Job Description

Initial Posting Date:

05/22/2026

Application Deadline:

06/15/2026

Agency:

Oregon Youth Authority

Salary Range:

$7,537 - $11,657

Position Type:

Employee

Position Title:

Government Relations Manager

OREGON YOUTH AUTHORITY

Government Relations Manager - Business Operations Manager 2

Salem, Oregon - CENTRAL OFFICE/BUSINESS SERVICES DIVISION

Join a collaborative and mission-driven team within the Business Services Division, as the Government Relations Manager, where you will play a key role in shaping policy, strengthening partnerships, and supporting critical agency operations. This division provides essential administrative leadership across Financial Services, Human Resources, Information Services, Internal Audit, Physical Plant Operations, and Governance and Public Affairs. This position provides leadership to the Governance and Public Affairs team, and the individual in this position will help advance initiatives that promote transparency, accountability, and effective public service while supporting important functions such as public records oversight, interstate compact coordination, and agency-wide information practices.

This is a dynamic opportunity for a strategic and relationship-focused professional who thrives at the intersection of government relations, public policy, and organizational leadership. In this role, you will collaborate with legislators, elected officials, state agencies, and community partners across education, human services, law enforcement, and public safety to help develop policies and practices that support the agency’s mission.

Key areas of responsibility include:

• Lead agencywide information management, public records operations, and legal compliance, including oversight of records retention, disclosure, expunction, archiving, litigation response, and coordination with DOJ, DAS Risk, and legal partners on complex or sensitive matters.

• Direct the agency’s legislative strategy and policy development, including bill review and analysis, testimony preparation, legislative concept submission, implementation of passed legislation, and advising the Director and executive leadership on policy impacts, risks, and systemwide implications.

• Provide strategic leadership and supervision across core functional teams, including the Governance and Policy Team, Communications Team, Records staff, and Interstate Compact for Juveniles Office, ensuring alignment with agency priorities, organizational values, and statewide juvenile justice objectives.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Six years of supervision, management, or progressively related experience; OR

• three years of related experience and a bachelor’s degree in a related field.

Required Skills:

• Experience with creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace, and ensuring the needs of all our youth and communities, especially those who are marginalized. Applicable experience can include formal training/certifications specific to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as well as lived experiences.

• Ability to communicate effectively and collaboratively, both orally and in writing, to a broad spectrum of executive, management, professional, technical and support staff within the agency, other state and federal agencies, and the public.

• Policy development and strategic planning.

• Ability to facilitate meetings and committees, and to work with people who have diverse interests.

• Ability to understand and communicate how policy changes may affect operations, policy, and the public and partners.

• Knowledge of legislative and rulemaking procedures and format.

• Good public relations skills.

• Understanding of governmental relations.

• Understanding of the public safety system and operating juvenile corrections systems.

• A thorough understanding of the agency’s programs and activities, as well as a working knowledge of other state agency responsibilities.

DESIRED ATTRIBUTES/APPLICATION SCORING CRITERIAIf you have these qualities, let us know! It’s how we will choose whom to move forward!

Note: You do not need to have all of these qualities to be eligible for this position.

• Knowledge of laws, rules, and standards related to public records, information management, confidentiality, and disclosure, including demonstrated ability to interpret statutes and apply legal exemptions.

• Experience leading and supervising staff or managing programs, including assigning work, evaluating performance, coaching, and building effective, collaborative teams.

• Skill in policy and legislative analysis, including reviewing bills, assessing operational and fiscal impacts, preparing testimony, and advising leadership on policy or statutory implications.

• Experience managing complex legal and administrative processes, such as responding to tort claims, subpoenas, litigation holds, discovery requests, or coordinating with legal counsel.

• Proficient in internal and external communication and business partner engagement skills, with the ability to work effectively with individuals and groups from diverse backgrounds, including legislators, legal partners, staff, youth, and community partners via software systems such as Microsoft TEAMS, Outlook, and Excel.

• Demonstrated ability to make independent decisions on sensitive, complex, or precedent setting issues, including evaluating risks, determining appropriate actions, and recommending system or policy changes.

How to apply:

• RESUME & COVER LETTER REQUIREDIn your cover letter, please describe your experiences, skills, and knowledge as they relate to the EACH of the desired attributes of the position and explain why you are the best fit for this role. Limit your cover letter to no more than 2 pages and ensure it is in PDF format for accessibility.

• Complete the questionnaire. Ensure your application and/or resume thoroughly reflect your skills, experience (both lived, volunteer, and professional), knowledge, and/or education pertinent to this position, including how you meet the minimum qualifications and any/all desired attributes. Please ensure your resume shows month/year and description of job duties on each history.

• After you submit your application, please respond to the public records request authorization and gender identity questionnaire. This step will come after you submit and will complete the process. If you are an employee, the tasks will come to your Workday inbox.

• If you are a veteran, you may receive preference. Click here for more information about veterans’ preference The task to claim preference will come after the public records request and gender identity questionnaire tasks. Click here for a guide on how to upload your documents. For privacy reasons, please do not attach your DD214/DD215/civil service preference letter to your application or combine it with any other required document attachments.

Caution: If you fail to follow these instructions, including failing to attach a resume or cover letter as described above, we will have to disqualify your application. We cannot consider incomplete or late applications.

Applications with generic cover letters may be receive lower scores and could be eliminated from further consideration.

Additional Details:

• Hybrid Telework: This position is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement, requiring three (3) in-office days per week at the Central Office. There may be times when additional in-office days are necessary due to workload demands. In-office and remote work schedules are reviewed periodically to ensure business needs are met and may be adjusted at any time. Please visit the state’sWork Reimaginedwebsite for more information.

• This recruitment will be used to establish a list of qualified candidates to fill multiple, current, and future vacancies.

• Your application materials are used to determine your starting salary range. Through an equal pay assessment, we will determine the salary offer using the information you provide in your submitted application materials. Please ensure your application materials are detailed, accurate and reflect your skills, experience (paid and unpaid) and education as they relate to the position when applying. For more information on pay equity, click here

• The salary range listed is the non-PERSparticipating rate. If you are already a participating PERS member or once you become PERS eligible, the salary range will increase by 6%. Please review theClassification and Compensationpage for more details.

• This position receives annual increases on anniversary date until the maximum of the salary range is reached.

• This position is part of the state's management team.

• Please save a copy of this job announcement for your reference, as it may not be available for you to view after the job closes.

Would you like to learn more about this position or how our application process works? Join our Recruitment team every other Wednesday, between 11am-11:30am PST during our OYA Career Chat Sessions. We can assist you with all your application questions and agency questions!

Click Here to Register for OYA Career Chats!

Tentative Recruitment Schedule:

NOTE: IF the first round of interviews are conducted via VidCruiter, an online video interview platform that offers flexibility by allowing you to complete your interview within a given time window. We want to give all candidates ample time and support to participate comfortably. Access to a computer or smartphone with internet, a camera, and a microphone will be necessary.

• 1st Round Interviews: June 24, 2026 (Vidcruiter)

• 2nd Round Interviews: July 1, 2026 (IN-PERSON)

• 3rd Round Interviews: July 8, 2026 (IN-PERSON)

Please note that this timeline is tentative and subject to change as needed.

ABOUT OYA

At OYA, diversity, equity, and inclusion are more than just words on a page. To meet our mission and live our values as an agency, DEI must be at the heart of all we do. We support cultural competence, develop teams and cultivate leaders in ways that are equitable to everyone, especially people of color, those who identify as LGBTQ+, or those from other marginalized communities. We are explicit and intentional as we identify resources that all our youth and staff need to grow and prosper. Our DEI work connects closely with our culture of positive human development, with safe and supportive environments where everyone is held accountable and connected to their community. The end goal is to protect the public and reduce crime by holding youth accountable and providing opportunities for reformation in safe environments.

If you are looking to join a team that values individual and cultural differences, with the opportunity to contribute to youth reformation by enriching our workforce with diversity, OYA wants to hear from you! People of color, women, and other members of historically marginalized communities are strongly encouraged to apply!

For more information please visit www.oregon.gov/oya

What's in it for You?
OYA values our employees. We believe that your time outside of the workplace is as valuable as it is inside the workplace. We offer a great work/life balance with flexible work schedules on most positions and a competitive benefits package, including low-cost, high-coverage health insurance, generous time-off, and a competitive retirement plan

Additional Information:

Our goal is to be a diverse workforce that is representative, at all job levels, of the citizens we are here to serve. OYA is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All aspects of employment including the decision to hire, promote, discipline, or discharge, will be individualized based on merit, competence, performance, and business need.

We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical​​​ condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or ​expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.” The more diverse we are, the better our work will be.

Applicants with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation to participate in the hiring process. For assistance regarding reasonable accommodation or for alternative format please contact OYA Recruitment at 971-345-1236. Oregon Relay Service can be reached by calling 7-1-1.

Pre-employment Checks:

In keeping with our mission, OYA will conduct a criminal record check, per OAR 416 Division 800, a driving record background check and a vulnerable population abuse and neglect check. Information obtained about an individual is confidential. An individual who refuses to consent to a criminal records/background check shall be disqualified from consideration in the position for which you applied. All applicants are subject to additional pre-employment check(s) such as fingerprint based on criminal records check, pre-employment drug screening and/or education verification as required for the position.

In 2003 Congress passed the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), the first federal civil statue focused specifically on addressing sexual violence in juvenile facilities, jails, prisons, and other facilities. In recognition of the rights, safety, and well-being of the youth we serve you will be asked specific questions about your background to ensure our hiring and promotion practices comply with the National PREA standards.

All positions in OYA will require the incumbent to serve as a "mandatory reporter" of child abuse.

Visa Sponsorship: We do not offer Visa sponsorship. If you are hired, you will be required to fill out the US Department of Homeland Security’s I-9 form confirming you are able to work in the US. OYA uses E-Verify to confirm that applicants are authorized to work in the United States.

Have Questions?:

For questions about the job announcement, email the OYA recruitment team at OYAjobs@oya.oregon.gov