Investigations Manager - PSO Inspector General; formerly Chief Investigator

Salary Range: $7,537 - $11,657

Position Type:
Employee

Location:

Salem – CENTRAL OFFICE / EQUITABLE BUILDING

The Oregon Youth Authority is hiring a PSO Inspector General to lead the Professional Standards Office – the agency's investigative branch responsible for integrity, accountability, and youth safety across Oregon's juvenile justice system. Reporting to the OYA Director, this Management Service leadership role directs criminal and administrative investigations into staff, contractor, and youth misconduct; oversees a team of investigators; and shapes agency-wide policy from investigative trends.

The ideal candidate brings advanced investigative expertise, sound judgment in high-visibility cases, and a genuine commitment to trauma-informed, equitable practice with youth and families. This is a chance to protect vulnerable youth, strengthen public trust in Oregon's juvenile corrections system, and lead a team at the center of one of the agency's most consequential functions.

• This position acts as the agency's liaison with Law Enforcement, The Oregon State Police, and Department of Human Services.
• Lead and manage OYA’s investigative operations, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and legal defensibility.
• Supervise investigative staff, including mentoring, training, and case management.
• Provide oversight of high-profile, criminal, administrative, and multi-agency investigations.
• Advise executive leadership, the Governor’s Office, legislators, and external partners on investigative findings and systemic reforms.
• Ensure agency compliance with PREA, mandatory child abuse reporting, and other state and federal requirements.
• Champion trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and equity-centered investigative practices.

Join Us on Thursday, October 1, 2026 between 11:00am-11:30am PST for Q&A Career Chat session about this position! You will have an opportunity to ask questions about this position and about OYA. This is not a mandatory requirement to join this session, just a friendly environment to ask questions and to learn a little more about OYA.

The Oregon Youth Authority (OYA) is a national leader in the juvenile justice field, pioneering the implementation of a positive human development framework for its work with staff and youth, and using data to match the right youth with the right services. We seek to foster cultural competence and pursue equitable solutions to support youth under our care. Our agency mission is to protect the public and reduce crime by holding youth accountable and providing opportunities for reformation in safe environments.

If you are looking to join a team that values individual and cultural differences and the opportunity to contribute in the success of youth reformation by enriching our workforce with diversity, OYA wants to hear from you! People of color, women and other members of historically underserved communities are strongly encouraged to apply!

• Six years of supervision, management, or progressively related experience; OR three years of related experience and a bachelor’s degree in a related field.

• Experience with criminal evidence handling
• Collaborative team building and facilitation skills
• Proven success at working across boundaries while building and sustaining effective teams on a statewide basis
• Working knowledge and experience in analyzing and prioritizing intelligence information
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
• Ability to analyze and review investigative reports and direct Deputy Chief and investigation staff on investigative techniques during various phases of an investigation
• Advance investigative…