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Chaplain (Lakeview)

Warner Creek Correctional Facility

Oregon Department of Corrections

Are you passionate about providing meaningful spiritual support and helping others find purpose and resilience in challenging environments? The Oregon Department of Corrections is seeking a compassionate and skilled Chaplain to serve the religious and spiritual needs of adults in custody (AICs) at Warner Creek Correctional Facility (WCCF).

About the Job – Your Role

In this vital role, you’ll provide and facilitate a wide range of religious services and activities — including worship services, study groups, individual spiritual counseling, and religious observances — for individuals from diverse faith traditions. You will help those in our care awaken, deepen, and express their spirituality within the correctional setting and assist them in preparing for successful reentry into the community.

Working collaboratively with fellow chaplains, volunteers, community faith leaders, and facility staff, you’ll coordinate services, offer crisis and moral support, and ensure that AICs have equitable access to practice their beliefs in a respectful, safe, and supportive environment. This position makes a meaningful impact by promoting dignity, hope, and spiritual resilience in the lives of those we serve.

This position is represented by American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). This position may be eligible for Police & Fire (P&F) benefits through Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), as defined by statute.

Minimum Qualifications

Must have ALL the following:

• a Bachelor's degree;
• a graduate from an accredited seminary or theological school (professional/formal, full‑time, resident religious training of a similar nature will be considered as equivalent to seminary or theological school);
• be an ordained religious leader or possess current official endorsement/sponsorship from a recognized religious organization; and
• three (3) years of full‑time experience as a religious leader (such as:  minister, priest, teacher, rabbi, or imam) in a formal setting (such as in a parish, synagogue, tribe, temple or mosque).

Requested Skills

• Experience providing pastoral care, religious services, or spiritual counseling in an institutional or community setting.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to work respectfully with people from diverse religious, cultural, and personal backgrounds.
• Knowledge of spiritual practices, interfaith principles, and the unique challenges faced by incarcerated individuals.
• The ability to maintain appropriate professional boundaries and confidentiality.
• Effective communication, organizational, and collaborative skills.

Application Information

• In the Work Experience section of your application make sure to include the dates and duties of all relevant positions and details to support how you meet these attributes. If you do not include education or work experience meeting the minimum qualifications, you will not be considered for the position. Only the candidates whose experience most closely matches the qualifications and requested skills of this position will be invited to interview. Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications on or before the job posting close date.
• The job posting closes at 11:59 PM (PDT/PST) on the close date. After you submit your application, be sure to respond to the two questionnaires relating to public records requests and veterans’ preference immediately following your submittal. These questions are necessary to complete the application process.
• Please monitor both your email and Workday account for updates regarding this recruitment. You may be asked to submit a skills assessment, a writing sample, or other assessment as part of the application screening process.
• As part of our selection process, we may require additional assessment stages, such as written exercises, to further evaluate candidates’ qualifications. Meaningful participation in these exercises is required for all applicants moving forward in the process. Failure to complete the required exercise(s) within the specified timeframe will result in disqualification from consideration. All candidates who successfully complete these screening stages and meet the necessary requirements will advance to the next stage in the selection process.
• Please save a copy of this job announcement for reference, as it is not available for you to view after the announcement deadline.

Recruitment Timeline

(These dates are approximate and could change, depending on operational necessity.)

• Application Screening: Screenings completed the day after closing.
• Written Assessment (if needed): Within one week of the closing date
• 1st round of Interviews: Tuesday, September 23, 2025. (Interviews will be held in person at Warner Creek Correctional Facility in Lakeview, OR.)
• 2nd round of Interviews: No later than September 29, 2025. (Interviews will be held via Microsoft Teams.)
• Reference checks will be conducted once a finalist has been identified, and that candidate must pass a criminal background records check.
• Anticipated Start Date: October 20, 2025.

Working Conditions

The position requires working inside prisons of all levels of security (minimum, medium, and maximum) and the communities in which they are located – travel is sometimes required for assisting religious services at other facilities & to attend training or conferences relevant to work with Corrections and professional field. 

Daily contact and supervision of AICs who have the potential for becoming angry, hostile, abusive, and aggressive.  AIC behavior such as this increases the risk of physical injury, death, and/or being taken as a hostage. 

There is an inherent responsibility to provide assistance through recall and/or reassignment during AIC unrest and during other emergency situations occurring at the institution or in the community.  Requires ability to walk or otherwise travel hard-surface and corridors and uneven surfaces to AIC units or to places of services. 

Required to work late shifts, weekends, holidays, and additional straight time as needed.  Utilizes personal computer with video display to access electronic mail, scheduling programs, writing reports, recording volunteer and religious programs information, etc.; which may require long periods of sitting or standing.  All ODOC institutions are tobacco-free, except for specific AIC Native American ceremonies.

Warner Creek Correctional Facility (WCCF) is a stand-alone 400 bed minimum-security male facility that is located four miles northwest of Lakeview, OR. WCCF is designated as an education and work facility for short-term adults in custody (AICs) who will be releasing back into the community. The focus of its programs is Adult Basic Education and GEDs. Cognitive programs that teach and encourage self-change are also available. Work activities include institution maintenance and contracting with state and local entities. The prison provides minimum-custody AIC work crews for community service projects. It also sends crews out daily for other work projects, under contract primarily to government agencies.

This position requires the ability to work in the United States and the State of Oregon; the Oregon Department of Corrections does not provide sponsorship or Relocation Expenses

About the Department

The Oregon Department of Corrections is responsible for over 12,000 adults in custody in 12 state prisons throughout Oregon. It advises and evaluates counties regarding administration of probation and parole programs supervising more than 24,000 offenders in Oregon communities. The mission is to protect communities, promote accountability, and transform lives.

The Oregon Department of Corrections serves a diverse and changing population of people who are incarcerated and on supervision. We commit to creating an organization both reflecting the diversity of the population we serve and ensuring all employees thrive in a culture of safety, trust, and belonging. We strive to be an anti-racist corrections system. Welcoming, inclusive, and respectful of all people. Free of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.

The Department offers a variety of programs and opportunity to create a safe and healthy environment to for our staff, volunteers, and adults in custody. Joining the Oregon Department of Corrections is joining a team working for the benefit of our communities through innovative and proven correctional practices.

Benefits

The salary range listed above is for non-PERS qualifying applicants. PERS qualifying applicants may be eligible for an adjusted range to reflect an additional 6.95%.

The State of Oregon provides a generous benefit package, which includes:

• Family health, vision, and dental insurance
• Vacation, sick leave, and 11 paid holidays
• 21 days paid military leave for national guard and reserve components
• Optional short and long-term disability
• Term life insurance
• Fully paid retirement program
• Oregon Saving Growth Plan
• Flexible spending accounts for health and childcare
• And more

About the Process – What to Expect

• After the application deadline, a recruiter will review submissions for education and experience to identify candidates who best fit the minimum qualifications and requested skills.

• Top candidates will be referred to the hiring manager.
• The hiring manager will review your application and schedule interviews.
• Interview will be held with a panel of stakeholders who have completed panel assessment training. Scores will be determined based on predetermined questions and scoring guides. Preferences points will be applied in compliance with relevant laws and bargaining agreements. There may be multiple rounds of interviews.
• Final candidates will have a background check, PREA check, and reference checks.
• A Classification and Compensation analyst will review the Workday Application of the successful candidate to determine starting wages. Learn more about Equal Pay.
• A job offer will be extended through Workday to the successful candidate. Congratulations, and welcome to the team!

Requirements for Employment

The successful candidate for this position must pass a Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS) fingerprint-based background check and maintain CJIS eligibility. Due to CJIS requirements related to system access, there may be some felony convictions that could disqualify you for this position. However, having a felony record does not exclusively restrict you from being considered as an applicant. CJIS clearance is done at the conditional job offer. If you have questions about whether or not your criminal record could disqualify for you, please contact the recruiter for more information.

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EDI&B) is embedded in the Department of Corrections core values. The department strives to be a model employer committed to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Ensuring legal compliance, efficiency, and exceeding expectations to deliver the best public services.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran or protected veteran status, genetic information and other legally protected characteristics. Additional information can be found from The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Know Your Rights.

The Oregon Department of Corrections is responsible for complying with the Federal Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA 42 U.S.C. 1997). PREA prohibits the Oregon Department of Corrections from hiring, promoting, or contracting with anyone, (that will have direct contact with residents), who has engaged in, been convicted of, or been civilly or administratively adjudicated for engaging in sexual abuse in confinement settings. Learn more about PREA.

Under Oregon Law, qualifying veterans may apply for veterans’ preference. Review our veterans’ preference page for details about eligibility. Please note – if you are a veteran, you will receive a task in Workday to upload your documents immediately after you submit your initial application. You will have up until 24 hours after the posted application deadline to submit the appropriate documentation.

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.

Questions

If you have questions about the position, selection process, or need accommodations to participate in the recruitment process please contact the recruiter and reference the requisition number.

Recruiter: Stephanie Johnston, Stephanie.M.Johnston@doc.oregon.gov 

Reference Number: 186530

• Workday will timeout after 15 minutes of inactivity. You may lose progress on your application.
• Workday performs weekly maintenance Friday evenings, and the system may be down for several hours.
• ODOC does not offer visa sponsorship. Within three days of hire, applicants will be required to complete an I-9 and confirm authorization to work in the United States.
• This applicant list may be used to fill future vacancies. Application information may be used throughout the entire selection process. This process is subject to change without notice.
• This announcement is intended as a general descriptive recruitment guide and is subject to change. It does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract. The pay and benefits on all announcements may change without notice.