Initial Posting Date:
02/20/2026Application Deadline:
03/02/2026Agency:
Employment DepartmentSalary Range:
$4,519 - $6,276Position Type:
EmployeePosition Title:
Business and Employment Specialist (BES2) – Medford WorkSource OfficeJob Description:
If you have bilingual English/Spanish language skills, we encourage you to apply! Bilingual skills are not required, but is preferred to better serve Oregonians.
Are you passionate about serving diverse populations? Are you looking for meaningful and impactful work? If you're passionate about workforce development and making a difference in people's lives, we’d love to have you on our team!
At the Oregon Employment Department, we actively support a workforce that is representative of the people we serve including people from various races, genders, abilities, cultures, language skills, geographic locations, and justice system involvement. We value your life experiences and encourage everyone to apply with your transferable skills and qualifications from your work, school, and volunteer experiences. Please let us know if you need a reasonable accommodation.
WHAT YOU WILL DO:
As a Business and Employment Specialist, you will work with job seekers to help them achieve their work‑ready status and employment goals.
In this role, you will:
Support job seekers by assessing their needs, transferable skills, interests, and employment goals.
Provide job seekers referrals and access to services such as STEP support, work experience opportunities, GED/high school completion programs, training, and community‑based resources.
Identify and address obstacles to employment, offering solutions and support.
Provide follow‑up support services to record outcomes for performance metrics.
Coordinate outreach activities with other agencies or organizations within the service area to maximize opportunity for engagement with Oregon’s Workforce System.
For a complete review of the position and responsibilities, please click here.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR:
Required Minimum Qualifications
Two years’ experience providing customer service, which included requesting and reviewing information, documentation, and deciding an action based on the information.
Examples of qualifying experience are eligibility interviewer, application examiner, unemployment insurance, examination proctor, information clerk, insurance aide, public counter intake person, employment and claims aide, employment services, job placement, recruiter, vocational guidance, or retail industry if it involved the above stated experience.
Two years of education or experience. Listed above are examples of acceptable experience. 45-quarter (30-semester) college-level credits in Human Resources, Vocational or Career Counseling, Social Services, Psychology, Education, Business or Public Administration, Communication or related field substitute for one year of experience.
Desired Attributes
Commitment to valuing diversity and promoting inclusion.
Customer Focus: Ability to professionally interact with a high volume of diverse customers providing service that exceeds the customer’s expectations. Work with individuals who may have limited work experience, higher support needs or need coaching as they prepare for training and employment opportunities. Remain professional, calm and adapt communication style with diverse customer needs. Maintain high level of emotional intelligence.
Willingness to Learn: Demonstrated ability to learn from new experiences, seeking both positive and negative feedback, reflecting on past experiences, considering alternate courses of action, and finding patterns and order in complex information.
Multi-tasking: Ability to attend to multiple tasks simultaneously and enthusiastically, while delivering high quality work timely.
Critical Thinking: Ability to efficiently and effectively use data, critical thinking, and analytical reasoning to gather information and apply laws, rules and policies to solve problems and make decisions.
Computer Skills: Proficiency using Microsoft Office, internet research, and ability to learn new software and updates.
Bilingual English/Spanish preferred, but not required.
WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU:
A workplace that balances productivity with enjoyment and encourages learning and mentoring.
Rewarding work in a dynamic and creative environment with colleagues who are passionate about public service.
Work/life balance, 11 paid holidays a year, and a competitive benefits package.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness opportunity!
Get There - Oregon’s easy-to-use carpool matching tool and trip planner.
HOW TO APPLY:
Required: Attach a resume and cover letter. Your cover letter must not exceed two (2) pages and be specific: make sure your cover letter clearly addresses the desired attributes and minimum qualifications you have (as listed in the “What We Are Looking For” section above). Please upload your documents in the “Resume/Cover Letter” section of the application. In addition to your related work experience and education, we will use the desired attributes and required minimum qualifications to determine who to interview.
External Applicants: Click on the “Apply” link above to fill out the online application and submit by the posted closing date. Please use your preferred name on application materials.
Current State of Oregon employees (this includes temporary employees): Apply through your employee Workday account. Please ensure the work history in your applicant profile is up-to-date and reflects your current position.
Important: Please monitor both your email and Workday account for updates regarding this recruitment. You may be asked to submit additional information after initial application.
The job posting closes at 11:59 PM (PDT/PST) on the close date. Immediately after you submit your application, be sure to respond to the two questionnaires relating to public records requests and veterans’ preference. These questions are necessary to complete the application process.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
During the application process, the State of Oregon does not request nor require information regarding an applicant’s age, date of birth, or educational attendance or graduation dates.
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. Unauthorized use of outside resources during the hiring process will result in disqualification.
This position is represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
This recruitment may be used to fill current and future Permanent, Limited Duration, Job Rotation and Temporary vacancies as they occur.
The salary listed is the non-PERS qualifying salary range. If the successful candidate is PERS‑qualifying, the salary range will reflect the additional 6.95%. Please review the Classification and Compensation page for more details.
Salary Determination: The information in your Workday profile will be used to complete an equal pay assessment to determine salary placement upon hire.
Bilingual Pay Differential: Employees assigned to use bilingual skills in the regular performance of their duties will receive a monthly pay differential of 5% over their base salary pay.
Eligible veterans and Oregon National Guard servicemembers (current and former) who meet the qualifications of the position will be awarded candidate preference. For more information, please visit Veterans Resources.
United States Employment Eligibility: The Oregon Employment Department does not offer visa sponsorship. Within three days of hire, all applicants will be required to complete the US Department of Homeland Security's Form I-9, confirming authorization to work in the United States. If your employment authorization and documentation is contingent on sponsorship now or in the future, you will not meet Agency employment eligibility standards. The Oregon Employment Department is an E-Verify employer. If you are the successful candidate you must present your I‑9 acceptable documents (See page 2) for employment verification.
WORK LOCATION INFORMATION:
This position will report to the Medford WorkSource office and is not suitable for remote or hybrid remote work.
CRIMINAL RECORDS CHECK:
The Employment Department is committed to being a leader in providing its employees with fair and equal employment opportunities and recognizes that as a best practice in equity and inclusion, criminal background check policies shall be job related and consistent with business necessity. For positions with authorized access to FBI Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) information, a separate criminal records check is conducted by the Oregon State Police. If you would like further information on how each criminal records check is conducted, please read our Criminal Record Check Policy or contact us at the number below with any questions. Note: To verify identification, the successful candidate will be subject to a criminal background check which may require a fingerprint-based background check as a condition of employment.
CONTACT INFORMATION & HELPFUL LINKS:
If you have questions about the position or need an alternate format to apply, please contact us at 503‑947‑1289; EmployeeServices@employ.oregon.gov. Please be sure to include the job requisition ID number.
Guidance our hiring managers use: Equity and Inclusion Recruitment Questions and Gender Identity and Expression Procedure!
Reasonable Accommodations | Veterans Resources | How to Set Job Alerts | Workday Applicant FAQ
Interview Scoring Criteria used during recruitment | What You Need to Know to Get the Job
Come for a job. | Stay for a career. | Make a difference ... for a lifetime!
The Oregon Employment Department is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer, committed to workforce diversity. At the Oregon Employment Department, we foster fairness, equity, and inclusion to maintain a workplace environment where everyone is treated with respect and dignity regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age, veteran status, disability, or status as a victim of domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault, or stalking. This applies to every aspect of our employment practices, including recruitment, hiring, retention, promotion, and training.