Douglas Shire Council is seeking a Disaster Management Officer to join our Disaster Management team.
This position will contribute to building a resilient and innovative organisational and community culture, by applying disaster management knowledge to establish priorities, assess, plan, organise and implement operational and strategic activities.
Position Objectives
- Maintain a thorough working knowledge of Queensland Disaster Management Arrangements (QDMA) and apply it through the phases of prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.
- Utilise experience, knowledge of Queensland Disaster Management Arrangements and legislation, prepare and provide accurate reports on operational activities and the strategic direction of disaster management in the Douglas Shire Council.
- Perform as a key member of Council’s Incident Management Team and as the Incident Management Team Lead. As required relieve the Local Disaster Coordinator/Deputy Local Disaster Coordinator.
- Research, interpret, plan and implement appropriate courses of action in response to changing requirements within the Disaster Management sector, including statutory, socio-economic, technological, climate change and recommendations from reviews.
- Assist in the coordination of the Douglas Shire Local Disaster Management Group responsibilities by developing, reviewing and maintaining local disaster management plans and sub-plans for evacuation centres including staff recruitment, training, shelter resourcing and other relevant operational requirements.
- Establish and maintain collaborative relationships with a diverse group of external stakeholders, including, but not limited to, members of the community, Indigenous groups, special interest groups, other government agencies (Local, State and Federal) and industries relevant to the shire including community and community groups.
- Assist in managing Council’s overall Disaster Management-related activities and advise and implement improvements to the suite of disaster planning projects across the shire.
Full position details, including required qualifications and key responsibilities and duties for the role are outlined in the attached position description.
About You
Our ideal candidate will have:
- Degree in Emergency Management or related discipline and /or significant experience in Emergency Management.
- Training in the Australasian Inter-service Incident Management System (AIIMS) and Control a Level 2 Incident.
- Extensive demonstrated practical experience within a similar role involving emergency management or demonstrated high level knowledge and understanding of disaster management issues and concepts.
- Experience in facilitating training and presenting to audiences both internal and external to Council.
- Current “C” Class drivers Licence.
- Working knowledge and understanding of the Disaster Management Act 2003 and the Disaster Management Regulations 2014.
- Proven leadership skills, and experience motivating and influencing others to find solutions to challenging issues and achieve cross-agency successes and ultimately reduce risk to the community.
- Excellent communication (verbal and written) skills relevant to the position with a strong focus on the provision of a quality service and building strong partnerships within Council and with the community.
- Demonstrated high level interpersonal skills, to effectively network and negotiate, build and maintain collaborative relationships with a diverse group of external stakeholders, including, but not limited to, members of the community, Indigenous groups, special interest groups, other government agencies (Local, State and Federal) and industries relevant to the shire including community and community groups.
- Demonstrated high level time management and prioritisation skills to effectively and efficiently managing conflicting priorities and meeting deadlines.
- Thorough knowledge of the Queensland Disaster Management Arrangements and the application through the phases of prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.
- Ability to effectively apply Council’s computer systems including Finance, Council’s corporate record management system and the Microsoft Office Suite.
- Knowledge and experience in Guardian IMS software and various flood warning models.
- Demonstrated high level interpersonal, analytical, numeracy, organisation, written and oral communication skills.
- Proficient training and presentation skills.
- Highly developed negotiation, problem solving and conflict resolution skills to enable effective liaison with all people at all levels and to persuade others to adopt methods or strategies where there are conflicting interests and opinions.
- The ability to interact strategically and work collaboratively both within Council and with diverse external agencies and stakeholders.
What we can offer you
- A competitive remuneration salary with 12% superannuation.
- Up to 5 weeks annual leave per annum with 17.5% leave loading.
- Up to 3 weeks personal leave per annum.
- Nominal 72.50 hours, nine (9) day fortnight roster.
- May be eligible for salary sacrificing options.
- Employee Assistance Program.
- Employee health and wellbeing initiatives.
- Ongoing training and development opportunities.
- Active social club.
DEPARTMENT: Corporate and Communities
APPLICATIONS CLOSE: 5pm Friday 21 August 2026
