Senior Planner - Natural Hazards Planner

Location: Augusta,Maine,United States

Department of Defense, Veterans & Emergency Management

Job Class Code: 0603
Grade: 25/Professional & Technical
Salary: $54,412.80-$76,315.20/Annually
Location: Augusta

Opening Date: July 22, 2025

Closing Date:  August 5, 2025

The primary purpose of Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is to minimize the effects of disasters on the lives and property of the people of Maine through the preparedness for and effective execution of five disaster mission areas: protection, prevention, mitigation, response, and recovery.

The Natural Hazards Planner serves as the Agency’s expert on natural hazards and uses a wide variety of tools for risk/impact/loss modeling, situational awareness, decision support, and hazard warning.

This position requires reporting to the Maine Emergency Management office in Augusta, ME on Monday and Tuesday of every week, with the potential for remote work the remainder of the week (with supervisor approval).

Primary responsibilities include:  

• Leads the development and update of the State Hazard Mitigation Plan and oversees the development, update and FEMA approval of multi-jurisdictional and other major institutional hazard mitigation plans.
• Provides technical assistance to County EMAs to support Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Updates and conducts state review of mitigation plans.
• Assists with long-term mitigation planning and community rebuilding efforts in accordance with the State of Maine interagency Disaster Recovery Plan.
• Provides staffing support to the State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) when it’s activated for training, exercise, and/or real-world events.
• Oversees the development and update of Maine’s natural hazards risk analysis & assessment and develops and updates natural hazard-specific annexes to the State Emergency Operations Plan based upon the risk analysis.
• Evaluates, coordinates resource support for, provides assistance with, and generates inputs to and outputs from, IT tools and studies that address natural hazards situational awareness, hazard impact/loss modeling, decision support, and hazard warning. IT tools & studies include, but are not limited to ArcGIS Online, ArcMap/ArcGIS Pro, Microsoft Power Automate, ArcGIS Experience Builder, Survey123, remote sensing data, Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service, ATLAS 14, Wildfire Risk Explorer, U.S. Drought Monitor, HAZUS, HURREVAC, SWIMS, SLOSH, and Sea Level Rise software.
• Leads and assists the Mitigation, Planning, and Recovery team with the planning and development of mapping analysis, data management, sharing, and collaboration capabilities. · Coordinates external resources and activities that support natural hazards preparedness.
• Serves as the Agency liaison to the natural sciences community and coordinates natural hazards educational opportunities provided by the natural science/IT community for stakeholders and the emergency management community.
• Develops training and education content to be used in products that inform Maine citizens and key stakeholders on natural hazards and their affects/risks, how to effectively mitigate natural hazards risks, and how to successfully apply for mitigation assistance.

This position will serve in the State Emergency Operations Center when activated and may serve in the field after a disaster to assist with recovery needs. State-wide travel & occasional out-of-state travel required.

Skills or knowledge required:

Knowledge considered essential to the position includes a (1) knowledge of Emergency Management practices and related fields, (2) knowledge of the principles, practices, methodologies & objectives of governmental planning & operations, (3) knowledge of the structure & functions of state, regional & local government, and (4) knowledge of natural hazards, including physical mechanisms/characteristics, severity, probability of occurrence, and the locations and degrees of vulnerability in communities.

Abilities considered essential to the position include (1) the ability to interpret program trends, results, and related data to formulate recommendations, (2) the ability to manage multiple priorities with strong skills in planning and problem-solving, (3) the ability to relate well and effectively with diverse groups and individuals, (4) the ability to communicate complex information effectively in writing and verbally, (5) the ability to review and incorporate technical and scientific reports/publications for purposes of planning and decision support, and (6) strong GIS, data analytics, and computational skills.