Senior Emergency Response Planner

This recruitment will close at 11:59 PM on October 7, 2026, or once 100 applications have been received, whichever occurs first. Qualified applicants are strongly encouraged to apply as early as possible to ensure consideration.

Hello, we’re Metro! Metro is dedicated to shaping a better future for the greater Portland region. The work the people of Metro do every day benefits the lives of the people who live here, today, and tomorrow.

Join Metro's Office of Risk, Readiness & Resilience (R3) and play a vital role in advancing the region's preparedness and resilience efforts. Metro is seeking a collaborative and strategic Senior Emergency Planner to lead emergency preparedness initiatives that strengthen the agency's ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies and disruptions. In this role, you will coordinate exercises, enhance emergency plans, cultivate partnerships with regional stakeholders, and support emergency response operations during critical events.

This position is ideal for a proactive problem solver who is passionate about applying lessons learned to drive continuous improvement and organizational readiness.

• Design and lead engaging exercises using Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) best practices to test capabilities, strengthen readiness, and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Partner with departments across Metro to develop, maintain, evaluate, and improve emergency response plans.
• Support occupational health and safety drills and preparedness activities that build confidence, capability and readiness throughout the organization.
• Facilitate after-action reviews, develop improvement recommendations, and help track corrective actions to ensure lessons learned are translated into meaningful organizational changes.
• Help maintain and enhance Metro's Emergency Operations Plan and other key preparedness, response and recovery documents.
• Support Metro's emergency communications and incident coordination capabilities, including emergency notifications, crisis communications, and operational coordination tools.
• Serve in a primary support role during emergency response activities, including supporting Emergency Operations Center (EOC) functions.
• Collaborate with internal partners on systems and tools that support emergency communications, video management, and access management.

• Enjoy bringing people together to solve complex problems and improve organizational readiness.
• Energized by planning, facilitating, and evaluating emergency management exercises and drills.
• Have experience designing, developing and delivering engaging training for a variety of audiences.
• Communicate clearly and effectively, especially when navigating complex or high-pressure situations.
• Build strong, productive relationships across departments and with external partners.
• Bring an understanding of emergency management principles and emergency planning processes.
• Are comfortable working and navigating in ambiguity, balancing multiple priorities, and adapting to changing needs.
• Take a continuous improvement approach and enjoy turning ideas and lessons learned into practical, actionable solutions.
• Understand and apply trauma-informed and culturally responsive communication practices.
• Are passionate about strengthening resilience, preparedness, and public service.

At Metro, we strive to cultivate diversity, advance equity, and practice inclusion in all of its work. This means attracting and empowering a workforce that is inclusive of a broad range of human qualities. Workplace diversity is both a moral imperative and a business strength, essential to providing quality support and services to our region. Metro’s goal is to hire, develop and retain highly skilled and talented individuals across all departments and programs who best reflect the diversity of our community.

Learn more about how Metro is advancing diversity

We will consider any combination of relevant work experience, volunteering, education, and transferable skills as qualifying unless an item or section is labeled required. Please be clear and specific in your application materials on how your background is relevant.

• Bachelor’s degree in related field such as environmental science, public administration, or emergency management.
• Three years of experience in emergency management, project management, or public policy development.
• Any…