What are the responsibilities and job description for the Executive Director - Charlottesville-UVA-Albemarle Emergency Communications Center, Virginia position at Baker Tilly Public Sector Executive Recruitment?
The Charlottesville-UVA-Albemarle Emergency Communications Center (ECC) is a regionally consolidated public safety answering point (PSAP) serving the City of Charlottesville, the University of Virginia, and Albemarle County. The ECC handles all 9-1-1 emergency and non-emergency calls for the region, serving as the central dispatch for local police departments, rescue squads, and fire services. The ECC receives 181,000 calls for service and 238,000 9-1-1 and administrative calls annually.
The ECC is seeking an Executive Director to provide strategic leadership, manage operations and resources, develop policies, and ensure effective coordination among member agencies. This role is critical in advancing regional emergency management efforts and maintaining seamless, high-quality emergency response services.
View the recruitment brochure here.
Responsibilities of the position include:
- Leading a multidisciplinary team across operations, finance, HR, training, and IT
- Managing and optimizing resources for public safety communications and emergency coordination
- Ensuring the security and operational readiness of technology, radio systems, and dispatch infrastructure
- Conducting long-range strategic planning and goal setting for the Regional ECC
- Preparing and managing the annual budget, financial reporting, and audits
- Facilitating inter-agency cooperation and stakeholder engagement to enhance regional emergency response
- Representing the ECC in public forums, media interactions, and governmental meetings
- Overseeing policy development, implementation, and continuous improvement initiatives
- Responding to community input, feedback, and concerns regarding emergency communications
- Promoting an inclusive, collaborative, and high-performing workplace culture
The annual starting salary range for this position will be $161,940 - $197,927. Albemarle County offers excellent benefits, including annual (front loaded) and sick leave, health insurance options (health, vision, and dental), and Virginia Retirement System (VRS) benefits. The ECC provides cell phone stipends as agreed upon to conduct day-to-day business. This is a full-time FLSA Exempt position. Employer-paid life insurance and deferred compensation are available. Residency within the Commonwealth of Virginia is required for all ECC employees. The Executive Director is additionally required to establish residence within reasonable distance of the ECC (2306 Ivy Rd, Charlottesville, VA). Reimbursement of relocation expenses is negotiable.
This position requires a bachelor’s degree and ten years of progressively responsible experience in public safety, including management, budgeting, and procurement, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Preferred candidates will have at least three years in senior management within emergency communications, along with certification as an Emergency Number Professional (ENP) issued by the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), or as a Registered Public-Safety Leader (RPL) or Certified Public-Safety Executive (CPE) issued by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO). Graduate-level degree is preferred.
This position is open until filled; however, interested applicants are strongly encouraged to apply no later than March 17, 2025. For more information, please contact Yolanda Howze at Yolanda.Howze@bakertilly.com or by calling 312-240-3401.
Salary : $161,940 - $197,927
