Evacuation Planner

Overview

Location(s): Pasadena, CA / Santa Barbara, CA / Encinitas, CA
Practice/Department: Urban Forestry
Work Environment: Hybrid
Compensation: $110,000-$140,000

Dudek’s journey began in 1980 with a vision to serve Southern California’s water and wastewater agencies.

Today, we are a 100% employee‑owned firm supporting clients nationwide and delivering projects that improve and protect the built and natural environments of communities throughout the United States. Our work has been recognized by leading industry organizations, and we’ve been honored with multiple national Top Workplace Awards.

Our employee‑owners are unified by a singular commitment to supporting projects that address key societal issues, such as the transition to renewable energy, infrastructure hardening and repair, environmental protection, and community resilience.

Learn more about our
award‑winning culture
, the
benefits and perks
of being a Dudekian, and the
projects
you will have the opportunity to shape.

Who You Are

As an
employee‑owner
, you embrace accountability, working safely, and collaboration while thinking resourcefully and independently.

Like all Dudekians, you are curious and
solution‑oriented
, with the ability to adapt quickly to changes and approach challenges with a spirit of
innovation
.

How You’ll Make an Impact

We are seeking a mid to senior level professional to join our fire protection and evacuation planning team on a full‑time basis. Dudek’s team has been working in the wildfire assessment and fire protection planning field for nearly 25 years. We work with landowners, development companies and land management agencies to evaluate wildfire hazards and evacuation approaches and develop plans that provide a framework for analyzing evacuation impacts according to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) standards.

In this role, you will also be responsible for managing public‑sector wildfire evacuation planning and analysis projects (e.g., General Plan/Safety Element evacuation studies), including developing evacuation scenarios, evaluating evacuation route capacity/constraints, and delivering clear, defensible technical memoranda and recommendations.

This position is ideally located in one of our Southern California offices, but we will consider accommodating other location preferences. The position requires travel to project sites and client or fire agency offices throughout California, as needed. Familiarity with emergency planning procedures and standards, the Incident Command System, and state and local building, development, and defensible space codes and standards is also highly desirable.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Analyze project maps, plans, and datasets and summarize evacuation conditions for inclusion in reports and management plans.
• Conduct field assessments to evaluate evacuation hazard conditions.
• Analyze field data, GIS data, and conduct project‑related research.
• Prepare or support preparation of evacuation plans and technical reports, including development of recommendations.
• Manage public wildfire evacuation planning and analysis projects (scope, schedule, budget, and deliverables), including Safety Element and other community evacuation studies.
• Develop and document evacuation scenarios, assumptions, and methodologies; evaluate evacuation route capacity constraints and travel time considerations; and identify areas of potential congestion and operational needs.
• Direct wildfire evacuation modeling by traffic and transportation planners
• Coordinate with clients and partner agencies (e.g., local jurisdictions, fire agencies, law enforcement, and transportation/public works) to obtain data, validate assumptions, and align recommendations.
• Lead quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) for technical memoranda, graphics, and supporting documentation.
• Attend meetings to discuss the results of project‑related assessments and analyses; present findings to project teams, stakeholders, and public decision‑making bodies as needed.
• Work with and mentor junior staff.
• Attend meetings and hearings as a subject matter expert in evacuation planning and wildfire hazard and risk reduction.