Operations & Policy Analyst 4 - Development Services Senior Policy Advisor

Initial Posting Date: 07/22/2026 • Application Deadline: 08/05/2026 • Agency: Oregon Youth Authority

About the Role

The Oregon Youth Authority (OYA) is seeking a Development Services Senior Policy Advisor to lead agency-wide initiatives that shape how OYA serves youth across Oregon. This senior-level role is positioned at the center of OYA's most visible work: translating research and data into policy direction, coordinating across state agencies and jurisdictions, and managing OYA's Impact accountability program. The ideal candidate brings sharp analytical judgment, genuine comfort working across organizational lines, and a track record of turning complex information into decisions leadership can act on.

Responsibilities

• Advise senior leadership and coordinate agency-wide policy studies, recommending strategic direction based on research and data analysis
• Represent OYA in cross-agency, legislative, and stakeholder forums, building working relationships and explaining policy positions
• Evaluate and improve organizational systems, translating stakeholder needs into specifications, policies, and procedures
• Plan and manage complex improvement projects, including budget, risk, contracting, and stakeholder participation
• Coordinate OYA's Impact accountability program, including recurring data reporting and executive-level presentations

About OYA

The Oregon Youth Authority (OYA) is a national leader in the juvenile justice field, pioneering the implementation of a positive human development framework for its work with staff and youth, and using data to match the right youth with the right services. OYA seeks to foster cultural competence and pursue equitable solutions to support youth under its care. The agency's mission is to protect the public and reduce crime by holding youth accountable and providing opportunities for reformation in safe environments.

Requirements

• A Bachelor's Degree in Business or Public Administration, Behavioral or Social Sciences, Finance, Political Science, or any degree demonstrating the capacity for the knowledge and skills; and five years of professional-level evaluative, analytical, and planning work.
• OR any combination of experience and education equivalent to eight years of professional-level policy analysis, program evaluation, or organizational/systems-improvement work.

Skills

• Experience working within juvenile justice, youth corrections, or other youth-serving systems
• Experience coordinating or managing a cross-agency or cross-department data/performance reporting program
• Experience building and maintaining ongoing external stakeholder partnerships as a core job duty
• Experience preparing or presenting policy/data analysis for executive, board, or legislative audiences
• Demonstrated ability to apply systems thinking to complex organizational projects and initiatives
• Skill facilitating stakeholder engagement and building consensus among diverse or competing groups
• Demonstrated experience identifying and addressing systemic barriers to equitable outcomes
• Judgment in recognizing when an issue needs cross-department collaboration, and knowing who to bring in

Benefits

• Low-cost, high-coverage health insurance
• Generous time-off
• Competitive retirement plan
• Flexible work schedules on most positions

Pay

Salary Range: $7,537 - $11,098 per month (non-PERS participating rate). If you are already a participating PERS member or once you become PERS eligible, the salary range will increase by 6%. This position receives annual increases on the anniversary date until the maximum of the salary range is reached.

Schedule

Hybrid work schedule: In-office schedule is 1-2 days a week. This schedule is tied to weekly Impact program sessions which require in-person meetings. This may change due to business needs.