Senior Consultant

About Specialty Program Group:

Our goal is to partner with industry-leading specialty businesses to provide them with the ability to achieve their goals and optimize their operations. Specialty Program Group offers access to capital and investment, deep carrier relationships, creative thinking, product development, and broad distribution, while allowing our businesses to maintain the essence of what makes them successful. Specialty Program Group delivers leading-edge specialty expertise backed by transformative digital capabilities and sophisticated data and analytics.

About DRS:

DRS is a full-service consulting firm that delivers commercial insurance claim preparation, FEMA Public Assistance recovery, hazard mitigation assistance, disaster preparedness, and financial grant recovery funding services. Formed in 2014, DRS is led by a core group of professionals who have decades of experience in disaster recovery consulting, project management, and related services.

About the Position:

An ideal candidate for the Project Management Consultant position within DRS’s Public Entity Practice will have a strong background in FEMA Public Assistance policy and processes, with hands-on expertise in construction estimating, project oversight, and cost recovery. This position requires a balance of technical knowledge, field presence, and client-facing consulting skill to support complex disaster recovery and mitigation projects.

The Consultant will provide subject matter expert-level support to state, and local clients through all phases of the recovery process from initial damage assessment and cost estimating through closeout. The role will also involve overseeing contractors and estimating accuracy, helping to ensure compliance with FEMA guidelines, and representing the client’s interests throughout project execution.

Key Responsibilities:

·       Support clients with FEMA Public Assistance (PA) and other federally funded recovery projects, emphasizing estimating accuracy, compliance, and financial recovery.

·       Develop, review, and validate project cost estimates in alignment with FEMA’s Cost Estimating Format (CEF) and other federal or state methodologies.

·       Prepare Damage Description and Dimension documents, Scopes of Work, Project Worksheets, Benefit-Cost Analyses, and responses to Requests for Information.

·       Conduct on-site damage assessments and support field teams throughout project execution.

·       Oversee and review construction scopes, estimates, and change orders to ensure reasonableness and compliance with FEMA and insurance requirements.

·       Act as liaison between the client, contractors, architects, engineers, and other stakeholders to ensure efficient coordination and timely project delivery.

·       Monitor project progress, identify and mitigate potential issues, and report on project metrics.

·       Support hazard mitigation and Section 428/406 compliance efforts, including environmental and historic preservation (EHP) considerations.

·       Deliver exceptional consulting services to public entity clients, including state and local governments, higher education, and private non-profits.

·       Recommend best-practice preparedness and recovery procedures tailored to client needs.

·       Represent DRS at professional conferences and participate in client presentations, webinars, and business development meetings.

·       Maintain strong client relationships built on trust, credibility, and consistent communication.

Qualifications:

·       Minimum 7–10 years of experience in disaster recovery, construction project management, or related field.

·       Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college/university in construction management, engineering, architecture, business, finance, public administration, or related discipline.

·       Demonstrated experience with FEMA Public Assistance programs, including estimating