Regional Capacity Program Manager

Position Summary

This recruitment will close at 11:59 PM on October 21st, 2025, or once 125 applications have been received, whichever occurs first. Qualified applicants are strongly encouraged to apply as early as possible to ensure consideration.

Hello, we’re Metro! Metro is dedicated to shaping a better future for the greater Portland region. The work the people of Metro do every day benefits the lives of the people who live here, today, and tomorrow.

The Housing Department’s Supportive Housing Services (SHS) Division is looking for a Regional Capacity Program Manager to develop, launch and sustain creative projects, programs and capacity-building initiatives to support our region’s housing and homeless service providers and our county implementing partners. These programs include, for example:

• Launching a training partnership with Portland Community College to develop a curriculum that will help frontline housing and homeless service workers gain the skills they need to succeed early in their careers.
• Procuring an online data platform to make listing and finding affordable housing easier for property managers and prospective tenants alike.
• Implementing and operationalizing the lessons from a technical assistance demonstration project to understand the best practices our region’s permanent supportive housing providers are leveraging and the support they need moving forward.
• Developing webinars, user manuals and other technical assistance support needed to implement administrative rules helping Metro to fulfill its role as a funder.
• Projects that are responsive to service provider needs and areas of regional alignment as identified with colleagues in the SHS division.

The dynamic program manager we are seeking will be able to lead programs, like the ones listed above and others as assigned, developing, implementing and operationalizing them from concept to completion while working collaboratively with the Regional Capacity Manager, the team’s other regional capacity program manager, two program coordinators and a program assistant.

As the Regional Capacity Program Manager you will

Lead the development and provide administrative oversight of programs:

• Work with management to identify and develop programs from concept to completion to ongoing sustainability. This includes: conceptualizing, leading and analyzing research; developing and tracking budgets, timelines, metrics and key performance indicators; identifying racial equity considerations and being accountable to their implementation.
• Develop, implement and manage multiple programs simultaneously with competing priorities and deadlines.
• Center racial equity in your work, including applying and implementing findings from a racial equity lens at key intervals to develop programs and opportunities that advance equitable outcomes for communities of color in program implementation.
• Help to ensure consistent, quality service delivery for homeless or housing insecure individuals by developing and implementing standardized systems and guidelines for delivering technical assistance, capacity building, administrative rules or other areas as identified across nonprofit service providers and jurisdictional partners. You will collaborate with the other members of the regional capacity team and across the SHS division to operationalize lessons learned from programs, or launch new, responsive programs, to inform the broader implementation of SHS fund across the region.
• Continuously improve on program delivery by conducting ongoing evaluation of program effectiveness, identifying potential obstacles to achieving desired outcomes and recommending strategic adjustments as needed.
• Develop, launch and administer scopes of work with contractors, procurements, solicitations, requests for proposal; implement and manage contracts, IGAs, etc.
• Develop, launch and exercise diligent oversight of grant programs, monitoring for compliance with grant conditions and terms, maintain intake and accountability procedures, evaluate grants for program applicability, maintain grant records, and/or perform other related activities.

Engage the community in program development and implementation:

• Foster and maintain strategic relationships with key invested partners, including homeless service providers, people with lived experience of homelessness and jurisdictional partners.
• Drive and create ongoing strategic engagement initiatives, orchestrating community engagement summits, invested party roundtables and more. Present to legislative bodies and advisory committees as needed.
• Be an ambassador to your work—and the Metro Housing Department more broadly—to a variety of audiences including Metro Council, advisory committees, partner organizations and more.

Attributes for success

• Demonstrated experience and success in program design, development, implementation and sustainability, especially in housing and homeless services system.
• Strong understanding and working knowledge of the capacity challenges, needs and opportunities faced by homeless service and housing providers in the Portland region—and a working knowledge of the solutions to address them.
• Knowledge and ability to lead with a racial equity lens and apply it throughout your work.
• Exhibit both the capacity and willingness to work independently while also collaborating effectively as part of a team: when one of us succeeds, we all succeed.
• Ability to develop and implement program work plans and strategic plans.
• Adeptness at building strong relationships with external invested parties with an understanding of power dynamics and historic imbalances between government and community organizations.
• Ability to skillfully navigate complex legal, policy and political challenges.
• Demonstrate strong written and oral communication skills, effectively conveying ideas and information with clarity and professionalism.
• Strong leadership and means to deliver on deadlines amidst competing priorities and sometimes unpredictable work environments.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

At Metro, we strive to cultivate diversity, advance equity, and practice inclusion in all of its work. This means attracting and empowering a workforce that is inclusive of a broad range of human qualities. Workplace diversity is both a moral imperative and a business strength, essential to providing quality support and services to our region. Metro’s goal is to hire, develop and retain highly skilled and talented individuals across all departments and programs who best reflect the diversity of our community.

Learn more about Metro’s Diversity Action Plan

TO QUALIFY

We will consider any combination of relevant work experience, volunteering, education, and transferable skills as qualifying unless an item or section is labeled required. Please be clear and specific in your application materials on how your background is relevant.

Minimum qualifications

• Four years of experience in a similar position and
• A Bachelor’s Degree in applicable area of study; or
• Any combination of education, professional, volunteer and lived experience that provides the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the classification duties and responsibilities.

If this statement is true for you, then you may be ineligible to apply

If you were terminated for cause during any employment with Metro, or resigned in lieu of termination, you may be ineligible for rehire for a minimum of 3 years.

Hybrid Telework

At this time, this position is designated as “hybrid telework.” You will have the option to work away from the office, although there may be times that coming into the office will be required. The manager will work with you to identify a schedule that balances the operational needs of the department and your needs. Employees must reside in Oregon or Washington to work at Metro.

Like to have qualifications

You do not need to have the following preferred qualifications/transferable skills to qualify. However, keep in mind we may consider them when identifying the most qualified candidates. Your transferable skills are any skills you have gained through education, work experience, including the military, or life experience that are relevant for this position.

• Demonstrated program design and implementation experience to support housing and homeless service providers in the nonprofit or government sectors.
• Lived experience with housing instability, homelessness or other institutional marginalization and/or working with people experiencing homelessness.
• Direct experience working with Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) communities and other historically marginalized communities.
• Project Management Certification (PMP).

SCREENING AND EVALUATION

The application packet: The application packet consists of the following required documents. Please ensure that you upload these documents in your online application. Make sure your application is complete, missing any part of these items could result in an incomplete application and will not be moved forward in the recruitment.

• A completed resume that includes the details for each employer
  • Name of employer, working title
  • Dates of employment; including if the work was full-time or part-time
  • Number of employees supervised (if applicable)
  • Summary of your responsibilities
    
• A cover letter sharing your interest in and qualifications for the position. Additionally, please make sure your materials speak to the following topics:
  • Your experience in program design, development and ongoing implementation, and the strategies you believe are necessary to include when developing a program to sustainably address homelessness.
  • Your experience in advancing racial equity.

The selection process: We expect to evaluate candidates for this recruitment as follows. The selection process is subject to change.

• Initial review of minimum qualifications
• In-depth evaluation of application materials to identify the most qualified candidates
• Consideration of top candidates/interviews
• Testing/assessments (if applicable)
• Reference check

COMPENSATION, BENEFITS AND REPRESENTATON

The full-salary range for this position is step 1: $91,400.94 to step 7: $122,515.70 However, unless a candidate’s qualifications justify, based on the Oregon Pay Equity Act requirements and Metro’s internal equity review process, the appointment will likely be made between step 1: $91, 400.94 to the equity range step 4: $105,815.81.

This position is not eligible for overtime and is represented by AFSCME 3580. It is classified as a Program Manager position. Classification descriptions are typically written broadly and do not include the specific duties and responsibilities of the positions. View the classification description.

Questions?

Recruiter: Carrie Gundermann

Email: carrie.gundermann@oregonmetro.gov

Additional Information

Equal employment opportunity

All qualified persons will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, familial status, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability for which a reasonable accommodation can be made, or any other status protected by law.

Accommodation

Metro will gladly provide a reasonable accommodation to anyone whose specific disability prevents them from completing this application or participating in this recruitment process. Please contact the recruiter outlined in the job announcement in advance to request assistance.

Veterans' preference

Under Oregon Law, qualified veterans may be eligible for veterans' preference when applying for Metro positions. If you are a veteran and would like to be considered for a veterans' preference for this job, please provide qualifying documents as instructed during the application process.

Hybrid Telework

Positions designated as “hybrid telework,” meaning you will have the option to work away from the office, although there may be times that coming into the office will be required. The designation of Hybrid Telework may be subject to change at a future time. All employees must reside in Oregon or Washington; Metro cannot support ongoing telework from other locations.

Pay equity at Metro

No matter who you are or where you work at Metro, you deserve to be paid fairly for the work you do. Every worker must get equal pay for equal work regardless of your gender, race, age, or other protected characteristics. Metro has established processes and conducts routine pay equity reviews as part of the hiring process to ensure compliance with the 2017 Oregon Pay Equity Act.

Online applications

Metro accepts job applications online. If you need assistance or accommodation with your application, or access to a computer, please contact the recruiter outlined in the job announcement in advance to request assistance.

How to Apply

For tips on how to apply and more information on what the application process looks like, visit Metro’s “How to apply” page.

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Metro

Led by an elected council, this unique government gives all residents of greater Portland a voice in shaping the future and provides parks, venues, services, and tools at a regional scale. We find solutions for our area’s garbage and recycling that protect clean air and water; help plan land use and development to provide jobs and safe transportation; manage local venues that provide a connection to arts and culture and help keep the economy growing; protect 17,000 acres of parks and natural areas, and run the Oregon Zoo, to keep nature close to home.

As part of the Metro family, you play a vital role in serving the people of the greater Portland region.

Family members, including eligible spouses, domestic partners, and children, are covered under most of our benefits programs. Benefits vary depending on position and full-time, part-time, and variable hour status.

This is a budgeted, regular status position with a full-time schedule. The position is eligible for these benefits:

• Medical, dental and vision health insurance
• Paid sick leave
• Paid vacation, holiday, and other leave
• Paid parental leave
• Full contribution to Oregon PERS retirement
• No-cost TriMet Hop Pass
• Employee Assistance Program
• Training opportunities
• Flexible schedules depending on position and department
• Hybrid/Telework living in Oregon /Washington depending on position and department