Government Relations Manager Jobs (NOW HIRING)

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Do you have experience in public policy and legislation, and a passion for protecting the environment? Apply to be our next Government Relations Manager by August 18th, 2026! This position is eligible for a hybrid remote schedule reporting to our Salem office 2 days per week on average; 5 days per week during legislative sessions.

Make a Difference for Oregon. The Department of State Lands manages the lands that help fund our public schools and protects the state's waterways and wetlands for the many benefits they provide. Our stewardship ensures vital natural and financial resources contribute to a vibrant, healthy Oregon now and forever. The DSL team makes a difference for Oregonians every day. As our Government Relations Manager, you will too.

The primary purpose of this position is to lead the department's policy and legislative work. This includes providing guidance and assistance to all levels of leadership on policy, legislative, land management and regulatory issues concerning the Department's authorities, responsibilities, and resources as directed by the Director and the State Land Board. As the Government Relations Manager, this position also serves as the Department's Tribal Liaison.

This position is statewide and will report directly to our Salem office. This is a management services supervisory position not represented by a union, with a one (1) year trial service period.

We invite you to join us for an informational session to learn more about this opportunity.

We look forward to having you join us and to providing valuable information about this exciting opportunity. Thank you for your interest!

What's in it for you?

• Utilize your skills and experience in Oregon legislature to support a small team in the state's oldest natural resource agency!
• Receive 1-on-1 mentoring and support from natural resource experts.
• Join an organization with collaborative and engaged co-workers who care about Oregon's economy, environment, and communities, and their co-workers.
• Gain full benefits with 95% to 99% of medical insurance premiums paid by the agency for full-time employees, including mental health coverage.

• Accrue at least 8 hours of sick leave and at least 10 hours of vacation leave per month, with your vacation leave accruals increasing every 5 years.
• Receive 11 paid holidays, 1 floating holiday, 3 personal business days and other employee benefits such as optional insurances and flexible spending plans.
• Automatically enroll into the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) after 6 months of full-time service.
• Earn the initial monthly salary range for this position starting at $7,537- $11,657 for employees new to public service; current PERS employees start at $8,060 - $12,469.
• Salary offers are made with consideration of the candidate's education and experience. Visit our Pay Equity and Classification and Compensation pages for more details.

Working Conditions:

This position involves frequent contact with executives, management, legislative offices, Tribal executives, external partners, and staff across the agency and statewide, requiring the incumbent to exercise a high level of diplomacy, professionalism, and discretion. This role requires maintaining strict confidentiality of sensitive information and working effectively with a wide range of people, perspectives, and situations, including those that may be tense or emotionally charged, while maintaining composure and sound judgment. The position requires managing multiple tasks simultaneously, often within short timeframes, and coordinating complex workstreams with tight deadlines and frequent interruptions. Travel to meetings, hearings, and stakeholder engagements is regularly required, with frequent travel for training and/or statewide coordination. DSL provides agency-maintained vehicles, reimbursement for field gear, and travel expenses for authorized, on-the-job travel. The position may involve nontraditional working hours, including evenings and weekends, to meet legislative schedules, customer needs, or agency deadlines, and the incumbent may receive communications outside normal hours, including nights and weekends, when urgent issues arise. This position is eligible for remote work; however, in person work is mandatory during the legislative session to support real-time coordination, stakeholder engagement, and agency representation. The role requires significant use of a computer, videoconferencing tools, and digital communication platforms.

What you will be doing:

As our Government Relations Manager, you will have the opportunity to:

• Lead the development of legislator initiated and agency legislative concepts, as well as budget proposals, ahead of each legislative session.
• Coordinate bill reviews, draft and deliver testimony, and manage legislative engagement during sessions.
• Track postsession bill impacts and ensure followup on commitments and required actions.
• Serve as primary liaison to the Governor's Office, legislators, and key stakeholders for legislative updates.
• Advise and brief the Director and executive leadership on emerging issues, political context, and stakeholder perspectives.
• Draft complex internal policies, administrative rules, and proposed legislation.
• Represent the agency in public meetings, hearings, task forces, and interagency workgroups.
• Conduct research and develop recommendations on policy, regulatory, and operational issues.
• Facilitate departmental policy development and negotiate with internal and external partners to resolve issues.
• Serve as the agency's Tribal Liaison, leading governmenttogovernment relations and tribal engagement.
• Support environmental justice initiatives and build connections with underrepresented communities.
• Lead and coordinate crossagency projects, staffing plans, and deliverables, providing recommendations to executive leadership.

For a full description of the duties and working conditions, please email DSL-Human.Resources@DSL.oregon.gov to request the position description.

Minimum Qualifications- to be considered for this position, please ensure you have one of the following combinations of education and experience:

Six (6) years of supervision, management, or progressively related experience;
OR
three (3) years of related experience and a bachelor's degree in a related field.

*DSL may also consider relevant lived experience as part of our inclusive hiring practices.

Desired Attributes- tell us which of the following skills, experiences, and related talents you have by highlighting them in your application materials:

• Excellent written and oral communication skills including the ability to adapt communication style to the intended audience
• Experience working in state legislatures
• Experience collaborating and building relationships with the public, legislature, tribes and national partners; preferably in natural resources
• Strong project management and organization skills
• Experience with public records management and related laws
• Experience leading or supervising staff, assigning work, and evaluating workload, preferably in alignment with the statewide fiscal calendar
• Demonstrated ability to navigate high-pressure, fast-moving, work situations while portraying calmness and reassurance to staff
• Demonstrated dedication to the growth and development of others, including experience coming alongside staff to provide feedback, coach, and explain decisions
• Training skills to evaluate staff and implement development plans for increased accuracy, timeliness, and productivity in a collaborative way
• Ability to apply critical thinking and professional judgment to analyze alternatives and interpret laws, regulations, and standards
• Ability to apply an equity lens to all assigned duties and daily work to ensure decision-making and resource allocation reflect the needs of all Oregonians

For a detailed list of the duties for this position, please email DSL-Human.Resources@DSL.oregon.gov for a copy of the position description.

Please be sure to attach a resume and a cover letter of two (2) pages or less describing the above desired attributes you bring to this position, your relevant lived experience, and why you want to work for DSL.

Complete the following steps to apply:

• Fill out the application or attach a resume. Please contact the recruiter if you have any questions about how to fill out the experience fields or to attach a document. Your submitted experience fields or attached resume must include dates (MM/YYYY) for each employer, and any relevant volunteer and/or internship experience.
• Attach a cover letter. Your cover letter should clearly demonstrate how your experience and training relates to the qualities that you have under the "Desired Attributes" section above.
  • Your cover letter must be limited to no more than two (2) pages.
  • Please address your cover letter to Kaitlin Lovell, Director.
  • Generic cover letters that do not address the qualities that you have under the "Desired Attributes" section may receive lower scores than those that addressed the desired qualities.
  • Please answer the following questions in your cover letter:
    • Why are you interested in this position?
    • What unique lived experience do you have that relates to the desired attributes that you would like to share?
  • You must upload your cover letter in the 'Resume/Cover Letter' section of the application.
• Complete questionnaire. Answer the checkbox-style questions before submitting your application.
• Respond to requests. After you submit your application, please respond to the public records request authorization and gender identity questionnaire. This screen will come after you submit and will complete the process. If you are a current State of Oregon employee, the tasks will come to your Workday inbox.
• Upload your documents to receive preference. If you are a veteran or current or former Oregon National Guard servicemembers, you may receive preference. The task to upload your documents will be available after you submit your application. For privacy reasons, please do not attach your military service document(s) to your application or combine it with any other required document attachments.

The Oregon Department of State Lands is committed to seeking and sustaining a culturally, racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse working environment. The Department hires staff interested in supporting environmental justice by including communities traditionally underrepresented in public processes. We encourage members of these communities to apply, even if they do not meet 100% of the desired attributes. The Oregon Department of State Lands understands that an authentic focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace will in turn create a workforce aligned to meet the challenge of serving all Oregonians.

Additional Information:

• This recruitment may be used to fill future positions.
• The use of outside resources such as Artificial Intelligence software during applicant skill assessments, examinations, and/or interviews is prohibited unless otherwise stated by the hiring agency.
• If you need an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to participate in the application or selection process, please contact DSL-Human.Resources@DSL.oregon.gov and please include the job requisition number.
• For more information about applying for positions with the State of Oregon via Workday, you may visit the Oregon job opportunities website at: www.oregon.gov/jobs
• The state of Oregon does not request or require your age, date of birth, attendance or graduation dates from an educational institution during the application process.
• Eligible veterans and Oregon National Guard servicemembers (current and former) who meet the qualifications of the position will be awarded candidate preference.
• For more information, please visit Veterans Resources.
• After you apply, you may be asked to provide additional optional information. Please be sure to check your Workday account for pending tasks or actions under your "My Applications" section. Be sure to check both your email and Workday account for updates regarding this recruitment.
• As an employer, DSL complies with Oregon's pay equity law. Salary offers are made with consideration of the candidate's education and experience. For more information on pay equity, click here.
• This position is subject to a fingerprint background check for any convictions directly related to its duties and responsibilities. Only job-related convictions will be considered and will not automatically disqualify the candidate.
• Agency does not offer visa sponsorship. Within three days of hire, applicants will be required to complete I-9 documentation and confirm authorization to work in the United States.
• For questions about the job duties or application process, please contact DSL-Human.Resources@DSL.oregon.gov to connect with our recruitment team.