Emergency Management Fellow

This position is part of the NOAA Coastal Resilience Fellowship Program, supporting the Climate Resilience Regional Challenge (CRRC) projects. The fellow will support the project: Stronger, Together: Expanding Climate Adaptation Technical Assistance for Frontline Alaska Native Communities.

Host Organization: Association of Village Council Presidents
Location of Position: Positioned in Bethel, Alaska, but serves the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta
Duration of Position: Two years (June 2025 to June 2027)
Annual Salary: $56,133 
Benefits: Medical insurance, 11 paid federal holidays per year, 15 paid personal days per year, professional development training, travel funding, relocation allowance

Work Environment:

The fellow must be located on-site in Bethel, Alaska, with the ability to travel to 56 Tribes in 48 villages. The fellow will be expected to be in the office full-time, but we can be flexible for the right person. 

Fellowship Position Description:

The Association of Village Council Presidents (AVCP) lacks regional coordination for  emergency management. The association has effectively dealt with disasters and emergency situations in the past by utilizing current staff and absorbing the work into existing positions. However, when it comes to large-scale emergency responses, such as the aftermath of Typhoon Merbok, we lack regional coordination.

The association would like the fellow to have the knowledge and expertise to provide our organization with technical assistance for our NOAA grant as needed but also have knowledge and expertise in large-scale emergency management coordination. This includes all planning for, preparing for, and responding to emergencies such as natural disasters or human-made events, specifically over a vast and isolated area. The fellow will help the association establish and organize their current resources into a better framework to fulfill the lack of regional coordination and incident command.

Alternatively, expertise in community relocation, retreat, and sheltering in place. The fellow must understand these concepts and how to facilitate and train staff to assist Tribes in determining the best alternative for the community or Tribe.

Anticipated Travel:

Our fellow will participate in a variety of travel, both in-region to learn more about our region and the advocacy necessary and out-of-region for professional development. The fellow will visit at least eight subregional locations for data collection and direct input for the implementation of our NOAA grant.

We recognize the importance of professional development. The fellow will attend the peer-to-peer sharing event in 2027 and potentially up to two additional relevant professional development or conference events. 

Desired Qualifications:

At a minimum, a bachelor's degree is required from an accredited college or university in a related field, such as emergency management, public administration, or business. Experience working in a position related to emergency management coordination and experience living in, or working with, rural and isolated areas of Alaska are preferred.

Fellow Mentoring:

The fellow will be mentored by John McIntyre, Land and Cultural Resources Division director and the NOAA–Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium grant contact, and Joey Billy, environment quality program manager, who will provide in-division support.

Other division directors that will be providing various levels of support: Clarence Daniel, Community Development Division director; Kathryn Nenneman, Benefits Division director; Vacant, Community Services Division director; Samuel Crow, Workforce Development Division director; Elizabeth Pederson, chief programs officer; and various other people.

To apply, please upload the following materials in one PDF file:

• Resume (two-page limit)
• Statement of interest, where the candidate describes what they hope to gain from the fellowship experience and what they can contribute. Candidates should also highlight any connections to or special interests in the region, including Indigenous or local knowledge and relevant life experiences (500-word limit)
• Unofficial academic transcripts to show coursework (or joint services transcript for veterans)
• Two professional or academic references (names and contact information)