Grant in Aid Compliance & Program Integrity Specialist (Operations & Policy Analyst 2)

The Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care is excited to announce a permanent opening for a Grant in Aid Compliance & Program Integrity Specialist (Operations & Policy Analyst 2). Help build something new and make a difference in how Oregon’s early learning programs operate. In this role, you will turn legislation, policy, data, and compliance requirements into practical solutions that strengthen Oregon’s early learning programs. You will work across teams, advise agency leaders, lead improvement projects, and help build systems and processes that promote accountability, quality, and effective use of public resources. This position will be part of our new Program Integrity and Compliance Unit, an independent oversight function designed to strengthen accountability, protect public resources, and ensure grant programs operate with integrity. 

This position will work a hybrid schedule of working both in the office (Salem) and at an alternate location (home). In office work is anticipated as once per month, or as needed.  

About the Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC): 

At DELC, we are dedicated to helping Oregon’s young children and families learn and thrive. As the state agency responsible for early learning programs, child care licensing, and family support services, we play a crucial role in shaping the future of Oregon’s children from birth to kindergarten. 

We administer state-funded early learning programs, including home visiting and site-based infant, toddler, and preschool services. We also develop coordinated systems through Early Learning Hubs and collaborate with Child Care Resource and Referral organizations to provide training, coaching, and quality improvement opportunities for early learning providers. 

With over 275,000 young children in Oregon, we have a unique opportunity to transform early childhood support systems, creating a brighter future for families across the state. Research shows that investing in early childhood has lifelong benefits, and now is your chance to be part of an agency making a lasting impact for generations to come. 

Why Join Our Team? We are passionate about equity in early childhood education. At DELC, we value dedication, integrity, and collective wisdom, fostering a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming workplace where all employees can thrive. We challenge ourselves to lead with courage, refine practices, and drive meaningful change for children and families statewide. 

What We Offer: 

• Comprehensive Benefits: Low-cost medical, vision, and dental coverage for you and your family, plus optional benefits like life and disability insurance, deferred compensation, and flexible spending accounts. 

• Work-Life Balance: 11 paid holidays, 3 personal days, 1 special day, monthly sick leave, and vacation accruals that increase every 5 years. 

• Student Loan Forgiveness: Potential federal loan forgiveness after 120 qualifying payments. 

• Inclusive Culture: A diverse, welcoming workplace committed to equity and continuous improvement. Click on the following link to learn more about what it’s like to work at DELC. 

Our Commitment to Equity: Equity is at the heart of our mission. We strive to remove barriers, foster inclusiveness, and create meaningful change for underrepresented communities. Our goal is to ensure all DELC employees, child care providers and the children and families we support thrive. If you are ready to make a difference and help shape Oregon’s future, we would love to have you on our team! 

What you will do: 

This role will help strengthen program integrity across DELC’s Grant in Aid programs by: 

• Improving compliance, monitoring, quality assurance, and internal processes. 

• Developing policies and operational solutions that reduce risk and support program effectiveness. 

• Analyzing legislation and recommending changes to policies, programs, and operations. 

• Advising agency leadership on policy options and program impacts. 

• Leading cross-functional projects to address compliance gaps and improve systems and processes. 

• Researching best practices and developing recommendations to strengthen program integrity. 

To view a complete job description, click here.  

What we are looking for (minimum qualifications): 

• A Bachelor's Degree in Business or Public Administration, Finance, Political Science or related degree; and two years professional-level evaluative, analytical and planning work related to program policy, compliance, program integrity, legislative analysis, or operational improvement. OR; 

• Any combination of experience and education equivalent to five years of professional-level evaluative, analytical and planning work related to program policy, compliance, program integrity, legislative analysis, or operational improvement.  

In addition, we are looking for applicants that have the following Desired Attributes (requested skills): 

• Experience with compliance, monitoring, auditing, quality assurance, or program integrity work. Demonstrated ability to evaluate programs or operations against established requirements, identify risks or gaps, and support corrective actions or improvements.  

• Ability to analyze and interpret complex laws, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures. Experience translating complex requirements into clear operational guidance, recommendations, or actions.  

• Experience conducting policy and legislative analysis. Ability to research and evaluate proposed or existing legislation and policy, assess potential impacts, and develop recommendations for leadership or other decision-makers.  

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. Ability to gather and synthesize information from multiple sources, identify trends or gaps, and develop practical, data-informed solutions to complex problems.  

• Experience with process improvement and systems implementation. Ability to evaluate existing processes, identify opportunities for improvement, and help design or implement effective workflows, systems, controls, or tracking methods.  

• Project management and organizational skills. Experience planning, coordinating, and tracking complex projects or initiatives, managing competing priorities, and ensuring work progresses toward established outcomes.  

• Ability to build collaborative relationships and work effectively across programs and teams. Experience facilitating collaboration among diverse stakeholders and bringing together different perspectives to support shared goals and coordinated approaches.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Ability to communicate complex information clearly to a variety of audiences and develop high-quality reports, recommendations, briefing materials, or other written products.  

The Oregon Department of Early Learning and 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.