Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Human Services

Who We Are

Colorado Governor-elect Phil Weiser is committed to an administration that represents all of Colorado, and serves and protects every Coloradan. Governor-elect Weiser and his team will lead State government to ensure that we serve the people of Colorado, working to make their lives better, and together, we meet opportunities and challenges with creativity, collaboration, and compassion. His commitment to serve as the People’s Governor means that he and his team will have a sustained focus on how to make Colorado safer, more affordable, more sustainable, and a great place to live, build a business, and raise a family.

We Have Strong Core Values

Our core values drive our actions. We are: 1) principled, maintaining the highest ethical standards, acting with integrity, and operating transparently; 2) public servants, who are always ensuring our work is not about us, but instead is about improving the lives of the people of Colorado; 3) innovative, by seeking to solve problems creatively and operate with a continuous improvement mindset; and 4) "better together," by working to support each other as a team and collaborate effectively.

Department Information

The Colorado Department of Human Services collaborates with partners in State and county governments, nonprofits, advocates, community residents, providers and many others to protect the State’s most vulnerable populations and to empower Coloradans to thrive through bold and innovative health and human services.

 The department administers the state’s non-medical public assistance and welfare programs, serving children, families, veterans, older adults, and people with disabilities or behavioral health needs. It is organized into four offices: Adult, Aging, and Disability Services oversees Adult Protective Services, three regional centers, and five Veterans Community Living Centers; Civil and Forensic Mental Health runs the state mental health hospitals at Fort Logan and Pueblo and provides forensic services; Children, Youth, and Families oversees child welfare and the Division of Youth Services, which operates 14 state-owned juvenile facilities and administers juvenile parole; Economic Security provides child support enforcement, Colorado Works (TANF), SNAP, and energy assistance. In addition to statewide initiatives, many programs are delivered locally through Colorado’s 64 county departments of human services. 

Department: Office of the Governor; Colorado Department of Human Services

Position Title: Executive Director

Summary of Functions: The Executive Director is the Chief Executive Officer of the Colorado Department of Human Services. The Executive Director is part of the Governor’s Cabinet, and is responsible for overseeing the administration, programs and strategic plan of the department as well as the consistent achievement of its mission and objectives. The Executive Director oversees four public-facing offices: Adult, Aging, and Disability Services, including the Division of Regional Center Operations; Children, Youth, and Families, including the Divisions of Child Welfare and Youth Services; Civil and Forensic Mental Health; and Economic Security. They set the department's goals and measurable objectives each state fiscal year.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Responsible for the oversight and management of DHS operations, directing the implementation of departmental services, policies and programs

• Ensure successful execution and alignment with the department’s goals, Governor’s initiatives and expectations of stakeholders

• Implement and support policy, budgetary and management options needed to establish, modify or maintain the agency's administrative requirements and procedures for the facilitation of program delivery

• Direct and oversee the department’s budget, with responsibility for fiscal management that operates within the approved budget, ensures maximum resource utilization, and maintenance of the organization in a positive financial position

• Build and cultivate a high performing team through effective leadership focused on recruiting and retaining top talent, providing guidance, coaching and development to direct reports

• Lead the Executive Director's Office, which houses Financial Services, Operations and Strategy, and Community Partnerships

• Oversee state units, divisions, living centers, and health institutes under DHS

• Collaborate with external organizations including the county departments of human and social services; disability advocacy organizations; child welfare and foster care providers; Area Agencies on Aging; and veterans organizations

• Brief the Governor’s Office on all relevant policy issues arising from State and Federal legislative activities

• Support management of the agency’s proactive legislative agenda and externally-driven legislation that impacts the department’s operations

Organizational Relationships: Department of Health Care Policy and Financing; Behavioral Health Administration; Department of Early Childhood; Federal Administration for Children and Families; Judicial Department; Chief Performance Officer;  Chief Strategy and Initiatives Officer

Preferred Education/Experience:

• A bachelor’s or advanced degree in public administration, social work, public policy, business, law, public health or a related field

• Five or more years of experience being responsible for the successful leadership and management of social services in one or more of DHS’s service lines: child welfare, youth services, economic security, adult protective services, aging and disability, or behavioral health facilities

• Ten or more years of senior leadership, including at least five at executive level, with responsibility for strategic planning, operations, budget management, and process improvement

• Experience building relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders with varying perspectives and interests

• A track record of building and leading high-performing teams across a large, multi-site workforce 

Conditions of employment: Applicants must pass a thorough background check prior to employment and reside in Colorado once employed

HOW TO APPLY: 

Please submit an online application for this position at buildingcoloradosfuturetogether.org. Failure to submit a complete and timely application may result in the rejection of your application. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that application materials are received before the closing date.

A resume must be submitted with the application for consideration. Your resume 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.

Benefits 

The State of Colorado offers a competitive benefits package to permanent employees:

• PERA retirement benefits including PERA Defined Benefit Plan, PERA Defined Contribution Plan, plus 401K and 457 plans

• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance coverage

• Automatic Short-Term and Optional Long-Term Disability Coverage

•  Life and AD&D Insurance

• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)

• Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) job protection and State of Colorado Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML)

• 11 Paid Holidays Annually and Accrued Annual and Sick Leave

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

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

ADAAA Requests 

The State of Colorado is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our office 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 Coordinator at [email protected].

We believe that diverse teams produce better results and encourage people of a variety of backgrounds and qualifications to apply.