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Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future
Opening Date: April 17, 2026
Closing Date: May 01, 2026
Grade / Admin Unit: 32 / Confidential
Job Class Code: EA32
Salary: $77,896.00 - $110,073.60/Annually
Position Number: 095001178
Location: Augusta
Telework: Available
Currently, this position is not eligible for visa sponsorship or STEM OPT extensions.
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. As the Director of Maine’s Office of New Americans (ONA), you will lead the work of the ONA. You will collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to improve the long-term economic and civic participation of immigrants into the State’s workforce and communities. This position will be responsible for carrying out the operations of the office, including supervising professional staff, interacting with the ONA Advisory Council, and reporting on the activities of the ONA to the Governor and the Legislature.
The position offers the unique opportunity to shape the strategy of the office; to work across public agencies, institutions, community-based organizations and other partners to improve economic opportunity for immigrants in Maine. This is a full-time, salaried position responsible for significant cross-agency work and stakeholder engagement.
GOPIF is looking for an individual with experience and expertise in workforce and economic development, policy development, and stakeholder engagement, preferably in areas related to immigrant inclusion.
This is a hybrid position headquartered in Augusta, with occasional travel in Maine and to national convenings/conferences as necessary and appropriate. Mileage is reimbursed for work-related travel. The position will report to the Director of the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future (GOPIF) and will supervise one staff member.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Lead the operations of the ONA, including implementation of a strategy and vision that align with State and Administration priorities for immigrant civic and economic integration.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with immigrant communities, state agency leadership, municipalities, School Administrative Units, employers, advocacy groups and others, to understand challenges and opportunities related to the immigrant experience in Maine.
- Facilitate the ONA Advisory Council and consider its recommendations on matters impacting immigrants in the State.
- Direct office operations, budget, and staff supervision.
- Serve as the public face of the Maine ONA, including representing the office at events, with community stakeholders, and in the media.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
To qualify, your background must include a minimum of 7 years of professional experience, and may include a mix of public policy, federal or state government, law, workforce and economic development, community organizing, advocacy, education, or nonprofit or industry leadership.
Preference will be given to those with the below qualifications:
- A proven ability to navigate complex organizations, develop trust with senior leaders, and build trusted relationships among diverse groups of colleagues and stakeholders.
- Professional or lived experience with the barriers, challenges and opportunities experienced by immigrant Mainers.
- Demonstrated success in identifying challenges and designing 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.
- Strong project management skills, with the ability to deliver on long-term projects as well as shift to address emergent needs.
- Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work collaboratively as a member of a team and to supervise staff.
- Strong meeting facilitation skills and experience.
- Experience using data and field work to generate insights and creatively solve problems.
GOPIF recognizes the value that an array of experiences will bring to the position, including lived experience, non-traditional educational backgrounds, and multilingualism.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
Please submit a cover letter, a resume, 3 professional references 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.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
For more information or questions specific to the position, please contact recruiting.ggsc@maine.gov
The selected candidate will be required to pass the required background checks (fingerprinting may be required) as a condition of employment.
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 Balance– Rest is essential. Take time for yourself using13 paid holidays, 12 days of sick leave,and3+ weeks of vacation leaveannually. Vacation leave accrual increases with years of service, and overtime-exempt employees receive personal leave.
- Health Insurance Coverage– The State of Maine pays85%-100%of employee-only premiums($11,857.68-$13,950.24annual value), depending on salary. Use this chart to find thepremium costsfor you and your family, including the percentage of dependent coverage paid by the State.
- Health Insurance Premium Credit– Participation decreases employee-only premiums by 5%. Visit the Office of Employee Health and Wellness for more information aboutprogram requirements.
- Dental Insurance– The State of Maine pays 100% of employee-only dental premiums ($365.28 annual value).
- Retirement Plan– The State of Maine contributes 18.91% of pay to the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS), on behalf of the employee.
- Gym Membership Reimbursement– Improve overall health with regular exercise and receive up to $40 per month to offset this expense.
- Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts– Set aside money pre-tax to help pay for out-of-pocket health care expenses and/or daycare expenses.
- Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness– The State of Maine is a qualified employer for this federal program. For more information, visit theFederal Student Aid office.
- Living Resources Program– Navigate challenging work and life situations with our employee assistance program.
- Parental leaveis one of the most important benefits for any working parent. All employees who are welcoming a child—including fathers and adoptive parents—receiveforty-two (42) consecutive calendar days of fully paid parental leave. Additional, unpaid leave may also be available, under theFamily and Medical Leave Act.
- Voluntary Deferred Compensation– Save additional pre-tax funds for retirement in a MaineSaves 457(b) account through payroll deductions.
State employees are eligible for an extensive and highly competitive benefits package, covering many aspects of wellness. Learn about additional wellness benefits for State employees from the Office of Employee Health and Wellness.
Note: Benefits may vary somewhat according to specific collective bargaining agreements and are prorated for anything less than full-time.
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 experience and passion set you apart.
If you require a paper application, please download and print one HERE
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If you are unable to complete the online application, please contact the Human Resources representative listed on the job opening you are interested in applying for. They will work with you for an alternative method of submitting.
