Job Description

Requisition No: 884739

Agency: Division of Emergency Management

Working Title: SENIOR LEGAL ASSISTANT-SES - 31001810

Pay Plan: SES

Position Number: 31001810

Salary: $30,454.19

Posting Closing Date: 10/07/2026

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Senior Legal Assistant - SES

Office of the General Counsel

Florida Division of Emergency Management

This position is located in Tallahassee, FL

This is a part-time position.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) plans for and responds to both natural and man-made disasters. These range from floods and hurricanes to incidents involving hazardous materials or nuclear power. FDEM is the liaison between federal, state, and local agencies. FDEM prepares and implements a statewide Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan, routinely conducts extensive exercises to test state and county emergency response capabilities, provides technical assistance to local governments as they prepare emergency plans and procedures, as well as conducts emergency operations trainings for state and local government agencies.

FDEM serves as the lead agency for the State Emergency Response Team (SERT), whose primary goal is the coordination of the state’s efforts during disaster response and recovery. This coordination is conducted within the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) in Tallahassee. Additionally, FDEM manages the State Watch Office; the 24-hour a day operation tasked with providing situational awareness to stakeholders statewide. After a disaster, FDEM conducts damage assessment surveys and advises the Governor of the State of Florida on whether to declare an emergency and seek federal relief funds. It is against this backdrop that FDEM strives to demonstrate its mission of, “Coordinate, collaborate, and communicate with our community stakeholders for a resilient Florida”, along with our vision of “Leading the Profession in building prepared and resilient communities”.

Position Overview and Responsibilities:

This position serves as a part-time Senior Legal Assistant in the Office of the General Counsel and is responsible for providing support for the Paralegal and performing other tasks as assigned by and/or under the supervision of the General Counsel or other attorneys within the Office. Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Processing Legal Mail;
• Acting as the Records Management Liaison Officer assisting in promoting Division-wide awareness of and compliance with public records retention and management requirements;
• Acting as the back-up for the Public Records Liaison for receiving, managing, and fulfilling requests for public records, including coordinating with Division personnel for the retrieval, review, and production of responsive records under the supervision of the General Counsel or other attorneys within the Office, to ensure the Division’s compliance with Florida’s open government laws;
• Assisting the Paralegal and Attorneys with tasks assigned as needed;
• Performing other related duties as necessary, including at times with little or no advance notice, to assist with Division response and recovery efforts relating to emergency and disaster events within the State of Florida.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

In response to emergency events, FDEM employees may be required to work irregular hours, to work more than 8 hours per day, to work extended periods (including weekends and holidays), to work at locations other than their official headquarters, and to perform duties in addition to those outlined in the employee’s position description.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of and/or interest in emergency management.
• Ability to assist in developing clear, concise, and high-quality written work products.
• Ability to communicate effectively and concisely both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to utilize problem-solving techniques.
• Ability to plan, organize, coordinate, and complete work assignments in a timely manner.
• Ability to develop extensive knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of federal, state, and local government entities in response to public emergencies and disasters.
• Ability to deal tactfully and professionally with various internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment and/or individually with internal or external stakeholders.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, discretion, and confidentiality.
• Skilled in reading comprehension, professional writing and research, and oral and written communication.
• Skilled in the use of personal computers, Microsoft Office products (PowerPoint, Excel and Word), the Internet and related technologies, and web-based applications.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Experience using Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook) with the ability to learn and navigate FDEM enterprise business systems.

Special Notes:

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

FDEM is committed to successfully recruiting and onboarding talented and skilled individuals into its workforce. FDEM appreciates the service and sacrifices made by veterans and their family members and recognizes the immeasurable value veterans bring to the workplace and is committed to increasing the number of veterans that serve in its workforce.

FDEM is committed to increasing recruitment and hiring of individuals with disabilities and improving employment outcomes. An individual with a disability is qualified if he or she satisfies the skills, experience, and other job-related requirements for a position and can perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation. Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must contact the FDEM Human Resources Office at (850) 815-4177. FDEM requests applicants notify the Human Resources Office in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.

Successful completion of background screening will be required for this position.

The State of Florida and FDEM participate in E-Verify. This federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.

In response to emergency events, FDEM employees may be required to work irregular hours, to work more than 8 hours per day, to work extended periods (including nights, weekends, and holidays), to work at locations other than their official headquarters, and to perform duties in addition to those outlined in the employee’s position description. Employees must be able to deploy to emergency sites with limited advance notice.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.