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About the Role

The Regional Disaster Officer (RDO) serves as the senior disaster services executive for the Central & South Texas Region, responsible for strategic leadership, operational readiness, and effective delivery of disaster services. This role involves strategic thought partnership with the Regional CEO, overseeing program implementation, and leading disaster response efforts.

Responsibilities

Serve as the region’s senior leader and thought leader in emergency services, disaster policy, disaster operations, preparedness, recovery, and community resilience.
Act as a trusted strategic thought partner to the Regional CEO, providing informed counsel regarding disaster risk, operational readiness, community needs, emerging issues, program performance, and opportunities to strengthen the region’s impact.
Collaborate with the Regional CEO and Regional Leadership Team to translate organizational priorities into a clear and actionable regional disaster services strategy.
Bring forward data-driven insights, informed recommendations, constructive challenges, and innovative solutions that strengthen organizational performance and advance the mission.
Lead the development, communication, and execution of a comprehensive regional disaster services strategy aligned with national, divisional, and regional priorities.
Translate strategy into measurable goals, implementation plans, accountabilities, timelines, and performance indicators.
Maintain a strong focus on disciplined execution by regularly evaluating progress, identifying barriers, managing risk, allocating resources, and adjusting plans when necessary.
Ensure that regional strategies account for community vulnerability, population trends, geographic complexity, disaster risk, operational capacity, volunteer readiness, and the frequency and severity of disaster events.
Provide executive oversight for the implementation of disaster services programs throughout the region.
Apply strong program management practices to ensure that initiatives are appropriately scoped, resourced, coordinated, implemented, measured, and continuously improved.
Establish clear priorities, project plans, milestones, ownership, and accountability across the disaster services portfolio.
Ensure that regional disaster programs are delivered consistently and in alignment with organizational guidance, standards, policies, and established performance metrics.
Use data, program evaluations, operational reviews, and stakeholder feedback to assess outcomes, identify trends, address performance gaps, and improve service delivery.
Ensure that the region is prepared to execute a comprehensive and coordinated disaster response whenever required.
Serve as the senior operational leader for the region during disasters of any scale, providing clear direction, sound judgment, timely decision-making, and effective coordination across functions and jurisdictions.
Participate in leadership roles on larger disaster operations at the regional, divisional, or national level.
Ensure that disaster services are delivered rapidly, equitably, consistently, and accessibly to meet the urgent and evolving needs of clients and impacted communities.
Promote a culture of preparedness, readiness, accountability, learning, and continuous operational improvement.
Lead a high-performing regional disaster services team through subordinate directors and other staff.
Set clear expectations and create an environment in which employees are trusted, empowered, supported, and held accountable for delivering results.
Develop the strategic, operational, and leadership capabilities of direct reports and emerging leaders.
Build appropriate bench strength and succession plans to ensure continuity of leadership and operational readiness.
Encourage candid dialogue, cross-functional problem-solving, innovation, and thoughtful decision-making at the appropriate organizational level.
Develop, engage, and support disaster volunteers, who represent the primary workforce for disaster service delivery.
Provide strategic leadership for volunteer recruitment, onboarding, training, engagement, development, deployment, recognition, retention, and succession planning.
Ensure that employees create a positive and inclusive volunteer experience characterized by meaningful work, clear expectations, appropriate support, and opportunities for leadership.
Drive the development of Disaster Leadership Volunteers capable of meeting the current and future needs of the region, state, division, and national organization.
Ensure volunteers are appropriately trained, equipped, empowered, and integrated into operational planning and decision-making.
Mobilize communities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies while meeting the needs and expectations of clients, volunteers, donors, partners, and other stakeholders.
Build and sustain effective relationships with emergency management officials, government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, community-based organizations, corporations, funders, and other organizations supporting disaster services.
Ensure that employees and volunteers have clearly defined relationship management and account management responsibilities for key external partners.
Represent the American Red Cross with credibility, professionalism, and executive presence in meetings, public forums, emergency management settings, and community engagements.
Ensure strong coordination and communication with municipal, county, state, and federal government partners.
Provide leadership for government partnerships, community preparedness, resilience initiatives, response planning, information sharing, and disaster recovery coordination.
Serve as a trusted and credible representative of the American Red Cross with external leaders in emergency management, public safety, disaster policy, and community resilience.
Identify opportunities to strengthen regional partnerships, close preparedness gaps, and build community capacity before disasters occur.
Build strong, collaborative relationships across the Regional Leadership Team and with chapter, divisional, and national partners.
Work across organizational functions to align disaster services with fundraising, communications, volunteer services, community engagement, finance, human resources, Service to the Armed Forces, International Services, and other mission areas.
Demonstrate an enterprise mindset by balancing regional priorities with broader organizational needs and contributing to initiatives beyond the immediate scope of the region.
Address competing priorities and organizational challenges with maturity, transparency, sound judgment, and a solutions-oriented approach.
Communicate complex operational, strategic, and program information clearly and effectively to a wide range of audiences, including the Regional CEO, board members, employees, volunteers, government officials, community partners, donors, and national leadership.
Provide timely, concise, and decision-oriented updates regarding disaster operations, program performance, risks, resource needs, emerging issues, and recommended actions.
Demonstrate strong written communication, public speaking, facilitation, presentation, and executive briefing skills.
Adapt communication style appropriately for operational, community, government, executive, and governance audiences.
Oversee implementation of disaster services in alignment with established organizational metrics and performance expectations.
Establish effective systems for program measurement, evaluation, reporting, information management, and accountability.
Monitor operational and program performance, identify trends and gaps, and implement corrective or improvement plans when necessary.
Use qualitative and quantitative data to inform strategy, improve decision-making, strengthen preparedness, and demonstrate regional impact.
Promote learning from disaster operations, preparedness activities, exercises, stakeholder feedback, and after-action reviews.
Establish policies and operating practices appropriate to the function and consistent with organizational requirements.
Interpret organization-wide policies and practices and recommend modifications when regional conditions, operational experience, or emerging risks indicate a need for improvement.
Exercise significant independent judgment in matters related to disaster strategy, operational readiness, program execution, workforce leadership, resource deployment, external partnerships, and emergency response.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
A combination of education and relevant professional experience may satisfy the education and general experience requirements, provided that the combined years meet the minimum requirements for the position. Required management experience may not be substituted.
Minimum of 10 years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
Experience should include progressively responsible leadership in areas such as: Disaster services or emergency management, Complex program or portfolio management, Strategy development and implementation, Operational leadership, Government or community partnerships, Volunteer workforce leadership, Organizational change or performance improvement.
Minimum of seven years of management experience.
Experience leading through other leaders, including directors or senior managers, is strongly preferred.
Demonstrated ability to serve as a trusted, credible, and forward-looking thought partner to the Regional CEO and senior leadership.
Ability to anticipate challenges, evaluate risks, identify opportunities, and develop informed recommendations.
Ability to see beyond immediate operational demands and connect daily work to long-term organizational objectives, community needs, and mission impact.
Demonstrated ability to create practical strategies and convert those strategies into measurable goals, coordinated work plans, clear accountability, and sustained results.
Proven experience managing complex programs, multiple workstreams, competing priorities, budgets, timelines, risks, stakeholders, and performance measures.
Demonstrated ability to build strong teams, develop leaders, coach performance, create accountability, delegate effectively, and empower employees to make sound decisions.
Demonstrated experience leading, developing, engaging, or supporting a substantial volunteer workforce.
Ability to build an organizational culture that values volunteers as essential mission partners and leaders.
Proven ability to establish trust, facilitate collaboration, navigate differing viewpoints, and build productive relationships across functions, organizational levels, and external stakeholder groups.
Exceptional written, verbal, presentation, facilitation, and public speaking skills.
Ability to communicate with clarity, confidence, diplomacy, transparency, and executive presence, particularly during complex or high-pressure situations.
Ability to remain composed, decisive, adaptable, and solutions-oriented during emergencies, rapidly changing conditions, and periods of significant organizational demand.
Demonstrated ability to set clear expectations, monitor performance, address gaps, make timely decisions, and achieve measurable results.
Proven record of leadership, collaboration, facilitation, problem-solving, and partnership management.
Strong strategic planning and execution capabilities.
Advanced program and project management skills.
Ability to lead through subordinate directors and influence without direct authority.
Ability to develop, empower, and hold employees and volunteers accountable.
Strong analytical skills and demonstrated ability to use data to support decisions.
Experience with measurement, evaluation, reporting, and process improvement.
Strong technical and executive writing capabilities.
Effective public speaking, presentation, and meeting facilitation skills.
Ability to build relationships with senior government, corporate, nonprofit, and community leaders.
Sound judgment and the ability to make timely decisions in complex or ambiguous situations.
Customer- and client-focused orientation.
Ability to remain flexible, organized, responsive, and solutions-oriented.
Strong external focus and team orientation.
Familiarity with applicable disaster program guidance and standards.
Proficiency with standard office technology, including mobile devices, laptops, internet connectivity tools, Project Management Tools such as ASANA, Reporting Tools such as PowerBI, and Microsoft Office applications such as Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
Ability to work effectively as a member of an executive leadership team.

Skills

Disaster services
Emergency management
Complex program or portfolio management
Strategy development and implementation
Operational leadership
Government or community partnerships
Volunteer workforce leadership
Organizational change or performance improvement
Leadership
Collaboration
Facilitation
Problem-solving
Partnership management
Strategic planning
Execution
Program management
Project management
Influencing without direct authority
Team development
Empowerment
Accountability
Analytical skills
Data utilization
Measurement
Evaluation
Reporting
Process improvement
Technical writing
Executive writing
Public speaking
Presentation
Meeting facilitation
Relationship building
Decision-making
Customer focus
Client focus
Flexibility
Organization
Responsiveness
Solutions-orientation
External focus
Team orientation
ASANA
PowerBI
Microsoft Office
Outlook
Word
PowerPoint
Excel
Spanish Bilingual

Location

Central & South Texas Region

Work Type

Full-time

Experience Level

10 years of related experience
7 years of management experience

Education Level

Bachelor's degree

Salary/Compensations

$125,760.00 - $138,300.00

Benefits

Medical, Dental Vision plans
Health Spending Accounts & Flexible Spending Accounts
PTO: Starting at 19 days a year
11 paid holidays comprised of six core holidays and five floating holidays
401K with 6% match
Paid Family Leave
Employee Assistance
Short + Long Term Disability and Insurance
Service Awards and recognition

About the Company

By joining the American Red Cross you will touch millions of lives every year and experience the greatness of the human spirit at its best.
The American Red Cross is the world's largest humanitarian network.
When you choose to be a force for good, you’ll have mentors who empower your growth along a purposeful career path.
You align your life’s work with an ongoing mission that’s bigger than all of us.
As you care for others, you’re cared for with competitive compensation and benefits.
You join a community that respects who you are away from work as much as what you do while at work.

Equal Opportunity

The American Red Cross is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, San Diego Fair Chance Ordinance, the California Fair Chance Act and any other applicable state and local laws.
American Red Cross is proud to be an EONS partner and share our employment opportunities with the network of organizations.