Policy Analyst, Office of New Americans (Public Service Coordinator II)

GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF POLICY INNOVATION AND THE FUTURE (GOPIF)

Opening Date: October 18, 2024

Closing Date: November 1, 2024

Job Class Code: CA30
Grade: 3
Salary: $71,843.20 - $101,587.20/Annually
Position Number: 095001177

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.The Policy Analyst will play an integral role in the formation of Maine’s Office of New Americans (ONA), working with the ONA Director and internal and external stakeholders to improve the long-term economic and civic integration of immigrants into the State’s workforce and communities. This position will support the programs and operations of the office, including research and policy analysis, stakeholder engagement and relationship management, planning, and communications.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support the formation of the ONA, including assisting the Director in implementing a strategy and vision that align with State and Administration priorities for immigrant civic and economic integration.
• Assist in building strong relationships with immigrant communities, state agency leadership, municipalities, School Administrative Units, employers, advocacy groups and others, to understand challenges and opportunities related to immigrant integration in Maine.
• Coordinate the ONA Advisory Council and advance its recommendations on matters impacting immigrants in the State.
• Assist with communications planning for the ONA: maintain and manage communications and website content and work collaboratively with internal and external partners to promote engagement with the office and share success stories.
• Support the ethical collection, dissemination and communication of data related to immigrants in Maine.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

To qualify, your background should include at least 4 years of professional experience with increasing responsibility, and may include a mix of public policy, federal or state government, law, workforce and economic development, community organizing, advocacy, program management, education, and nonprofit administration. 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:

• Ability to navigate complex organizations, develop trust with senior leaders, and build relationships among diverse groups of colleagues and stakeholders
• Professional or lived experience with the barriers, challenges and opportunities experienced by immigrant Mainers.
• Ability to identify challenges and support the design of 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
• Ability to manage projects and deliver on long-term projects as well as shift to address emergent needs.
• Demonstrated administrative and organizational skills with the ability to multitask and prioritize.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work collaboratively and as a member of a team.
• Meeting facilitation skills and experience.
• Familiarity with using data and field work to generate insights and creatively solve problems.

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. Use this chart to find the premium costs for you and your family, including the percentage of dependent coverage paid by the State.
• 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).

There's a job and then there's purposeful, transformative work. Our aim is to create a workplace where you can learn, grow, and continuously refine your skills. Applicants demonstrate job requirements in differing ways, and we appreciate that many skills and backgrounds can make people successful in this role.

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. Please note reasonable accommodations are provided to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.

Thinking about applying?

Research shows that people from historically excluded communities tend to apply to jobs only when they check every box in the posting. If you’re currently reading this and hesitating to apply for that reason, we encourage you to go for it! Let us know how your lived experience and passion set you apart.