Ascension LLC is seeking a highly skilled Exercise Planner / Facilitator to support a federal emergency preparedness and resilience program office responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing discussion-based and operations-based exercises in alignment with the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP).

This role is critical to ensuring the client’s preparedness objectives are translated into actionable, well-structured exercises that strengthen operational coordination, validate emergency response plans, and enhance interagency collaboration.

The ideal candidate is a structured planner, confident facilitator, and strategic thinker who thrives in high-visibility environments and understands the nuances of emergency management, continuity planning, and intergovernmental coordination. This individual must be comfortable leading senior stakeholders through complex scenario discussions while maintaining schedule discipline and achieving defined exercise objectives.

This position is best suited for professionals with direct experience supporting FEMA, DHS, state or local emergency management agencies, or other federal preparedness programs.

Position Summary

The Exercise Planner / Facilitator supports the client’s emergency preparedness program by designing, coordinating, facilitating, and evaluating tabletop exercises, workshops, functional exercises, and full-scale exercises consistent with HSEEP doctrine.

The contractor will work closely with the program office, subject matter experts, and partner agencies to translate strategic preparedness priorities into executable exercise plans and materials. The role requires strong project coordination skills, scenario development expertise, facilitation confidence, and the ability to manage multiple stakeholders across federal, state, local, tribal, and private-sector partners.

The ideal candidate is:

• Detail-oriented and structured in planning processes
• Skilled in building consensus across diverse stakeholder groups
• Comfortable briefing senior officials
• Adept at anticipating logistical or operational gaps
• Able to work independently in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
• Experienced in developing exercise documentation and after-action reporting

The Exercise Planner / Facilitator plays a direct role in strengthening national preparedness capabilities by ensuring exercises are meaningful, measurable, and improvement-driven.

Key Responsibilities and Activities

• Plan and design discussion-based and operations-based exercises in accordance with HSEEP methodology
• Develop Exercise Plans (ExPlans), Controller/Evaluator Handbooks (C/E Handbooks), Master Scenario Events Lists (MSELs), Situation Manuals (SitMans), and supporting documentation
• Coordinate Initial Planning Meetings (IPMs), Mid-Term Planning Meetings (MPMs), Final Planning Meetings (FPMs), and After-Action Conferences
• Facilitate tabletop exercises and workshops with federal, state, local, and interagency stakeholders
• Lead exercise briefings for senior leadership and executive-level participants
• Develop realistic and threat-informed exercise scenarios aligned with capability targets
• Draft After-Action Reports (AARs) and Improvement Plans (IPs)
• Analyze participant feedback, evaluation data, and corrective action items
• Track corrective actions and improvement plan implementation
• Coordinate exercise logistics, venue requirements, technology platforms, and participant communications
• Prepare executive summaries and readiness briefings
• Ensure compliance with applicable preparedness frameworks and client-specific policies
• Maintain documentation repositories and version control