JOB
**Application Deadline Extended**
Infrastructure Protection Program Manager (Project Position / Emergency Management Program Specialist 4)
At the
Department of Commerce, we’re reimagining what’s possible in government. We’re builders, thinkers, and change-makers, working at the intersection of innovation, community, and impact. From unlocking critical funding to fueling inclusive economic growth, we’re turning big ideas into real-world solutions that uplift people and places.
Our agency’s strength lies in the diversity of our workforce and the breadth of the lived experiences and perspectives employees bring to the work. We believe equity is not just a value but a practice, which is reflected in how we design programs, engage communities, and deliver outcomes. We foster a workplace culture where curiosity is encouraged, bold thinking is welcomed, and collaboration drives our impact.
Let’s build what’s next, together.
The
Energy Division (Energy) catalyzes the transition to a clean and just energy future.
Position Objective: This position serves as a state resource in energy resilience, emergency management and energy security and is responsible for supporting the administration and refinement of the Washington State Energy Resilience and Emergency Management Office. This position works within the direction of the Energy Resilience and Emergency Management Director to implement and execute RCW 43.21F.045 to ensure proper planning, response, and restoration coordination across government and private sector. This position provides expert-level energy infrastructure protection, cybersecurity, physical security, response coordination, planning, training, and exercises and is responsible for implementing the Energy Emergency Management Office strategic plan and State Energy Security Plan. This position conducts outreach work with federal partners, neighboring states, state agencies, tribal governments, local jurisdictions, and the private sector to coordinate the assessing, measuring, planning, and reporting of energy infrastructure protection capabilities and additional needed resources. This position will foster collaborative relationships with public and private sector partners to enhance and improve energy security and disaster resiliency statewide.
This position will serve as the alternate ESF 12 Operations Team Lead and will be the back-up connection point with the Operations Section in the state emergency operations center (SEOC). This position will operate as the primary subject matter expert for infrastructure protection including but not limited to cyber and physical security during emergency coordination activities that could impact all energy sectors.
This position is a Project Position that has funding through May 2, 2027.
EXAMPLE OF DUTIES
Energy Infrastructure Protection, Energy Cyber and Physical Security Planning and Response Coordination:
- Subject Matter Expert on Critical Infrastructure Protection, Energy Cyber and Physical Security matters:
- Administers, establishes, and facilitates statewide workgroups to address energy infrastructure protection, cybersecurity, physical security, critical energy infrastructure information data governance.
- Serve as the primary alternate on behalf of the Energy Emergency Management Director as requested for the following, but not limited to:
- Serve as an alternate POC, State’s Energy Emergency Assurance Coordinator (EEAC) to the Department of Energy
- Serve as the primary alternate on behalf of the Energy Resilience & Emergency Management Director as requested for the following but not limited to:
- Serve and lead work in any internal, statewide, and national collaborative energy sector forums, sharing best practices, supporting new practices in the state, and contributing to multi-state and national energy security, energy infrastructure protection, cyber and/or physical security.
- Travel is an essential function of this role to ensure all duties and functions can be appropriately fulfilled by a subject matter expert on energy emergency management.
- Coordinates with outside organizations:
- Ensures energy sector disruptions affecting the state are coordinated with contacts at FEMA Region 10, CISA Region 10, Department of Energy Region 10, and DOE Headquarters
- Coordinate with the state’s energy sector owners/operators through sharing of current and emerging technology, risks, threats, vulnerabilities, standards, and other relevant industry information in order to support our state’s energy sector critical infrastructure owners/operators and the state’s energy transition
- Develop and maintain trusted relationships with neighboring states, energy sector-specific associations, energy sector critical infrastructure partners, Washington State Fusion Center, Department of Homeland Security CISA Region X, Department of Energy Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response
- Committee work:
- Serve on the Emergency Management Council’s Cybersecurity Advisory Committee as the energy sector subject matter expert
- Serve on DHS Region 10 Critical Infrastructure and Resilience Committee as the Washington State energy sector subject matter expert
- Support the Electric Vehicle Coordinating Council as the energy infrastructure protection subject matter expert.
- Planning and Data Governance:
- This position administers the state’s energy cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection plan, including the following, but not limited to:
- Coordinates the development, review, and update process, community engagement on plan creation and updates.
- Administers the energy cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection planning workgroup to facilitate the planning process across multiple state agencies, tribal, public, and provide energy security programs.
- Conducts outreach and education efforts on the state's energy cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection with statewide critical infrastructure, private industry, and state, local, and tribal governments to support prevention, preparedness, mitigation, and restoration activities.
- Participates as the state energy critical infrastructure protection and cybersecurity subject matter expert in other agencies, statewide, and multi-state planning efforts to ensure alignment with the state energy security plan and other relevant energy security plans.
- This position administers the state’s critical energy infrastructure information (CEII) program, including the following but not limited to:
- Develop and maintain data handling procedures and training for all critical energy infrastructure information (CEII) and any other energy critical infrastructure data in coordination with the appropriate partners.
- Develop and maintain plans and procedures for energy data management in coordination with the appropriate partners.
- Standards Alignment – Align program materials to necessary industry standards, including, but not limited to:
- Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP)
- National Incident Management System (NIMS)
- Incident Command System (ICS)
- Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
- Other industry standards as identified
- Training, Exercise and Assessments:
- This position administers the state’s energy infrastructure protection and cybersecurity training and exercise program, including the following but not limited to:
- Develop, facilitate, participate and or support energy sector exercises with federal, state, local, tribal, and energy sector partners for cybersecurity, physical security, and other technological hazards.
- Administers the NERC GridEx exercise program for Washington State and all participating electric utilities.
- Develop, facilitate, participate and or support energy sector exercises with federal, state, local, tribal, and energy sector partners for cybersecurity, physical security, and other technological hazards.
- Develop and coordinate workforce development and in-state training opportunities to improve access for continuing education and best practices within industry for existing energy cybersecurity professionals.
- Develop and maintain the energy critical infrastructure portion of the state Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment process within the State of Washington for cybersecurity, physical security, and other technological hazards.
- Develop and maintain a process and modeling that allows for cross-sector dependency mapping of energy critical infrastructure assets.
- Integrate critical energy infrastructure analysis into the ESF 12 situational awareness platform.
Strategic Planning, Policy Development, and Supervision
oActive participation in the Energy Resilience & Emergency Management Office strategic planning process for statewide energy emergency, private sector, and critical infrastructure goals, objectives, strategies, and performance measures
oParticipate in both short and long-term strategic planning at the division, agency, and statewide levels
oDevelop metrics and create reports quarterly to document progress on desired outcomes.
o Recommend, develop, modify or inform policies, plans, strategies as appropriate to align with the state’s energy transition strategy with the perspective of energy security, cybersecurity and physical security, and infrastructure protection.
o Recommend changes to state policies, RCWs, and WACs to the EREMO Director improve the state’s posture on infrastructure protection, cybersecurity, and physical security.
o Review and provide input on state-drafted policies and procedures
o Review previous significant energy disruptions, private sector, and critical infrastructure actions and processes for “lessons learned”
o Recommend changes to engagement processes with partners, internal and external, to the Office to the EREMO Director.
o Provide direct supervision of the Energy Emergency Operations Program staff by setting appropriate expectations to ensure the diverse work of the team is carried out in a way consistent with the division and agency.
- Participate in interviewing and selecting all supervised positions.
- Reviews and evaluates work of lower-level staff providing coaching or corrective action as needed.
- Identify and communicate training opportunities
o Facilitate inclusive team meetings, managing performance, providing oversight, and leadership.
o Administers the internship program for the Energy Emergency Management Office including but not limited to:
- Recruitment and close-out process for internships
- Managing individual intern work assignments, review, and provide constructive feedback
- Develop and implement learning/ training opportunities for interns for their education and professional growth
ESF 12 Operational Team Lead for Energy Emergency Response and Restoration Coordination:
- This position will operate as the primary subject matter expert for infrastructure protection including but not limited to cyber and physical security during emergency coordination activities that could impact all energy sectors.
- This position will serve as the alternate ESF 12 Operations Team Lead and will be the back-up connection point with the Operations Section in the state emergency operations center (SEOC).
- Implement all relevant energy emergency plans required based on the incident or planned event to ensure an adequate supply of energy.
- Coordinate State Resource Allocation Requests for an energy supply disruption
- Create and distribute support and request templates to facilitate information flow during a significant energy disruption
- Evaluate energy emergency situations across the state to take action for resolution, or make recommendations to a higher authority for determination
- Integrate state and federal agency interaction in response to an energy emergency within the State
- Provide policy recommendations or actions to the Energy Resilience & Emergency Management Director related to response activities.
Cross Agency collaboration and workgroup participation:
- Participate in agency-wide project workgroup opportunities, including outcome measures, contracting risk workgroup, strategic breakthrough initiatives, and other opportunities that align with the duties of this position. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION Work from Anywhere in Washington State
This position may be located anywhere within Washington State though occasional travel to a Commerce office building or in-state travel to attend events or meetings may be required. If selected, you will need to travel to pick up equipment and receive instruction. Many Commerce employees work remotely or have a hybrid schedule. The hours for this position will be Monday-Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm.
This recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies over the next 60 days.
Technical support is provided by NEOGOV, 855-524-5627 (can't log in, password or email issues, error messages). DES job seeker support may answer general questions regarding the recruiting system at
[email protected].
Our Commitment to Equal Opportunity
The Washington State Department of Commerce is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and gender identity diversity. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons of disability, persons over 40 years of age, veterans or people with military status, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply. Persons needing accommodation in the application, testing, or interview process or this job announcement in an alternative format may email Human Resources at
[email protected]. Applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing may call through the Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388.
Department of Commerce also offers a competitive benefits package including: medical and dental insurance benefits, retirement and deferred compensation plans, 11 paid holidays each year, 14-25 vacation days per year (depending on length of employment), 8 hours of sick leave per month (if full time employed), bereavement leave, an employee assistance program, as well as other benefits. Please see the Benefits Tab for more details.
