The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality strives to build and sustain an inclusive and equitable environment that embraces and values diversity. Employees at all levels of the agency work together to foster fairness, equity, inclusion, and belonging. We strive to be a workplace where we share our authentic identities, while advancing our individual professional goals, and while collaborating to protect, preserve, and enhance the environment for current and future generations. We celebrate and appreciate diversity, champion equity, and treat each other with respect and dignity.

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, age, or physical or mental disability in the administration of our programs and activities. Visit DEQ’s Civil Rights and Environmental Justice page.

Are you interested in applying your leadership skills to protect and enhance Oregon’s environment? If so, please consider a career with the State of Oregon at the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). At DEQ, employees have the opportunity to work with a dynamic and supportive team of mission-focused individuals tasked with maintaining, restoring, and enhancing the quality of Oregon’s air, land, and water.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has a full-time opportunity available for a Community and Program Assistance Manager (Grants, Loans, and Programs Manager 2). This position is based out of Portland, Oregon.

Please consider joining an innovative team, and work to advance our agency’s mission to protect and improve Oregon’s environmental quality.

About DEQ!

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is the primary regulatory agency of the government of the U.S. State of Oregon responsible for protecting and enhancing the state's natural resources.  

The Water Quality Division has a critical role in achieving the Department’s mission by developing policy, implementation tools, and implementation priorities for improving and protecting the quality of water in Oregon’s waterways. The Water Quality Division works cooperatively with the Department’s three regional offices and the Laboratory to deliver programs and services that protect and enhance the quality of the waters of the state to protect public health and the environment.

The Community and Program Assistance Section is responsible for supporting staff, developing policy, and ensuring practical implementation and efficient service delivery for projects and programs administered by the section including the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, water quality grants, administrative support for the Division, project management, and leading cross-program initiatives of DEQ’s Water Quality program.

For a visual representation of DEQ’s offices and their locations, view our DEQ Offices and Vehicle Inspection Testing Stations map.

What you will do!

You will manage the operations and support staff in achieving the objectives of the Community and Program Assistance section. You will manage program analysts, lending specialists, project managers, and administrative support staff with varying skillsets and position expectations. Your work will include leading, contributing to, and collaborating on, the development of statewide program goals and objectives and the development of section and staff-specific goals. You will collaborate with and seek input from your peers and teams to identify, prioritize, and schedule work; hire, manage, lead, and coach technical and professional staff; resolve difficult technical and/or administrative problems; monitor goal progress; and track and ensure timeliness and responsiveness to the public, regulated community, and funding recipients.

As a State supervisory manager, you will be expected to develop proficiency in, as well as model to others, the State of Oregon Enterprise Values and Competencies: Business Acumen, Communication, Innovation, Intentional Engagement, Mentoring & Developing Others, and Stewardship. 

What’s in it for you!

DEQ cares deeply about employee wellness and benefits. You will receive a comprehensive, competitive, and affordable benefits, leave, and wellness package, including:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 11 paid holidays
• 10 hours of vacation per month, eligible to be used as accrued
• 8 hours of sick leave per month, eligible to be used as accrued
• 24 hours of personal business leave per fiscal year, eligible to be used after 6 months of service
• Optional life insurance packages
• Flexible spending accounts
• Membership in the Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS)
• Optional deferred compensation retirement program
• Opportunity to potentially receive loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)
• Continuous growth and development opportunities
• Opportunities to serve your community and make an impact through meaningful work
• A healthy work/life balance, including flexible schedules and hybrid work options for many positions

This is a full-time, management service supervisory position.

This recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies.

What are we looking for?

Minimum Qualifications: 6 years of supervision, management, or progressively related experience or 3 years of related experience and a Bachelor’s degree.

Candidates who are most competitive will also reflect the following desired attributes:

• Demonstrated commitment to promoting and enhancing diversity; proven experience developing and implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
• Demonstrated understanding of public financing for infrastructure; familiarity with developing contracts and agreements to administer funds; experience with oversight of funding programs.
• Demonstrated understanding of water quality issues and trends and community-focused support, including environmental justice; knowledge of the federal and state laws governing water quality and natural resources management; familiarity with regulatory programs involving permitting and compliance.
• Experience leading  a grant, loan or bond program utilizing federal, state, and other public and private funds, including having lead responsibility for decision-making, leading and directing people with these areas of expertise, and planning and developing relevant program activities and strategy.
• Experience working with diverse groups and communities; skill and experience in communication and outreach to underrepresented communities; ability to build partnerships across diverse community and partner groups and interests.
• Experience building and supporting high-performing, collaborative, and inclusive teams that appreciate and encourage diverse thinking and foster an inclusive culture of belonging; proven experience fostering teamwork among subordinates; experience coaching, mentoring, and motivating subordinates and peers through inclusivity, equity, and kindness.
• Supervisory management experience in a grant, loan or bond program utilizing public funds or natural resource or environmental program; supervisory management experience in a government agency or government organization; understanding of or experience working with labor unions, particularly in a government setting.
• Skill in cultivating positive relationships across diverse teams while addressing workplace dynamics with professionalism and cultural sensitivity.
• Ability and experience managing human, financial, and informational resources in a manner that instills employee and public trust and accomplishes the organization's mission.
• Experience in strategic planning, plan implementation, succession planning, outcome-based management, and change management; champions process improvement.
• Demonstrated skill in advising executives and other decision-makers; political awareness; ability to communicate clearly and effectively in stressful situations, such as with permittees, local governments, and internal and external partners; excellent verbal and written communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead both technical and program development teams using data collection, goal setting, measure design, and report development to address statewide environmental challenges and opportunities.

Working Conditions:

DEQ believes in a diverse and inclusive work environment. All employees are expected to contribute to a work environment that collectively values and benefits from respecting its diversity and promotes a culture of inclusiveness.

This position will be based out of DEQ’s Headquarters office in Portland; however, the successful candidate may be eligible for hybrid work. The logistics of hybrid work will need to be worked out with the Hiring Manager prior to your hire and may be changed at any time given specific job duties and business needs. DEQ will provide necessary hardware (laptop, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and cell phone) for an employee to successfully work from home. At DEQ sites, you will have access to a workspace, however, it may be shared with other employees.

Most work is performed in a professional office setting with multiple demands on time. There is frequent work under tight deadlines. This position also requires travel on official State business for meetings, seminars, workshops, conferences, site visits, trainings, and public hearings, some of which may involve evening work, weekend work, and/or overnight stays. There will be extended working hours during legislative sessions and emergencies.

How to Apply: (complete the application in full)

• External Applicants Click on the “Apply” button and submit your application. For resources and support related to applying, view our External Candidate job aid and Workday Recruitment for External Job Applicants video.
• Internal Applicants (current State of Oregon employees): Apply through your employee Workday account. For step-by-step resources on how to apply, review the Jobs, search & apply knowledge article.

Helpful Tips:

• Allow yourself plenty of time to complete and submit the application.
• The State of Oregon does not request or require your age, date of birth, attendance, or graduation dates from an educational institution during the application process.
• Workday will timeout after 15 minutes of inactivity.
• This posting closes at 11:59 PM on the close date listed.
• Please save a copy of the job announcement for your reference, as it may not be available for you to view after the job posting closes.
• Be sure to check both your email and Workday account for updates regarding this recruitment.
• Workday performs best in Google Chrome.
• Check out our Resources and Job Support Page for other helpful tips. 

Help Your Application Rise to the Top!

Your application materials are the perfect opportunity to highlight your interest in the position and showcase your amazing skills and experience. In addition to your related work experience and education, DEQ will use the desired attributes and minimum qualifications above, under the “What are we looking for?” section to determine whom to interview. Please make sure your attributes and minimum qualifications are clearly demonstrated in your application materials.

Interested in hearing about future opportunities with DEQ? Subscribe to our weekly e-mail updates.

Veterans Information:

DEQ provides candidate preference points to all eligible veterans and Oregon National Guard servicemembers (current and former). For more information on candidate preference, please visit Veterans Resources. For privacy reasons, please do not attach candidate preference documents when initially applying. Instead, you will be asked to submit those at a later time as part of a future task in Workday.

Equal Pay Analysis:

As an employer, the State of Oregon complies with HB 2005, the Pay Equity Bill. We do not discriminate on the basis of protected class in the payment of wages, and we do not screen applicants on the basis of their current or past compensation. All finalists have an equal pay analysis completed to determine their placement on the salary scale. Please note: the salary listed is the non-PERS qualifying salary range. If the successful candidate is PERS qualifying, the salary range will reflect an additional 6.95% (6% goes to PERS and .95% covers payroll taxes). Please review the Classification and Compensation page for more details.

Work Authorization:

DEQ does not offer visa sponsorships. On the first day of employment, all hires will be required to complete the US Department of Homeland Security’s Form I-9, confirming authorization to work in the United States. In addition, hires will have three business days from their first day of employment to present documents that establish employment authorization and identity. DEQ is an E-Verify employer and will use E-Verify to confirm that hires are authorized to work in the United States.

Questions/Need Help?

If you have questions about the recruitment or need assistance to participate in the application process, including an accommodation request under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), please contact DEQ’s Recruitment Team at jobs@deq.oregon.gov or 503-229-5107. TTY users: please use the Oregon Telecommunications Relay Service at 1-800-735-2900.