Field Operations Quality Assurance Specialist (Compliance Specialist 3)

Initial Posting Date: 08/27/2026 Application Deadline: 09/09/2026 Agency: Department of Early Learning and Care Salary Range: $5,988 - $9,191 Position Type: Employee Position Title: Field Operations Quality Assurance Specialist (Compliance Specialist 3) Job Description: The Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care is excited to announce a permanent opening for a Field Operations Quality Assurance Specialist (Compliance Specialist 3). Help shape a stronger, safer child care system across Oregon! In this statewide quality assurance role, you’ll strengthen investigative and licensing practices, promote consistency and fairness, and ensure decisions are grounded in evidence, policy, and child safety. Bring your expertise to a position where your leadership and systems-focused work can make a lasting impact on the health, safety, and well-being of Oregon’s children. This position will work a hybrid schedule of working both in the office (Salem) and at an alternate location (home). In office work is expected weekly or as needed. This position will require travel to field offices and site visits located throughout Oregon. Do you have questions about this position or the application process? Join us for a virtual Informational Session on Thursday, September 3rd, from 12:00PM – 12:30PM (PDT). Speak directly with the hiring manager, learn more about the position, and get your questions answered! You are 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 Microsoft Teams. If you are new to Microsoft Teams or if you will be 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. Click on the following link to learn more about what it’s like to work at DELC. 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 primary purpose of the position is to promote the health, safety, and well-being of children in child care facilities by ensuring that investigative practices across the division are consistent, compliance-driven, and aligned with applicable federal, state, and local statutes, rules, and policies. This position functions as a statewide quality assurance and systems support role within Field Operations, responsible for establishing, maintaining, and continuously improving standardized investigative practices and licensing enforcement practices. The position develops and implements a consistent case review and audit process to evaluate the quality, accuracy, and timeliness of investigations and licensing enforcement actions conducted by regional staff. Through these efforts, the position identifies trends, strengthens documentation and evidence review practices, reduces duplication in review processes, and ensures alignment in rule interpretation, compliance determinations, and regulatory decision-making across regions. This position leads the development and delivery of training, guidance, and practice tools to support Regional Managers, Investigative Specialists, Licensing Specialists, and Senior Licensing Specialists in conducting high-quality, neutral, and child safety focused investigations and licensing reviews. Training and technical support emphasize investigative neutrality, evidence standards, conflict-of-interest awareness, and consistent application of licensing rules across all regions. The position serves as a neutral consultation resource to field staff and leadership, providing guidance on complex, high-risk, or sensitive investigations, including those involving potential bias, prior provider relationships, or cross-agency coordination. The position also supports systems-building efforts by partnering with Field Operations and other programs to strengthen investigative and licensing processes, clarify expectations, and improve operational efficiency. To view a complete job description, click here What we are looking for (minimum qualifications): Five years experience doing administrative research that included compiling and evaluating facts to recommend management action, or decide compliance or eligibility with program guidelines and regulations. Three of the five years must be above the technical support level. College-level course work may substitute for experience on the basis of 45-quarter units per year, up to a maximum of three years. In addition, we are looking for applicants that have the following Desired Attributes (requested skills): Regulatory and Compliance Expertise - Depth of experience interpreting and applying statutes, administrative rules, and policy in complex or ambiguous situations. Ability to ensure legal sufficiency and consistency across investigations and enforcement actions. Investigative Quality Assurance and Case Review Skills - Demonstrated skill in reviewing investigative documentation, assessing evidence sufficiency, identifying gaps, and ensuring statewide alignment in findings, enforcement decisions, and written notices. Training, Coaching, and Practice Development - Ability to design and deliver training, develop guidance, lead calibration discussions, and build standardized investigative and licensing practices. Emphasis on coaching staff toward neutral, child ‑ safety ‑ centered investigations. Complex Case Consultation and Risk Assessment - Experience evaluating high ‑ risk, sensitive, or ambiguous cases for direction, escalation, enforcement, or cross ‑ agency coordination. Ability to provide clear, defensible recommendations and maintain investigative neutrality. Communication, Conflict Management, and Collaboration Skills - Skilled in working with frustrated/hostile individuals, maintaining professionalism, coordinating across different groups and organizations, internal and external, and ensuring clear, accurate, legally defensible communication. 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. Please do not attach transcripts or letters of recommendation to your application, only a resume and cover letter will be reviewed. If additional information is needed, we will follow up. Additional Information: This recruitment announcement will be used to establish a list of qualified candidates to fill the current vacancy and may be used to fill future vacancies as they occur. This position is subject to both a Child Protective Services and Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS) check, including FBI fingerprinting, and will be required to enroll in the Central Background Registry. Both of these checks must be completed and approved prior to starting with the agency. The results can take 1-3 weeks to get back. Adverse background data will be grounds for immediate disqualification. This position will require occasional travel to field offices and for meetings, therefore, a valid driver license and acceptable driving record is required, unless the successful applicant can provide a satisfactory alternate mode of transportation. Eligible Veterans and Oregon National Guard Servicemembers who meet the qualifications will be given Veterans' preference. For further information, please see the following website: Veterans Resources . The Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care does not offer visa sponsorship. Within three days of hire, all applicants will be required to complete the US Department of Homeland Security's Form I-9, confirming authorization to work in the United States. The Department is an E-Verify employer. The job posting closes at 11:59 PM (PDT) on the close date. After you submit your application, be sure to respond to the two questionnaires relating to public records requests and veterans’ preference immediately following your submittal. These questions are necessary to complete the application process. External Applicants (non-state of Oregon employees): If you would like to retain a copy of this job posting, please print a copy before submitting your application. Once the job posting has closed, you will not be able to access the posting. The employee in this position will be represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and will be subject to all terms and conditions of the collective bargaining agreement. Pay and benefits on all job listings may change without notice. Want to be notified of our latest openings, subscribe here Not from Oregon? Learn more about our beautiful state here Applicants with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation to participate in the hiring process. For assistance regarding reasonable accommodation requests, please contact the agency recruitment team at [email protected] The Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer committed to a diverse workforce. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job. We would encourage you to apply, even if you don't meet every one of our desired attributes listed. If you are unsure whether you meet the qualifications of this position, please feel free to contact us to discuss your application.