Operations Section Chief - Humanitarian Response

Overview

Washington, United States | Posted on 12/04/2025

Summary: The Workforce Group, a LEMOINE company, is seeking an experienced Operations Section Chief to support emergency operations under the Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness and Response (OHSEPR). This key leadership position is responsible for overseeing day-to-day operational activities, ensuring efficient resource allocation, and supporting the coordination of emergency response efforts. The Operations Section Chief works closely with all operational sections to maintain situational awareness, implement operational strategies, and ensure objectives are achieved in complex humanitarian and emergency operations.

These emergency response centers function 24/7 with shifts lasting up to 12 hours, necessitating flexible scheduling and extended hours to meet operational demands.

Location: Varies by Deployment (Emergency Response Center or Designated Site)

• Oversee day-to-day operations of emergency response centers or designated sites, ensuring alignment with operational objectives.
• Coordinate personnel, logistics, and resources to maintain effective and efficient operations.
• Monitor operational performance, identify risks or gaps, and implement solutions to optimize response efforts.
• Facilitate coordination meetings with all operational sections to ensure timely communication and alignment of priorities.
• Maintain accurate operational documentation, including situation reports, staffing logs, and resource summaries.
• Support the development and execution of contingency plans and operational strategies.
• Lead briefings and ensure that relevant stakeholders receive timely situational updates.
• Participate in after-action reviews, documenting lessons learned to improve future operations.
• Ensure all operations adhere to FEMA’s National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command System (ICS) standards.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree in Emergency Management, Public Administration, Human Services, or a related field is strongly preferred.
• Minimum of 3 years of professional experience in emergency management, disaster response, operations management, or incident management is required. Experience as a Type 3 Operations Section Chief is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multi-agency operations, coordinate resources, and implement operational strategies.
• Prior experience supporting state or federally coordinated emergency or humanitarian operations is strongly preferred.
• Ability to manage complex information and make data-driven decisions in high-pressure environments.
• Strong knowledge of FEMA’s NIMS and ICS frameworks is highly preferred.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and written communication skills.
• Bilingual fluency in English (Spanish, Farsi, Dari, Pashto and/or Arabic) is strongly preferred.
• Completion of required FEMA ICS (Incident Command System) trainings is mandatory prior to deployment.

The Workforce Group, a LEMOINE company, is a Great Place to Work Certified company. We are a team of dedicated professionals that pull together to meet the needs of communities partnering with federal, state, and local governments.

We are an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, age, protected veteran status, or disability status.