Executive Director of the Department of Local Affairs

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 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. 

Department: Office of the Governor; Department of Local Affairs

Position Title: Executive Director

Summary of Functions: The Executive Director is the Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Local Affairs and is a member of the Governor’s Cabinet. The Executive Director’s primary mission is to drive customer-focused innovation and value delivery throughout all DOLA services and programs. The mission is achieved by guiding DOLA’s strategic and operational priorities, policy and legislative agenda, high visibility cross-department initiatives, and critical regulatory compliance and reporting activities. The Executive Director represents the Governor, the administration, and DOLA on major committees, with the public, media, and with leaders from various jurisdictions. The Executive Director provides budgeting, purchasing, and planning for the Division of Housing and the Division of Property Taxation, which are Type I agencies.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Ensure the department has a long-range vision and strategy that achieves its mission, and ensure consistent and timely progress toward that mission

• Serve as a lead Cabinet member in the development and implementation of the Administration’s policies across all DOLA services and programs 

• Build relationships with localities and advocacy organizations

• Represent the State of Colorado in various settings, including as a liaison to local government and housing development partners

• Provide leadership in developing program, organizational, and financial plans with department leaders and staff

• Develop and implement strategies aimed at promoting the department’s mission

• Build an effective team of leaders by providing guidance and coaching to subordinate senior managers

• Create or approve business plans to attain department goals and objectives

• Direct and oversee the department’s budget, including ensuring that adequate resources are available and directed to strategic priorities, and overseeing the department’s strategy for annual budget requests submitted to the Governor’s Office and the Joint Budget Committee

• Administer the department’s operations and adhere to all laws directing the work of the department

• Maintain a climate that attracts, keeps, and motivates a diverse staff of top-quality people

• Brief the Governor and their senior team on relevant policy issues arising from state and federal legislative activities

• Lead the development of and support for policy proposals that support the department’s and Governor’s mission, particularly around building housing

• Serve as the point person for directing the department’s response to the General Assembly on proposed legislation that may affect the department’s operations

Organizational Relationships: Division of Housing and Division of Property Taxation; Colorado Housing and Finance Authority; State Board of Equalization; OEDIT; Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development; Chief Housing Officer; Director of Rural Advancement

Preferred Education/Experience:

• Five years or more of executive-level organizational leadership experience, including significant responsibility for: 

  • Strategic planning

  • Budget and financial management

  • Operational management and process improvement

  • Stakeholder and public relations

  • Planning, implementation, execution, and evaluation of special projects

  • Day-to-day program and service delivery

• Demonstrated track record building and leading high-performing teams, including work related to organizational culture and leadership development

Preferred Qualifications

• Ten or more years of executive-level organizational leadership experience

• At least two years of experience as the chief executive of a large or medium-sized organization (more than 100 employees)

• Demonstrated expertise in or knowledge of state government administration

• Subject-matter expertise in land use, housing policy, or affordable housing development

• Subject-matter expertise in at least one other area of DOLA’s operations (e.g., local government, disaster recovery and resilience, grant administration, property taxation) 

• Familiarity with Colorado’s legal and political landscape, including home-rule municipalities, local and state government politics, and fiscal regulations such as the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR)

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.