The Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care is excited to announce a permanent opening for an Early Learning Program Manager (Policy, Planning, & Development Manager 1). Are you a visionary leader with a passion for children and families? As DELC’s Early Learning Program Manager, you’ll oversee transformative programs like Oregon Prenatal to Kindergarten, Preschool Promise, Employment Related Daycare and Baby Promise—ensuring high-quality early education and child care benefits reach every corner of our state. Lead a talented team, collaborate with state and federal partners, and help drive equitable access and strong outcomes for Oregon’s youngest learners. This is your chance to make a lasting difference in early childhood systems statewide.
This position will work a hybrid schedule of working both remotely and in the office. In-office work is expected once per month for meetings and to connect with staff as needed.
Join Our Virtual Informational Session! Have questions about the role or application process? Join us for an Informational Session on Tuesday, June 3rd from 12:00PM – 12:30PM (PDT). Speak directly with the hiring manager, learn more about the position, and get your questions answered! You're welcome to join the informational session at any time, but we highly recommend joining us right at 12PM. This will help ensure the manager can share all the key details just once and leave plenty of time to answer everyone's questions. We look forward to connecting with you! Save the link below to use on the day of the session and feel free to share it with others who may be interested. [Use this link to attend the meeting on the 3rd]
The informational session will be conducted using TEAMS. If you're new to TEAMS or joining from a mobile device, check out these instructions beforehand. We look forward to connecting with you!
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:
The purpose of this position is to manage the implementation of DELC’s early learning programs including Oregon Prenatal to Kindergarten (OPK), Preschool Promise (PSP), Baby Promise, and child care benefits programs, namely the Employment Related Day Care Program. The Early Learning Programs Manager will supervise a team of program and policy analysts responsible for program administration including program design, systems development, and quality control to ensure high-quality experiences and outcomes for children and families.
Reporting to the Early Learning Programs Director, the manager collaborates across DELC teams and partners with state and federal agencies to ensure coordinated, high-quality program delivery and benefits administration.
To view a complete job description, click here
What we are looking for (minimum qualifications):
Five years of lead work, supervision, or progressively related experience; OR two years of related experience and a bachelor's degree in a related field.
In addition, we are looking for applicants that have the following Desired Attributes (requested skills):
- Proven ability to lead, supervise, and mentor teams, including managing performance, professional development, onboarding, and corrective actions.
- Experience managing early learning or child care programs, including implementation, oversight, and alignment with state/federal requirements.
- Leads program design and implementation with a strategic, equity-centered lens, integrating inclusive practices that address systemic disparities.
- Applies data-informed decision-making to drive continuous improvement, ensure accountability, and support quality assurance in program delivery.
- Expertise in navigating complex regulatory and compliance environments, with a deep understanding of public program standards and risk mitigation strategies.
- Exceptional communicator with the ability to build trust and collaborate across diverse audiences, including families, providers, tribal communities, and government partners.
- Strong fiscal stewardship and resource management skills, aligning budgets with program goals, legislative intent, and public accountability standards.
- Proven success in cross-sector collaboration, aligning efforts with government agencies, tribal nations, and internal departments to support unified program goals.
- Thrives in dynamic environments, adapting to change while maintaining a steadfast focus on improving outcomes for children and families.
- Deep commitment to equity, inclusion, and cultural responsiveness, with demonstrated experience centering tribal sovereignty and uplifting historically marginalized 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.
This position closes on 6/8/2025.