Director Of External Affairs

COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF STATE

The Colorado Secretary of State's office seeks applications from highly qualified candidates for the position of Director of External Affairs. This position is in the Senior Executive Service (SES), a performance-based pay plan reserved for senior-level management positions.

INNOVATE. SERVE. BALANCE. IMPROVE. THRIVE.

Are you looking for a career that allows you to improve your world and the world around you? The Colorado Department of State (CDOS) is seeking diverse individuals from all backgrounds to apply for a position that makes a direct impact on enhancing the lives of Coloradans.

If your goal is to build a career that makes a difference through the work you do each day, consider joining the dedicated employees of the Colorado Department of State. Whether working from your home or collaborating onsite, your professional experience will be connected and meaningful. Our office offers an RTD Eco-pass (currently free of charge) and is conveniently located near Civic Center Station, RTD light-rail lines, and the 16th Street Mall. In addition to an excellent location and fulfilling, impactful work, we offer:

• Employee wellness programs and an on-site fitness center
• 11 paid holidays per year plus generous personal time off and sick leave
• Access to a diverse array of technical, leadership and supervisory training opportunities
• Strong, yet flexible retirement benefits including a choice of the PERA Defined Benefit Plan or the PERA Defined Contribution Plan, plus optional 401K and 457 plans
• Medical and dental health plans
• Paid life insurance
• Automatic short-term (and optional long-term) disability coverage

Important Note:

• This position requires documented proof of full COVID-19 vaccination. More details are included in the Conditions of Employment section of this announcement.
• This position sometimes requires long hours and weekend work.

Our Culture & Environment:
Coloradans come from all walks of life and so do we.

Who We Are

Our mission is to make government easy and accessible for people to further democracy, support economic opportunity for all Coloradans, and demonstrate a standard of integrity and excellence. Our vision is to ensure all Coloradans have a voice in our future, help Coloradans and their businesses thrive, and be the best at what we do.

What We Believe

The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer. At the Colorado Department of State, we are dedicated to equity, diversity, and inclusion. We are committed to building work environments that are inclusive and reflect our communities and the diverse talents of all people. We highly encourage people from all backgrounds, identities, and abilities to apply.

Our agency website: Colorado Secretary of State's OfficePosition Duties
*All position duties listed below are essential functions.

• Engage and Build Relationships with External Stakeholders
  1. Develops a strategic plan to identify, track, cultivate, and strengthen external relationships.
  2. Develops and monitors programs to ensure communication with diverse audiences and utilizes innovative methods.
  3. Identifies, develops, and maintains individual community-based partnerships.
  4. Reports community feedback to the Secretary of State, executive team, and appropriate staff.
  5. Seeks out, develops, and creates numerous opportunities to engage with individual stakeholders.

• Design and Implement Engagement Strategy
  1. Develops a plan and identifies appropriate engagement activities from large external events to individual meetings.
  2. Informs, involves, consults, and collaborates with key stakeholders to drive external engagement strategies.
  3. Engages stakeholders and communities in planning, implementation, and evaluation processes.

• Community Liaison to Internal Staff
  1. Provides leadership and direction to agency staff, division directors and project teams on relationships and targets for stakeholder meetings and engagement.
  2. Builds relationships with internal staff and provides guidance and recommendations as it relates to building relationships with stakeholders.
  3. Provides guidance on when to engage with others to establish partnerships and committees related to specific subject matter.
  4. Maintains appropriate level of confidentiality.
  5. Keeps internal staff appraised of external engagement opportunities and results.

• Data Collection, Analysis and Evaluation of Program
  1. Measures the tactics and engagement plans for the agency as they pertain the attainment of the department's strategic objectives.
  2. Develops clear goals and reports out on metrics and progress of the external engagement program.
  3. Develops and maintains a contact database of key individuals to track external engagement and outreach over multiple years.
  4. Uses data to identify inequities and their root causes, and to educate and inform programmatic/policy decisions and external outreach strategies.

• Develop Marketing, Outreach and Engagement Materials/Other Duties as Assigned
  1. Works closely with Director of Communications and Director of Public Outreach to develop materials for public engagement activities and for external distribution to individual stakeholders.
  2. Addresses the needs of diverse customers; understands and responds in a culturally responsive way.
  3. Uses plain and clear language that can be understood by a broad array of individual stakeholders, partners, and community members, in all communications.
  4. Completes other assigned duties as requested by supervisor.

Additional Essential Functions
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Establishes credibility throughout the organization and with external stakeholders as an effective developer of solutions to identified challenges and relationship builder.
• Supports the mission and vision of the Department and provides recommendations that are in alignment with the Department's strategic vision.
• Fosters a success-oriented, accountable environment within the Department.
• Maintains confidentiality.

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
• At least three years professional experience in conducting external outreach or in a similar position.

Required Competencies

• Outreach experience working with grass-tops community members
• Strategic thinking
• An established network in Colorado
• Strong ability to communicate in a clear and direct manner
• Ability to work with a variety of stakeholders
• Ability to perform well under pressure
• Results driven
• Problem solving/analysis

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• This position will be required to successfully pass a background check.
• Must possess a valid driver's license
• Position requires some travel - this includes travel outside local area and overnight stays.
• This position requires documented proof of full COVID-19 vaccination*. New employees will be required to provide attestation to their status with proof of vaccination upon hire.
  • Religious and medical exemptions and reasonable accommodation shall be addressed as required by law pursuant to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's vaccination guidance.
  • *Note: Fully Vaccinated means two (2) weeks after a second dose in a two-dose series of the COVID-19 vaccine, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or two (2) weeks after the single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson's Janssen vaccine.

Completing the Application

• Please submit a cover letter, current resume and three professional references to your application. Email documents to applications@coloradosos.gov
• Applications submitted without the required information will be considered incomplete and will not move forward in the selection process.
• Early submission of application materials is encouraged. Screening of application materials will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

ADAAA Accommodations and Equal Opportunity Employment

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.

The Department of State 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, Laura Darby, at Laura.S.Darby@coloradosos.gov or call (303) 894-2200 ext. 6113 or Kathryn Mikeworth, at Kathryn.Mikeworth@coloradosos.gov or call (303) 894-2200 ext. 6312.

E-verify
The Department of State participates in E-Verify in accordance with the program's Right to Work for all newly hired employees. Employees are queried through the electronic system established by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) to verify identity and employment eligibility. You may complete section 1 of the I-9 form upon your acceptance of a job offer letter, but no later than your first day of employment and in addition, on your first day, but no later than the third day, you will be required to submit original documents to verify your eligibility to work in the U.S. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities at http://dhs.gov/e-verify .
Employment Type: Full Time