Emergency Management Specialist

As one of the fastest growing cities in Canada, City of Surrey is a globally recognized leader in building vibrant, sustainable communities through technology and innovation. City of Surrey employees are talented innovators, inspired by meaningful work and the opportunity to drive our city—and their careers—forward. Build a City. Build a Future.

SCOPE

The City of Surrey is committed to building a safe, inclusive, and thriving community. To advance this vision, the Public Safety Department leads core operations and integrates public safety functions across all City departments.

As the Emergency Management Specialist, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of emergency management and overall public safety in Surrey. As the City expands its capacity for emergency preparedness, this role will initially focus on a non-operational, pre-incident scope of work. Later phases of the role are, however, expected to include operational responsibilities, such as Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) leadership roles, tactical decision-making during emergencies, deployment of field resources, and/or operational supervision.

The Emergency Management Specialist will be expected to work in close collaboration with Surrey Fire Services (SFS); Surrey Police Service (SPS); and other safety, security, and health partners and integrate extensively with existing emergency management functions across the organization.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Emergency Management Infrastructure: Support the design, build out, and fit-up of a new EOC, in collaboration with SFS, SPS, and other key partners.
• Hazard, Risk, and Vulnerability Assessment: Work alongside SFS to identify and analyze natural, technological, human-caused, and climate-related hazards; assess community vulnerabilities, critical dependencies, and potential cascading impacts; and maintain and periodically update City risk profiles to inform planning and investment priorities.
• Emergency Planning and Policy Development: Work alongside SFS to develop, maintain, and update municipal emergency plans (e.g., bylaws, emergency plans, continuity plans, etc.); ensure plans are aligned with provincial legislation, standards, and best practices (e.g., Emergency and Disaster Management Act); coordinate plans across departments to ensure role clarity and interoperability; and embed emergency preparedness into broader municipal policies, land-use planning, and climate adaptation strategies.
• Intergovernmental and Agency Coordination: Act as the primary coordination link with provincial and federal emergency management authorities; build and sustain relationships with neighboring municipalities, Indigenous governments, critical infrastructure partners, non-governmental organizations, and other private-sector partners; develop and/or maintain mutual aid and inter-agency agreements; and participate in regional emergency management committees and planning initiatives.
• Training, Exercises, and Capability Development: Design and implement training programs for municipal staff, leadership, and elected officials; plan and coordinate emergency exercises (tabletop, functional, full-scale) focused on readiness - not operations (subsequent phases of the role will include operational responsibilities); identify capability gaps and recommend improvements based on exercise outcomes; and promote a preparedness culture across the organization.
• Public Education and Community Preparedness: Develop public-facing preparedness education campaigns (e.g., household readiness, evacuation awareness); engage community organizations, schools, and businesses in preparedness initiatives; coordinate outreach to culturally and linguistically diverse communities; and support volunteer preparedness programs and community resilience networks.
• Critical Infrastructure: Work alongside the SFS team to identify and prioritize critical infrastructure and municipal assets; coordinate preparedness planning with infrastructure owners and operators; support planning for redundancy, resiliency, and rapid restoration; and integrate infrastructure considerations into long-term resilience strategies.
• Emergency Management Program Governance: Maintain compliance with relevant legislation and regulations (e.g., Emergency and Disaster Management Act); support Council and senior leadership with emergency management reporting and briefings; and track program performance, preparedness metrics, and continuous improvement actions.
• Recovery and Resilience Planning (Pre-Event Focus for Initial Phase): Develop frameworks for post-disaster recovery and reconstruction (pre-disaster recovery planning); coordinate recovery readiness across housing, infrastructure, finance, and social services; and integrate disaster recovery principles into capital planning and community development. Subsequent phases of the role will include operational responsibilities during emergency events.
• Funding, Grants, and Resource Planning : Identify and pursue preparedness and mitigation funding opportunities; manage emergency preparedness grants and reporting requirements; develop long-term resource and sustainment strategies for the emergency program; and support cost-benefit analysis for mitigation and resilience investments.

QUALIFICATIONS

• A completed 2-year diploma, undergraduate degree, or graduate degree in emergency management, leadership, health and safety, business continuity, or related field.
• A minimum 10 years of progressive experience in emergency management, business continuity, issues management, or related field.
• Preference will be given to candidates who possess a combination of education and experience, including supervisory experience.
• Preference will be given to candidates with experience working in emergency management within local government, in an EOC, and with emergency health or social services.
• Designation or certification as a Certified Emergency Manager, Associate Emergency Manager, or Certified/Associate Business Continuity Professional will be considered an asset.
• Candidates must demonstrate the ability to manage multiple priorities during complex, high-pressure situations.
• Candidates must possess exceptional interpersonal, communication, facilitation, collaborative leadership, and critical thinking skills are essential to this role.
• A valid Class 5 Driver's License.

EMPLOYMENT STATUS

Exempt - Regular Full-Time