Engagement Officer (Director I)

The Position

About the position

Job Appointment: Full Time, At Will
This position is exempt from Civil Service and is an "At Will" position. It serves at the discretion of the hiring authority, subject to City of Portland Human Resources Administrative Rules and Portland City Charter and Code.
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8 am-5 pm. Work hours will vary to meet business needs during crises or critical events.
Work Location: Hybrid-Employee will report to Portland Building, 1120 SW 5th Ave, Portland, Or 97204 for in-person work. Please note, leadership positions may require more presence in the office. Remote work must be performed within Oregon or Washington.For more information, click here .
Benefit: Please check our benefit tab for an overview of benefit for this position
Language Pay Premium Eligible: This position may be eligible for Language Pay Differential for qualifying employees
Union Representation: This classification is not represented.

Application Material: Please click APPLY to submit your application via the City of Portland’s online portal. You will need to attach a cover letter, resume and an equity statement.

Position Summary
There has never been a more important time to put your community engagement expertise to work for the City of Portland. This November, Portlanders will elect an Auditor and Mayor citywide and a 12-member city council with three members elected by district. All elections will use ranked-choice voting. Representation and community engagement are at the heart of the City’s new election methods and council composition, which for the first time in over a hundred years, ensure equal geographic representation for every part of the City. Additionally, on January 1, 2025, the City of Portland launches a mayor/council form of government with a City Administrator managing the day-to-day operations of the City. These large-scale organizational changes include establishing a new Engagement Officer position that will provide citywide strategic and programmatic direction and oversight for how the City engages the community in the decisions that are most important to Portlanders.

The City of Portland is recruiting a highly experienced engagement professional who has demonstrated experience developing policy, leading teams, and working closely with community they serve. Your daily schedule could include briefing the City’s leadership team, meeting with neighborhood and business associations and other city stakeholders, convening a citywide engagement leadership team to design citywide engagement practice guidelines, leading management meetings for the Office of Community and Civic Life, and meeting with direct reports. The ideal candidate has deep experience leading multicultural, diverse teams and is committed to the City’s core values.

The Engagement Officer, will provide direct oversight over the Office of Community and Civic Life, focusing on the Office’s diverse and culturally specific programs. Importantly, the Officer will oversee both the partnerships and the legal framework that establish the City’s 94 Neighborhood and 50 Business District Associations and four District Coalitions.

The successful candidate will be the first person to hold this position and will have the opportunity to help the City’s leadership team shape and develop the role, its strategic priorities, and work plan.

The mayor elected in November has the authority to appoint the City Administrator and will likely influence the direction of this role and the executive office. The Engagement Officer is an at-will position, reporting to the Assistant City Administrator.

As The City of Portland's first Engagement Officer, you will:

• Lead your work with the City’s core values of anti-racism, equity, transparency, communication, collaboration, and fiscal responsibility.
• Manage the talented and diverse staff of the Office of Civic Life and budget.
• Convene and lead a citywide engagement team, with representatives from each service area to set strategic direction, establish and implement citywide standards and engagement procedures.
• Develop and execute an organization-wide equitable engagement strategy, including standard practices and procedures in partnership with the leadership positions across the City.
• Build relationships and inter-governmental agreements with regional and municipal community engagement leaders to better coordinate the public’s engagement on regional issues.
• Advise City leadership on the implementation of engagement plans, practices, and procedures.
• Establish clear procedures and guidelines to implement community engagement policy as passed by city council and/or city administration.
• Provide strategic guidance and support for citywide policy initiatives as requested by executive leadership.

About the Office of Civic Life
The Office of Community & Civic Life (Civic Life) connects the people of Portland with their City government to promote the common good. Founded in 1974, Civic Life works to build stronger communities by supporting and empowering Portlanders to get involved with their local government through civic engagement, community leadership, and support for neighbors. Civic Life programs create a culture of collaboration, expanding possibilities for all Portlanders to contribute their knowledge, experience, and creativity to address local concerns and make life better in the city we all share. The talented staff of the office work every day with a wide range of partners to build systems that serve the needs of all Portlanders, ensuring equitable outcomes for our communities by:

• Supporting communities in creating safe, fun, and inclusive neighborhoods.
• Providing resources for immigrant and refugee communities.
• Teaching communities about and providing resources for conflict resolution.
• Supporting leadership development for Black, Indigenous, people of color, immigrant, and refugee communities.
• Building stronger communities by connecting neighborhood groups to resources and funding.
• Connecting people to local government by inviting Portlanders to join advisory committees that impact policies and budgets.
• Investing in programs to train diverse young leaders to engage in and lead on civic matters and creating a more representative local government.

Virtual Zoom Meet & Greet Opportunity

Come meet the hiring manager and the senior recruiter! We'll be talking about the position duties and responsibilities, day to day life in the role, review the announcement, discuss how to apply, and answer questions you may have about the position.

Wednesday, November 6, 2024

12:00pm Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Zoom Meeting Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86179685265
Meeting ID: 861 7968 5265

Have a question?
Contact Information:
Loan Tran Polanco, Recruiter
Bureau of Human Resources
Loan.Tran@portlandoregon.gov

To Qualify

Applicants should specifically address and demonstrate in their cover letter and résumé how their education, training, and/or experience meet each of the following minimum qualifications: Knowledge and experience with operationalizing community engagement in complex systems and its application to engagement outcomes.Experience with institutional change processes and managing organizational transformation.Experience managing functions and operations, including personnel management and budget administration, and apply program practices to diverse and complex City services.Experience managing a multicultural workforce, promote an equitable workplace environment, and apply equitable program practices to diverse and complex City services.Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, present information, proposals, and recommendations clearly and persuasively in public settings.Ability to collaborate with communities of color and people traditionally underrepresented in local decision-making and facilitate inclusive participation in programs and activities.

The Recruitment Process

STEP 1: Apply online between October 28, 2024 to November 25, 2024

Required Application Materials:

• Cover letter
  • Details are key! The city uses a merit-based system, so your cover letter should be thorough and specifically address each qualification listed in the "To Qualify" section of the job announcement. Your cover letter can exceed one page, to ensure you are able to provide the detailed information for every qualification. Follow the instructions, as a subject matter expert will be evaluating your details to confirm that you meet the minimum requirements.
• Resume
• Answer to three (3) Supplemental Questions (click on the Questions tab to preview the questions)
• Equity Statement

In addition to providing a cover letter/resume please submit a separate equity and anti-racism statement outlining your commitment and experience successfully developing and delivering equitable, inclusive, and anti-racist approaches to executive management.

Experiences may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Lived experience as a member of an underrepresented group.
• Experience living, working, and meaningfully engaging with individuals with a variety of identities; and,
• Track record of instilling equity, inclusion, and anti-racist practices within operations.

If your experiences are different from those listed and you have a commitment to equity, anti-racism, and inclusion, please explain how you will manifest that commitment in this position.

Equity Commitment:
For applicants who meet the qualifications of this position, in accordance with the adoption of the Charles Jordan Standard and the City of Portland's commitment to equity, the highest qualified minority candidates, highest qualified candidates identifying as female, and highest qualified candidates who identify as a person with a disability will be included in the final interview process. To identify candidates who should be considered under the Charles Jordan Standard, we are asking applicants who meet the qualifications for this position to include information identifying their status as a minority, woman, and/or identification as an individual with a disability in the required equity statement.

Please see the City's Charles Jordan Standard Portland Resolution No. 37180 for more link: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/citycode/article/564587

Optional Application Materials

• If you would like to request Veteran's Preference, please submit your Veteran documents (ex, DD214-Member 4, VA Benefit Letter, etc) by the closing date of the recruitment.

Application Tips:

• Your cover letter should detail your qualifications for each item listed in the “To Qualify” section of this announcement. Be concise but thorough in describing your education, training, and/or experience, and where you obtained them. To ensure clarity, your cover letter can exceed one page to address each qualification full.
• Your résumé should support the details described in your cover letter.
• Salary Range/Equity Pay Analysis : Please note per the Oregon State Pay Equity Law your salary is determined based on the experience and education listed in your resume/application. It is strongly encouraged to include any transferable experience (paid or unpaid regardless of how recent) to ensure your offer is reflective of all directly related and equivalent experience.
• Do not attach any additional documents.
• Please note, all completed applications for this position must be submitted no later than on the closing date and time of this recruitment.
• You can use AI tools to assist with your job application, but please make sure to personalize your responses to supplemental questions. Avoid copying and pasting. We encourage use AI to generate ideas and then tailor them to reflect your own experiences and skills.
• All applications must be submitted via the City's online application process.
• E-mailed and/or faxed applications will not be accepted.

Step 2: Minimum Qualification Evaluation: Week of November 25, 2024

• An evaluation of each applicant's training, paid and unpaid experience, as demonstrated in their cover letter, and resume, weighted 100%.
• Your cover letter and résumé will be the basis for our evaluation of your qualifications for this position. Incomplete or inappropriate information may result in disqualification.
• You have 14 days from the notice of the minimum qualification evaluation results to let us know if you would like to review and discuss your evaluation result. Please read the City of Portland Administrative Rule 3.01 for complete information.
• Additional evaluation may be required prior to establishment of the eligible list and/or final selection.

Step 3: Establishment of Eligible List: Week of December 02, 2024

• Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be placed on the equally ranked eligible list.

Step 4: Selection (Interview): December 2024

• Hiring bureau will review and select candidates for an interview
• Work sample will be utilized during this step in the process.

Step 5: Offer of Employment: December/January 2024

Step 6: Start Date: TBD

• A start date will be determined after all conditions of employment have been met.

*Timeline is approximate and subject to change.

Additional Information

Click here for additional information regarding the following:

• City of Portland Core Values
• Recruitment Process - Work Status
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• Veteran Preference
• ADA, Pregnancy, and Religious Accommodations

An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer

A Career with the City of Portland offers many Employee Benefits

We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including but not limited to

• Health Care (Medical, Vision and Dental)
• Carrot Fertility
• Wellness Benefits
• Life Insurance
• Long-term disability coverage to eligible employees and their families.
• Employee Assistance Plan
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Retirement
• Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), includingcontributions to the PERS IAP plan paid by employer
• Family Medical Leave
• City Paid Parental Leave

AND SO MANY MORE!

Benefits may vary depending on bargaining unit and employment status. Click here to review the many different benefits the City of Portland offers .

Closing Date/Time: 11/25/2024 11:59 PM Pacific

• 

• City of Portland

Show more