Deputy Director (Deputy/Chief 6)

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality; Portland (OR); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

11 paid holidays

Opportunities for hybrid work

Job summary

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is seeking a Deputy Director to lead statewide environmental priorities and guide policy, strategy, and organizational health from the Director’s Office in Portland. This executive role requires collaboration across programs, agencies, and community partners to advance environmental justice and sustainable outcomes.

You will oversee enforcement, policy implementation, and high-level decisions, ensuring scientific integrity and equitable practices

Qualifications

• Progressive executive-level management experience in government.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
• Experience managing large, complex environmental programs.

Responsibilities

• Lead statewide environmental agency priorities and organizational strategy.
• Oversee enforcement of environmental laws and coordination with agencies.
• Support Director and EQC by guiding statewide employees and partnerships.

Skills

Strategic planning

Executive leadership

Regulatory policy development

Public sector leadership

Job description

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality strives to build and sustain an inclusive and equitable environment that embraces and values diversity. Employees at all levels of the agency work together to foster fairness, equity, inclusion, and belonging. We strive to be a workplace where we share our authentic identities, while advancing our individual professional goals, and while collaborating to protect, preserve, and enhance the environment for current and future generations. We celebrate and appreciate diversity, champion equity, and treat each other with respect and dignity.

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, age, or physical or mental disability in the administration of our programs and activities. Visit DEQ’s Civil Rights and Environmental Justice page.

Opportunity

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has a full-time opportunity available for a Deputy Director (Deputy/Chief 6). This position is based out of DEQ’s Headquarters in Portland, Oregon.

Information Session

We are hosting a virtual information session as an opportunity for interested folks to learn more about the agency and the position.

The session will include an overview of the agency and the Deputy Director position and share information about the recruitment selection process. We will also respond to questions submitted in advance during the webinar. The session is intended to help prospective applicants better understand the position, organizational priorities, and what success in the role may look like.

Day & Date: Monday, October 26, 2026

Time: 12:00 PM – 12:50 PM Pacific Daylight Time

Join via Zoom

Join via phone: [phone]

If needed, the Zoom webinar ID is 832 9030 0274

The Agency

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is the primary regulatory agency of the government of the U.S. State of Oregon responsible for protecting and enhancing the state's natural resources. At DEQ, employees have the opportunity to work with a dynamic and supportive team of mission-focused individuals tasked with maintaining, restoring, and enhancing the quality of Oregon’s air, land, and water.

This position is located within the Director’s Office. The Director’s Office, with the Agency Leadership Team, provides policy formation and guidance, goal development, problem solving, conflict resolution, leadership, and accountability for the entire agency’s program efforts. The team balances needs, interests, and perspectives across the agency, and provides long-term strategic thinking and planning to ensure that DEQ’s priorities and core work are consistent with the agency’s mission, shared vision, and organization design principles. We incorporate diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) and environmental justice principles in our work, internally and externally, and through our Strategic Plan.

For a visual representation of DEQ’s offices and their locations, view our DEQ Offices and Vehicle Inspection Testing Stations map.

What you will do!

As DEQ’s Deputy Director, you will serve as a key strategic partner to the Director in leading a statewide environmental agency dedicated to protecting and improving Oregon’s environment and communities. You will help shape agency priorities, guide organizational strategy, and provide leadership across DEQ’s programs, operations, and workforce.

In this role, you will oversee implementation and enforcement of state and federal environmental laws governing air, land, water, and environmental cleanup programs, including authorities delegated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. You will help ensure environmental justice is integrated across agency programs and decision-making, represent DEQ in high-level partnerships and public forums, serve on behalf of the Director in Governor’s Cabinet activities, and support coordination with Oregon’s other Natural Resource Agencies.

You will also support the Director and the Environmental Quality Commission by providing leadership and guidance to employees statewide, fostering organizational health, and building effective relationships with communities, regulated entities, elected officials, tribal governments, partner agencies, and other interested parties.

As a State supervisory administrator, you will be expected to develop proficiency in, as well as model to others, these competencies: Proactive communication, Innovation, Intentional Engagement, Mentoring & Developing Others, Stewardship, and Business Acumen.

Please view the DEQ Deputy Director Position Description to see the full details of the position duties and working conditions.

Desired Attributes/Skills

Core Leadership Skills & Executive Experience

• Experience developing and implementing strategic planning and long‑term visioning; regulatory and policy development experience, especially within public sector institutions; experience making high-level decisions on complex, precedent‑setting issues.
• Experience in the executive-level management of statewide environmental/natural resources programs and operational priorities; experience leading and administering a division of a government agency or government organization in a manner that builds and maintains teamwork, fosters effective communication, and delivers quality results.
• Demonstrated ability to act on behalf of the Director, including participation in Governor’s cabinet and interagency coordination.

Organizational Management & People Leadership

• Executive-level experience supervising managers and overseeing large teams in a unionized, public-sector environment; experience fostering organizational health and managing recruitment, hiring decisions, and personnel actions.
• Demonstrated skill in coaching, mentoring, performance management, and developing current and future leaders, while fostering employee growth, engagement, and accountability.

Environmental & Regulatory Expertise

• Experience leading and overseeing regulatory programs across air, water, land, waste, enforcement, and cleanup.
• Experience with evidence-based decision-making and the need to ensure scientific integrity.
• Experience negotiating complex, often historically rooted, environmental issues with a wide range of interested parties.

Environmental Justice & Anti‑Racism Competencies

• Experience integrating Environmental Justice into agency programs, decision-making, and operations.
• Demonstrated ability to amplify impacted voices, build trust, and embed equitable practices in hiring, supervision, and service delivery; demonstrated active listening, relationship building, and inclusive communication skills.

Communication & Relationship-Building

• Ability to communicate clearly, effectively, and professionally under pressure including contentious situations
• High emotional intelligence and sound judgment when navigating sensitive or potentially controversial issues.
• Experience and success building effective relationships with local government officials, state agencies, environmental groups, and communities; demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with diverse groups.

Minimum Qualifications

• Progressive executive-level management experience in a government agency or government organization.
• Demonstrated leadership and commitment to promoting and enhancing diversity; proven experience developing and implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
• Progressive experience managing multiple large, complex programs, divisions, and services in the environmental / natural resources sector.

What’s in it for you!

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 11 paid holidays
• 10 hours of vacation per month, eligible to be used as accrued
• 8 hours of sick leave per month, eligible to be used as accrued
• 24 hours of personal business leave per fiscal year, eligible to be used after 6 months of service
• Optional life insurance packages
• Flexible spending accounts
• Membership in the Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS)
• Optional deferred compensation retirement program
• Opportunity to potentially receive loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)
• Continuous growth and development opportunities
• Opportunities to serve your community and make an impact through meaningful work
• A healthy work/life balance, including flexible schedules and hybrid work options for many positions

This is a full-time, executive service supervisory position.

This position meets the executive service criteria in ORS 240.205 (4) and is a principal assistant that manages a major agency organizational component and reports directly to an executive or administrative officer. As such, pursuant to ORS 240.205(4), this position has the approval of the Director of Department of Administrative Services to be placed in unclassified, executive service (DAS CHRO Policy 30.000.01) and serves at the pleasure of the agency appointing authority. This appointment may be terminated at any time (DAS CHRO Policy 40.035.01).

Working Conditions

DEQ believes in a diverse and inclusive work environment. All employees are expected to contribute to a work environment that collectively values and benefits from respecting its diversity and promotes a culture of inclusiveness.

This position will be based out of DEQ’s Headquarters office in Portland; however, the successful candidate may be eligible for hybrid work. The logistics of hybrid work will need to be worked out with the Hiring Manager prior to your hire and may be changed at any time given specific job duties and business needs. DEQ will provide necessary hardware (laptop, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and cell phone) for an employee to successfully work from home. At DEQ sites, you will have access to a workspace, however, it may be shared with other employees.

Most work is performed in a professional office setting with multiple demands on time. There is frequent work under tight deadlines. This position requires frequent travel on official State business for meetings, conferences, site visits, trainings, and public hearings, some of which may involve evening work, weekend work, and/or overnight stays. There may be extended working hours during Legislative session, inclement weather events, and other emergency situations. During site visits, there is the potential for exposure to pollutants, chemicals, contaminants, and inclement weather. This position involves occasional lifting.

This position is required to drive a state vehicle so the incumbent must have a valid driver’s license. Compliance with ORS 807.020 (1) is required. It is required that drivers of state-owned vehicles complete a defensive driving safety class every two years.

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Veterans Information

DEQ provides candidate preference points to all eligible veterans and Oregon National Guard servicemembers (current and former). For more information on candidate preference, please visit Veterans Resources. For privacy reasons, please do not attach candidate preference documents when initially applying. Instead, you will be asked to submit those at a later time as part of a future task in Workday.

Equal Pay Analysis

As an employer, the State of Oregon complies with HB 2005, the Pay Equity Bill. We do not discriminate on the basis of protected class in the payment of wages, and we do not screen applicants on the basis of their current or past compensation. All finalists have an equal pay analysis completed to determine their placement on the salary scale. Please note: the salary listed is the non-PERS qualifying salary range. If the successful candidate is PERS qualifying, the salary range will reflect an additional 6.95% (6% goes to PERS and .95% covers payroll taxes). Please review the Classification and Compensation page for more details.

Work Authorization

DEQ does not offer visa sponsorships. On the first day of employment, all hires will be required to complete the US Department of Homeland Security’s Form I-9, confirming authorization to work in the United States. In addition, hires will have three business days from their first day of employment to present documents that establish employment authorization and identity. DEQ is an E-Verify employer and will use E-Verify to confirm that hires are authorized to work in the United States.

Questions/Need Help?

If you have questions about the recruitment or need assistance to participate in the application process, including an accommodation request under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), please contact DEQ’s Recruitment Team at [e-mail] or 503-229-5107. TTY users: please use the Oregon Telecommunications Relay Service at 1-800-735-2900.