Department Information

This position is not part of the state-classified system. Applications will be considered from residents and non-residents of Colorado.

The Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) serves as the primary interface between the State and local communities. The Department provides financial support to local communities and professional and technical services (including training and technical assistance) to community leaders in the areas of governance, housing, and property tax administration. While all state governments provide such services through various Departmental structures, Colorado’s approach is unique in that these local community services are gathered into one Department of “Local Affairs,” which has a central focus on strengthening Colorado communities and enhancing livability.

Vision

The Department of Local Affairs is responsible for strengthening Colorado's local communities through accessible, affordable, and secure housing; implementing property tax law; capacity building, strategic training, research, technical assistance, and funding to localities.

Mission

Our mission is to help strengthen Colorado’s communities

Why work for the Colorado Department of Local Affairs?

The work we do matters greatly. It matters to us and it matters to the citizens of the great state of Colorado. We love our community and are passionate about supporting our community. We value the diversity that Colorado offers. If your goal is to build a career that makes a difference in communities across the State, consider joining the dedicated people of the Department of Local Affairs.

In addition, we offer a great location and great benefits, which include:

• Medical and dental plans
• Strong, secure, yet flexible retirement plans including PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan (Download PDF reader) plus pre-tax and ROTH 401K, and 457 plans
• Employee wellness programs
• Paid life insurance
• Short and long-term disability coverage
• 11 paid holidays per year plus vacation and sick leave
• RTD EcoPass to all eligible State Employees
• Flexible work schedule options and remote-work options
• Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. For more information go to https://dhr.colorado.gov/dhr-resources/student-loan-forgiveness-programs
• Training opportunities

• Variety of Free discounts on services and products available through the State of Colorado's Work-Life Employment Discount Program.

Description of Job

Communications Director / Public Information Officer Job Summary

• Working closely with the Executive Director, Deputy Executive Director, Governor’s communications staff, and other department leadership to develop communications materials and plans, prepare communications briefings and collateral, respond to critical or emergency communications issues, and prepare staff for media interactions as needed.
• Serve as the primary media relations coordinator and spokesperson for the Department, responsible for developing and implementing positive and proactive public relations strategies and partnerships.
• Provide oversight to media platforms, ensuring professional, positive and proactive public relations are communicated
• Develop and implement a comprehensive internal communications program that supports DOLA employees in their work and engages them in the overall mission, goals and objectives of the department
• Develop tactical plans to meet objectives established at the highest management level, including establishing and communicating public information programs and processes.
• Developing a strategic communications plan to increase engagement, particularly in hard-to-reach or underserved communities.
• Reviewing and maintaining the department’s strategic communications plans and identifying and assessing strengths and weaknesses, establishing goals for reaching hard-to-reach communities.
• Establishing branding and publishing standards that align with the State of Colorado’s marketing standards and elevate DOLA’s profile in the community.
• Broadening and strengthening DOLA’s relationships with key media partners to increase community trust and awareness of the services and programs offered by DOLA.
• Determining the department’s communications needs and training division staff or vendors who support communications to advance the Department’s mission, goals and objectives.
• Oversight of communications staff in each DOLA division to establish department-wide implementation of communication standards and plans, oversee outreach activities and special events, and coordinate dissemination of accurate information released at the division level.
• Oversee all of the Executive Director’s public appearances, media relations, speeches, newsletters, briefs and other internal and external communications and messaging.

Employment details:

• This position is not covered by the Partnership Agreement between the State of Colorado and Colorado Workers for Innovative and New Solutions (COWINS).

• New employees to the state will be paid biweekly. There are 26 biweekly pay periods in a year.

• This position is exempt from the classified state personnel system. Appointments to exempt positions are at-will, and are not subject to the laws and personnel rules governing the classified state personnel system.

• This position must report in the primary work location office with a hybrid model, and must be willing to travel to regional work locations across the state.

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Required Competencies, Preferred Qualifications, and Conditions of Employment

Minimum Qualifications:

• Demonstrated ability to develop and executive comprehensive communication strategies.
• Experience in leading and developing high-performing communication teams, fostering a culture of creativity, collaboration, and excellence.
• Strong expertise in strategic storytelling, content development and crisis communications.
• Proven ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams Ability to navigate fast-paced, dynamic environments, and adapt communication strategies to evolving market trends and organizational priorities.
• Familiarity with local and state government in Colorado.

Substitutions:
A combination of related education (in an occupation related to the work assigned) and/or relevant experience which provided the same kind, amount and level of knowledge acquired may substitute for the minimum qualifications.

This experience must be demonstrated in your application to be considered for employment.

• Exceptional communicator; extremely effective at written and verbal communication, as well as public speaking
• Excellent interpersonal skills; embraces collaborative approaches and identifies appropriate stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to work cohesively with others, including executive level leadership, local government customers, peers, and other stakeholders
• Knowledge and understanding of the DOLA mission
• Ability to demonstrate vision for department’s future and initiative to pursue opportunities
• Ability to establish and maintain strong partnerships with state, federal and local community stakeholders
• Demonstrated knowledge of resources available to local and state governments
• Excellent leadership, management, supervisory and team building skills; proven experience managing a staff with diverse professional experience and qualifications; effective management, leadership, guidance for employee motivation, and conflict resolution with the ability to empower, inspire and uplift staff
• Identifies challenging, realistic, and measurable goals for the department and ability to execute with problem solving capabilities
• Employs strategies to increase department effectiveness
• Excellent negotiation, consensus building and decision making skills

In addition to the Minimum Qualifications/Required Competencies, the preferred candidate will have:

• Knowledge and understanding of leading and directing in state government, local government oversight, the legislative process, lobbying and the Joint Budget Committee
• Strong established partnerships with state, federal and local community stakeholders
• The ability and experience to positively impact thriving communities
• Exceptional acumen in interpreting federal and state regulations and governmental responsibilities

• Passion for enhancing governmental services through effective operations and initiatives.

Conditions of Employment:

• Must possess and maintain a valid Driver’s License with the ability to independently travel with some overnight stays in other regions.

• A pre-employment criminal background check will be conducted as part of the selection process as this position is deemed to be sensitive due to the position’s program access and program knowledge and the related compromise/loss potentials.

• Must be willing to be on-call in the event of the activation of the Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) and be required to report to work immediately at the regular or alternate location.

Requirements:

• A cover letter (attached to your online application).

• A press release as a writing sample (attach to your application).

Supplemental Information

Supplemental Information

The State of Colorado believes that equity, diversity, and inclusion drive our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply. The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them. Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.

DOLA is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to Hannah Emmons, DOLA HR Specialist at hannah.emmons@state.co.us.

Email Address:
All correspondence regarding your status in the selection/examination process will be conducted via email. Include a working email address on your application; one that is checked often as time sensitive correspondence such as exam information or notification will take place via email. Please set up your e-mail to accept messages from "state.co.us" and "info@governmentjobs.com" addresses. It is your responsibility to ensure that your email will accept these notices and/or review your junk mail and spam filtered email.