Careers at OCCA
About OCCA
Founded in 1962, OCCA represents Oregon’s 17 publicly chartered community colleges and their locally elected boards. OCCA works at the intersection of public policy, advocacy, institutional leadership, student success, and statewide collaboration, providing a unified voice for community colleges before policymakers and partners whose decisions affect students, colleges, and communities across Oregon.
Equal Opportunity
OCCA is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. If your background does not align perfectly with every qualification, we still encourage you to apply. Candidates requiring accommodation or assistance during the hiring process may contact Human Resources at 503-399-9912. Finalists may be required to show proof of eligibility to work in the United States. Degrees must be from an accredited institution recognized by the Office of Degree Authorization, U.S. Department of Education, as required by ORS 348.609.
Open Positions
Director of Student Success Initiatives
The Oregon Community College Association (OCCA) is seeking a strategic, collaborative, and equity-minded leader to serve as its next Director of Student Success Initiatives. This role leads OCCA’s Student Success Center work and helps advance statewide strategies that improve student outcomes across Oregon’s 17 community colleges.
The Director will work closely with community college leaders, student leaders, the OCCA Board, the Oregon Presidents Council, state partners, and funders to strengthen student success policy, elevate student voices, support evidence-based practice, and connect statewide collaboration to meaningful results for students.
This is an opportunity for a mission-driven professional who understands community colleges, values public service, and is energized by work that blends strategy, policy, partnerships, data, and hands-on implementation in a small statewide association.
About the Role
The Director of Student Success Initiatives provides statewide leadership for OCCA’s student success work. The position coordinates with colleges and partners to support shared student success goals, advance equitable outcomes, strengthen transfer and completion efforts, and ensure that student experiences help shape policy and practice. The successful candidate will be a thoughtful strategist, strong communicator, and trusted relationship-builder who can move comfortably between statewide leadership and practical implementation.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead statewide strategy and coordination for OCCA’s Student Success Center and related student success initiatives.
- Convene college leaders, practitioners, students, and statewide partners around shared goals for access, equity, retention, completion, transfer, and student outcomes.
- Build strong partnerships with the Oregon Community College Student Association and other student leaders to elevate student voice in policy, advocacy, and implementation.
- Support student-success-focused policy development, legislative engagement, issue analysis, and advocacy strategies.
- Translate data, research, and program outcomes into clear recommendations, reports, presentations, and communications for varied audiences.
- Support grant writing, funder relationships, grant management, sustainability planning, and resource development related to student success work.
- Work with OCCA leadership and the OCCA Board DEI Committee to support learning, training, and resources that strengthen board understanding of equity and student success.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
Candidates should bring the following required qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in a field related to the responsibilities of the position.
- At least five years of relevant professional experience in education, student success, student services, public policy, nonprofit leadership, or a closely related field.
- Experience developing, leading, or supporting programs, policies, partnerships, or initiatives designed to improve student outcomes.
- Strong communication and relationship-building skills, including the ability to work effectively with students, college leaders, policymakers, funders, and community partners.
- Demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, student voice, and improved outcomes for underrepresented and non-traditional students.
Preferred Qualifications
Competitive candidates may also bring one or more of the following:
- Master’s degree in higher education, public policy, education leadership, public administration, student affairs, or a related field.
- Experience working in or with community colleges, particularly in Oregon or another statewide/system-level setting.
- Experience with policy development or statewide advocacy.
- Experience preparing grant proposals, developing grant-related materials, and supporting funder reporting or stewardship activities.
- Experience working directly with student organizations, student leaders, grant-funded programs, or education-focused funding initiatives.
- Experience using data, research, and evaluation findings to guide strategy, reporting, and continuous improvement.
Timeline and Key Dates
- July 15, 2026, 11:59 p.m. PST – Best consideration deadline
- July 16, 2026 – Screening begins
- Anticipated interview period Week of July 27, 2026
- Anticipated start date September 1, 2026, or as negotiated
How to Apply
Interested candidates should submit the following materials to Katie Archambault, Director of Operations, at katie@occa17.com:
- Resume.
- Cover letter describing relevant experience, interest in the position, and alignment with the qualifications.
- Three professional references.
Applications missing any of the listed required documents may be considered incomplete and ineligible for further review.
The position will remain open until filled. Applications received after July 15, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PST are not guaranteed review.
Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs
The Oregon Community College Association (OCCA) is seeking a strategic, analytical, and highly collaborative policy professional to serve as its next Director of Policy & Legislative Affairs. This role serves as OCCA’s policy lead, helping shape the association’s policy agenda, inform advocacy strategy, and guide clear, consistent communications on issues affecting Oregon’s 17 community colleges.
The Director will work closely with the Executive Director, the Director of Government Relations, college leaders, locally elected board members, campus advocacy coordinators, state agencies, and policy partners to analyze complex issues, support legislative strategy, and elevate the collective voice of Oregon’s community colleges.
This is an opportunity for a mission-driven professional who understands public policy, values public service, writes with clarity and precision, and is energized by work that blends policy analysis, advocacy, strategic communications, and statewide collaboration in a small association environment.
About the Role
The Director of Policy & Legislative Affairs provides leadership for OCCA’s policy, legislative planning, and policy-focused communications work. The position leads policy development and bill prioritization; conducts in-depth policy analysis; models fiscal and operational impacts; and supports OCCA’s government affairs work as a supporting lobbyist during legislative sessions.
The successful candidate will be a thoughtful policy strategist, strong writer, skilled communicator, and trusted relationship-builder who can move comfortably between detailed analysis, public-facing messaging, and practical advocacy suppor
Key Responsibilities
- Lead development and coordination of OCCA’s statewide policy agenda and related policy priorities.
- Analyze legislative concepts, budget proposals, agency rules, regulatory changes, and statewide policy initiatives.
- Model fiscal and operational impacts and translate complex policy issues into clear recommendations, briefs, testimony, and advocacy materials.
- Support legislative strategy and bill prioritization in partnership with the Executive Director and Director of Government Relations.
- Participate in legislative meetings, agency discussions, workgroups, and public policy forums; testify or represent OCCA as needed.
- Lead OCCA’s Campus Advocacy Coordinator Committee by supporting training, engagement strategies, advocacy tools, and consistent messaging across all 17 colleges.
- Oversee strategic communications related to policy and advocacy, including policy briefs, legislative updates, newsletters, social media content, talking points, and shared messaging.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
Candidates should bring the following required qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in public policy, education policy, political science, public administration, or a related field.
- Significant experience in policy analysis, legislative or regulatory work, public affairs, higher education policy, or a closely related field.
- Demonstrated ability to analyze complex policy issues, budget proposals, legislation, or regulations and translate them into clear, actionable recommendations.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare policy briefs, analytical reports, testimony, talking points, and strategic communications.
- Ability to build strong relationships with policymakers, agency staff, institutional leaders, elected board members, advocacy coordinators, association staff, and statewide partners.
Preferred Qualifications
Competitive candidates may also bring one or more of the following:
- Master’s degree in public policy, public administration, education policy, political science, higher education, or a related field.
- Experience in higher education, workforce development, community colleges, or state-level policy environments.
- Familiarity with Oregon’s legislative process, state budget structures, agency rule-making, or community college governance.
- Experience developing talking points, newsletters, policy briefs, legislative updates, social media content, or other policy-focused communications.
- Experience testifying, presenting, facilitating committees, or representing an organization in legislative, agency, or public policy settings.
- Experience coordinating advocacy partners, campus-based advocates, member organizations, or statewide work-groups.
Timeline and Key Dates
- July 15, 2026, 11:59 p.m. PST – Best consideration deadline
- July 16, 2026 – Screening begins
- Anticipated interview period Week of July 27, 2026
- Anticipated start date September 1, 2026, or as negotiated
How to Apply
Interested candidates should submit the following materials to Katie Archambault, Director of Operations, at katie@occa17.com:
- Resume.
- Cover letter describing relevant experience, interest in the position, and alignment with the qualifications.
- Three professional references.
Applications missing any of the listed required documents may be considered incomplete and ineligible for further review.
The position will remain open until filled. Applications received after July 15, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PST are not guaranteed review.