***IMPORTANT NOTE: Only those currently serving as a permanent Administrative Community Relations Specialist or on the list for Exam 1120 will be considered.***

The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) enriches the environment and protects public health for all New Yorkers by providing 1.1 billion gallons of high quality drinking water, managing wastewater and stormwater, and reducing air, noise, and hazardous materials pollution. DEP is the largest combined municipal water and wastewater utility in the country, with nearly 6,000 employees. DEP's water supply system is comprised of 19 reservoirs and 3 controlled lakes throughout the system’s 2,000 square mile watershed that extends 125 miles north and west of the City.

The Bureau of Wastewater Treatment (BWT) is responsible for the operation and maintenance of all facilities related to the treatment of sewage within the five boroughs of the City. This includes 14 wastewater treatment plants, sludge dewatering facilities, collections facilities (pumping stations, combined sewer overflow retention facilities, regulators, tide gates, etc.), wastewater laboratories and harbor vessels.

The combination of an extensive infrastructure network spanning all 5 boroughs, some of which is at or beyond useful life, coupled with corrosive and at times hazardous operating environments, with large volumes of fuel, chemicals, and process liquids, including non-Newtonian fluids on-site, can result in emergency situations. Successful resolution of the emergency situation is dependent on mounting a rapid and effective response that requires staff from a wide range of the Bureau’s portfolio, routinely drawing upon resources from other DEP Bureaus and other City, State or Federal agencies.

Under general supervision from the Executive Director of Operations for the Bureau of Wastewater Treatment, the candidate will facilitate the development of comprehensive and coordinated emergency plans and procedures for natural and man-made disasters and incidents, assist in the development and implementation of training programs related to the emergency plans developed, review and support the refinement of Standard Operating Procedures to ensure consideration of emergency response activities, manage documentation from emergency incidents, maintain emergency equipment inventory spreadsheets, perform communications planning, incident status reporting, manage records of labor, materials and equipment used for emergencies, develop and update COOP plan and other emergency planning documents develop and conduct emergency preparedness drills for staff ranging from blue collar to executive management, maintain and staff the Emergency Operations Center, assist in the coordination of disaster response / recovery operations and crisis management, coordinate the preparation of after-action reports and track the implementation of recommendations developed from them.

The successful candidate will engage with the Agency’s emergency management team and industry groups focused on emergency management and wastewater conveyance and treatment to import best practices and lessons learned into the Bureau and the Agency.

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, accredited by regional, national, professional or specialized agencies recognized as accrediting bodies by the U. S. Secretary of Education and by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and four years of satisfactory, full-time community liaison, community organization or community relations experience, at least two years of which must have been in a broad administrative or policy-making capacity with responsibility for planning, organizing, coordinating, developing, evaluating and/or administering a large community service program or activity; or
2. A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent approved by a State's Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization and eight years of satisfactory, full-time experience as described in "1" above, at least two years of which must have been in a broad administrative or policy-making capacity with responsibilities as described in "1" above; or
3. Education and/or experience equivalent to "1" or "2" above. Undergraduate education above the high school level may be substituted for the community liaison, community organization or community relations experience, but not for the two years of broad administrative or policy-making experience described in "1" above, at the rate of 30 semester credits from an accredited college or university (as described above) for each year of experience, up to a maximum of 4 years. Graduate education beyond the baccalaureate degree may be substituted for the community liaison, community organization or community relations experience, but not for the two years of broad administrative or policy-making experience described in "1" above, on the basis of 30 graduate credits from an accredited college or university (as described above) for each year of experience, up to a maximum of 2 years. However, all candidates must possess a four-year high school diploma or its educational
equivalent approved by a State’s Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization and two years of full-time experience in a broad administrative or policy-making capacity with responsibilities as described in "1" above.

The ideal candidate will possess skills, knowledge and experience in the following areas: - Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery - Emergency Program Management - Incident Coordination / Logistics Operations - Development of Standard Operating Procedures and Emergency Plans - EOC Operations - Working cooperatively with other departments, government agencies, elected officials and the general public - Computer skills (MS Word, Excel, Access, Outlook, ArcGIS, etc.) - Successfully completed training up to and including ICS-400 - Routinely interface with, or work with senior personnel in municipal/state/federal agencies and/or municipal/private utility systems Given the nature of the position, the Emergency Management Specialist must be able to work extended hours given short notice. Work locations could include any DEP facility, property or any Emergency Operations Center as directed. The successful candidate will receive training in wastewater conveyance and resource recovery through BWT’s Operator Certification Training program during off-hours, and may be required to take home-study courses to rapidly enhance their knowledge of these specialized systems. A motor vehicle driver’s license valid in the State of New York must be maintained for the duration of the appointment.

This position is also open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate at the top of your resume and cover letter that you would like to be considered for the position through the 55-a Program.

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.

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Emergency Management Specialist