Title: Commonwealth Chief Resilience Officer

State Role Title: Commonwealth Chief Resilience Officer

Hiring Range: $125,000 - $145,000

Pay Band: UG

Agency: Sec of Natural&Historical Rsrc

Location: Governor's Office

Agency Website: https://www.naturalresources.virginia.gov/

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

The Virginia Office of the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources is seeking an experienced professional to serve as Chief Resilience Officer for the Office of Commonwealth Resilience, within the Office of the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources. The Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources advises the Governor on natural resources issues and works to advance the Governor's top environmental priorities. The Secretary oversees five agencies that protect and restore the Commonwealth’s natural and historic resources. The Secretary's office and all of the natural resources agencies work together to uphold the provisions of Article XI of the Virginia Constitution.

The Chief Resilience Officer serves as the primary coordinator of resilience and adaptation initiatives in Virginia and as the primary point of contact regarding issues related to resilience, as that term is defined in the Code of Virginia § 10.1-603.28. The Chief Resilience Officer is equally responsible for all urban, suburban, and rural areas of the Commonwealth.

Reporting to the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources as an appointee of the Governor, the Chief Resilience Officer is tasked with:
- Promoting communication, coordination, and cooperation between state agencies, the federal government, local governments, other political subdivisions of the Commonwealth, and other interested parties regarding resilience;
- Leading in developing and in providing direction and ensuring accountability for a statewide resilience and adaptation strategy;
- Seeking to ensure that resilience and adaptation strategies prioritize the protection of Virginia's natural resources; and
- Initiating and assisting with economic development opportunities associated with adaptation in partnership with both the public and private sectors, and aggressively seeking funding for resilience efforts.

The duties of the Chief Resilience Officer are:
- Identifying and monitoring those areas of the Commonwealth that are at greatest risk from significant multi-hazard threats and recommend actions that both the private and public sectors should consider in order to increase the resilience of such areas;
- Providing support to local governments, as that term is defined in § 10.1-603.28, that are seeking to promote resilience within their communities by providing technical assistance and capacity building support regarding best practices for resilience planning, data collection, and project design and implementation;
- Coordinating with the Department of Emergency Management on all issues related to pre-disaster hazard mitigation and post-disaster recovery;
- Assisting the Department of Conservation and Recreation with the development and implementation of a Virginia Flood Protection Master Plan and a Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan in accordance with § 10.1-602;
- Seeking to maximize the coordination, availability, and use of federal, state, and private funding to address resilience challenges, including initiating and assisting with the pursuit of funding opportunities at both the state and local levels.
- Coordinating the collection and dissemination of the best available resilience science, legal guidance, planning strategies, best practices, and needs assessments to the public.
- Beginning July 1, 2025, and every two years thereafter, reporting to the Governor and the General Assembly on the status of resilience in the Commonwealth, as required by the Code of Virginia.
- Convening and serving as Chair of an Interagency Resilience Management Team to support the coordination of planning and implementation of resilience efforts at the state level.

The Chief Resilience Officer will lead the Office of Commonwealth Resilience and be supported by a team of two employees, which will include a Resilience Coordinator, and a Resilience Policy Advisor.

Minimum Qualifications

Generally, the position requires strong management, communication, organizational, interpersonal, facilitation, and leadership skills, as well as strong technical and presentation skills. The ideal candidate will have significant experience leading resilience or resilience-related efforts (such as emergency management, flood protection, etc) at the state, local, or federal level. Experience leading these efforts in Virginia or similarly situated states is preferred. The ideal candidate will also have experience with, and an understanding of, the Virginia legislative and budgetary processes or those of or similarly situated states; coalition building; and project financing, management, and execution.

Additional Considerations

Knowledge/experience with state and federal resilience-related funding and policy programs is preferred.
 

Special Instructions

You will be provided a confirmation of receipt when your application and/or résumé is submitted successfully. Please refer to “Your Application” in your account to check the status of your application for this position.

This position requires the successful completion of a criminal background check. This position is appointed by the Governor and serves at the will of the Governor.

Contact Information

Name: Suzanne Swinson

Phone: 804-225-4839

Email: Suzanne.Swinson@governor.virginia.gov

In support of the Commonwealth’s commitment to inclusion, we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth Alternative Hiring Process. To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their AHP Letter (formerly COD) provided by the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS), or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI). Service-Connected Veterans are encouraged to answer Veteran status questions and submit their disability documentation, if applicable, to DARS/DBVI to get their AHP Letter. Requesting an AHP Letter can be found at AHP Letter or by calling DARS at 800-552-5019.

Note: Applicants who received a Certificate of Disability from DARS or DBVI dated between April 1, 2022- February 29, 2024, can still use that COD as applicable documentation for the Alternative Hiring Process.