Project Management Section Chief

Job Description and Duties

The Office of Disaster Debris Recovery Operations (DDRO) is responsible for managing projects to remove private property debris resulting from natural disasters. Following a disaster, DDRO Staff operate under the Incident Command System (ICS) structure to manage contractors responsible for removing debris from private property. Our team interfaces directly with disaster survivors to assist them through the disaster recovery process.

Under the general direction of the Deputy Director of DDRO, the incumbent performs tasks related to federal and state disaster financial recovery, and disaster debris removal project management assistance. The Supervisor II serves as the Project Management Section Chief, overseeing DDRO Contract Management and Fiscal Analysis units.

The incumbent must have extensive knowledge and experience managing state contracts, applying procurement rules, and developing quality control measures to ensure costs are appropriate and compliant with applicable rules, laws, regulations, and policies. This position requires a high level of technical knowledge and experience managing contracts and validating contractor costs. Knowledge of federal and state disaster recovery program laws, regulations, and policies is preferred. The incumbent shall be required to take and pass appropriate Incident Command System (ICS) training courses.

EMERGENCY OPERATIONS – ACTIVATION/OPERATIONAL ASSIGNMENTS 100%

When DDRO is Mission Tasked by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, the incumbent may be assigned to a disaster operation Incident Management Team to fill an essential function reporting within an Incident Command System hierarchy. Assignments as the Department's representative during emergency response and recovery activities may be located at the State Operations Center (SOC), Regional Emergency Operations Center (REOC), Joint Field Office (JFO), Area Field Office (AFO}, Local Assistance Center (LAC), Debris Removal Operations Center (DROC), or other locations. During such assignments, some or all the incumbent’s nonemergency-related duties may temporarily cease.

Typical essential function roles include but are not limited to: Operations Section Lead, Deputy Operations Section Lead, Finance and Administrative Lead, Deputy Finance and Administrative Lead, Planning Section Lead, Deputy Planning Section Lead, or equivalents.

Operations Section manages tactical incident activities to achieve the incident objectives and oversees incident action plan implementation. Directs or supports the management of all incident-related engineering and environmental assessment, environmental monitoring, environmental sampling, debris removal, and operational activities, and the management of any other necessary environmental support activities.

Finance Administration Section includes the service contract manager who is the authorized representative of the State of California responsible for administering a contract and monitoring the contractor’s performance, aligning operational objectives with the terms of the executed contract, and administering the necessary change orders to accomplish the disaster recovery objectives approved by state and federal government as required for state and federal disaster assistance.

Planning Section oversees incident-related data gathering and analysis regarding incident operations and assigned resources, facilitates incident action planning meetings, and prepares the Incident Action Plan for each operational period.

When necessary, the incumbent acts as liaison to other agencies, including Cal OES, FEMA, CalRecycle, Cal EPA, USEPA, DTSC, CDFW, SWRCB, and CalFire regarding technical engineering waste management issues.

This position may be eligible for hybrid telework under Government Code 14200 for eligible applicants residing in California, subject to the candidate meeting telework eligibility criteria set forth in the CalEPA telework policy and/or future program need. Employees not residing in California are not eligible for telework. Regardless of telework eligibility, all employees may be required to report to the position’s designated headquarters location, as indicated on their duty statement, at their own expense. Beginning July 1st, 2026, it is anticipated the position will be office-centered and employees will be expected to report to the office at least four days per week.

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Working Conditions

The incumbent works in a high-rise office building in an enclosed, non-windowed office cubicle in a smoke-free environment. The work schedule is Monday through Friday. Mandatory overtime, including evening and weekend work, may be necessary during the year end closing process or when the department is mission tasked. Travel may be required locally and within the state.

Special Requirements

• The position(s) require(s) Medical Clearance prior to being hired.

When submitting application in hard copy, applicants are required to submit a standard state application (Form Std.678) with an original signature, and clearly indicate RPA 25-250 & Position # 835-653-4801-001 in the “Job Title(s)” section of the Standard State Application or you will not be considered for the position.

If you would like to use education in conjunction with experience to satisfy the minimum qualifications, you must attach a copy of your degree and/or transcripts (unofficial or official) to your application to ensure the educational requirements have been met for this position. Failure to do so will result in your application being rejected.

This position is subject to successful completion of medical requirements defined in CalOSHA Title 8, 5144 for Respiratory Program and CalOSHA Title 8, 5192 Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response.

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

• Demonstrated experience in a lead role for contract management, project management, or emergency management.
• Demonstrated experience interpreting federal, state, or local laws and regulations relating to grant management, contract management of procurement, and/or debris management.
• At least one year of experience Supervising employees by setting goals, coaching and mentoring staff, and monitoring employee performance.
• Experience developing contract scopes of work and managing contractor performance.
• Experience validating costs, identifying and resolving contractor disputes, and developing quality control measures.
• Ability to develop, nurture, and maintain effective professional relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrates knowledge, skills, and ability to supervise professional and technical staff.
  

Benefits

In addition to a compelling vision for California, CalRecycle offers competitive pay, benefits, and features for its workforce. To review the pay and benefits offered to California civil service staff, please review CalHR's website at CalHR Benefits Website - CalHR

Statement of Qualifications

Applicants must complete a Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) for this recruitment. The SOQ is a narrative discussion prepared by the applicant describing how the applicant's skills, knowledge, abilities, education, training, and experience qualify them for the position. Applications received without this information may not be considered for this position. SOQ should have a title of “Statement of Qualifications, Your Name,” be no more than 2 pages, and no smaller than Arial 12-point font.

Please note Resumes, letters, Supplemental Questionnaire, transcripts, degrees, your state application, cover letters and other materials will not take the place of the Statement of Qualifications. Simply copying and pasting your resume will also not be accepted. Responses must be numbered and submitted in the same order. Applications received without an SOQ may be rejected.

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is required and must be included.
• Other -

  Applicants must submit a cover letter for this recruitment.

• Statement of Qualifications -

  Applicants must submit a Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) for this recruitment. Please see "Statement of Qualifications" section below for instructions.