Child Care Investigations Specialist - Bilingual in English/Spanish Required

The Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care is excited to announce a permanent opening for a Bilingual Child Care Investigations Specialist (Compliance Specialist 2). This position requires that the successful applicant is fluent in Spanish and English. Please note, for performing bilingual services, you will receive an additional 5% differential in addition to your base salary.

Oregon is home to over 275,000 children, birth to kindergarten entry. Our state has an opportunity to change how it supports these children and their families and, in doing so, put itself on the path to an even brighter future. Overwhelming evidence tells us that investing in young children and their families has a lasting impact across their lifetime. Now is your chance to be part of an agency that will have positive impacts on current and future generations of young children and their families.

This position will work a hybrid schedule (remote, in the field and in the office). This position will report to the office as needed depending on workload demands.

Want to learn more about this position? Do you have questions about the application process? Join us virtually for an Informational Session on Thursday, January 30th from 12:00PM to 12:30PM (PST). During this Informational Session you will get the chance to speak directly with the hiring manager, who will be discussing this role in detail and answering any questions that you have! Any interested individuals are welcome to join us any time between 12:00PM and 12:30PM (PDT) using the meeting link below. Please share this meeting link with anyone that might be interested in this role. Use this link the day of to join the Informational Session: Join the meeting now

We look forward to connecting with you! If you have never joined a Teams meeting or will be joining from a mobile phone, please read these instructions first: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/join-a-meeting-without-a-teams-account-c6efc38f-4e03-4e79-b28f-e65a4c039508

More about us:

This position is part of the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC) which is an agency that prides itself on enabling Oregon's young children and families to learn and thrive. We are responsible for administering state funded early learning programs, including home visiting and site-based infant, toddler, and preschool services and supports for families, licensing Oregon’s child care providers and developing systems that coordinate regional cross sector partnerships through Early Learning Hubs. DELC partners with local Child Care Resource and Referral organizations to provide professional learning, coaching, consultation and other quality improvement opportunities for early learning and care providers.

What you will do:

The primary purpose of the position is to promote the health, safety, and well-being of children in child care facilities. Staff conduct unannounced and announced visits, assess regulatory complaint allegations against licensed facilities, allegations of possible illegal care against unlicensed facilities, conduct tandem investigations with the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) on assessments having to do with abuse occurring in child cares, and in conjunction with the legal and compliance unit, take legal action against facilities. Staff apply complex federal, state, and local statutes, codes, rules, and policies related to child care licensing. In addition to investigating regulatory compliance, Investigative Specialists provide technical assistance to providers and facility staff, to aid in compliance with regulations and provide consultation and resource information on state quality initiatives intended to improve child outcomes. There is considerable contact with collateral agencies such as the ODHS (Child Welfare and Office of Training, Investigations, and Safety), law enforcement, and the public. The position serves one or more counties. This position ensures that child care licensing functions are carried out in conjunction with agency equity policies and practices.

To view a complete job description, click here

Check out our “A day in the life” as a Child Care Investigative Specialist flyer

What we are looking for (minimum qualifications):

Four years of experience doing administrative research that included compiling and evaluating facts to recommend management action, or decide compliance with program guidelines and regulations. Two of the four years must be above the technical support level. Note: college-level course work may substitute for experience on the basis of 45-quarter units per year, up to a maximum of three years.

To meet the Special Qualifications of this position, you must be fluent (read, speak, and write) in English and Spanish.

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

• Experience and applied knowledge of child development, early childhood education, and health and safety requirements.
• Experience or training in objective observation and documentation; experience collecting information and documenting facts.
• Experience with interpreting, performing, and presenting statutes, laws, rules and policies to partners and community members with varying levels of understanding.
• Strong relationship building, de-escalation skills, and customer service experience, often handling difficult situations and frustrated or emotional customers.
• Ability to prioritize work assignments and respond to emergent situations; analyze and use multiple perspectives and facts to arrive at a well-informed conclusion.
• Ability to perform with a high degree of accuracy, excellent attention to detail and good judgement.
• Experience working independently in a fieldwork setting.
• Proficient in Microsoft office (Word, Excel, Access) and strong written communication skills (spelling, grammar, and editing/proofreading).

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.

To Apply:

The screening of candidates will be based on a review of an attached resume (limit to two pages). While a cover letter is not required, it is highly encouraged. If you submit a cover letter, please tailor it to the position and address your experience with the desired attributes listed above. Candidates whose backgrounds most closely match the desired attributes and experience section as outlined in this announcement will be invited to interview. For helpful tips on putting together your application materials and interviewing, visit our Resources for Job Seekers page.