Initial Posting Date:
05/29/2026
Application Deadline:
06/09/2026
Agency:
Department of State Lands
Salary Range:
$6,275 - $9,644
Position Type:
Employee
Position Title:
Waterways Stewardship Risk Analyst
Job Description:
Do you love solving puzzles that make organizations safer and stronger? The Department of State Lands is seeking a Waterways Stewardship Risk Analyst to identify emerging risks, evaluate impacts, and shape smarter insurance and risk‑management decisions. Apply for this new limited duration role by June, 9th, 2026. This position is eligible for a hybrid remote schedule reporting to our Salem office 1-2 days per week for the first month and then as needed and agreed upon with the hiring manager.
Make a Difference for Oregon. The Department of State Lands manages the lands that help fund our public schools and protects the state’s waterways and wetlands for the many benefits they provide. Our stewardship ensures vital natural and financial resources contribute to a vibrant, healthy Oregon now and forever. The DSL team makes a difference for Oregonians every day. As our Waterways Stewardship Risk Analyst, you will too.
The primary purpose of this position is to serve as the Department’s lead technical expert on risk management related to the stewardship of Oregon’s submerged and submersible lands. The successful candidate will be responsible for developing and implementing analytical methods, procedures, and tools that identify, assess, and mitigate economic, environmental, social, and legal risks associated with authorized and unauthorized uses of state-owned waterways. This role will also provide data-driven insights, risk evaluations, and evidence-based recommendations that support land management decisions.
This position is statewide and will report directly to our main Salem office. This is a full-time, limited duration position and is represented by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). The position does have the potential to become permanent once funding is secured.
What’s in it for you?
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Utilize your skills in risk analysis to support our policy and environmental resource experts in evaluating leases, easements, and other authorizations to ensure fair compensation, protect public resources, and minimize liability.
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Receive 1-on-1 mentoring and support from policy and natural resource experts.
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Join an organization with collaborative and engaged co-workers who care about Oregon’s economy, environment, and communities, and their co-workers.
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Gain full benefits with 95% to 99% of medical insurance premiums paid by the agency for full-time employees, including mental health coverage.
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Accrue at least 8 hours of sick leave and 8 hours of vacation leave per month, with your vacation leave accruals increasing every 5 years.
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Receive 11 paid holidays, 1 floating holiday, 3 personal business days and other employee benefits such as optional insurances and flexible spending plans.
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Automatically enroll into the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) after 6 months of full-time service.
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Earn the initial monthly salary range for this position starting at $6,275- $9,644 for employees new to public service; current PERS employees start at $6,709 - $10,315.
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Salary offers are made with consideration of the candidate’s education and experience. Visit our Pay Equity and Classification and Compensation pages for more details.
Working Conditions:
Much of the work is in a hybrid office setting; occasional fieldwork may be required, and occasional travel is an essential function of the position. Overnight stays and/or extended work hours can be expected along with exposure to inclement weather and road conditions. This position is located in our Salem office. The successful candidate must be able to live within a reasonable commutable distance to Salem, Oregon within 6 months of being hired.
What you will be doing:
As our Waterways Stewardship Risk Analyst, you will have the opportunity to:
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Serve as Department in-house analyst regarding liabilities related to authorized and unauthorized uses of state-owned submerged and submersible land.
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Provide support for the review of applications for renewals, assignments, and modifications of authorizations from a risk-analysis perspective.
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Communicate risk analysis findings to internal and external interested parties in clear, accessible language to explain authorization decisions and support public transparency.
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Conduct comprehensive financial, environmental, and operational risk assessments for both proposed uses of Oregon-owned waterways, including leases, easements, and other authorizations, and unauthorized uses.
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Integrate risk assessment into policy development, program planning, and authorization processes and develop tools to assist staff in determining financial assurance requirements for DSL authorizations.
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Review and propose updates to DSL practices, procedures, authorization templates, and rules in collaboration with DSL and DOJ (Department of Justice) employees.
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Represent agency, arrange for, prepare and conduct public meetings and hearings as necessary and report key outcomes to Department staff and DOJ.
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Serve as Department liaison to Department of Administrative Services (DAS) Risk Management.
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Oversee the administrative processes and tasks associated with enforcement actions, legal proceedings, and cost recovery efforts related to non-compliance with waterway use rules and lease agreements.
For a full description of the duties and working conditions, please email [email protected] to request the position description.
Minimum Qualifications- to be considered for this position, please ensure you have one of the following combinations of education and experience:
Four (4) years of experience in natural resource management; at least one year must be at a technical or professional level performing activities such as researching and analyzing data, conducting investigations, applying pertinent laws and regulations or coordinating and monitoring project activities;
AND
A bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, or Environmental/Natural Resource Economics, and/or Natural Resource related field and/or Public Policy, or another related field;
OR
Three (3) additional years of related experience.
NOTE: A master’s degree in environmental or a closely related field will substitute for up to one (1) year of the required experience and a doctorate degree in environmental science or a closely related field will substitute for up to two (2) years of the required experience.
Applicants who have obtained a master’s degree or Doctorate that included work experience from an internship, work/study, thesis, or similar program may list this experience in their application to receive credit for the work experience. The master’s degree/Doctorate and applicable work experience will be considered separately, and both the education and applicable experience may count toward minimum qualifications.
Desired Attributes- tell us which of the following skills, experiences, and related talents you have by highlighting them in your application materials:
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Experience communicating specific program requirements to a wide variety of people and abilities including public, private and government entities
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Demonstrated success in collaborating with teams, showing accountability to foster a positive, productive, and inclusive work environment
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Experience in data analysis and application to gather data from relevant sources, apply advanced analytics, support informed decision-making and improve outcomes
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Demonstrated success in the development of strategies to identify, assess, and mitigate risks while ensuring compliance with applicable statutes, rules and policies
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Skill in identifying risk solutions by assessing exposures and implementing risk control strategies across programs to reduce Total Cost of Risk (TCOR) and achieve optimal outcomes.
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Expertise with indemnity and risk transfer language within agreements, contracts, and grants
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Knowledge of environmental risk management principles, natural resource management practices, and state and federal laws governing submerged and submersible lands and related environmental compliance
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Experience working independently on long-term projects across divisions, agencies, and/or community groups with competing or conflicting priorities.
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Proficiency in independent research using credible and appropriate sources of information
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Familiarity with common commercial, private, and recreational uses of Oregon waterways
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Preference may be given to candidates with experience in the insurance or financial industries, insurance or financial regulatory policy, or consumer advocacy.
Please be sure to attach a resume and a cover letter of two (2) pages or less describing the above desired attributes you bring to this position, and how your previous experience would be an asset in this position with DSL.
How to apply:
- Complete the following required steps:
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Fill out the application or attach a resume. Please contact the recruiter if you have any questions about how to fill out the experience fields or to attach a document. Your submitted experience fields or attached resume must include dates (MM/YYYY) for each employer, and any relevant volunteer and/or internship experience.
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Attach a cover letter. Your cover letter should clearly demonstrate how your experience and training relates to the qualities that you have under the “Desired Attributes” section above.
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Your cover letter must be limited to no more than two (2) pages.
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Please address your cover letter to Josh Mulhollem, Waterways Stewardship Manager.
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Generic cover letters that do not address the qualities that you have under the “Desired Attributes” section may receive lower scores than those that addressed the desired qualities.
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Please answer the following questions in your cover letter:
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What unique experience do you have that relates to the desired attributes that you would like to share?
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Why do you want to work for DSL?
You must upload your cover letter in the ‘Resume/Cover Letter’ section of the application.
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Complete questionnaire. Answer the checkbox-style questions before submitting your application. If you are applying as an existing state employee for the Job Rotation option, please upload permission from your current supervisor.
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After you submit your application, please respond to the public records request authorization and gender identity questionnaire. This screen will come after you submit and will complete the process. If you are a current State of Oregon employee, the tasks will come to your Workday inbox.
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If you are a veteran, you may receive preference. The task to upload your documents will be available after you submit your application. For privacy reasons, please do not attach your military service document(s) to your application or combine it with any other required document attachments.
The Oregon Department of State Lands is committed to seeking and sustaining a culturally, racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse working environment. The Department hires staff interested in supporting environmental justice by including communities traditionally underrepresented in public processes. We encourage members of these communities to apply, even if they do not meet 100% of the desired attributes. The Oregon Department of State Lands understands that an authentic focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace will in turn create a workforce aligned to meet the challenge of serving all Oregonians.
Additional Information:
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This recruitment may be used to fill future positions.
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The use of outside resources such as Artificial Intelligence software during applicant skill assessments, examinations, and/or interviews is prohibited unless otherwise stated by the hiring agency.
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If you need an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to participate in the application or selection process, please contact [email protected] and please be sure to include the job requisition number.
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For more information about applying for positions with the State of Oregon via Workday, you may visit the Oregon job opportunities website at: www.oregon.gov/jobs
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The state of Oregon does not request or require your age, date of birth, attendance or graduation dates from an educational institution during the application process.
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Eligible veterans and Oregon National Guard servicemembers (current and former) who meet the qualifications of the position will be awarded candidate preference.
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For more information, please visit Veterans Resources.
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After you apply, you may be asked to provide additional optional information. Please be sure to check your Workday account for pending tasks or actions under your “My Applications” section. Be sure to check both your email and Workday account for updates regarding this recruitment.
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As an employer, DSL complies with Oregon’s pay equity law. Salary offers are made with consideration of the candidate’s education and experience. For more information on pay equity, click here.
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Agency does not offer visa sponsorship. Within three days of hire, applicants will be required to complete I-9 documentation and confirm authorization to work in the United States.
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For questions about the job duties or application process, please contact [email protected] to contact our recruitment team.
