Safety & Emergency Management Program Director - WMS Band 4 - Permanent - 2026-02121

Title - Safety & Emergency Management Program Director Classification - WMS Band 4 Job Status - Full-Time-Permanent

• WDFW Program - Director’s Office
• Duty Station - Olympia, Washington – Thurston County
• Remote Employment - This position may include telework options up to 2 days per week, at the discretion of the supervisor.
• Posting Timeframe - Updated-This recruitment is scheduled to be posted until May 15, 2026. Application review is ongoing, submit your application materials as soon as possible, this recruitment may be closed at any time.

Learn more about being a member of Team WDFW! Photo: Orange-Crowned Warbler – Photo Credit: Melissa Grant Lead Safety. Drive Change. Protect People. At Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), our mission includes safeguarding the people who protect Washington’s lands, waters, and wildlife. With your expertise you will have an opportunity to build a world class safety program that promotes accountability and strengthens our culture of safety. We are seeking a strategic and experienced leader to serve as our Safety & Emergency Management Program Director (SEMPD). A high-impact role responsible for shaping and driving a culture of safety across our agency. This is more than just a compliance role; it’s a leadership opportunity for someone who thrives on collaboration, innovation, and proactive risk management. The SEMPD will serve as the agency’s top safety expert, working directly with executive leadership, staff, and external partners to implement world-class safety standards and emergency preparedness strategies. Join the Executive Team to set the vision for agency-wide safety and emergency management programs.

• In this role, you will:
• Lead a team of safety professionals to advance policies, training, and compliance.
• Ensure regulatory compliance with OSHA, state, and federal safety laws.
• Develop, deploy, and manage the Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) and the Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) for WDFW, providing services to an agency of approximately 2,500 employees statewide.
• Advise executive leadership on critical safety decisions that impact employees, operations, and public trust.
• Develop processes and procedures to stop unsafe operations when necessary to protect employees and resources.
• Foster a proactive safety culture through communication, training, and continuous improvement initiatives.

This is a career-defining opportunity for a leader who is passionate about protecting people, preventing risk, and ensuring operational resilience. If you have the expertise, leadership skills, and vision to elevate safety at WDFW, we want to hear from you. Photo Caption: Landscape of Big Bend Wildlife Area – Photo Credit: WDFW What to Expect -

• In this role, the Safety & Emergency Management Program Director provides strategic leadership for WDFW’s safety and emergency management program, fostering a proactive safety culture across the agency. Some of the key responsibilities include:
• Establish a robust safety program with excellent safety professionals.
• Provide the Executive Management Team (EMT) with real-time safety concerns, safety recommendations, and decisions to establish a safety culture with robust safety processes, expert personnel, and best practices training.
• Develop and maintain robust and productive relationships with all EMT members to ensure full implementation of a safety culture throughout WDFW.
• Communicate clearly and consistently with the entire agency about safety changes and safety culture.
• Develop, implement, and administer 'best known' standards and practices with a focus on achieving world-class performance:
• Oversee the implementation and management WDFW risk registers, deploy Job Hazard Analyses (JHAs), and ensure documentation of mitigation actions.
• Oversee implementation and management WDFW Safety Management System.
• Develop, implement, and institutionalize a process to identify and eliminate high-risk occurrences.
• Develop, monitor, and update safety regulatory and awareness policies and educational training for management, supervisors, and employees.
• Distribute safety regulations and appropriate industry "best practices," as well as internal "best practices" to management, supervisors, and employees to ensure continuous learning and improvement in health and safety performance.
• Analyze safety performance, make recommendations, and drive positive changes.

Working Conditions: Work Setting, including hazards: Desk assignment with some field work for emergency management support. Schedule: Typically, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday – Friday, may be required to work occasional wee Apply tot his job Apply To this Job