Director, Oregon Youth Authority (OYA)

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Your New Role - Director, Oregon Youth Authority!

Join our Team - Make a Difference in the Lives of Youth and Your Community.

Are you passionate about public safety and committed to guiding young individuals toward a better future? We are seeking a dedicated, inspired and talented leader to join our team in fulfilling our mission to protect the public and reduce crime by holding youth offenders accountable and providing opportunities for reformation in safe environments.

In this role, you will play a critical part in shaping the lives of youth, promoting employee engagement and wellbeing, ensuring accountability, and fostering rehabilitation through education, vocational training, and evidence-based and research informed treatment.

The ideal candidate is a skilled communicator, a problem-solver, and a transformational leader who is committed to fairness, integrity, and public service.

The OYA Director is responsible and accountable for achieving the agency's statutory mandates, the Governor's and the legislature's direction and priorities and the agency's mission. Within this framework, the Director is the ultimate authority and decision-maker relating to all the agency's operations and programs affecting youth in OYA's custody and supervision, administrative and operations policy/procedures, department biennial budget, and strategic planning and priority setting to achieve and fulfill the agency's mission and goals. The Director provides the vision, direction, and oversight to utilizing evidence-based, data-informed practices proven to be effective in the juvenile justice system to ensure equitable outcomes for youth, families, and communities.

If you are ready to make a lasting impact and contribute to safer communities, we encourage you to apply today!

About the Oregon Youth Authority:

The mission of the Oregon Youth Authority (OYA) is to protect the public and reduce crime by holding youth in custody accountable and providing opportunities for reformation in safe environments. We accomplish this mission by providing or contracting for evidence-based and research-informed treatment, classroom education, vocational education, and opportunities for community engagement.

Our vision is that all youth who leave OYA go on to lead productive, crime-free lives. This vision reflects our philosophy that it is important for youth not only to remain crime-free, but also to build positive lives for themselves, their loved ones, and their communities. By becoming productive and contributing members of society, youth can help create a safer, healthier world, and give back to their communities.

The core values that guide us are integrity, professionalism, accountability, and respect. As stewards of the public trust, we display ethical and honest behavior in all that we do. We practice unwavering adherence to professional standards and perform our work competently and responsibly. We conduct our jobs in an open and inclusive manner and take responsibility for the outcomes of our performance. We treat others with fairness, dignity, and compassion, and we are responsive to their needs. These values support our culture of positive human development, which provides supportive relationships, offers meaningful participation and community connection, and sets high expectations in a safe and opportunity-rich setting where engagement, learning, and growth occur.

We oversee the care and custody of youth ages 12 through 24 who commit crimes prior to their 18th birthday. We exercise legal and physical custody of youth committed to OYA by juvenile courts, and physical custody of youth who have been sentenced in adult courts and, due to their age, are placed with OYA. To serve youth, we operate 9 close-custody facilities throughout Oregon and oversee a range of community-based probation and parole options that include residential treatment programs and certified foster care homes. In total, we are responsible for the care and custody of approximately 900 youth at any given time. Of those youth, approximately 375 live in close-custody facilities, with the remainder located in community-based settings.

The agency is organized into several key service areas that contribute to the success of the youth we serve. Operational service areas are Community Services, Facility Services, and Health Services. Support service areas are the Director's Office, Business Services, and Development Services. We employ approximately 990 staff and operate with a biennial budget of approximately $500.7 million Total Funds, of which approximately $418.8 million in General Fund.

Additional Quick Facts about OYA can be found here.

Minimum Qualifications Required:

• Seven years of management experience.

OR

• Four years of management experience and a bachelor's degree in a related field.

Requested Attributes:

• Strong working knowledge of the day-to-day operations of juvenile detention facilities as well as community-based alternatives to detentions.

• Demonstrated experience leading large organizational divisions, units, or teams.

• Transformational leadership experience and demonstrated ability to effectively influence and engage others to impact organizational - wide, systems change.

• A proven track record of navigating, impacting, and enacting state policy decisions, legislation, and regulatory actions.

• In depth knowledge of governance initiatives and best practices related to equity, diversity, and inclusion and meaningful public engagement in the private and/or public sectors.

• Expert skills to build consensus and forge relationships with internal and external partners across the state while applying the leadership and courage to make tough decisions when needed.

• Integrity, authenticity and a strong sense of self-awareness, motivation and ethics that demonstrate responsibility to community and commitment to public service.

• Strong communication skills: excellent listening, verbal and written communication skills with the ability to reach a wide variety of audiences at varying stages of awareness and commitment.

• Solid program evaluation and design skills to utilize data collection and metrics to effectively demonstrate quality improvement outcomes and ensure accountability.

Application Details and Instructions

• External Applicants: Click on the "Apply" link and submit resume and cover letter. View this video for help.

• Internal Applicants (Current State of Oregon employees): Apply via your employee Workday account. Make sure to include a resume and cover letter. View this knowledge article for help.

• This announcement is for one (1), Executive Service, full-time, permanent, Agency Head 4; This recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies

• Please save a copy of this job announcement for reference, as it is not available for you to view after the announcement deadline. If you have questions about the job announcement, or how to apply, please contact the Executive Recruiter Kylen Stevens at: Kylen.stevens@das.oregon.gov | 503-400-5821

The Benefits of Joining Our Team

The team at the Oregon Youth Authority focuses closely on collaboration to support fellow teammates, while ensuring safety and looking for ways to innovate. Additional benefits include:

• Work/life balance, 11 paid holidays a year, and a competitive benefits package

• Advancement and learning opportunities that will help grow your career with the State of Oregon

• Get There - Oregon's easy-to-use carpool matching tool and trip planner

• Live, work, and play in Salem, Oregon

Additional Details:

• The information in your application will be used to complete a pay equity assessment to determine salary placement upon hire. Please see the link here to our Pay Equity Project. If you have additional questions, please contact the HR Talent Acquisition Consultant.

• Finalists will be subject to a computerized criminal history check.Adverse background data may be grounds for immediate disqualification

• Agency does not offer visa sponsorship. Within three days of hire, applicants will be required to complete I-9 documentation and confirm authorization to work in the United States. If your employment authorization and documentation is contingent on sponsorship now or in the future, you will not meet Agency employment eligibility standards

• Eligible veterans who meet the qualifications will be given veterans' preference. For more information, please visit Veterans Resources.

Helpful Links & Resources

Oregon Job Opportunities Webpage | How to Set Job Alerts

Workday Applicant FAQ | What You Need to Know to Get the Job

Veterans Resources