Contractor Situational Awareness and Planning Officer (SAPO)

Position Overview

To support GSE’s contract Emergency Support Section (ESS) planning, logistics, training, and emergency response support services with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This includes coordination with federal, state, and local law enforcement and emergency management stakeholders, execution of preparedness activities, and field deployment during emergency activations.

Candidates must hold or be eligible for a Top Secret security clearance.

We are seeking highly experienced Contractor Situational Awareness and Planning Officers (SAPOs) to provide expertise in planning, preparedness, situational awareness, and operational response. SAPOs will play a critical role in monitoring planning activities, delivering technical briefings, supporting exercises, and providing real-time situational awareness during activations.

Key Responsibilities

• Monitor ESS planning and preparedness activities across all FEMA regions and/or advanced planning for Incident Support Branches (ISB).
• Support ESS field personnel in identifying and coordinating resources required to meet federal, state, territorial, tribal, and local needs during disasters or special events.
• Prepare and deliver familiarization and technical briefs on ESS programs.
• Contribute to the planning, preparation, and execution of national and regional exercises; recommend ESS participation levels.
• During activations:
  • Provide recommendations on situational awareness activities to leadership teams, including preparation of situation reports and operational assessments.
  • Operate situational awareness tools and develop SITREPs, Watch Reports, Leadership Briefs, and other operational documents.
  • Coordinate ArcGIS, Power BI, and other mapping and dashboard products to support the ESS Common Operating Picture, stakeholder staffing, and financial reporting.
• Collect, analyze, and interpret data from intelligence, law enforcement, and public sources to identify trends, threats, and conditions affecting operations.
• Disseminate operational insights and maintain interagency situational awareness throughout activations.

Qualifications

• Must have or be eligible for a Top Secret security clearance.
• Minimum of 10 years combined experience in law enforcement, emergency management, or military service, with at least 3 years in emergency management, response, or training units.
• Prior service as a law enforcement officer (federal, state, or local) or equivalent military/emergency management experience.
• Experience in operational planning, intelligence research, and production of situational awareness products.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement all-hazards crisis and emergency management plans.
• Experience in planning, development, and execution of national-level law enforcement and/or emergency management training and exercises.
• Extensive background delivering crisis/emergency management training for law enforcement and emergency services personnel.
• Experience responding to complex, real-world incidents within the law enforcement or emergency management community.
• Proven ability to conduct interagency liaison at federal and state levels.
• Bachelor’s degree required.

Preferred Skills

• Proficiency with situational awareness and visualization platforms (e.g., ArcGIS, Power BI).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience briefing senior leadership.
• Ability to manage competing priorities in high-pressure operational environments.

Travel

• Travel and field deployment during emergency activations required.