CPW Aqua Data Management III

• Medical and Dental plans
• Strong, flexible retirement plans including PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan, plus pre-tax and Roth 401K and 457 plans
• Paid life insurance
• Short- and long-term disability coverage
• Employee Wellness programs
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Health Savings Accounts
• 11 paid holidays per year plus generous vacation and sick leave
• Flexible work schedule options and remote-work options
• Career advancement opportunities throughout the State system
• Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

This work unit oversees the management of aquatic resources for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, including fisheries management, hatcheries, water rights, the ANS program, and fish health.

This position serves as the Aquatic Section’s data manager and technical specialist for statewide aquatic data systems, databases, analytical workflows, reporting tools, and user support. The position primarily supports the aquatic section’s sportfish management, native species monitoring, and hatchery field operations programs by maintaining reliable, standardized, well-documented, and accessible data systems.

The position is responsible for building, maintaining, improving, and documenting aquatic data infrastructure, with a strong emphasis on SQL Server, R, Tableau, R Shiny, data automation, quality control, and repeatable reporting. This position works closely with the Aquatic Research Data Analyst, Area and District aquatic biologists, hatchery staff, native aquatic species staff, GIS staff, OIT, and other CPW data professionals to ensure aquatic data are collected, stored, cleaned, queried, analyzed, visualized, and shared in ways that support science-based management and decision making. Work is prioritized through Aquatic Section leadership and the Aquatic Data Analyst to ensure that data system improvements, reporting tools, data requests, and user support align with statewide Aquatics priorities, statutory deadlines, data risk, and available staff capacity.

This position focuses on the technical implementation, maintenance, and day-to-day operation of aquatic data systems. The Aquatic Data Analyst provides leadership in analytic priorities, data standards, decision-support needs, and the interpretation of results. The Aquatic Data Manager implements those priorities by developing and maintaining databases, automated workflows, dashboards, applications, documentation, and technical support systems.

Design, maintain, and improve SQL Server databases and related data structures used by the Aquatic Section for biological survey data, species observations, stocking data, hatchery data, fish health data, creel data, water and station reference data, habitat data, ANS sampling data, and other aquatic resource information.

Develop and maintain database tables, views, stored procedures, queries, schemas, permissions, and documentation to support efficient data entry, quality control, data extraction, reporting, and analysis. Work with OIT and CPW Business Operations staff to manage database access, user permissions, security requirements, server connections, data backups, system performance, and integration with the agency's data infrastructure.

Develop and maintain standards for aquatic data organization, naming conventions, metadata, quality assurance and control, and documentation, in coordination with the Aquatic Data Analyst and team managers.

Development and use of data analysis and reporting tools
Write, test, optimize, and document SQL queries, database views, stored procedures, R workflows, Tableau dashboards, R Shiny applications, validation routines, and automated data pipelines that support recurring Aquatics reporting, data quality review, dashboard development, spatial data review, and repeatable analysis.

Develop and maintain reusable tools that reduce manual data handling and improve consistency across aquatic programs. These tools may support data cleaning, quality control, data transformation, summary reporting, visualization, spatial review, dashboard development, and automated or semi-automated data import and export processes.

Support integration among SQL Server, R, Tableau, ArcGIS, Survey123, cloud-based data sources, and other approved tools used by CPW. Develop validation routines to identify missing values, invalid codes, duplicate records, spatial errors, date and time inconsistencies, station and water mismatches, and other common data quality issues.

Maintain clear documentation of data pipelines, query logic, table relationships, business rules, dashboard data sources, validation procedures, and known limitations of aquatic datasets.

Data Quality, Standards, and Program Coordination

Coordinate with the Aquatic Data Analyst and Aquatic Section leadership to implement data standards, data governance expectations, and quality control procedures across aquatic programs. Support statewide consistency in how aquatic data are collected, coded, stored, queried, and reported. Review incoming datasets for completeness, consistency, and compliance with established

standards. Develop and maintain tools that help staff detect and correct errors before data is used in management, research, dashboards, reports, or public products. Support coordination among multiple aquatic data systems and reduce duplication, inconsistency, and undocumented local workflows. Assist with prioritizing data system improvements based on Aquatic Section needs, staff capacity, data risk, and management importance.

User Support, Training, and Documentation
Provide technical support to aquatic staff who enter, manage, query, analyze, or report aquatic data. Train staff on data entry procedures, data standards, quality control expectations, database tools, Tableau dashboards, R Shiny applications, and data export procedures. Develop user guides, standard operating procedures, workflow diagrams, data dictionaries, metadata, training materials, and troubleshooting documentation. Serve as a point of contact for aquatic staff needing help with data access, database connections, data errors, reporting tools, dashboards, and repeatable data requests. Establish productive working relationships with aquatic biologists, researchers, hatchery staff, ANS staff, native aquatic species staff, managers, GIS staff, OIT staff, and external partners. Help ensure that data systems meet current program needs while remaining flexible enough to support future aquatic management, research, and reporting needs.

Analysis and Reporting
Assist the Senior Aquatic Data Analyst in fulfilling internal and external data requests, recurring reports, CORA responses, management summaries, and public or internal data products. Use approved databases, queries, workflows, dashboards, and analytical tools to extract, summarize, validate, redact, format, and deliver aquatic data in ways that meet customer needs and support science-based management.

Respond to standard and recurring Aquatics data requests involving fisheries survey records, hatchery records, animal health lab inspection records, RiverWatch water chemistry records, Watercraft Inspection and Decontamination records, Scientific Collection Permit data, species observations, spatial data, and other aquatic datasets.

Coordinate with the Aquatic Data Analyst, Aquatic Section leadership, CORA liaisons, GIS staff, and relevant program subject matter experts to ensure data products are accurate, appropriately reviewed, properly redacted when necessary, and delivered within required timelines and statutory requirements.

Prepare data summaries, tables, maps, extracts, dashboards, and other reporting products for internal management, external partners, public information needs, and statutory requests

Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Additional appropriate experience will substitute for the degree requirement on a year-for-year basis.
• Additional appropriate education will substitute for the required experience on a year-for-year basis. 

• Current or former State experience relevant to this position. 
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, leading organizations, projects and stakeholders.
• Experience with R, Python, or other programming languages.
• Experience with Tableau, R Shiny, ArcGIS, Survey123, or similar tools
• Experience in environmental sample collection, processing and validating collected data to ensure accuracy, consistency, and completeness.

• Organizational and time management skills.
• Strong level of written and oral communication skills.
• Strong multi tasking skills.
• Ability to keep motivated with little supervision.
• Strong skills in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Proficiency in SQL language
• The position also requires the ability to learn aquatic resource data structures, fisheries terminology, and basic aquatic ecology concepts.

• The primary duties of this position are located within 30 miles of the state border; therefore, this position is exempt from the residency requirements. Applications will be considered from residents and non-residents of Colorado.
• Must possess and maintain a valid state of Colorado driver's license if operating a State vehicle.
• This position is expected to travel throughout the state as needed to meet the demands of the position. Travel needs would be 0-5 days per month, on an as-needed basis, including some reporting to 6060 Broadway Denver, CO.
• Former State employees who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination must disclose the information on the application and provide an explanation why the prior termination or resignation should not disqualify their application from the current position.  (Please Note: Absent extraordinary circumstances, prior disciplinary termination or resignation in lieu of termination will disqualify the applicant from future State employment with DNR).
• Pursuant to the DNR-120 Fleet and Driving Standards Administrative Directive, any worker who will be expected to drive a State-owned vehicle is responsible for maintaining a safe driving record and a valid driver license prior to driving any State-owned vehicle. 

  To be compliant with the new fleet vehicle policy, Motor Vehicle Records (MVRs) will be pulled for review for workers who: 

  • Have an assigned State fleet vehicle

  • Are required to operate a vehicle as part of the position

  • Utilize a State fleet vehicle as a pool vehicle

• All applications received by the closing of this announcement will be reviewed by an HR Specialist against the Minimum Qualifications in this announcement. 

• Colorado Revised Statutes require that state employees are hired and promoted based on merit and fitness through a comparative analysis process. Part of, or all of, the comparative analysis for this position will be a structured application review by Subject Matter Experts.

• Resumes, cover letters and other attachments are not considered as part of initial reviews, therefore, it is important to document in your application your education, experience, minimum qualifications, and preferred qualifications as outlined in the job announcement. 

• Please thoroughly answer all supplemental questions (if listed) since question responses may be evaluated for content, writing ability, spelling, grammar, and effective communication. 

• This recruitment may involve additional testing and/or exams to arrive at the top group for interviews.

• This recruitment may be used to fill more than one vacancy at this level and reporting location. 

A 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.

We are committed to increasing a “Colorado for ALL" of our staff and providing culturally responsive programs and services. Therefore, we encourage responses from people of all backgrounds and abilities.  The State of Colorado believes that a “Colorado for ALL” drives 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.

The Department of Natural Resources 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 Coordinator, at [email protected].