DIVISION CHIEF OF OPERATIONS chez The Villages Community Development Districts

Do you thrive in an environment that is geared towards outstanding hospitality?  Do you have a passion for being innovative and creative?  Is hard work on your top list of ideals?  Are you a steward of your working environment?   Then read on…

The Villages Community Development Districts (The District) tops the list of community development districts that continue to grow in one of the most scenic locations in Florida, The Villages.  Our collective commitment to hospitality, innovation & creativity, hard work, and stewardship helps employees thrive and excel in many fields within The District.  An immediate full-time opportunity exists for an individual with commitment, a “passion” for excellence, and a “drive” for accuracy to join our Public Safety Department. This position requires a solid background of senior fire experience.  The incumbent will enjoy a challenging atmosphere and be part of a productive team that supports The District and its surrounding community.  The District is looking for an individual with a desire to utilize their cutting-edge skills in support of the Public Safety department.  The District provides a supportive and engaging workplace that is committed to developing great talent, coupled with competitive compensation and benefits.  Do not pass up this opportunity to be a part of a positive, expanding organization.

Competitive Benefits as a full-time employee of the District include:

• Medical Insurance (fully paid for employee single coverage)
• Voluntary health benefits, including Dental and Vision Insurance
• 401(a) Retirement Plan, with contributions funded by the District 
• 457(b) Retirement Plan, permitting employee pre-tax deferrals
• Flexible Spending programs for both Medical and Dependent Care
• Employee Assistance Program
• Paid Time Off
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness Eligible
• Tier 2 qualifying organization for The Villages Charter School

JOB SUMMARY

The Division Chief of Operations supports the Deputy Chief of Operations in managing the daily operations of the Emergency Operations Division of The Villages Public Safety Department (VPSD). This position provides leadership in planning, staffing, directing, and coordinating departmental operations, ensuring that all functions align with local, state, and federal standards. 

The Division Chief works closely with subordinate and peer officers, including Division Chiefs of EMS and Fire Training, the Division Chief of EMS Operations, Battalion Chiefs, Lieutenants, and the Logistics Division.

This role also supports the department’s accreditation efforts through the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) and may assume command roles in the absence of the Deputy Chief of Operations. The position requires maintaining the operational skills and leadership capabilities necessary for fireground command and emergency response. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (Includes, but not limited to)  

Administrative

• Support the Deputy Chief of Operations in the overall management and oversight of the Emergency Operations Division.
• Assist in developing and implementing operational plans, staffing models, and deployment strategies.
• Coordinate activities and guide subordinate officers, Battalion Chiefs, and Lieutenants
• Coordinate activities and work closely with the Division Chiefs of EMS and Fire Training, the Division Chief of EMS Operations, and the Division Chief of Administration
• Ensure efficient coordination of personnel, equipment, and resources to meet departmental objectives and service standards.
• Contribute to the evaluation of operational performance, recommend improvements, and support strategic initiatives.  Promote adherence to departmental policies, procedures, and professional standards. 

Staffing

• Coordinate with supervisors on staff assignments, reassignments, transfers, and replacements to ensure consistency and operational readiness.
• Guide personnel deployment to optimize staffing models. 

Budget/Purchasing

• Assist in the development of the annual department budget by providing operational input.
• Contribute to specification development and purchasing decisions for apparatus, equipment, and supplies.
• Advise on the procurement, maintenance, and readiness of fire/rescue and EMS apparatus, equipment, and supplies.

Operations

• Provide direct oversight of Fire Battalion Chiefs and daily emergency operations, including planning, scheduling, and staff assignments.
• Supervise and evaluate subordinate performance, ensuring compliance with departmental guidelines.
• Monitor incident command functions and review reports for quality assurance.
• Coordinate training and quality assurance programs for operations.
• Coordinate operational agreements with neighboring jurisdictions as appropriate.
• Ensure compliance with local, state, and federal regulations, including Florida fire and EMS laws and standards.
• Advises and makes decisions on unusual and difficult problems encountered by subordinate officers. 

Planning

• Assist in developing and implementing strategic and action plans for the department.
• Coordinate specialized response plans, including Technical Rescue Team (TRT) operations, with other agencies.
• Participate in emergency response planning and preparedness activities. 

General

• Performs general administrative / clerical work as required, including but not limited to preparing reports and correspondence, copying and filing documents, entering and retrieving computer data, attending and conducting meetings, answering the telephone.
• Supervises subordinate personnel through the department’s chain of command.  This includes staffing standards, organizing, selecting or recommending selection, assigning and evaluating work, counseling, disciplining, and recommending termination.
• Remains available 24 hours per day, seven days per week, for emergency response.
• Assists with Collective Bargaining Agreements.
• Attends training, conferences, seminars, and meetings to remain knowledgeable of modern fire/rescue response operations and administration; maintains required certifications such as Paramedic and State of Florida Fire Standards.
• Is the second contact person in the absence of the Deputy Chief of Operations for activation of Statewide TRT Emergency Response Plan for both The Villages and Sumter County.
• Assist with hiring processes, promotional exams, and assessment centers.
• Cultivates and maintains effective working relationships within the department, the District, as well as outside of the organization.
• Provide public presentations on behalf of the Deputy Chief of Operations.
• Serve in command staff roles during major emergency operations.
• Maintain 24/7 availability for emergency response.
• Represent the Deputy Chief of Operations during absences when required. 

Additional

• Performs other duties as assigned.
• May be expected to perform additional duties in an emergency.  

ESSENTIAL EXPECTATIONS OF PERFORMANCE AND BEHAVIOR (Includes, but not limited to)

• Cultivates and maintains effective working relations within the department, the District, as well as outside of the organization.
• Provides world-class customer service.
• Consistently demonstrates and upholds the District’s Core Values through conduct, decision-making, and leadership. 

MINIMUM EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE (Includes, but not limited to)

• Bachelor’s Degree from a regionally accredited college or university in Public Administration, Management, Business Science, or a technical field.
• Advanced education desired, or any equivalent training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• Progressively responsible professional experience may be substituted on a year-for-year basis for the college degree.
• Prior experience with state / local government preferred.
• Six years’ experience in progressive leadership positions with at least two years at a battalion / district chief level or higher. 

MINIMUM CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

• Certified Florida Firefighter (per F.S.S. 633).
• Fire Officer 1, 2.
• Certified Florida Paramedic preferred
• Valid Florida Driver’s License required.
• Florida Certified Incident Safety Officer Certificate of Completion preferred. 
• Required FEMA certifications IS100, 200, 700, 800 
• FEMA certifications ICS 300 and ICS 400 within 12 months of hire. 
• All candidates and employees must successfully pass background screening. 

MINIMUM KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (Includes, but not limited to)   

Knowledge

• Proficient personal computer skills and basic intermediate (or better) level in knowledge of Microsoft packages involving Word, Excel, Outlook, Access and Power Point.
• Proficient in Emergency Reporting. 

Skills

• Ability to be well-organized & successfully multi-task in a fast-paced professional environment to meet multiple demanding deadlines.
• Excellent written skills. 
• Successfully interact with others to include courtesy, tact and diplomacy.
• Ability to exhibit excellent verbal communication skills and professional appearance. 
• Proven ability and commitment to provide excellent customer service experience to all internal and external customers.
• Strong work ethic, attention to detail, ability to work unsupervised.

• Plan, program, organize, and execute assigned projects. 

Abilities

• Proficient in operating emergency vehicles and radios.
• Ability to properly utilize personal protective equipment for firefighting operations.
• Read and interpret blueprints, apply codes, policies, regulations, contract administration, bidding and budget management.
• provide/gather information, assign and follow up on work duties, and establish effective relationships.
• Successfully read and comprehend materials such as memos, correspondence and written orders as needed to ensure work activities are accomplished according to policy and procedure and exchange or acquire information.
• Successfully communicate thoughts and ideas in a logical, cohesive and comprehensible manner.
• Confidently and successfully communicate, and positively problem solve, with diverse members of the public.
• Actively support and exemplify the Core Values, Mission and Vision of the District. 

EQUIPMENT

Position regularly requires the use of office equipment, including but not limited to, telephones, personal computers and productivity software, copier, printers, scanners, and fax machine. 

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS (Includes, but not limited to)

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

While performing the duties of this job the employee will be exposed to the following:

• Successfully work under various conditions, inside and outside environment and work with others in stressful situations.
• May be required to work in adverse weather conditions (i.e., hurricanes, thunderstorms, etc.).
• May be required to work different schedules prior, during and following EOC activation and special events.

Physical Requirements

The physical requirements described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

While performing the duties of this job, the following applies:

• Regularly required to sit, use hands to finger, handle, or feel; talk or hear; balance or stoop, kneel, crawl, or crouch.
• Vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, night vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
• Must be able to lift packages and equipment weighing 50 lbs.
• Capable of operating in personal protective clothing and self-contained breathing apparatus under the adverse conditions found in firefighting operations.