Chief of Staff, House Democrats

About the House Democratic Caucus and Staff

The 49-member House Democratic caucus is one of the largest and most diverse caucus in state history, with members bringing a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. In the eight years since voters put Democrats in control of the state legislature, the House majority caucus has passed transformative, impactful legislation that we intend to continue building upon.

The Chief of Staff leads a team of 11-13 partisan caucus staff supporting with policy, communications and operations functions. The COS must have experience managing people and a highly attuned sense of what people need to thrive and succeed at work. Frequently interfacing with Senate staff, the Governor’s staff, and nonpartisan legislative staff in addition to members, the COS holds dozens of critical relationships and should be able to walk into any room and quickly ascertain the dynamics, problem solve, and identify a path toward progress.

The Colorado House Democrats are seeking a Chief of Staff to support the Speaker of the House and House Democrat caucus through the next chapter of governing in the 76th General Assembly.

The Chief of Staff is a strategic advisor, trusted partner, respected manager, and effective implementer who executes the objectives, day-to-day operations, and legislative agenda of the caucus. This is an exciting opportunity for a well-established leader with policy expertise and political acumen, excellent relationships, significant management experience, and a strong track record who wants to bring their talents to the epicenter of Colorado’s legislative action. 

This position is necessarily very dynamic and requires a nimble leader and fast learner. The position also requires extraordinary discretion, maturity, and emotional resilience. This person must be highly organized with strong attention to detail while also having the capacity to design processes, structures, and workflows to effectively manage wide-ranging staff operations and large-scale legislative projects. 

Essential Functions of the Chief of Staff

Staff Management

• Guide the policy team members by overseeing policy development and committee work

• Develop and track internal systems and structures to manage staff workflow, communication, and collaboration

• Design and lead thoughtful, inclusive staff hiring processes

• Support the professional development goals of staff, provide feedback on performance, and build and enhance our staff culture to foster an inclusive, welcoming atmosphere; ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to all staff outcomes and operations

Leadership & Caucus Support

• Identify and help quickly resolve policy and political issues as they arise

• Provide strategic guidance and center equity when troubleshooting issues with House leadership and caucus members

• Staff the Speaker and members of House leadership in meetings on a regular basis

• Support crisis response efforts by acting quickly, providing guidance to leadership, deploying staff, and being responsive to caucus members

Bill & Project Management

• Take point on big, consequential bills and support the sponsor(s) in all stages of the bill’s development and process: policy development, stakeholding, committee hearing(s), amendments, floor debate, tracking progress and debate through the Senate chamber, etc.

• Manage large-scale projects with regular communication about updates and decision points, including management of an appropriations process and key budget decisions

• Build and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders; interface with lobbyists and stakeholders regularly on a wide variety of bills 

Skills & Competencies We’re Looking For

• Strategic and analytical thinker and creative problem solver. We’re looking for someone who can maneuver through policy and political hurdles thoughtfully, anticipate challenges, identify opportunities, and think outside the box to resolve any issue

• Strong manager with a demonstrated ability to build, manage, and develop a diverse and high-performing team, as well as an ability to manage many projects with many moving parts, driving them toward resolution and producing high-quality results

• Top-notch political sense, solid judgment, and discretion to make quick judgments and calculated maneuvers, and to protect the confidentiality of sensitive information

• Excellent relationship-builder who can get along and work with people from all backgrounds and sides of the political spectrum, and manage interpersonal conflicts

• Excellent communicator with exceptional writing and verbal communication abilities

• Solid policy analysis ability, and a demonstrated capacity for and interest in understanding and managing a wide variety of policies

• Solid understanding of and familiarity with Colorado’s unique fiscal structures and challenges, i.e. TABOR and Referendum C, Amendment 23, etc.

• Steadfast commitment to democratic values, and willingness to prioritize progress and consensus over dedication to any one particular kind of policy outcome

• Commitment to centering diversity, equity, and inclusion in our operations, with a demonstrated ability to utilize strategies that lead to equitable and inclusive outcomes.

This position is not part of the classified state personnel system.

An ideal candidate will have:

• At least three years of experience managing and developing a team of full-time staff

• Prior experience in a political role in a state legislature, Congress, or electoral campaign

• Prior experience working in Colorado politics

• Prior policy analysis experience and/or a graduate degree in public policy

• Comfort working with Google suite (docs, sheets, slides, forms) and Slack

Compensation & Benefits

The salary range for this position is $95,000-$115,000 annually, depending on qualifications and experience. We provide a competitive benefits package, including health and dental insurance covered mostly by the employer, two choices of Public Employee Retirement Association (PERA) retirement plans, 10 paid sick days and 12 paid vacation days per year (not including state and federal holidays), 8 weeks of paid family medical leave for qualifying reasons after a year of employment, a generous flex schedule during the legislative interim, and a free parking space.

Please apply online and include a resume and a cover letter explaining why you are a good candidate for the job. 

The application deadline is Friday, November 20, by 5 pm MT but applications will be considered on a rolling basis, so please submit promptly.

Hiring Process and Timeline

The process is likely to include in-person interviews with the Speaker of the House at the Colorado State Capitol. We may also ask for prior work samples, if necessary. We anticipate this position starting in late November/early December. If you have any circumstances that will impact your ability to commit to this timeline, please provide that information in your application email.

Colorado House Majority Office is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any applicant for employment on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, age, or disability. We are committed to maintaining a diverse and inclusive organization and strongly encourage candidates with diverse backgrounds and identities to apply.