Colorado Opportunity Zone Director

The Office of Economic Development and International Trade (“OEDIT”) was created to foster a positive business climate that encourages quality economic development through the 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 position offers part-time employment as an at-will State of Colorado Employee. The funding stream supporting this position is time limited and it is expected that the position  will be restructured or eliminated after one year of service or by October 29, 2027 date at the latest.

The Colorado Opportunity Zone Program Director will oversee, develop, and implement initiatives and policies associated with Colorado’s second iteration of the Opportunity Zone Program (OZ 2.0). This person will work closely with the Special Projects & Rural Funding Director, as well as stakeholders and partners across the state, to set and execute the strategy for OZ 2.0. This includes ongoing statewide education and outreach and working with communities in leveraging their Opportunity Zone designations. It also includes directly managing an OZ 2.0 funding opportunity, database, and any related contracts. 

The Colorado Opportunity Zone Program Director may also be responsible for supporting other programs or initiatives as needed and assigned by the Director of the Business Funding & Incentives Division and in collaboration with the Special Projects & Rural Funding Director. 

This ideal candidate for this position will be a self-starter, with a demonstrated track record of developing and driving multiple parallel projects in a collaborative way across a range of stakeholders and who absorbs strategic guidance but does not require tactical day-to-day supervision to get things done. 

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• The Colorado Opportunity Zone Program Director’s responsibilities include leading strategy, execution, outreach, and documentation of Colorado’s support for OZ 2.0. Specifically: 

  • Draft and implement any related requests for proposal, contracts, and statements of work in collaboration with the procurement officer;

  • Design and implement OZ 2.0 funding opportunities, including but not limited to grants to local communities to help them leverage their OZ designations or help establish a Mixed-Income Neighborhood Trust, and write any related policies and procedures;

  • Lead efforts to establish a statewide OZ project database;

  • Oversee any related contract performance, reporting, and the initiation of payments;

  • Help market OZ 2.0 funding opportunities and initiatives, including by developing marketing materials and communications strategies and hosting events, trainings, and webinars in collaboration with the OEDIT marketing, housing and Rural Opportunity teams; 

  • Design and execute a system for monitoring and reporting results;

  • Manage the OZ 2.0 budget and follow all necessary budget reporting procedures; 

  • Align state practices and strategies with national best practices, thought-leaders’ ideas, and U.S. Treasury guidance, and ensure these are provided to Colorado stakeholders; and 

  • Presenting progress updates to the Colorado EDC.  

• The Colorado Opportunity Zone Program Director may support other projects and initiatives as assigned by the Director of the Business Funding and Incentives Division and in collaboration with the Special Projects & Rural Funding Director. 

• The Colorado Opportunity Zone Program Director will present OZ 2.0 updates to the Colorado Economic Development Commission as needed. 

• The Colorado Opportunity Zone Program Director will collaborate and partner across all OEDIT divisions, other State agencies, and external partners to ensure alignment on OZ 2.0 strategy and implementation. 

• The Colorado Opportunity Zone Program Director will plan for and ensure a successful transition of OZ 2.0 duties to the Special Projects & Rural Funding Director or another team member after the position is eliminated. This includes developing program and process management deliverables as needed.

COMPETENCIES

• Nimbleness to respond to newly articulated or emerging needs from Colorado OZ 2.0 stakeholders and to pivot in response to a potentially fluid environment.

• Leadership- Communicates the vision; leads cross functional and stakeholder team; works to engage others in implementing the vision and creates collaboration; builds enthusiasm; participation and positive morale and loyalty; takes charge as appropriate of groups and situations; promotes a safe, challenging work environment.

• Planning- Identifies and analyzes steps required for each project; frames strategic questions; recommends how to deploy resources in alignment with strategic priorities.

• 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.

• Budget – Manages overall budget and alignment of resources to ensure funding is maximized and best used to advance priorities.

• 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 oversee the work of others and collaborate with partners and to perform program management functions such as budget tracking, results metrics, reporting requirements. 

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

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

The following qualifications are sought: 

• Extraordinary ability to accomplish important strategic goals with a very light need for supervision based on a demonstrated track record.

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

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

• Proficiency in drafting formal documents, including contracts, statements of work, and requests for proposals. 

• Strong leader who is versatile, patient and has a positive attitude and sound judgment. 

• Ability to effectively work with internal and external executive level staff to achieve objectives/deliverables in various areas of responsibility.

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

• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail; strong oral and written communication skills; problem solving acumen; demonstrate personal integrity, confidence, and tact/diplomacy as well as flexibility.

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

• A star performer in this role would have the ability to do everything listed above in this job description AND initiate and develop new proposals to maximize the benefits of State economic development funding and private investment across Colorado. 

• Passion for public service and the state of Colorado.

• Familiarity with and desire to support economic development in rural Colorado.

This role can either be based in Denver or be remote from elsewhere in Colorado. The role may involve travel to Denver or around the state (2-4 trips/year).

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

• A combination of substantial experience (8 to 10 years or  more) in some or all of the following areas: project management, program management, a legal background in the context of policy development and implementation, working with non-profit or public organizations, public policy, reading, understanding and interpreting state and federal legislation, economic or community development, management consulting.

• A graduate degree in a relevant subject area (MBA, MPP, JD, etc.) is preferred but relevant experience will be considered as an alternative.

Salary Range: $85,000 - $90,000  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.