Public Records and Communications Specialist

Do you have a high aptitude for learning and relationship building? Are interested in joining a new, mission-driven agency focused on matters that impact the safety, health and development of children? If you’re solutions-oriented and place high value on detail and effective communication, this may be the opportunity for you

The Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care is excited to announce a permanent opening for a Public Records & Communications Specialist (Administrative Specialist 2).

Oregon is home to over 275,000 children, birth to kindergarten entry. Our state has an opportunity to change how it supports these children and their families and, in doing so, put itself on the path to an even brighter future. Overwhelming evidence tells us that investing in young children and their families has a lasting impact across their lifetime. Now is your chance to be part of an agency that will have positive impacts on current and future generations of young children and their families.

This position will work a hybrid schedule of working both remotely and in the Salem office roughly one day per week/as needed to print and scan record requests. If you are located in the Portland Metro area, there may be potential for you to drop into our Portland field office to print and scan record requests.

More about us:

This position is part of (DELC) which is an agency that prides itself on enabling Oregon's young children and families to learn and thrive. We are responsible for overseeing the state’s Early Head Start, Head Start, Prenatal to Kindergarten, and Relief Nurseries programs, licensing Oregon’s child care providers and developing systems that coordinate regional cross sector partnerships through Early Learning Hubs. DELC partners with local Child Care Resource and Referral organizations to provide professional learning, coaching, consultation and other quality improvement opportunities for early learning and care providers.

Considering a career with us means that you value dedication, integrity, and collective wisdom and that you are eager to employ values rooted in equity to benefit Oregon’s children and families. We value diversity and support a positive and welcoming environment where all of our employees can thrive. Those who fill these positions will join a new team of dedicated and passionate professionals. Our teams promote a collaborative, proactive culture of continuous quality improvement with a focus on quality implementation and impactful outcomes for children and families. As our state, counties, and cities become more diverse, it is imperative now more than ever that we focus on evolving practices to achieve increased equity, diversity, and inclusion in all of our offices. As always, our goal is to lead with courage externally and internally. This means challenging ourselves to do things differently and refining current practices that ensure we continue to make strides towards equity. The Department of Early Learning & Care supports a work life balance, where employees are supported in an environment where they can thrive.

What you will do:

The primary purpose of the records position is to coordinate requests and prepare records. The role receives delegated requests from the leadership team. The officer then reviews incoming record requests, clarifies scope of request if needed, determines if release of information is needed and pulls applicable records from electronic and hard file sources. Records are then saved in a shared drive for the records officer or relevant point person to apply redactions. Utilizing tools created, the officer determines if the request should be processed or if it needs to be referred to another program area of the agency. The role is responsible for sending acknowledgement and responding within statutory timeframes. This position serves as the primary point of contact for public record requests, collaborates with staff and provides technical assistance to increase transparency and ensure DELC meets timelines associated with records requests to minimize agency liability. This requires a breadth of knowledge related to DELC policy, procedure, and public records law, as well as the unique practice and procedures specific to early learning and care.

This position also plays an important role on the communications team and assists with communications requests and projects when not working on records related work. This includes but is not limited to

developing internal employee communication best practices and protocols, working with the Executive Leadership Team to create communications support around records management and formulating and designing engaging content for social media.

What we are looking for:

• Three years of secretarial or administrative support experience that includes coordinating office procedures, preparing narrative and statistical reports, and administrative data collection and analysis

OR

• An associate degree in general office occupations and two years of secretarial or administrative support experience that includes coordinating office procedures, preparing narrative and statistical reports, and administrative data collection and analysis

OR

• An equivalent combination of education and experience

In addition, we are looking for applicants that have the following Desired Attributes:

• Intermediate skill and proficiency in Microsoft applications such as Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Outlook
• Excellent attention to detail, including ability to compose important documents paying attention to accuracy, grammar, and punctuation
• Experience providing equity-driven customer service and interpersonal skills for team members and internal and external customers
• Skill in interpreting information, policies and procedures and applying interpretations to specific situations
• Self-motivated, strong planning and organizational skills, and ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines
• Ability to professionally and effectively communicate orally and in writing with a variety of people, often working with confidential or sensitive information; answering questions and explaining information
• Ability to prepare and provide accurate and timely data to inform ongoing program evaluation and monitoring efforts
• Experience with or knowledge of state statutes, rules and procedures related to public records requests or licensed child care
• Experience providing support surrounding external communications (i.e., website updates, best practices, writing in plain language, marketing materials, social media)

The Oregon Department of Early Learning & Care strives to create an inclusive environment that welcomes and values the diversity of the people we serve. We foster fairness, equity, and inclusion to create a workplace environment where everyone is treated with respect and dignity.  Candidates of all racial and ethnic backgrounds, as well as bilingual/multicultural individuals, are encouraged to apply.

What’s in it for you?

When you join the Oregon Department of Early Learning & Care, you are joining a fast-paced, creative environment with colleagues who are passionate about public service and building early childhood equity statewide.

• Excellent benefits package for the employee and qualified family members with a very low monthly out-of-pocket cost. In addition to standard medical benefits and employee leave, the state also provides additional optional benefits, such as basic life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, deferred compensation savings program, and flexible spending accounts for health care and child care expenses;
• 11 paid holidays per year;
• 3 paid "Personal Business Days" per year that you may use at any time;
• 1 additional paid “Special Day” per year that you may use at any time;
• 8 hours of sick leave accumulated every month;
• Progressive vacation leave accrual, with increases every 5 years;
• if you have federal student loan debt or are thinking of going back to school, then you will want to look into this program. If you make 120 qualifying payments on your student loan while working full time for a qualifying employer, your student loan debt may be forgiven.

To Apply:

The screening of candidates will be based on a review of an attached resume (limit to three pages). Candidates whose backgrounds most closely match the desired attributes and experience section as outlined in this announcement will be invited to interview. Failure to complete this step may result in the disqualification of your application.