Director, Office of New Americans - Public Service Executive I

GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF POLICY INNOVATION AND THE FUTURE

Opening Date : October 2, 2024

Closing Date : October 17, 2024

Job Class Code : EA32

If you want to know about the requirements for this role, read on for all the relevant information.

Grade : 32

Salary : $77,896.00 - $110,073.60 / Annually

Position Number : 095001178

Job Description : The Maine Office of New Americans is dedicated to making Maine a home of opportunity for all, by welcoming and supporting immigrants to strengthen Maine’s workforce, enhancing the vibrancy of Maine’s communities, and building a strong and inclusive economy.

As the Director of Maine’s recently established Office of New Americans (ONA), you will lead the formation of the ONA. You will collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to improve the long-term economic and civic participation of immigrants into the State’s workforce and communities.

This position will be responsible for carrying out the operations of the office, including hiring and supervising professional staff, determining the necessary budget for the ONA, and reporting on the activities of the ONA to the Governor and the Legislature.

The position offers the unique opportunity to shape the strategy and scope of the new office; to work across public agencies, institutions, community-based organizations and federal partners to improve the lives of immigrants in Maine.

This is a full-time, salaried position responsible for significant cross-agency work and stakeholder engagement.

Key Responsibilities :

• Lead the formation of the ONA, including implementation of a strategy and vision that align with State and Administration priorities for immigrant civic and economic integration.
• Build strong relationships with immigrant communities, state agency leadership, municipalities, School Administrative Units, employers, advocacy groups and others, to understand challenges and opportunities related to the immigrant experience in Maine.
• Facilitate the ONA Advisory Council and consider its recommendations on matters impacting immigrants in the State.
• Direct office operations, budget, and staff supervision.
• Serve as the public face of the Maine ONA, including representing the office at events, with community stakeholders, and in the media.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

To qualify, your background must include a minimum of 7 years of professional experience, and may include a mix of public policy, federal or state government, law, workforce and economic development, community organizing, advocacy, education, or nonprofit or industry leadership.

GOPIF recognizes the value that an array of experiences will bring to the position, including lived experience, non-traditional educational backgrounds, and multilingualism.

Many kinds of experiences could prepare an individual to thrive in this role. We expect candidates to have many but not necessarily all the qualifications listed below :

• A proven ability to navigate complex organizations, develop trust with senior leaders, and build trusted relationships among diverse groups of colleagues and stakeholders.
• Professional or lived experience with the barriers, challenges and opportunities experienced by immigrant Mainers.
• Demonstrated success in identifying challenges and designing policy-level solutions; with experience working within school, federal, state, or local government, community organizing, and / or nonprofit advocacy.
• Effective communications skills, including communicating with diverse populations.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to deliver on long-term projects as well as shift to address emergent needs.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work collaboratively as a member of a team and to supervise staff.
• Strong meeting facilitation skills and experience.
• Experience using data and field work to generate insights and creatively solve problems.

Application Instructions : To be considered for an interview, please submit a cover letter, a resume, and one writing sample of around 500-700 words.

The writing sample may be an excerpted article, report, fact sheet, opinion piece, or persuasive letter / email on a policy topic of your choice.

Benefits of working for the State of Maine :

No matter where you work across Maine state government, you find employees who embody our state motto "Dirigo" or "I lead" as they provide essential services to Mainers every day.

We believe in supporting our workforce's health and wellbeing with a valuable total compensation package, including :

Work-Life Fit Rest is essential. Take time for yourself using 13 paid holidays, 12 days of sick leave, and 3+ weeks of vacation leave annually.

Vacation leave accrual increases with years of service, and overtime-exempt employees receive personal leave.

• Health Insurance Coverage The State of Maine pays 85%-95% of employee-only premiums ($11,196.96 - $12,514.32 annual value), depending on salary.
• Dental Insurance The State of Maine pays 100% of employee-only dental premiums ($387.92 annual value).
• Retirement Plan The State contributes the equivalent of 18.09% of the employee's pay towards the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS).

State employees are eligible for an extensive and highly competitive benefits package, covering many aspects of wellness.

As an Equal Opportunity employer, Maine State Government embraces a culture of respect and awareness. We are committed to creating a strong sense of belonging for all team members, and our process ensures an inclusive environment to applicants of all backgrounds including diverse race, color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, physical or mental disability, religion, age, ancestry, national origin, familial status or genetics.

If you’re looking for a great next step, and want to feel good about what you do, we’d love to hear from you.

J-18808-Ljbffr