BAPR Senior Advisor Exercises and Training

Company Overview

With an annual budget of $2.3 billion and more than 7,000 employees throughout the five boroughs, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH) is one of the largest public health agencies in the world, serving 8 million New Yorkers from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. We're tackling a broad range of public health issues with innovative policies and programs and getting exceptional results, but our work is never finished. The breadth of our innovative programs provides the widest range of choices for every member of our team.   

With grant funds from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), DOHMH is undertaking an initiative to meet critical infrastructure needs and make possible strategic investments that will have lasting effects on public health. Investments and improvements through this initiative will help modernize DOHMH’s foundational capabilities and data infrastructure, enabling it to partner in complex health and health care environments and, in turn, support better public health outcomes, including COVID-19. This initiative supports larger efforts to rebalance investments in public health and more equitably serve communities and populations. 

The selected candidate will be an employee of Public Health Solutions, a nonprofit organization which is the fiscal and administrative manager of the grant but will work be supervised by DOHMH.  This is a grant-funded position ending in November 2027. 

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC Health Department)’s Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response (OEPR) was created to promote DOHMH’s and NYC’s ability to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from health emergencies. OEPR is responsible for coordinating agency-wide emergency preparedness planning, exercises and training, evaluation of incident response and exercise performance as well as coordinating with community stakeholders, city, state, and federal partners. OEPR envisions a healthy, resilient city in which all New Yorkers are able to achieve and maintain optimal and equitable health outcomes before, during, and after emergencies. OEPR’s work recognizes the social inequities that can negatively impact our efforts to maintain and improve the health of New Yorkers during and after a disaster. OEPR works to improve its application of a social justice and racial equity lens to its emergency preparedness and response work to ensure the most equitable post-disaster public health outcomes possible.   

The Bureau of Agency Preparedness and Response (BAPR) oversees the development of emergency planning tools, training, exercises, and evaluation across the agency, and maintaining citywide situational awareness. To address the NYC Health Department strategic priority of becoming a more “response ready” organization, one of the highest priority activities for the agency is response workforce development, which requires a comprehensive approach. Training and exercising build a capable and skilled workforce; and maintaining professional development for preparedness can lead to better response and recovery outcomes. 

Job Description

The Senior Advisor for Exercises and Training will provide subject matter expertise to the Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response (OEPR) Bureau of Agency Preparedness and Response (BAPR) to support implementation of robust agencywide emergency preparedness and response training and exercise programs to provide staff with knowledge and experience related to Agency plans/procedures, capabilities to respond to threats/hazards, and other priorities.  

Duties:

• Provide subject matter expertise on overall training and exercise strategy that addresses key topics and gaps, incorporates innovative and interactive approaches, and applies building blocks approach in terms of increasing scope and complexity
• Advise on revised and updated training and exercise plans to provide key and relevant information to various audiences on many different topics
• Ensure training is adjusted based on audience and employs multiple modalities (e.g., in-person, virtual, online), as appropriate
• Ensure training is based on adult learning principles and best practices
• Support creation and delivery, as well as evaluation, of emergency preparedness and response training 
• Support design and conduct, as well as evaluation, of emergency preparedness and response exercises 
• Ensure exercise materials and documentation produced are realistic, accurate, and high-quality
• Support development, maintenance, and tracking of training and exercise records and indicators to demonstrate Agency staff readiness 

Qualifications:

1. Master’s degree from an accredited college in emergency management, public health, disaster management, emergency preparedness/administration, public administration, or related field and one (1) year of satisfactory full-time professional experience in one or a combination of the following area(s): emergency preparedness planning/management, emergency medical services, fire or public safety, law enforcement, homeland security, public health, mental health, environmental/occupational health and safety or a related specialized area; or
2. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and two (2) years of satisfactory full-time professional experience in one of the areas described in “1” above; or
3. A satisfactory equivalent combination of education and experience. However, all candidates must have a minimum of one (1) year of satisfactory full-time professional experience in one of the areas described in “1” above.

Additional Desired Qualities:

• Experience in emergency management and/or public health emergency preparedness or response
• Training and exercise design, conduct, and evaluation for adult learners  
• Strong organizational and project management skills 
• Strong written and verbal communication
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail
• Ability to work both independently and with a team 
• Ability to engage and foster relationships with colleagues, partners, and stakeholders
• Strong teamwork and collaboration skills
• Familiarity with, and ability to comfortably navigate, general office software including Microsoft Office and SharePoint

Benefits:

• Hybrid Work Schedule.
• Generous Paid Time Off and Holidays.
•  An attractive and comprehensive benefits package including Medical, Dental and Vision.
• Flexible Spending Accounts and Commuter Benefits.
• Company Paid Life Insurance and Disability Coverage.
• 403 (b) + employer matching and discretionary company contributions.
• College Savings Plan.
• Ongoing training and continuous opportunities for professional growth and development.

Additional Information: 

• This is a temporary grant-funded position ending in November 2027.
• This individual must reside in the tri-state area (NY, NJ, CT) by their confirmed start date. 
• Preference may be given to individuals residing in New York City (5 boroughs) or surrounding New York State counties. 
• This individual will be expected to work non-business hours during emergencies.

At PHS, we place immense value on diversity within our teams, understanding that varied backgrounds and experiences significantly enhance our community and propel us toward our goals. If you find you don’t have experience in all the areas listed above, we still encourage you to apply and share your background and experiences in your application. We are eager to discover how your unique perspective can bring positive transformations to our team and help advance our mission of creating healthier, more equitable communities. 

We look forward to learning more about you!

PHS is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from women, people of color, persons with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and veterans.