Public Assistance Director

Tidal Basin Government Consulting, a Michael Baker International Company, is seeking a Public Assistance Director to join the team. The Public Assistance (PA) Director provides senior-level leadership, technical expertise, and program oversight for disaster recovery programs supporting State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial (SLTT) government clients. The Director is responsible for leading Public Assistance engagements, managing project teams, providing strategic guidance to clients, and ensuring the successful delivery of complex disaster recovery programs.

This position serves as a senior advisor to clients and project leadership on FEMA Public Assistance policies, regulations, eligibility requirements, grant management, and recovery strategies. The PA Director provides leadership throughout the disaster recovery lifecycle and is responsible for building and managing high-performing teams capable of supporting multiple projects and client priorities.

The position requires significant experience managing FEMA Public Assistance programs, strong leadership and communication skills, and the ability to effectively engage with senior government officials, FEMA representatives, project stakeholders, and internal leadership.

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight for FEMA Public Assistance programs and disaster recovery engagements.
• Serve as a senior technical advisor to SLTT clients on Public Assistance program requirements, policies, procedures, and recovery strategies.
• Lead and manage PA project teams, including managers, technical specialists, grant management professionals, and other project personnel.
• Establish project priorities, staffing requirements, performance expectations, and delivery standards.
• Provide guidance on complex PA eligibility, documentation, procurement, cost reasonableness, insurance, environmental and historic preservation (EHP), and compliance matters.
• Oversee development and review of Public Assistance projects, supporting documentation, reimbursement requests, and grant management activities.
• Support clients throughout the FEMA PA lifecycle, including damage identification, project formulation, obligation, reimbursement, closeout, appeals, and audits.
• Identify programmatic risks and develop strategies to address issues that may affect eligibility, funding, compliance, schedules, or recovery objectives.
• Coordinate with FEMA, state emergency management agencies, local governments, tribal and territorial entities, and other stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with senior client leadership and government officials.
• Monitor project performance, staffing, schedules, budgets, deliverables, and contractual requirements.
• Provide leadership, mentorship, and guidance to project managers and technical staff.
• Ensure project teams maintain appropriate documentation, quality standards, and compliance with federal, state, and client requirements.
• Participate in client meetings, executive briefings, recovery strategy sessions, and other senior-level engagements.
• Support development of scopes of work, staffing plans, technical approaches, proposals, and other materials associated with PA opportunities.
• Assist organizational leadership in identifying emerging client needs and opportunities to expand disaster recovery support services.
• Travel to client and disaster-affected locations as required.
• Perform other duties consistent with senior program leadership responsibilities.

• Directly leads and manages project managers, technical specialists, grant management professionals, and other project personnel.
• Establishes staffing requirements, performance expectations, and delivery standards.
• Provides leadership,…