Department Information

About the Colorado Department of Local Affairs

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

Description of Job:
The Financial Assistance Services (FAS) work unit exists to plan, manage and direct several federal, state and formulaic grant programs which provide financing and technical assistance to local governments in the areas of public facilities and services. Annually, over $250 million is distributed to local governments through either formulaic distributions or competitive grant programs. In all, ten separate funding programs are managed by the unit including both state tax and federal programs including being the main point of contact and compliance for economic development projects using federal funds. The Financial Assistance Services serves the entire state of Colorado.
Position exists to provide program coordination to the Office’s Federal Programs - (Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Community Services Block Grant (CSBG); and organize and implement applications, funding decisions, contracting and recording of the formulaic grant programs. Position also manages the Volunteer Firefighter Pension Fund (VFP).
Job Duties
Specific duties include but are not limited to:

• Responsible for completing all requirements necessary to ensure CDBG/CSBG meetings meet the State’s Open Meeting Laws.

• Responsible for grant records in the grants portal, Oracle, and CORE for the two federal programs; Track and reconcile program data with CORE data, and is able to make decisions on financial corrections necessary to ensure accuracy in tracking grant-related expenditures.

• Responsible for maintaining the CDBG/CSBG program’s registry and uploading compliance-related information into the Federal reporting system (FFATA) for all CDBG/CSBG grants; coordinates grantee training and revises program forms and materials, using Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Google Docs, Google Sheets and Adobe Forms.

• Because training statewide grantees often occur via remote access, the position coordinates and manages all audio/visual work for webinars including recording training videos based on program guidelines or federal regulation.

• Advises the program managers on needed policy and procedure updates and recommendations based on federal requirements.

• Provides training for grantees on using the system and evaluates their submissions for completeness, accuracy, and compliance.

• Maintains data in the system for state reporting to federal partners.

• Responds to grantees, community members, and internal staff with technical assistance inquiries related to CDBG/CSBG issues.

• Evaluates application materials and budgets for completeness and eligibility.

• Uses Microsoft Word to prepare documents such as award letters, draft contract scope of work, and amendment requests, and process the necessary documents to complete awards.

• Uses Microsoft Excel to prepare budget tables, verify requests balance with the award amount and ensure budgets tied to awards are correctly set up in CORE with DLG Budget Analyst.

• Additionally, this position serves as a program manager for the Volunteer Firefighter Pension program and determines budgetary requirements for the funding distribution, verifies applicant data and eligibility requirements, and provides technical assistance.

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights

Class Code & Classification Description:

Preferred Qualifications:

• State of Colorado government experience in grant administration
• Federal Grant administration experience (CSBG or CDBG)
• Experience using databases
• Experience working with Microsoft Excel
• Experience in customer service, including working with stakeholders with varying degrees of knowledge and/or technological skills
• Experience creating and maintaining desk procedures
• Experience working in an environment requiring multi-tasking skills

Required Skills and Competencies:

• Strong customer service skills
• Strong attention to detail
• Strong organizational skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to work independently
• Ability to multi-task and meet deadlines
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Proficiency with MS Office suite, Google Suite, and other database applications

Conditions of Employment:

• You MUST be a Colorado resident to apply for this position.

• Position must travel Colorado for compliance assurance monitoring, training, and
  representation.

Minimum Qualifications and Comparative Analysis:
Part of, or the entire comparative analysis for this position, may involve a review of the information submitted in the application material, including the answers to the supplemental questions. Therefore, it is paramount that in the experience portion of the application, the applicant describes the extent to which they possess the education, experience, competencies and background as they relate to the duties outlined in the job announcement, as well as the special and/or preferred qualifications.

• List your employment history starting with the most recent job, including part-time, temporary, and volunteer jobs. If more than one job was held with a given organization, list each job held as a separate period of employment.
• Under "Duties," describe clearly the tasks you performed and the nature of your supervisory, technical, or other responsibilities as they relate to the job for which you are applying. Be complete and specific in detailing of duties.
• Information must be accurate, including dates of employment. If it is found that information provided is falsified, you will not be considered for a job with the State of Colorado and/or may be removed from a job after hire.
• Failure to include adequate information or follow instructions may affect the applicant's score and/or prevent them from competing in any subsequent measures used to arrive at a top group of applicants.
• Factors to be assessed are those outlined in the requirements, competencies, and preferred qualifications.
• Years will be expressed in terms of full-time equivalent service with full-time workload equal to one (1) Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) year. No more than 1.00 FTE year may be credited in any twelve (12) month period. Positions working 40 hours or less per week will be prorated (30 hrs/wk=0.75 FTE=9 mos credit; 20 hrs/wk=0.5 FTE=6 mos credit; 10 hrs/wk=0.25 FTE=3 mos credit)

The eligible list established from this posting may be used to fill additional vacancies.

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 Joel Ferguson, DOLA ADA Coordinator at joel.ferguson@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.

Please Note:

Appeal Rights:

An applicant who has been removed from an employment list or removed from consideration during the selection process may request a review by the State Personnel Director.

As an applicant directly affected by the results of the selection or comparative analysis process, you may file a written appeal with the State Personnel Director.

Review of the completed, signed and submitted appeal will be timely on the basis of written material submitted by you, using the official appeal form signed by you or your representative. This form must be completed and delivered to the State Personnel Board by email at dpa_state.personnelboard@state.co.us within ten (10) calendar days from your receipt of notice or acknowledgment of the Department’s action.

For further information on the Board Rules, you can refer to 4 Colorado Code of Regulations (CCR) 801-1, State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures, Chapter 8, Resolution of Appeals and Disputes, at spb.colorado.gov/board-rules.

For questions related to this job posting, please reach out to Joel Ferguson at Joel.Ferguson@state.co.us