Oca Jobs (NOW HIRING)

The Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) is an independent executive branch agency with oversight and ombudsperson responsibilities, established by the Massachusetts Legislature in 2008. The OCA's mission is to ensure that children receive appropriate, timely, and quality state services, with a particular focus on ensuring that the Commonwealth's most vulnerable and at-risk children can thrive. Through collaboration with public and private stakeholders, the OCA identifies gaps in state services and recommends improvements in policy, practice, regulation and/or law. The OCA also serves as a resource for families who are receiving, or are eligible to receive, services from the Commonwealth. Office of the Child Advocate | Mass.gov

The Center on Child Wellbeing & Trauma at the OCA supports state agencies and their community-based partners in their journey towards becoming trauma-informed and responsive through the creation and delivery of in-person and virtual trainings.  CCWT also provides in depth technical assistance on how to make policies, programs, and interactions more trauma-responsive to support child wellbeing. Child Trauma and Wellbeing - A resource for child-serving organizations

The right candidate for this position has skills in the creation of trainings for adult learners, has project management skills, can design trainings related to trauma, resilience, and equity. The right candidate will also enjoy being part of a collaborative team, agile and able to pivot as objectives of trainings shift. The right candidate is focused on data collection and analysis, bringing a data-driven eye to the Center's strategic goals. Additionally, the right candidate has an understanding of how Massachusetts Executive Branch agencies operate. Most of all, the right candidate has a passion for improving the lives of the children and youth of the Commonwealth and wants to be part of an innovative, growing team of public servants who share that passion. 

This role requires a mixture of in-person work at the OCA office, in-person trainings throughout Massachusetts with employee-provided transportation, and remote work.

Application Instructions

Applications are to be submitted on the Mass Careers website: MassCareers Create a Profile guide | Mass.gov.  A cover letter and resume are required parts of the application. Review of applicants will start immediately and continue while the position is posted, with first consideration given to those received on or before July 27th, 2026.

The OCA is committed to creating and supporting an inclusive work community that is free of all forms of discrimination.  The OCA does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other basis under Massachusetts law.

The OCA encourages applicants from a broad spectrum of backgrounds to apply for positions, including candidates who have personal and/or professional history with the child protective and/or juvenile justice systems.

Duties & Responsibilities: 

• Leads content design for new training and technical assistance projects including outlining of curriculum in line with client and OCA guidance.
• Facilitates in-person and/or virtual (both asynchronous and live virtual) trainings and technical assistance;
• Drafts participant surveys and reviews survey results from training session feedback to identify areas for improvement or other needed areas for training.
• Part of the team that coordinates trainings and technical assistance with state agencies and other entities, providing project management and content expertise.
• Manages the work of staff , including providing guidance and feedback on their projects, holding regular supervision meetings and conducting performance reviews.
• Maintains productive collegial relationships with state agencies and other entities.
• Consistently reviews research on resilience, childhood trauma, trauma-informed systems as well as on adult learning to identify opportunities for adaptations to curriculum and/or methods of training.

Required Qualifications:

• Experience designing training curricula for adults
• Knowledge of the field of childhood trauma/positive childhood experiences and resilience including knowledge of SAMHSA guiding principles and/or CCWT guiding principles. (Guiding Principles - Child Trauma and Wellbeing)
• Experience translating stakeholder needs into clear and digestible training curricula and materials
• Excellent facilitation skills with various audiences and various methods (in-person, virtual) 
• Extensive experience developing virtual, asynchronous trainings and running virtual live trainings
• Ability to lead and supervise staff including developing staff skills while ensuring that deliverables are met
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Proficient in Microsoft 365 Suite, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other commonly used computer software applications
• Ability to work at a high level of productivity, including handling a variety of tasks simultaneously, and ability to stay on task with frequent interruptions
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively with a team

• Ability to travel across Massachusetts for training sessions as needed

Minimum Entrance Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in public policy/political science, psychology, sociology, human services, or social work
• At least four (4) years of experience in training and facilitation
• At least two (2) years of experience in curriculum design
• At least one (1) years as a supervisor 

Preferred Entrance Requirements:

• Masters degree in related field
• Experience in training in languages other than English
• Experience working with state agencies and managing and supporting partner organization expectations
• Experience training and facilitating on childhood wellbeing related topics
• Experience designing curriculum in Articulate 360