Community Disaster Program Specialist

American Red Cross

Location:
Bakersfield, CA, USA
Category:
Professional Staff
Posted Jun 23, 2026Apply by Jul 8, 2026 (11d left)

As a Community Disaster Program Specialist, you will guide, lead and support teams of trained volunteers to deliver comfort and care in times of disaster. You will also create and maintain a foundation of continuous and robust volunteer engagement using established processes and collaborating with volunteer services staff. You will work with volunteers to ensure that the communities you serve are ready to respond to disasters.

Responsibilities

  • Facilitate and support a diverse volunteer team responsible for the implementation of volunteer-led disaster cycle services programming ensuring rapid, accessible, and equitable delivery to meet urgent disaster-caused needs.
  • Assist with the successful implementation of specific disaster cycle services program activities or functions within an assigned geographic area.
  • Engage disaster volunteers who are representative of the communities they serve, both culturally and linguistically.
  • Support local efforts to prepare and mobilize communities and engage partners to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters and emergencies.
  • Implement plans to meet assigned targets for volunteer engagement and volunteer-led Disaster Action Team response to local home fires or support specific function tasks within assigned geographic area.
  • Act as the local point of contact for partners and communities, partnering with local organizations and leaders supporting frontline communities and community resiliency before, during and after disasters.
  • Participate in disaster response operations in the region in alignment with the Disaster Cycle Services Concept of Operations, upon completion of training requirements.

Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree required, or equivalent combination of education and related experience required.
  • Minimum 3 years of related experience.
  • Valid Driver’s License.
  • Ability to coordinate staff and volunteer activities.
  • Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
  • Proven record of accomplishment of collaboration with diverse groups and individual’s representative of all the demographics of this community, managing multiple priorities, facilitation, problem solving, marketing, leadership, and partnership management.
  • Intermediate level proficiency with Microsoft Office software, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
  • Ability to work outside of regular duty hours including nights and weekends.

Skills

  • Volunteer Coordination
  • Disaster Response
  • Community Engagement
  • Program Facilitation
  • Partnership Management
  • MS Word
  • MS Excel
  • MS PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Staff Coordination
  • Marketing
  • Leadership
  • Problem Solving

Languages

English