Evacuation Planner

Location(s):  Pasadena, CA / Santa Barbara, CA / Encinitas, CA 
Practice/Department: Urban Forestry 
Work Environment:  Hybrid
Compensation: $110,000-$140,000

Dudek’s journey began in 1980 with a vision to serve Southern California’s water and wastewater agencies. 

Today, we are a 100% employee-owned firm supporting clients nationwide and delivering projects that improve and protect the built and natural environments of communities throughout the United States. Our work has been recognized by leading industry organizations, and we’ve been honored with multiple national Top Workplace Awards. 

Our employee-owners are unified by a singular commitment to supporting projects that address key societal issues, such as the transition to renewable energy, infrastructure hardening and repair, environmental protection, and community resilience. 

Learn more about our award-winning culture, the benefits and perks of being a Dudekian, and the projects you will have the opportunity to shape.  

Who You Are 

As an employee-owner, you embrace accountability, working safely, and collaboration while thinking resourcefully and independently. 

Like all Dudekians, you are curious and solution-oriented, with the ability to adapt quickly to changes and approach challenges with a spirit of innovation.  

How You’ll Make an Impact 

We are seeking a mid to senior level professional to join our fire protection and evacuation planning team on a full-time basis. Dudek’s team has been working in the wildfire assessment and fire protection planning field for nearly 25 years. We work with landowners, development companies and land management agencies to evaluate wildfire hazards and evacuation approaches and develop plans that provide a framework for analyzing evacuation impacts according to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) standards.

In this role, you will also be responsible for managing public-sector wildfire evacuation planning and analysis projects (e.g., General Plan/Safety Element evacuation studies), including developing evacuation scenarios, evaluating evacuation route capacity/constraints, and delivering clear, defensible technical memoranda and recommendations.

This position is ideally located in one of our Southern California offices, but we will consider accommodating other location preferences. The position requires travel to project sites and client or fire agency offices throughout California, as needed. Familiarity with emergency planning procedures and standards, the Incident Command System, and state and local building, development, and defensible space codes and standards is also highly desirable

Duties and Responsibilities  

• Analyze project maps, plans, and datasets and summarize evacuation conditions for inclusion in reports and management plans.
• Conduct field assessments to evaluate evacuation hazard conditions.
• Analyze field data, GIS data, and conduct project-related research.
• Prepare or support preparation of evacuation plans and technical reports, including development of recommendations.
• Manage public wildfire evacuation planning and analysis projects (scope, schedule, budget, and deliverables), including Safety Element and other community evacuation studies.
• Develop and document evacuation scenarios, assumptions, and methodologies; evaluate evacuation route capacity constraints and travel time considerations; and identify areas of potential congestion and operational needs.
• Direct wildfire evacuation modeling by traffic and transportation planners
• Coordinate with clients and partner agencies (e.g., local jurisdictions, fire agencies, law enforcement, and transportation/public works) to obtain data, validate assumptions, and align recommendations.
• Lead quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) for technical memoranda, graphics, and supporting documentation.
• Attend meetings to discuss the results of project-related assessments and analyses; present findings to project teams, stakeholders, and public decision-making bodies as needed.
• Work with and mentor junior staff.
• Attend meetings and hearings as a subject matter expert in evacuation planning and wildfire hazard and risk reduction.

Minimum Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in emergency planning, fire science, law enforcement, fire ecology, environmental science, or other related field or 7+ years of documented professional experience in the fire service sector in the field of emergency planning.
• Ability to conduct research and evaluate data sets and planning documents and summarize pertinent information into reports.
• Ability to understand and interpret site development plan drawings.
• Familiarity with evacuation modeling and analysis software packages and toolkits is highly desirable.
• Experience managing public-sector wildfire evacuation planning/analysis projects and presenting technical findings to agencies, boards, commissions, or other public forums is highly desirable.
• Ability to speak professionally and relate evacuation concepts and issues to project planning teams and decision-making bodies.
• Additional desired qualifications include excellent writing and analysis skills.
• FEMA NIMS and ICS courses: IS-100, -200, -700, -800

Compensation: $110,000 - 140,000/annually 

*Final agreed-upon compensation will be based on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, an individual’s related experience, education, certifications, skills, and work location. Successful candidates must pass a pre-employment drug test and background check prior to beginning employment. 

Working Conditions  

• This job operates in a remote or office-based environment and this role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, printers, etc. 

• This job requires occasional project site visits, based outdoors which can include excessive noise, uneven walking surfaces, extreme weather, and moving vehicles and equipment. 

Physical Requirements 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. This job requires the following:  

• Working on a computer, sitting, or standing for long periods of time in an office or remote office setting. 

• Attending meetings, both in person and virtually, and speaking on the phone with peers, clients, etc.  
• Specific vision abilities, including close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. 

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Dudek is committed to creating a workplace where all employees, regardless of their background, feel valued, respected, and have equal opportunities to succeed. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce is essential to our business success, and we are dedicated to fostering a culture where everyone can thrive. We are committed to fair and equitable processes, based on merit, free from any discrimination. 

Dudek is genuinely committed to equal employment opportunities within our company and on our project teams. Dudek is also committed to compliance with all applicable laws providing equal employment opportunities. This commitment applies to all persons involved in Dudek’s operations and prohibits unlawful discrimination by any employee of Dudek, including supervisors and coworkers. Equal employment opportunities will be extended to all persons (including those with disability and veteran status) in all aspects of the employment relationship, including recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, transfer, compensation, benefits, discipline, layoff, recall, and termination. Any employee who violates this policy and Dudek’s commitment to equal employment opportunities will be subject to disciplinary action. 

Dudek is a U.S.-based employer. All positions are based in the United States and require U.S. work authorization.