Emergency Planning Officer

• Suffolk County Council
• Address: Endeavour House, Ipswich IP1 2BX
  , Riverside, Lowestoft NR33 0EQ
  , or West Suffolk House, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP33 3YU
  , hybrid and community-based working
• Salary: £34,434 per annum (pro rata for part time) plus standby allowance of £180 per month
• Hours: 37 hours per week, flexible working options available
• Contract: Permanent, 2 posts

As a modern, flexible and effective organisation, at Suffolk County Council we want to make a positive difference for the environment, the communities we serve and the people who work with us.

When you join us as an Emergency Planning Officer
, you'll be encouraged to bring your own ideas, learn from others and help shape services that support Suffolk when it matters most.

Reimagine the possibilities.

As an Emergency Planning Officer, you'll help Suffolk's councils prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies and major disruption. Working within the Suffolk JEPU (Joint Emergency Planning Unit), you will support emergency planning, training and exercises, and work alongside partners from local government, emergency services, health, utilities and the voluntary sector.

Your work could include reviewing emergency plans, helping to design and deliver training, supporting resilience projects, advising colleagues on preparedness, and contributing to business continuity work that helps councils maintain essential services during disruption. During incidents, you may provide advice and practical support to senior officers and elected members (Councillors) as part of the wider response and recovery effort.

It is a varied role, and no two days are likely to look the same. You'll build specialist knowledge in emergency management while contributing to work that helps keep Suffolk's communities and essential services prepared.

• We are looking for someone with experience or knowledge of emergency planning, business continuity, risk management, crisis management or a related area. You will need to communicate clearly, build trust and work well with a wide range of colleagues, partners and stakeholders.
• You'll be organised, able to manage competing priorities and comfortable working both on your own and as part of a team. Experience of supporting projects, training events, exercises or briefings would be helpful, as would an understanding of local government and emergency preparedness arrangements.
• Above all, we are interested in someone who is motivated to learn, willing to get involved and committed to supporting Suffolk's resilience. If you have transferable skills and think you could grow into this role, we encourage you to apply.

The Suffolk Joint Emergency Planning Unit provides emergency planning and business continuity support to all of Suffolk's local authorities. We help councils prepare for emergencies, strengthen local resilience and maintain essential services during disruption.

We are a small, supportive and collaborative team with a shared focus on protecting communities and supporting partners before, during and after emergencies. The role offers the chance to work across Suffolk, build strong relationships with a wide range of organisations and contribute to resilience work that has a clear local impact.

We support flexible and hybrid working, while recognising that some activities are best delivered face to face with colleagues and partners. Working in JEPU gives you the opportunity to be involved in important emergency planning and resilience activity across Suffolk.

We're big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We're always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report .

Please contact Courtney Walsh (he/him) for a casual conversation. You can contact him by calling or emailing c

Please ensure your application still reflects your own skills, experience and ideas. If used inappropriately, your application may not be processed. Please read our guidance for using AI to understand what's acceptable.

If you are disabled and/or have additional support needs, you can request reasonable adjustments. You can do this by contacting our Recruitment Team by either emailing or calling . You can find examples of possible adjustments on our Reasonable Adjustment pages .

11.30 pm, 13 August 2026.

24 August 2026 at Endeavour House in Ipswich.

Promoted as JOTW (Job of the Week) on Suffolk Jobs Direct.

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and…