Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
Initial Posting Date: 04/28/2023
Application Deadline: 05/14/2023
Agency: Department of Environmental Quality
Salary Range: $6,480 – $10,023
Position Type: Employee
Position Title: Communications Manager (Communications Manager 2)
Job Description:
Are you passionate about preserving, enhancing, and protecting 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. Here is a video about DEQ: https://youtu.be/E-Cs6M9AAlU
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality strives to build and sustain an inclusive environment that embraces and values diversity. Employees at all levels of the agency work together to foster fairness, equity, inclusion, and belonging. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, veteran, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, or physical or mental disability. Candidates from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may not meet every one of our listed preferred qualifications. Lived experience may count towards the preferred qualification. If you are excited about this position, we encourage you to apply. If you are unsure as to whether or not you meet the qualifications of this position, please contact us to discuss your application.
Candidates from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may not meet every one of our listed preferred qualifications. Lived experience may count towards the preferred qualification. If you are excited about this position, we encourage you to apply. If you are unsure as to whether or not you meet the qualifications of this position, please contact us to discuss your application.
Opportunity:
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality currently has a full-time opportunity for a Communications Manager (Communications Manager 2). This position will be located in Portland, Oregon, and will serve within the Office of the Director.
The Office of the Director provides leadership, policy formation and guidance, support to the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission, and legislative and budget development and support for the Agency. The Office of Communications and Outreach is responsible for strategic direction and oversight of Agency communications, outreach activities, website management, and internal communications.
Please consider joining an innovative team, and work to advance our agency’s mission to protect and improve Oregon’s environmental quality.
The Agency:
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is the chief regulatory agency of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon responsible for protecting and enhancing the state’s natural resources and managing sanitary and toxic waste disposal. 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. Here is a video about DEQ:https://youtu.be/E-Cs6M9AAlU
What you will do!
This Communications Manager directs DEQ’s statewide communication and outreach efforts including the design and implementation of public information and education programs, as well as internal and external communication and websites, and content management of the Agency’s internal document management and storage platform. You will oversee media relations, including internal and external “branding” efforts; manage the communication and public affairs staff; act as DEQ’s spokesperson; and serve as the principal advisor to the Director and executive team on communication and outreach. This position represents the Agency before the Environmental Quality Commission, the Governor’s office, local governments, tribal governments, stakeholders, and local and national media.
As a State supervisory manager, you will be expected to develop proficiency in, as well as model to others, these competencies: Proactive communication, Innovation, Intentional Engagement, Mentoring & Developing Others, Stewardship, and Business Acumen.
These competencies are demonstrated by:
- Ensuring staff are supported and have the tools, learning, and equipment necessary to perform their duties.
- Coaching, mentoring, and motivating staff; meeting regularly with staff to provide leadership, guidance, and feedback, and to encourage skill development and career growth.
- Setting clear work objectives, goals, and expectations for staff; evaluating performance and addressing performance in a timely manner.
- Building team cohesion; encouraging collaboration and ensuring staff are cross-trained.
This is a full-time, management service supervisory position.
What are we looking for?
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.
Desired Attributes:
- Understanding of public policy and process, including experience with public boards, committees, councils, and/or commissions.
- Highly organized self-starter with excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Proven public/private partnering skills and an understanding of how media works.
- Familiarity with a wide variety of communication tools, including web and social media.
- Management experience with a union represented employer.
- Experience communicating complex technical information and data to audiences who may be unfamiliar with the subject matter.
- Experience building and leading strong teams.
- Experience representing an agency or organization in meeting with government officials, commissions, advisory committees, stakeholders, local and national media, and the public, sometimes in urgent, contentious, or high profile situations.
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 after 6 months of service
- 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
Working Conditions:
Most work is performed in a professional office setting with multiple demands on time. There is frequent work under tight deadlines. This position requires occasional travel on official State business for meetings, conferences, and public hearings that may include overnight stays. Meetings and public hearings are often held in the evenings requiring occasional irregular work hours.
Helpful Tips:
- Resume and cover letter are required.
- Allow yourself plenty of time to complete and submit the application, resume, and cover letter.
- Workday will timeout after 20 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.
- Click here for Resources and a Job Support Page.
Veterans Information:
DEQ provides veterans’ preference points to all eligible veterans. For more information on veterans’ preference, please visit Veterans Resources, or call the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs at: 1-800-692-9666. For privacy reasons, please do not attach veterans’ preference documents when initially applying. You will be asked to submit those at a later time.
Pay Equity:
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. Please visit http://www.oregon.gov/das/hr/pages/equity.aspx for more information. 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, please contact Rebecca Zanskar, Human Resources Analyst, at rebecca.zanskar@deq.oregon.gov or (503) 807-8937. TTY users: please use the Oregon Telecommunications Relay Service at 1-800-735-2900.
Are you interested in an Informational Interview with DEQ to learn more about working at DEQ, how current DEQ employees got to where they are today, and what opportunities there may be for you at DEQ? Please go here and complete the form: https://www.oregon.gov/deq/about-us/Pages/humanresources.aspx. Please note that informational interviews are not tied to an open recruitment. If you complete the form above, you will be put in the queue to have an informational interview with a Hiring Manager from our Informational Interview Registry.