Director, Emergency Management & Business Continuity

The Director of Emergency Management and Continuity n’s University is a subject matter expert in all aspects of emergency management—including planning, prevention, response, and recovery—as well as business and operational continuity. Using an all-hazards approach, the Director identifies and mitigates risks that could potentially disrupt university operations at any of St. John’s locations, domestic or international.

With a strong operational focus, the Director ensures that emergency management plans are actionable, widely understood, appropriately resourced, and routinely exercised. The goal is to protect lives, property, and university assets while building a resilient institution capable of operating through and recovering from crises.

This position also authors and manages the university’s enterprise continuity program, coordinating across schools, departments, and global locations. The Director ensures all continuity plans remain current and effective in supporting St. John’s through both expected and unexpected disruptions. This role plays a vital part in ensuring university governance, operations, and recovery can continue in the face of man-made or natural incidents.

An effective communicator, strategic thinker, and skilled project manager, the Director is responsive in emergencies, anticipates risk, closes capability gaps, and fosters a culture of preparedness. This position also collaborates closely with the University’s Operations to develop and execute Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP)-compliant exercises. The role carries 24/7 emergency responsibilities.

• Lead stakeholder committees to develop and maintain emergency and continuity plans.
• Conduct multi-disciplinary risk assessments and hazard mitigation planning.
• Create, maintain and update the university-wide Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP).
• Tailor Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs) for each campus or center, including international locations.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory and accessibility standards.
• Collaborate with departments and schools to maintain continuity plans that prioritize core missions (teaching, research, housing, and public service).
• Coordinate with Enterprise Risk Management and international campus leaders.
• Establish and maintain a University-wide travel security governance framework that sets institutional standards for University-sponsored travel risk management, including decision authority, risk-tolerance thresholds by destination, and approval and documentation expectations applicable to faculty, staff, and students.
• Oversee an operational travel security program that provides a single intake and tracking mechanism for University-sponsored travel, conducts trip-level risk reviews, delivers pre-departure briefings for elevated-risk locations, and coordinates active traveler communications and emergency response.
• Establish a mandatory travel insurance standard covering emergency medical treatment, medical evacuation, trip disruption, and repatriation; enforce verification as part of the travel registration workflow.

• Design and deliver HSEEP-compliant training, exercises, and public preparedness campaigns.
• Maintain a multi-year training and exercise calendar.
• Develop outreach programs for students, faculty, and staff on preparedness and resilience.
• Build partnerships with NYC Emergency Management, regional universities, and professional associations.

• Develop and lead campus-wide education and outreach initiatives to promote understanding of emergency management tools, plans, and individual preparedness responsibilities.
• Deliver engaging, accessible content to students,…