Program Manager, Business Funding and Incentives Division

The Office of Economic Development and International Trade (“OEDIT”) works to foster a positive business climate that encourages quality economic development through support of local and regional economic development activities throughout the State of Colorado. A comprehensive slate of programs within OEDIT’s divisions work together to offer economic development services for all Colorado businesses – new and expanding, traditional and emerging, small and large – including retention programs to ensure continued competitiveness of Colorado’s economic base, and job training to keep Colorado’s workforce the best in the nation. The Business Funding & Incentives Division within OEDIT administers a variety of financial incentives and collaborates with partners throughout the State to create a positive business climate that encourages dynamic economic development and sustainable job growth for Coloradans.

NOTE: The position offers full time employment as an at will State of Colorado Employee. Some of the funding streams supporting this position are time limited and it is possible the position is restructured or eliminated after three or four years.

The Program Manager will implement and manage the overall administration for rural-focused and strategic community programming within the Business Funding and Incentives team at OEDIT. Specifically, this position will fully manage the Rural Jump-Start Program, help administer the Skill Advance program, provide critical administrative support for the Enterprise Zone program, and will also contribute to other programs within the Business Funding & Incentives Division as needed. 

The Program Manager serves as a primary point person for Rural Jump-Start businesses and sponsoring entities and regularly communicates with regional Enterprise Zone administrators, partners at the Colorado Community College System and the individual community colleges, and the general public. The Program Manager oversees end-to-end program management with respect to Rural Jump-Start, which includes contract management and compliance, ensuring that program reporting occurs on a timely basis, and maintains program information on our website and through other channels. This position will work with leadership to improve program policies and processes and to evaluate program performance and suggested modifications.

This position will involve close collaboration with other members of the Business Funding & Incentives team, other OEDIT Divisions, particularly the Talent Innovation Office, the OEDIT procurement team, Commissioners on the Colorado Economic Development Commission, other State agencies, including the Department of Revenue and the Office of Information Technology (OIT), and external business partners and stakeholders.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Rural Jump-Start Program (50%):

• Manage the Rural Jump Start Tax Incentive and Grant program;

• Recruit and manage Rural Jump Start Zones by communicating closely with local government leaders such as but not limited to, county commissioners/administrators, municipality leaders, local economic development organizations, institutes of higher education, and other community officials;

• Promote the Rural Jump Start program to businesses and support Sponsoring Entities in educating and vetting interested applicants;

• Travel 4-6 times per year to rural regions of the state to maintain relationships with Rural Jump-Start participants and partners and help increase awareness with potential sponsoring entities and businesses;

• Conduct a competitive analysis for each Rural Jump Start applicant; and

• Design implementation mechanisms for grant programs, policies, and rules within statutory requirements.

• Develop marketing materials and communications strategies.

• Present prospective grant recipients to the Colorado Economic Development Commission for approval. If approved, in collaboration with a procurement officer, draft a contract scope of work and execute the grant agreement.

• Oversee contract performance, reporting, and initiating payments.

• Provide technical assistance to tax incentive and grant recipients as needed.

• Create, document, and execute a system for monitoring and reporting the program’s results.

• Manage distribution of the Annual Report in Salesforce and the process for determination of business benefits.

• Any other task related to managing both the Rural Jump Start Tax Incentive and Grant Programs.

Skill Advance Program (30%):

• Collaborate with the Talent Innovation Office within OEDIT to manage and execute the Skill Advance Colorado program. 

• Review grant applications, perform financial review of EI grant applicants, support reporting, incentive tracking, salesforce operations and provide technical assistance for inquiries and communications.

• Establish regular communications with partners at the Colorado Community College System (CCCS) to identify and evaluate program solutions, improvements, and efficiencies on an ongoing basis

• Collaborate with CCCS and the Talent Innovation Office to implement updates to the program aimed at improving the business experience and increasing the program’s usage as an economic development incentive. 

• Execute all administrative and procurement tasks related to the CCCS Interagency Agreement.

• The exact parameters of this role in supporting Skill Advance are evolving based on ongoing discussions about the program.

Enterprise Zone Program (20%):

• In collaboration with a procurement officer, draft the scope of work and execute grant agreements for the annual Enterprise Zone Administrator grant awards. Oversee contract performance, reporting, and payments.

• Develop processes to organize and maintain current records with respect to Administrator grant awards.

• Support other back-end administrative tasks as needed, including customer service in response to frequent requests from businesses and OEDIT stakeholders, including on Salesforce tasks. 

Other projects and program responsibilities to be determined by Business Funding & Incentives division leadership. 

COMPETENCIES

• Stakeholder Management - Participates in and leads where relevant cross-functional and stakeholder team; works to engage others in implementing programs and creates collaboration; takes charge as appropriate of groups and situations; provides exceptional responsiveness and follow-up to outreach.

• Project Management – Plans, directs and monitors projects and programs, consistently creating high-quality results. Clearly articulates project purpose, defines priorities and expectations; provides clear directions and explanations so that all participants have mutual shared understanding. Anticipates and plans for contingencies and assures that projects are on schedule and completed successfully. 

• Attention to details is important to ensure strong execution.

• Communication - Understands others; clearly articulates key points when writing and speaking; actively listens; effectively interprets non-verbal communication and truly hears what a wide variety of people are trying to say; accurately assesses personal styles and adjusts own style of communication to optimize personal effectiveness.

• Analytical - The ability to collaborate with partners and to perform program management functions such as contract oversight, budgeting, results metrics, reporting requirements, and spreadsheet analysis to support these functions. 

• Results Driven - Drives for successful results; makes things happen and conveys a sense of urgency; sets ambitious but achievable goals and works hard to achieve these goals; moves tasks and assignments toward closure; invests effort to ensure goals are met in a high-quality manner. Problem solver.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES 

The Program Manager must have the demonstrated capability to implement a strategic vision utilizing an understanding of the economic development needs across the state. As such, the following qualifications are sought:

• Ability to understand and articulate to others via verbal and written communications relevant funding and incentive programs and their potential impacts for community and economic development strategies. 

• Flexibility and willingness to modify approaches based on feedback from stakeholders and or leadership

• Knowledge of Colorado’s communities and regional economic needs and backgrounds. 

• Experience in drafting formal documents, including contracts, statements of work, and

• requests for proposals.

• Strong interpersonal, public relations, oratory and presentation skills.

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, as well as problem solving acumen.

• Effective interaction with businesses, communities, local governments, and other decision-makers during conversations or meetings.

• Passion for public service and the state of Colorado.

• Commitment to advancing economic development, complemented by a deep understanding of the cultural and communication dynamics unique to rural Colorado

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• An equivalent combination of 8 years post-secondary education and experience in program, policy, or project management or a related field.

Salary Range: $65,000 - $75,000 Annually

This position is considered non-classified, which means the position is not part of the Colorado State Personnel System. Therefore, the individual appointed to this position is considered at-will, and is not covered by the State Personnel Rules or the State Classification System. However, this position does come with the same benefits (retirement, insurance, etc.) as every other State employee, and with the same opportunities, pride and passion that comes with working for the great State of Colorado. Even though employment is at-will, non-classified positions have protections against discrimination and retaliation in state and federal employment laws. “At-will” employment means that either the employee or the State may terminate the employment relationship at any time for any reason or no reason, with or without notice or cause, as long as no federal or state law is violated.

A wide salary range is posted for this position and any job offer is based upon a salary analysis to comply with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act. The salary analysis considers relevant experience, education, certifications, and state seniority as compared to others doing substantially similar work. While all offers are compliant with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, there is no guarantee an offer will be at the top of the posted range based on the salary analysis. 

Benefits

The State of Colorado/Office of the Governor offers generous benefits to full-time employees including:

• Annual leave accrued at 13.33 hours per month

• Sick leave accrued at 6.66 hours a month

• 11 paid holidays per year

• Medical plans - choice of Cigna or Kaiser; several plan options (including High Deductible Health Plan with HSA); most plans  offered with significant state contribution towards premium

• Dental and vision plans

• Flexible spending accounts

• State-paid life insurance policy of $50,000

• Choice of 2 retirement plans (defined contribution or defined benefit) with generous state contribution

• Optional 401(k) and 457 plans for additional retirement savings

• State-paid short-term disability coverage

• Additional optional life and disability plans

• Access to the Colorado State Employee Assistance Program

• Membership opportunity with the Credit Union of Colorado

• RTD (transit) EcoPass

• Training and professional development

To learn more about State of Colorado benefits, please visit:https://www.colorado.gov/dhr/benefits

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

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 employment 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.

To learn more about the “State of Colorado For All”, visit our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion website.

ADAAA Accommodations

The Office of the Governor 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 reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to our ADAAA Staffing Coordinator, the Director of Human Resources: [email protected]

Application

Your application must provide sufficient detail about your background and experience to allow the screening panel to properly assess your experience in the required elements, including your experience and achievements.   

Due to the large volume of resumes we receive, we do not acknowledge receipt of each application and are unable to give status updates. If a strong match is found between your qualifications and the requirements of the position, a member of the recruiting staff will contact you to further discuss the career opportunity.