Limited Period HOPE Senior Planner

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Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)

Senior Planner

Opening Date:
February 20, 2026

Closing Date:
March 5, 2026

Job Class Code: 0603

Grade: 25 (Professional and Technical Services)

Salary: $54,412.80 – $76,315.20 per year

Position Number:

Location:

Central Office, Augusta

The limited period HOPE Senior Planner position will assist with the administrative and operational functions that allow the Higher Opportunity for Pathways to Employment (HOPE) Program’s development and implementation of Maine’s Rural Health Transformation Plan to engage and support student parents who will grow the rural healthcare workforce. This Senior Planner position will make professional‑level decisions related to the interpretation and application of policy in order to serve Maine parents seeking post‑secondary healthcare credentials.

This HOPE position will interact with workforce development community partners and stakeholders. The position will monitor, evaluate, and contribute to the engagement and success of rural residents whose career goals are to be employed by healthcare providers that serve rural communities.

Additionally, the HOPE Senior Planner will assist the Office for Family Independence in administering the HOPE Program, which assists parents with low incomes with completion of training and education required to meet their employment goals. This position is responsible for assisting the HOPE Program Manager in day‑to‑day operations, collection of program information, and evaluation of the program. Strong interpersonal, written communication, and problem‑solving skills are required.

The ability to interact professionally with people engaged in post‑secondary training and education pathways, higher education faculty and staff, community partners, and stakeholders is crucial. A HOPE Senior Planner works in a collaborative team environment and should be able to work in a self‑directed manner and be accountable for all assigned tasks.

• Acting as a liaison between the Department and HOPE Program stakeholders.
• Monitoring program procedures and processes for efficiency, accuracy and overall service quality.
• Evaluating information received from Department vendors.
• Collecting and evaluating program applications and applying program rules to determine eligibility.
• Administering issuance of program support services applying program rules.
• Coordinating, developing, and providing program outreach, training and ongoing policy interpretation to vendor staff and other stakeholders as needed.
• Representing the Department at administrative hearings.
• Coordinating data reporting internally and in coordination with Department vendors.
• Overseeing quality, quantity and effectiveness of services provided by program vendors.

A Bachelors Degree in assigned area and four (4) years of related work experience. Equivalent related experience may be substituted for education on a year‑for‑year basis.

Work experience may include: the development, delivery, or administration of public sector eligibility, healthcare, or social service programs, or comparable experience in a public administration, legal, business, or education environment.

The background of well‑qualified candidates will demonstrate the following competencies: