Senior Planner

Job Description

The Office of Public Health Preparedness (OPHP) is a program of the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC). The mission of OPHP is to enhance community, public health, and healthcare system resilience to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies that impact the health of the public. OPHP envisions a resilient Boston through healthy, informed, and connected communities that are supported every day and during emergencies by strong, integrated public health and healthcare systems. 

Role 

OPHP seeks a Senior Planner to lead and coordinate emergency planning and preparedness activities across the office. The Senior Planner works with OPHP and BPHC staff and programs,  City agencies, and external partners to ensure plans are collaborative, integrated, operational, current, and responsive to the needs of Boston residents. Working under the direction of the Associate Director of Planning & Community Resilience, the Senior Planner serves as a lead resource for emergency planning and supports BPHC’s responsibilities for coordinating public health and healthcare services during emergencies, including its role under Emergency Support Function 8 (ESF-8). 

Duties

Emergency Planning & Preparedness  

• Works to help BPHC advance as an antiracist organization by meeting or exceeding the standards set by the BPHC Anti-Racism Policy.
• Lead and coordinate collaborative emergency planning efforts across OPHP and BPHC. 
• Maintain working knowledge of BPHC emergency plans, relevant City of Boston Plans, and Boston Healthcare Preparedness Coalition plans.  
• Coordinate development, review, maintenance, and integration of BPHC emergency plans and annexes, including integration with ESF-8 and other relevant City plans. 
• Maintain a master inventory and review cycle for emergency plans and identify planning gaps, dependencies, and priorities.  
• Coordinate Continuity of Operations (COOP), recovery, Medical Countermeasures/Emergency Dispensing, and other hazard-specific or functional planning activities, as assigned. 
• Support hazard vulnerability and capability assessment and incorporate identified risks and lessons learned into planning priorities and plan updates.  
• Coordinate planning with City agencies, healthcare organizations, community partners, universities, businesses, and other public and private partners.  
• Support training and exercise activities, including after actions and improvement plans, to test and validate emergency plans and identify opportunities for improvement. 
• Research federal, state, and local requirements, guidance, and best practices to inform planning and preparedness activities. 
• Represent OPHP on preparedness planning groups and initiatives, as assigned.  

Response & Recovery Operations 

• Serve as Duty Officer for the Stephen M. Lawlor Medical Intelligence Center (MIC) following required onboarding and training. 

• Staff the MIC during emergencies, planned events, and other activations affecting public health and healthcare.  

• Provide planning support during activations, including situational awareness, incident planning, documentation, and development of planning products. 

• Maintain working knowledge of relevant emergency plans, protocols, and procedures.  

• Maintain readiness by participating in required emergency responses, training, drill, and exercises.  

Program & Project Management

• Manage planning projects, milestones, deliverables, and competing priorities.  

• Ensure assigned activities align with applicable federal and state preparedness requirements and grant deliverables. 

• Facilitate planning meetings and multidisciplinary planning workgroups. 

• Prepare reports, briefings, presentations, and other planning products. 

• Collaborate with OPHP leadership and staff to coordinate planning across programs and projects.  

• Oversee staff, interns, consults, or contractors supporting assigned activities as appropriate. 

• Represent OPHP at meetings, conferences, and other events as needed.  

• Perform other duties to support OPHP operations as required. 

Core competencies  

The Senior Planner must demonstrate the ability to lead collaborative planning processes; develop clear and operational emergency plans; analyze risks, gaps, and planning needs; manage complex projects and competing priorities; build effective relationships with internal and external partners; apply emergency management and ICS/NIMS principles; communicate clearly in routine and emergency environments; and exercise sound judgment and initiative.

Knowledge of or willingness to learn about the role of public health in addressing racism, the social determinants of health, and inequities in health outcomes as well as strategies to advance racial justice and health equity.

Commitment to health equity and racial/social justice.

Master's degree in public health, emergency management, planning, public administration, or a related discipline with at least two years of relevant planning and coordination experience; or a bachelor's degree with at least four years of relevant experience; or a high school diploma/GED with at least six years of relevant experience. 

Required qualifications include demonstrated experience with collaborative planning and development of emergency or operational plans; project management; strong written, verbal, organizational, facilitation, and relationship-building skills; knowledge of Public Health Emergency Preparedness and emergency management principles; and the ability to work effectively during emergency operations. 

Experience with continuity planning, recovery planning, HSEEP, ICS/NIMS, healthcare preparedness, public-sector emergency management, and federal or state preparedness requirements is preferred.