Summary

Description

Colorado Succeeds wishes to contract with a full-time consultant that will be embedded at the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE).  The ideal contractor will be a visionary, execution-oriented leader to design and launch two workforce training pilots that model the use of outcomes-based funding (OBF). The ultimate goal is to embed the institutional infrastructure and leadership for CDLE to prioritize more than $35 million in annual workforce spending toward programs and pathways that lead to new employment and livable wages for Colorado learners and workers.

This is a rare opportunity to sit at the intersection of policy innovation and on-the-ground implementation with direct connections to senior CDLE leadership and a mandate to prove that outcomes-based contracting works in Colorado’s public workforce system.

This is CDLE’s first use of federal workforce funds in an outcomes-based contracting model in Colorado. Done well, these two pilots will not only deliver real results for 45 workers and youth, but will establish the proof of concept, the institutional knowledge, and the policy precedent needed to redesign how Colorado invests more than $35 million annually in workforce training. The person in this role has a genuine opportunity to change how public workforce dollars are spent — and to help Coloradans get better employment outcomes as a result.

CDLE leadership is committed to this work. Senior officials have spent considerable time developing the pilot concepts, and an external OBF consultant will be available to provide specialized technical assistance. The Director will not be starting from scratch — but will need the drive and capability to take the work across the finish line.

The Director will take ownership of two pilot programs that are already in development:

Pilot 1: CNC Machinist Apprenticeship for Incumbent Workers

Partners: Arapahoe/Douglas Works! • ToolingU • Professional Employment Group • Rocky Mountain Tooling & Machining Association

This pilot will upskill 20 lower-wage warehouse and logistics employees into CNC Machinist Registered Apprentices with Colorado Advanced Manufacturers. Using WIOA Dislocated Worker funds for training and Workforce Enterprise Fund dollars for incentive payments, the OBF structure pays the training provider and workforce partners based on measurable outcomes:

• Industry-recognized machinist certification (skill attainment)
• Wage progression — documented pay increases upon advancement
• Retention — reduced turnover rates at participating employers
• Apprenticeship completion rates

Pilot 2: CNA Pre-Apprenticeship Pipeline for Opportunity Youth

Partners: Denver Workforce Development • South Denver School of Nursing Arts • Colorado Thrives

This pilot will enroll 25 opportunity youth in a CNA pre-apprenticeship model, leveraging WIOA Youth funds in an OBF contract structure. The six-week CNA credential opens doors to earn-and-learn pathways and self-sustaining healthcare careers. Key outcomes the OBF structure will incentivize include:

• Number of credentials earned and state board exams passed
• Youth employed in healthcare within 12 months of completion
• Retention in healthcare at 6 and 12 months post-placement
• Percentage of participants earning above $45,000/year

Reporting directly to senior CDLE leadership, the OBF Pilot Director will serve as the primary architect and implementer for both pilots, while simultaneously building the systems, knowledge, and institutional capacity that will allow CDLE to expand outcomes-based contracting across the workforce system. This is not a coordinator role — this person will own the work end-to-end.

A. Pilot Design & Implementation (45%)

The Director will take both pilots from concept to operational program. Responsibilities include:

Outcomes-Based Contract Design

• Develop and negotiate OBF contract structures for each pilot, defining outcome payment triggers, milestone schedules, and payment levels with training providers, workforce areas, industry associations, and employers.
• Work with CDLE legal and fiscal staff to ensure WIOA compliance and proper use of public funds in a pay-for-performance framework.
• Establish outcome definitions, measurement methodology, and data collection protocols for each OBF milestone.

Pilot Planning & Launch

• Finalize partnership agreements for both pilots, codifying roles, responsibilities, financial terms, and the OBF structure.
• Develop detailed pilot plans including recruitment strategies, training timelines, supportive service coordination, and employer engagement plans.
• Develop and manage program budgets covering WIOA-funded outcome payments, anticipated cash-flow needs of training providers, and philanthropic gap funding.
• Lead the planning and execution of pilot kickoff events for all partners.

Implementation Management

• Serve as the day-to-day project lead for both pilots, managing timelines, resolving issues, and ensuring fidelity to the OBF model.
• Convene regular partner check-ins, issue meeting minutes, and provide status updates to CDLE leadership and funders.
• Recruit and enroll participants into both programs in coordination with workforce center and employer partners.

Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning

• Design and implement a Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) plan for each pilot, establishing metrics, data collection methods, and regular review cycles.
• Track and report on outcomes in real time, identifying early signals of program performance and making evidence-based adjustments.
• Lead a structured pilot evaluation upon program completion and produce a final report with recommendations for scaling.

B. Institutional Capacity Building (30%)

The core purpose of this role is to leave CDLE better equipped to run OBF programs after the grant period ends. The Director will:

OBF Systems & Infrastructure

• Document a CDLE learning agenda that captures lessons from both pilots and translates them into replicable models.
• Develop standardized OBF frameworks, templates, and toolkits that CDLE staff can use to design future outcomes-based contracts — including OBF contract language, outcome metric menus, payment schedule models, and M&E frameworks.
• Build and maintain centralized data infrastructure to track OBF outcomes across pilots, establishing data collection systems that can be sustained by CDLE staff post-grant.

Internal Knowledge Transfer

• Train CDLE Employment and Training Division staff on OBF principles, WIOA Pay-for-Performance provisions, and the mechanics of outcomes-based contracting.
• Work with CDLE leadership to identify the governance structures, staff roles, and policy changes needed to institutionalize OBF as a standard tool in the department’s grantmaking toolkit.
• Develop and deliver training and technical assistance materials so that internal CDLE staff can administer future OBF contracts without external support.

Scaling & Expansion Planning

• Upon pilot completion, assess the feasibility of scaling both models across additional Colorado workforce areas.
• Identify and pursue additional philanthropic and public funding sources to support OBF expansion.
• Position CDLE to align OBF work with federal WIOA reauthorization efforts, including emerging federal interest in performance-based contracting and apprenticeship outcomes.

C. Partner Management & Technical Assistance (15%)

• Serve as the primary relationship manager for all pilot partners: workforce areas (Arapahoe/Douglas Works!, Denver Workforce Development), training providers (ToolingU, South Denver School of Nursing Arts), employers (Professional Employment Group, Colorado Thrives), and industry associations (Rocky Mountain Tooling & Machining Association).
• Provide ongoing technical assistance to partners on OBF concepts, data reporting requirements, WIOA compliance, and program administration.
• Facilitate issue resolution across partners, identifying and addressing problems before they escalate.
• Coordinate with CDLE’s external OBF consultant (Ken Weil) to integrate expert technical assistance into pilot design and implementation.
• Support partner organizations in marketing pilots to potential participants, employers, and funders.

D. Communications & Reporting (10%)

• Author all quarterly progress reports and the final closeout report for funders.
• Develop and execute a communications plan targeting multiple audiences: the Governor’s Office, philanthropy, future OBF implementers, and Colorado’s broader workforce ecosystem.
• Contribute to press releases, social media content, podcasts, and other communications that document pilot progress and surface learnings for the field.

Experience

• Experience designing and implementing public programs, with workforce program experience preferred.
• Knowledge of outcomes-based funding strategies with direct experience preferred.
• Experience navigating allowable uses of public funding streams and performance metrics preferred.
• Experience working with multi-partner projects with diverse stakeholders.
• Any experience with registered apprenticeship programs and/or with opportunity youth populations or in youth workforce development is preferred.

Skills & Competencies

• Ability to translate a concept paper into a program ready to launch — developing agreements, payment structures, and timelines.
• Comfort using and analyzing data to inform decision-making: defining measurable outcomes, designing data collection systems, and making evidence-based adjustments.
• Skilled at building trust across government, employer, and community partners; able to facilitate productive multi-party negotiations.
• Strong organizational and project management skills; ability to manage multiple complex workstreams simultaneously, track progress, and meet deadlines.
• Ability to write clearly for multiple audiences, including grant reports, policy briefs, partner communications, and public-facing content.

• This is a full-time, grant-funded position embedded within CDLE’s Employment and Training Division, reporting to senior leadership.
• The position requires travel for partner meetings, site visits, and pilot activities across the Denver metro and Arapahoe/Douglas county areas.
• Hybrid work arrangements are available; the Director will be expected to be present at CDLE offices and partner sites as program needs require, and at a minimum two days a week at CDLE.
• The employee will be required to waive retention rights as a condition of the grant-funded appointment.

• Please send a cover letter describing how your experience aligns with the qualifications desired in the contractor and your resume.
• Submit materials to: info@coloradosucceeds.org
• Applications will be received on a rolling basis with preference given to applications received by June 12.