Healthy Families & Relief Nursery Program Specialist (Program Analyst 4)

The Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care is excited to announce a permanent opening for a Healthy Families & Relief Nursery Program Specialist (Program Analyst 4). Join us to champion Oregon’s families as the driving force behind Healthy Families Oregon and Relief Nursery programs. In this impactful role, you’ll ensure statewide excellence, guide program accreditation, and set the gold standard in family support — all while partnering with top organizations to build healthier, stronger communities. Be the leader who brings collaboration to life and shapes the future of home visiting services across Oregon.

This position will work a hybrid schedule of working both in the office and at an alternate location (home). In office work is expected once per quarter 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.

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 position leads statewide program development, administration, and evaluation for Healthy Families Oregon and Relief Nursery programs. It ensures adherence to national accreditation standards, guides policy and funding priorities, and supports local grantees in delivering high-quality, equitable services to families.

The role oversees grant management, compliance, and budget monitoring, while fostering strong partnerships with state and community organizations. It also drives data-informed improvements by evaluating program outcomes and aligning efforts with Oregon’s early learning goals.

Ultimately, this position serves as a key leader and connector, strengthening statewide home visiting and family support systems to better serve children and families across Oregon.

To view a complete job description, click here

What we are looking for (minimum qualifications):

• A Bachelor's Degree in Early Learning, Child Development, Behavioral or Social Sciences, or related degree; and five years experience coordinating or administering a program related to early learning/child development. OR;
• Any combination of experience or education equivalent to eight years of experience coordinating or administering a program related to early learning/child development.

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

• Experience facilitating cross sector advisory groups that provide leadership and direction for home visiting or early childhood programs.
• Knowledge of best practices in home visiting, parent-child relationship building, and family support practices.
• Experience conducting program evaluations, data analysis, or quality improvement initiatives in the early childhood field.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to write concisely and creatively about complex and/or controversial topics.
• Self-motivated, strong planner with excellent attention to detail, organizational skills and prioritization skills.
• Ability to effectively work under tight deadlines and manage multiple projects independently.
• Experience overseeing complex programs, tracking progress, and ensuring timely delivery. Strong leadership skills and a proactive approach to managing projects and processes.
• Excellent interpersonal skills to facilitate work with a wide range of diverse individuals.
• Proven ability to build and maintain collaborative partnerships with internal staff, state agencies, local organizations, and community partners.
• Commitment to equity and cultural responsiveness, with experience designing or supporting programs that serve diverse communities.

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.