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Georgia State Government is a large enterprise, composed of various agencies and entities with a common goal to improve the lives of Georgia's more than 10 million citizens!
Join Team Georgia and impact lives everyday while receiving a robust benefits package designed for every stage of your career!

Job Title:

Operational Readiness Manager

Agency:

Department of Public Health

Job Requisition ID:

JR0000004215

Shift:

Day (United States of America)

Compensation Details:

$56,310.82 - $73,677.24

Job Description:

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Who We Are. We protect lives. The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is the lead agency entrusted by the people of Georgia to protect lives and promote healthy lifestyles in communities throughout the state. We are committed to preventing disease, injury, and disability; promoting health and well-being; and preparing for and responding to disasters.

What We Offer. As a member of the DPH team, you will join a group of passionate individuals dedicated to serving Georgians. Regardless of your role, you will contribute to protecting lives while enjoying a wide range of benefits.

Make a Professional Impact – Build your career where it matters and protect lives in the community where you live, work, and play.
Enjoy Workplace Flexibility – Experience flexibility in how you work so you can be your best self for you and the people of Georgia.
Work with a Dynamic and Diverse Team – Collaborate with employees who share ideas and leverage collective strengths.
Achieve Career Longevity – Take advantage of opportunities for learning and development that support a long-term career.
Take Part in a Hands-on Working Culture – Work in a unique culture of active engagement and problem-solving, no matter your role.
Feel Pride in Where you Work – Be part of making an impact in public health alongside dedicated people just like yourself.

Job Description:

The Operational Readiness Manager provides leadership and management for operational preparedness activities within the Georgia Department of Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Program and the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program.

The position is responsible for ensuring that Georgia DPH maintains the operational capability to effectively respond to public health emergencies through coordinated procedures, trained personnel, validated plans, operational systems, exercises, corrective actions, and continuous improvement. The Operational Readiness Manager works closely with Georgia's Public Health Districts, internal DPH programs, the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, healthcare organizations, emergency medical services, local emergency management agencies, federal partners, and other response organizations to strengthen statewide public health emergency preparedness and response capabilities. The position serves as a primary link between emergency planning and operational implementation, ensuring that emergency plans, standard operating guidelines, systems, training, and response procedures can be effectively executed during an incident.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Operational Readiness and Response Coordination

Manage statewide PHEP operational-readiness activities designed to ensure DPH personnel, Public Health Districts, systems, facilities, and response capabilities are prepared for activation during public health emergencies.
Develop, review, maintain, and evaluate operational procedures, Standard Operating Guidelines, job aides, checklists, activation procedures, and other operational guidance.
Translate emergency plans and policy requirements into executable operational procedures.
Coordinate periodic assessments of state and district operational readiness and identify areas requiring improvement.
Establish readiness measures, performance indicators, and reporting mechanisms to evaluate preparedness capabilities.
Assist in coordinating DPH response activities during emergencies, disasters, outbreaks, planned events, and other incidents requiring activation of Emergency Preparedness and Response capabilities.
Support activation and operation of the DPH Emergency Operations Center.
Serve in appropriate Incident Command System or Emergency Operations Center positions during exercises and real-world incidents.
Serve as a Public Health representative or liaison to the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency State Operations Center when assigned.
Participate in the PHEP on-call or Duty Officer/Incident Manager system as required.
Maintain the ability to respond outside normal business hours, including nights, weekends, and holidays, during emergencies or exercises.

Procedures and Operational Guidance

Lead the development and maintenance of operational procedures supporting the DPH Emergency Operations Plan and associated annexes.
Ensure procedures clearly identify responsibilities, authorities, activation criteria, notification requirements, operational workflows, and documentation requirements.
Coordinate development of job aides and position-specific response tools to support emergency assignments.
Work with program managers and subject-matter experts to ensure operational procedures remain current and align with applicable federal and state requirements.
Conduct periodic reviews of operational procedures and recommend revisions based on exercises, real-world responses, After-Action Reports, program evaluations, changes in federal guidance, and lessons learned.

Training and Workforce Readiness

Develop and coordinate an operational-readiness training program for state and district PHEP personnel.
Identify training requirements for staff with emergency response responsibilities.
Coordinate training for Emergency Operations Center personnel, Duty Officers, Incident Managers, Public Health Liaisons, and other identified response personnel.
Develop or coordinate position-specific training and just-in-time training for emergency response functions.
Maintain or oversee mechanisms for documenting required preparedness and response training.
Work with program managers and subject-matter experts to identify knowledge, skill, or capability gaps requiring additional training.
Promote integration of the Incident Command System, National Incident Management System, and applicable emergency management doctrine into DPH emergency operations.

Exercise Program

Coordinate closely with planning and exercise personnel to develop and implement exercises that evaluate operational capabilities.
Participate in the design, conduct, evaluation, and documentation of discussion-based and operations-based exercises.
Ensure exercises test actual operational procedures, communications systems, emergency assignments, decision-making processes, and coordination mechanisms.
Assist in development of exercise objectives based on identified risks, capability gaps, CDC PHEP requirements, corrective actions, and statewide priorities.
Participate in exercise planning conferences, exercise control, evaluation, hotwashes, and After-Action processes.

After-Action and Continuous Improvement

Manage or coordinate the operational component of the PHEP continuous-improvement process.
Ensure exercises and real-world incidents are appropriately evaluated and documented.
Coordinate development of After-Action Reports and Improvement Plans in accordance with applicable DPH and Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program principles.
Establish processes for assigning, monitoring, documenting, and closing corrective actions.
Analyze recurring findings from exercises, incidents, assessments, and program reviews to identify systemic preparedness gaps.
Provide leadership with periodic reports regarding operational-readiness trends, corrective-action status, risks, and recommended improvements.
Coordinate with program managers to ensure corrective actions result in measurable improvement rather than administrative closure alone.

Public Health District Support

Provide operational-readiness technical assistance to Georgia's Public Health Districts.
Develop standardized tools, templates, procedures, and guidance that can be utilized throughout the statewide PHEP system.
Coordinate with District Emergency Preparedness Directors and staff to identify operational challenges and potential solutions.
Conduct readiness assessments, site visits, technical-assistance sessions, or program reviews when appropriate.
Facilitate sharing of lessons learned and promising practices between Public Health Districts.
Support statewide consistency while recognizing differences in district capabilities, hazards, resources, and operational requirements.

Partner Coordination

Establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external emergency preparedness and response partners.
Coordinate operational preparedness activities with GEMA/HS, Public Health Districts, healthcare preparedness partners, EMS, emergency management agencies, hospitals, healthcare organizations, federal agencies, and other response organizations as appropriate.
Participate in committees, workgroups, planning teams, and task forces related to public health emergency preparedness and operational readiness.
Represent DPH at local, state, regional, and federal preparedness meetings when assigned.

Resource and Capability Readiness

Coordinate with logistics personnel to identify operational resource requirements.
Assist with development and maintenance of resource-typing standards and deployment requirements.
Participate in assessments of equipment, communications capabilities, personnel, facilities, and other resources necessary to support public health emergency operations.
Identify operational resource gaps and provide recommendations to program leadership.
Ensure operational personnel understand procedures for requesting, deploying, tracking, and demobilizing resources during emergencies.

Program Performance and PHEP Requirements

Support implementation of the current CDC Public Health Emergency Preparedness Cooperative Agreement and applicable preparedness capabilities.
Assist with development and documentation of PHEP performance measures, benchmarks, deliverables, and program requirements related to operational readiness.
Collect, analyze, and report information necessary to demonstrate program performance and operational capability.
Participate in CDC technical-assistance activities, program reviews, assessments, and other preparedness evaluations.
Maintain documentation sufficient to demonstrate completion of preparedness activities and continuous-improvement efforts.
Assist leadership with preparation of reports, briefings, presentations, and other documentation related to statewide operational readiness.

Supervision and Leadership

Supervise assigned Operational Readiness staff and provide leadership, coaching, direction, and professional development.
Establish staff priorities, assignments, performance expectations, and work plans.
Conduct regular staff meetings and individual performance discussions.
Evaluate employee performance and address performance or operational concerns in accordance with DPH policies.
Promote coordination between operational readiness, planning, exercises, logistics, data operations, medical countermeasures, communications, and other EPR functions.
Encourage a culture of preparedness, accountability, documentation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Preferred Qualifications:

Preference may be given to applicants who possess one or more of the following:

Master's degree in emergency management, public health, homeland security, public administration, healthcare administration, or a related field.
Five or more years of emergency preparedness or emergency management experience.
Previous experience within a Public Health Emergency Preparedness program.
Experience managing emergency preparedness personnel or multidisciplinary teams.
Experience developing Standard Operating Guidelines, emergency procedures, Emergency Operations Plans, position checklists, or operational job aides.
Experience working in or managing an Emergency Operations Center.
Experience with Incident Command System and Emergency Operations Center operations.
Experience developing or coordinating emergency preparedness training.
Experience designing, conducting, or evaluating emergency preparedness exercises.
Experience developing After-Action Reports, Improvement Plans, and corrective-action programs.
Experience applying Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program principles.
Experience with continuous-improvement or corrective-action tracking programs.
Experience with CDC Public Health Emergency Preparedness cooperative agreement requirements.
Experience working with local public health agencies, healthcare systems, emergency medical services, emergency management agencies, or other emergency-response organizations.
Experience utilizing WebEOC or comparable emergency information-management systems.
Demonstrated experience developing performance measures, analyzing preparedness data, and preparing reports for executive leadership.
FEMA Professional Development Series, Advanced Professional Series, or comparable emergency-management training.
Certified Emergency Manager, Associate Emergency Manager, Georgia Certified Emergency Manager, or other recognized emergency-management certification.

Emergency Response Requirements:

As a condition of employment with the Georgia Department of Public Health, the employee may be required to assist with the Department's response to public health emergencies.

The Operational Readiness Manager may be required to:

Report to an Emergency Operations Center or alternate work location.
Work extended hours, nights, weekends, or holidays.
Participate in an on-call rotation.
Travel throughout Georgia.
Deploy to support emergency operations.
Perform duties outside normal job responsibilities when assigned during an emergency.
Serve in an Incident Command System or Emergency Operations Center position.

Additional Information:

The DPH Commissioner and agency leaders encourage all employees to engage in regular wellness activities and to make lifestyle choices that promote health and well-being.

The use of physical activity breaks during the workday is authorized to support this philosophy and help employees meet their wellness goals. A maximum of 30 minutes of physical activity may be allocated per workday, typically in the form of two 15-minute breaks or one 30-minute break.

Employment Information

State of Georgia employees are subject to the rules of the State Personnel Board regarding salary. DPH accepts educational credentials recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and/or the US Department of Education (DOE) as valid. DPH will contact educational institutions to verify degrees, diplomas, licensures, and other relevant credentials.

The candidate selected for this position may be subject to pre-employment drug screening and a criminal background check.

Relocation assistance is not provided.

In the event of an identified emergency, you may be required, as a term and condition of DPH employment, to assist in meeting the emergency responsibilities of the department.

ADA Statement

DPH is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request a reasonable accommodation for the application or interview process, email DPH-ADA@dph.ga.gov.

DPH is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Due to the volume of applications received, we are unable to provide information on application status by phone or e-mail. All qualified applicants will be considered but may not receive an interview. DPH will contact selected applicants to proceed with the application process. Applicants who are not selected will not receive notification.

This position is subject to close at any time once a satisfactory applicant pool has been identified.

BENEFITS

Standard Benefits for Full-Time Salaried Employees
In addition to a competitive salary, we offer a generous benefits package that includes a flexible schedule, training opportunities, health insurance, employee retirement plan (ERS GSEPS), deferred compensation, 13 paid holidays, vacation and sick leave, paid parental leave, dental, vision, long-term care, and life insurance.

Standard Benefits for Part-Time Employees

Part-time employees are eligible to participate in the Georgia Defined Contribution Plan and receive paid parental leave.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in operations management, business administration, or a related field which includes three (3) years in a managerial or supervisory role; or seven (7) years of related professional experience which includes three (3) years in a managerial or supervisory role; or three (3) years of experience required at the lower level Mgr, Business Ops (GSM010) or position equivalent.--Note: An equivalent combination of knowledge, education, job or intern experience, training, or certifications that provides the necessary knowledge and skills to successfully perform the job at the level listed may be substituted year-over-year.

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer

The State of Georgia does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, or other protected categories in employment or the provision of services.
Qualified applicants may request reasonable accommodation when needed during the application and/or screening process by contacting the appropriate agency Human Resources department.

We are the force that drives Georgia!

Georgia State Government is a large enterprise, composed of various entities with a common goal to improve the lives of Georgia's 10 million citizens. With nearly 62,000 employees, we are one of the single largest employer in the state.

Public service opportunities stretch across the state as employees live and work in all 159 counties. From traditional fields such as accounting, nursing, and engineering to unique fields like forestry and natural resources management, Georgia state government provides a world of opportunity.