New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM) helps New Yorkers before, during, and after emergencies through preparedness, education, and response. NYCEM is responsible for coordinating citywide emergency planning and response for all types and scales of emergencies. We are staffed by more than 200 dedicated professionals with diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise, including individuals assigned from other City agencies.
The Human Services Unit works with partner agencies and organizations to write and execute plans that focus on individuals and families who are impacted by disasters, including but not limited to post disaster feeding, disaster sheltering, and post disaster service delivery; addressing the human element in response and recovery operations. The unit also administers programs and delivers regular training focused on diverse planning efforts.

The Human Services Unit is within the Planning and Resilience Bureau. The Bureau is responsible for all phases of the disaster cycle including planning, interagency coordination, risk analysis, mitigation, and recovery. The Bureau includes Interagency Coordination with an Assistant Commissioner of Interagency Coordination leading three units made up of subject matter experts in Health and Medical, Human Services, and Transportation and Infrastructure; Risk Reduction and Recovery with an assistant commissioner leading the Mitigation and Recovery and Risk units; and the Planning team.

The Shelter Specialist reports to the Shelter Program Manager in the Human Services Unit, within the Planning and Resilience Bureau at NYCEM. The Specialist works with the Program Manager to write, maintain, amend, and operationalize emergency response plans and supporting materials in support of the Coastal Storm Plan’s Citywide Sheltering Plan. The Specialist also acts as a liaison to and co-chair of the Citywide Shelter Planning Board, a committee made up of City agencies responsible for the staffing considerations of running the City’s emergency coastal storm shelters. Responsibilities of the role may include but are not limited to:
- Update, improve, and coordinate training materials and delivery for volunteer shelter workers
- Manage the vendors that host and deliver shelter trainings, oversee tracking and record maintenance of training, and project and track associated costs
- Coordinate with the NYCEM Logistics,disability, access, and functional needs (DAFN) staff, and DOE to manage the portfolio of accessible shelter facilities through annual updates, including identifying new facilities to replace existing facilities as necessary if any are temporarily removed from use
- Maintain shelter and accessibility reports for each approved accessible facility, in conjunction with the Logistics and DAFN units
- Update and enhance citywide emergency plans and training materials related to emergency coastal storm sheltering
- Build and maintain relationships with City and non-governmental partners in all aspects of emergency planning, preparedness, and response
- Perform other tasks as assigned by the Shelter Program Manager or Director of Human Services

*PLEASE NOTE: The selected candidate will be assigned to an on-call Emergency Operations Center (EOC) team and will be expected to work non-business hours during some emergencies. These non-business hours include nights, weekends, holidays, and extended week hours outside of a 9AM-5PM schedule. The selected candidate will also participate in trainings to build skills and competencies in emergency response; will participate in drills and exercises associated with the on-call EOC team; and may volunteer to assist with Ready NY emergency preparedness presentations to external groups. EOC teams are on call for three weeks at a time, with six weeks off in between.

1. A master’s degree from an accredited college in emergency management, public administration, urban planning, engineering, economics, political science, the physical sciences or related field and one year of satisfactory full-time professional experience in one or a combination of the following: emergency management, fire, police, or military service, public safety, public health, public administration, urban planning, engineering, or another specialized area to which the appointment is to be made; or
2. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and two years of satisfactory full-time professional experience in the areas listed in “1” above; or
3. A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent approved by a state’s
department of education or a recognized accrediting organization and six years of satisfactory full-time professional experience in the areas listed in “1” above, at least two years of which must have been in one of those areas, or another specialized area to which the appointment is to be made.

- Superior critical thinking and problem-solving skills - Ability to be flexible in accordance with shifting needs and priorities - Superior written and oral communication skills - Experience working in team structures and with internal/external partners with varying levels of seniority - Intermediate Microsoft Excel skills - Superior organizational and time management skills, with the ability to navigate changing deadlines and deliverables with short turnarounds - Demonstrated ability to manage long term projects through annual cycles - Be creative and flexible, and thrive in a workspace that requires innovative approaches to technical and complex rules - Knowledge of and experience in applying the concepts, theories, principles and practices of emergency management and recovery to real-world situations

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.