies and the community, and ensure effective communication during emergencies. Their duties also include assessing hazards, implementing preparedness programs, and managing recovery efforts after incidents. Emergency Management Directors often collaborate with government agencies, first responders, and the public to protect lives and property.

What is the difference between Emergency Management Director vs Fire Chief?

AspectEmergency Management DirectorFire Chief
CredentialsEmergency management certifications, degrees in public safety or emergency managementFire science degrees, firefighter certifications, leadership training
Work EnvironmentGovernment agencies, emergency response agencies, planning officesFire stations, emergency scenes, command centers
Employer & IndustryLocal, state, or federal government agenciesFire departments, municipal government

While both roles focus on public safety, the Emergency Management Director oversees overall emergency preparedness and coordination across agencies, whereas the Fire Chief manages firefighting operations and personnel within a fire department. The roles often collaborate but differ in scope and daily responsibilities.

What Do Emergency Management Directors Do?

An Emergency Management Director assesses and develops policies and protocols for an organization or business to follow in the event of a crisis, emergency, or natural disaster in a metropolitan area. For this job, your responsibilities include conducting assessments of current policies, suggesting changes and new strategies, and training employees on the organization’s emergency management policies. You also work with local emergency services and first responders to develop effective emergency plans. In the event of a crisis, you are in charge of enacting and executing these procedures.

What are some common challenges Emergency Management Directors face when coordinating disaster response efforts?

Emergency Management Directors often encounter challenges such as rapidly changing situations, coordinating across multiple agencies, and ensuring clear communication during high-stress events. They must balance limited resources while prioritizing public safety and adhere to local, state, and federal regulations. Building strong partnerships and conducting regular training exercises help address these challenges, but flexibility and quick decision-making remain essential skills in this role.
More about Emergency Management Director jobs
What are the most commonly searched types of Emergency Management jobs in Reston, VA? The most popular types of Emergency Management jobs in Reston, VA are:
What are popular job titles related to Emergency Management Director jobs in Reston, VA? For Emergency Management Director jobs in Reston, VA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Emergency Management Director jobs in Reston, VA look for? The top searched job categories for Emergency Management Director jobs in Reston, VA are:
What cities near Reston, VA are hiring for Emergency Management Director jobs? Cities near Reston, VA with the most Emergency Management Director job openings:
Emergency Management Director jobs near you
Infographic showing various Emergency Management Director job openings in Reston, VA as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 83% Full Time, 12% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 92% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 5% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $102,640 per year, or $49.3 per hour.

Emergency Management Specialist

SD Department of Veterans Affairs

Washington, DC

$102K/yr

Other

Re-posted 27 days ago

Job description

Provides operational and administrative support to the Emergency Management Program by coordinating resources, tracking supplies and budgets, and helping ensure facilities remain prepared and compliant with emergency readiness standards. Works closely with the Network Emergency Manager to support planning, prioritization, and response activities, and serves as a key point of contact with national emergency management offices when needed.Qualifications:To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/03/2026.
Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.
You may qualify based on your experience as described below:
  • Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience that equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties this position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-11) in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience in emergency management where you applied your knowledge of the laws, guidelines and policies governing various emergency management programs and operations to assist in developing, executing, and analyzing an emergency management program; applying data analytical and evaluation methods to determine program compliance with emergency preparedness and management rules and regulations; and applying a working knowledge of a variety of emergency, contingency and operations plans, policies, and directives to provide advice and assistance. At this level applicants should possess skills to prepare emergency situation status reports that describe response and recovery efforts, needs, and preliminary damage assessments and prepare plans that outline operating procedures to be used in response to disasters or emergencies and in recovery from these events. Note: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hour worked per week.
Best Qualified Criteria:
  • Leads a full comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) /Continuity of Operations Plan for a large complex healthcare system or comparable organization, covering all phases of emergency management.
  • Manages or co-manages an emergency management program for a medium-to-large facility with substantial CEMP/COOP responsibility.
  • Supports specific elements of CEMP/COOP, such as annexes, hazard vulnerability analysis, or continuity tasks, under guidance.
  • Basic related experience in emergency management, safety, preparedness, or continuity planning with limited direct CEMP/COOP involvement.
Preferred Experience:
  • Healthcare emergency management program leadership: Leading or managing a Comprehensive Emergency Management Program (or equivalent) in a hospital, VA, or large healthcare system, including writing and maintaining Emergency Operations Plans and Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) plans.
  • Federal/VA and interagency coordination: Direct experience coordinating with VA Office of Emergency Management (VA OEM), Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) offices, National Disaster Medical System (NDMS), and DoD/Emergency Support Function (ESF) partners, or similar federal, state, and local emergency management agencies.
  • Incident management, Hospital Command Center (HCC), and decontamination operations hands on experience activating, staffing, and supporting a HCC or Incident Management Team during drills and real incidents and or managing or supervising decontamination programs (First Receiver Decon), including Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPRs) and other specialized equipment, unit leaders, and team training and sustainment funding.
  • Exercise design, Hazard Vulnerability Analysis (HVA), and Emergency Management analytics designing and evaluating exercises using Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) principles, writing After-Action Reports and Improvement Plans, and tracking corrective actions to closure and or conducting healthcare Hazard Vulnerability Analyses, using data gathering and evaluation methods to assess risk and regulatory compliance (The Joint Commission (TJC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), NIMS, etc.).
  • Volunteer deployment and large-scale staff coordination Managing a Disaster Emergency Personnel System (DEMPS) type programs equivalent, including recruiting, training, and deploying volunteers for national or regional mission and or maintaining automated alert and notification systems, cascade call lists, and employee/patient accountability processes before, during, and after emergencies.
License Requirement: A current valid state driver's license is required. Note: We cannot accept photographs. Therefore, please do not submit a copy of your license with your application package. If an interview is requested, you will be required to provide your driver's license for verification of required endorsements.
Physical Requirements and Work Environment: The work is mostly sedentary although some physical effort may be required to meet fieldwork requirements. Lifting 50 pounds, moving, pushing, etc. During emergency events, the employee would be expected to work significant extended hours under very austere conditions. Work is generally in an office setting, but emergency incidents and training and exercise events may require prolonged duty days and/or work to be conducted under austere field conditions. Position may require frequent travel.
For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.Education:Employment Type: OTHER

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