Head of Operational and Preventive Emergency Preparedness at Sønderborg Municipality

Do you want to lead the daily operations of the operational and preventive emergency preparedness and at the same time help ensure a robust emergency preparedness, also for the future? Do you have a strong emergency management background, experience with personnel leadership and a desire to work closely with both employees and volunteers? Then you may be the leader we are looking for!

The emergency preparedness in Sønderborg Municipality has a particular strength. A large part of the emergency services is based on voluntary work, and the voluntary fire brigades play a major role in the municipality's overall emergency preparedness. As a leader you will therefore have both the responsibility for daily operations and personnel management in the operational and preventive emergency department and a close collaboration with the voluntary fire brigades.

You will become part of the management and a close sparring partner for the Chief of Emergency Management. We are therefore looking for a leader who can confidently handle daily operations and has an eye for people, relationships and the long-term development of the emergency services.

Your core tasks

You will have the daily operational and personnel responsibility for approx. 14 full-time employees, 25 part-time firefighters and approx. 65 volunteers attached to the emergency services, who perform various functions and work areas. In addition, about 375 volunteers are attached to the centrally located fire stations in the municipality. The emergency services handle about 600 responses per year.

Through clear and appreciative leadership, you shall, in close collaboration with the subject coordinators, ensure a stable and safe daily operation with a focus on the unit's core task. At the same time you must have an eye for the potentials and opportunities that can develop the emergency services. As a leader you also play an important role in nurturing a workplace where everyone feels welcome and thrives, and you must be able to engage in dialogue when needed.

An important part of your task will also be the collaboration with the voluntary fire brigades on the operational side. You shall help retain and develop good relations and cooperation between the central full-time emergency service and the volunteers.

That means, among other things, that you must be available for sparring and guidance with a focus on creating a robust emergency service that can also meet future requirements. The good collaboration is built on understanding and recognition of the special culture associated with volunteering. Therefore you must have the will and desire to immerse yourself in the emergency services' possibilities and culture.

You must be able to maintain calm and overview in pressured and unpredictable situations and ensure stable and professional leadership during crises. In the municipality's crisis management organization you are expected to be able to assume the role of operations leader and stand at the helm when the control room activates the municipal crisis team.

Responsibilities in the operational and preventive emergency services include, among others:

• incident leadership and response to fires, environmental incidents and disasters
• authoritative and supervisory tasks, including fire inspection, fire-technical building case handling and emergency planning
• preventive information activities within the fire domain
• internal training activities
• operation and maintenance of the emergency services' vehicles and equipment
• municipal crisis management.

We are looking for a professionally strong and clear leader

We highly regard your professional abilities and expect that you are solution-oriented, see opportunities and can navigate in a municipal organization with many diverse tasks.

You thrive in a leadership role where you are close to both people and daily operations. You are visible and clear in your leadership and able to create direction. You see good relations as a key prerequisite for success and understand that people can be driven by different motivations. This is especially true in the cooperation between full-time, part-time and volunteer staff, where understanding and respect for different roles and cultures is essential.

We prioritize that you have relevant managerial experience so that you stand strong in your leadership and can create clarity about the prioritization of tasks and resources.

Leadership is valued highly with us, both in professional task solving and in the development of the workplace. Sønderborg Municipality has a common leadership framework that sets the direction for leadership across the organization. We expect you to see yourself in the municipality's five guiding leadership principles, which you can read more about in the municipality's leadership framework here .

We want to be a workplace where everyone looks forward to going to work and where we treat each other properly. It is a leadership task we take seriously. We expect you to actively take responsibility for well-being and the working environment by being visible in everyday life, involving employees and being open about how decisions are made.

We expect that you

• have a relevant emergency management background
• are trained as incident commander, preferably with experience as an incident commander in a municipality
• have completed BTU 1 + 2 + 3, BGU + BVU or fire-technical building case handling or are prepared to complete it
• have knowledge of the preparation and use of risk-based sizing
• can document experience with personnel leadership
• are visible and clear in your leadership and can get everyone moving in the same direction
• can motivate and create ownership of the shared task, and ensure that everyone feels respected regardless of role, seniority and background
• trives with a direct and informal tone, while also setting a clear standard for how we speak to and treat each other
• have knowledge of budget and financial management
• have experience with or are prepared to collaborate with volunteer associations
• can obtain security clearance for “SECRET”.

We offer

• engaged employees and volunteers who are passionate about the emergency services and the shared task
• a workplace with room for professional sparring and a focus on collaboration and well-being
• freedom with responsibility in relation to your tasks and the planning of your work
• a busy and exciting everyday life with many demanding and meaningful tasks
• an opportunity to set direction and influence the development of future emergency services
• a close collaboration with the Chief of Emergency Management and the rest of the management
• opportunity for professional and managerial development
• a strong management community and access to a leadership network across the administration.

About the operational and preventive emergency services

The Sønderborg Emergency Services, together with the 11 voluntary fire brigades, handle the total fire and rescue emergency service within the municipality’s area.

You report to the Chief of Emergency Management and have a close collaboration with your supervisor for the Control Center. You depend on each other to succeed with your core task.

The operational and preventive emergency services are organizationally anchored in Emergency Services Sønderborg, which also houses the Control Center, Parking South and Fleet Management.

Emergency Services Sønderborg is part of Operations and Emergency Services Sønderborg, which also includes Building Operations, Operations and Service, the Construction Department and Operations Support. Operations and Emergency Services Sønderborg belong to the Technical, Environment and Sustainability Administration in Sønderborg Municipality.

Employment conditions

The position is a permanent full-time position, and we wish to fill it by 1 February 2027 or as soon as possible.

Salary and employment terms follow the applicable collective agreement between KL and the relevant professional organization – based on your qualifications.

Applications, CVs and other relevant documents must be received no later than 26 November 2026.

We use Garuda profile testing as part of the recruitment process. The test must be completed if you proceed to the 2nd interview.

First interview round will be held on 7 December 2026. A possible second interview round will be held on 17 December 2026.

Want to know more

If you would like more information about the position, you are welcome to contact the Head of Operations and Emergency Services Sønderborg, Allan Bach Laursen at [email protected] or at telephone +45 29 24 59 61.

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Sønderborg Municipality - a workplace of world-class standards

Sønderborg Municipality is an ambitious workplace community where we make a difference together and create an even better local community.

Whether you are involved in realizing our visions, political decisions, or delivering core services of the highest quality close to the citizens, you will be recognized for your efforts and commitment.

We invest in you through ongoing competency development and a focus on talent, so you develop and reach your full potential over a lifetime of work.

We have the courage to turn things upside down in solving both small and large challenges. This provides new perspectives and insight into innovative solutions.

We work closely with local businesses to promote growth and green development in our area, creating a dynamic and inspiring workplace.

We are a workplace with a high degree of flexibility, which provides room for both career and leisure.

Read Sønderborg Municipality’s human resource policy values and Leadership Framework

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