Assistant Director - Energy Innovation (Denver, CO).

Department Information

OPEN ONLY TO CURRENT RESIDENTS OF COLORADO

Consider joining the dedicated people of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. It’s our mission to manage and conserve Colorado’s natural resources for the benefit of people today – and tomorrow. That means we have to balance development with conservation so the state we all love provides similar opportunities for our children and their children.

We invite you to explore our website at https://dnr.colorado.gov/about-us to find out more about the work we do to manage Colorado’s natural resources for today – and tomorrow. 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.

In Addition To Offering Rewarding, Meaningful Work, We Offer

• 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 .
  
  

COLORADO STATE LAND BOARD

The State Land Board is a state agency with a constitutional mandate to generate reasonable and consistent income over time for state trust beneficiaries—K-12 education and other public institutions—while protecting and enhancing the long term value and productivity of trust land, mineral, water, and commercial assets through the application of sound stewardship practices. SLB is the second largest landowner in the state, managing a $4.5 billion endowment of trust assets that includes three million surface acres of working lands (about 4.5% of Colorado’s land area) and four million sub-surface mineral acres. Surface lands are currently leased for agriculture, grazing, recreation, commercial real estate, rights-of-way, ecosystems services, and renewable energy. Subsurface minerals are leased for oil and gas, and mining of hardrock, sand and gravel. Leasing is now expanding into geologic carbon storage and geothermal energy generation.

The Public School Trust is the largest of the nine intergenerational public trusts managed by the State Land Board and accounts for almost 99 percent of total annual trust revenues. Over the past decade, the Land Board has experienced tremendous revenue growth, generating more than $265 million in operating revenues in FY24. These revenues support the Colorado Department of Education’s Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) program, the Public School Permanent Fund (Permanent Fund), and State Land Board operations. In the past decade, the SLB has earned $1.6 billion of revenue, resulting in direct funding of $843 million to BEST and $671 million to the Permanent Fund.

Description Of Job

OPEN ONLY TO CURRENT RESIDENTS OF COLORADO

Under the oversight and direction of the Division Director, this position directly supervises 3 full time employees (FTE):

• The Minerals Director (1 FTE) who oversees the minerals unit (3 FTEs managing oil, gas, solid minerals and geothermal);
• The renewable energy Program Manager (1 FTE);
• The Program Manager for geologic carbon capture and sequestration plus rights-of-way and towers leasing (1 FTE).
  
  

These programs are responsible for the development, maintenance and long term sustainability of all expressions of energy production, storage and transmission using state trust lands. This position is charged with allocating and managing human resources and real property assets in a manner that maximizes program effectiveness and the opportunity for revenue growth and sound stewardship of the mineral estate. To a lesser degree , the role is responsible for surface asset use. The position ensures collaboration with all other business lines. This position fosters creativity and dedication to the development and implementation of short- and long-term goals, objectives and strategies to ensure the fulfillment of the agency’s mission.

The Assistant Director - Energy Innovation responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Strategic Planning & Leadership

• Works closely with the Director, Deputy Director, Assistant Director of Stewardship and Working Lands, and the Board to develop long-term and short-term plans that guide the organization’s efforts and ensure fulfillment of the Division’s mission, strategies and goals for the management of the State Land Board’s energy industry supportive assets and generation of revenues from those assets.
• Oversees the team of Program Managers that put strategic plans into effect.
• Provides a source of vision, ideas and leadership within the organization.
• Recognizes new trends and/or patterns in order to anticipate changes that will affect the way in which the organization should respond.
• Provides strategic guidance to Program Managers in their work to optimize the profitability of existing activities, and identify and leverage new revenue generating opportunities.
• Identifies and develops opportunities for partnerships with other public and/or private organizations. Develop strategies to improve the quality, efficiency and profitability of the organization.
  
  

Plan Implementation

• Leads Program Managers to create and implement annual business plans for each of the agency’s programs, and ensures that these programs work cooperatively together and in support of the agency strategic plan to achieve optimal solutions for the organization.
• Supports effective decision-making by the Director and Commissioners by providing critical and thorough information and analysis, by facilitating input of required expertise and data analysis, and by fostering open and complete communication. Identifies problems and provides guidance to solve implementation issues, and reviews and approves the redirection of efforts and resources when necessary.
• Monitors financial performance and works with Program Managers to take actions required to achieve expected results.
• Establishes and maintains an effective system of communications between the Director, program managers, and staff; develops repeatable systems and processes that maximize effectiveness and efficiency; organizes and coordinates program responses to requests from other organizations or entities; and presents key issues and recommendations to the Board for consideration and approval.
  
  

Supervision And Personnel Management

• Directly supervises three Program Managers. Works with the Program Managers to develop staffing plans and job assignments necessary to carry out the program and agency goals, policies, and procedures.
• Develops and enforces standards for performance including expectations for professionalism, accountability, and exemplary customer service. Oversees management activities related to the implementation of agency programs, initiatives, and operations.
• Builds effective teams and develops ways to integrate the sustainability and working lands section with the energy, carbon, and minerals section to achieve common objectives.
• Develops training and development programs for direct reports, and also oversees and integrates the work of any consultants or technical experts required to support specific programs and initiatives.
  
  

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights

• Experience only: Ten (10) years of relevant experience in a related field to one or more energy development sectors or carbon management with demonstrated experience setting and fulfilling revenue expectations. Two (2) of which must have included experience with public or business administration, establishing goals and objectives, as well as developing and managing a budget to achieve program goals and objectives.
  
  

OR

• A combination of related education and experience: Bachelor's degree in business, energy, natural resources, engineering, or environmental sciences and/or a related field to one or more energy development sectors or carbon management with demonstrated experience setting and fulfilling revenue expectations equal to ten (10) years, two (2) of which must have included experience with public or business administration, establishing goals and objectives, as well as developing and managing a budget to achieve program goals and objectives
  
  

Please note : The required experience must be substantiated within the work experience section of your application. Your resume will not be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications; only the work experience section of your application will be reviewed to determine this. “See Resume” statements on the application will not be accepted. In addition, part-time work will be prorated.

Preferred Qualifications

• 5 years supervising direct reporting professionals and/or program managers, or 8 years managing project teams of professionals in cutting edge science and relevant industries.
• Excellent written communications skills
• Excellent oral communication skills.
• Public speaking experience
• Player/coach; ensures team success through personal contribution; mentors, motivates, gets the best from their teams
• Demonstrates empathy and cross-cultural sensitivity towards team members and clients
• Honest and dependable; operates with trustworthiness and integrity
• Team builder; gets energy from collaborative work
• Self-aware and self-regulated; aware of how your decisions and emotions impact others.
• Customer-service mindset, respectful, helpful
• Proactive, takes initiative, self-motivated
• Excellent critical thinker; possesses good problem solving skills, seeks to understand alternatives, uses good judgment
• Great work ethic, disciplined, conscientious, thorough and diligent
• Enthusiastic, energetic, optimistic, positive attitude; buys into the mission of the organization and puts in the work needed to achieve it
• Organized and professional; Adaptable and embraces change
• An innovative, creative problem-solver who seeks common ground and resolves conflicts with impartiality
  
  

Schedule Expectations

Hybrid Schedule - The State Land Board requires employees to report to the 1127 Sherman Street, Denver, CO office two days per work week.

Conditions Of Employment

• 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).
• Must be willing and able to travel overnight within Colorado several times per year
• Must obtain or possess and maintain a valid state of Colorado driver's license if operating a State vehicle.
  
  

Supplemental Information

The Assessment Process

• 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 and Cover Letter ARE REQUIRED with your application as it will be reviewed in later stages of the process. Be advised that 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.
  
  

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.

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, Grace Healy at grace.healy@state.co.us .

ADAAA Accommodations

Any person with a disability as defined by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) may be provided a reasonable accommodation upon request to enable the person to complete an employment assessment. To request an accommodation, please contact Grace Healy - grace.healy@state.co.us

at least five business days before the date that any accommodation will be required to allow us to evaluate your request and prepare for the accommodation. You may be asked to provide additional information, including medical documentation, regarding functional limitations and type of accommodation needed. Please ensure that you have this information available well in advance of the assessment date.

E-Verify

The Department of Natural Resources 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 are 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.

Toll–Free Applicant Support - Technical Help

If you experience technical difficulty with the NEOGOV system (e.g. uploading or attaching documents to your online application) call NEOGOV at 855-524-5627, Mon-Fri between 6 am and 6 pm (Pacific Time). The Human Resources Office will be unable to assist with technical issues. Helpful hints: If you are having difficulty uploading or attaching documents to your application, ensure your documents are PDF or Microsoft Word files and close the document before you attempt to upload it.