Summary

Description

This position is open only to state of Colorado residents.

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 PARKS AND WILDLIFE
Our Mission is to perpetuate the wildlife resources of the state, to provide a quality state parks system, and to provide enjoyable and sustainable outdoor recreation opportunities that educate and inspire current and future generations to serve as active stewards of Colorado's natural resources.

The Public Information and Web work unit exists to determine, decide, develop and coordinate internal and external communications aligned with CPW’s mission to perpetuate the wildlife natural resources of the state, provide a quality state parks system, and to provide enjoyable and sustainable outdoor recreation opportunities that educate and inspire current and future generations to serve as active stewards of Colorado’s natural resources.

The Branding and Communications Section exists to lead the planning, development, creation, implementation and evaluation of creative methods and communications techniques to efficiently communicate CPW programs, products and activities to local, regional and national publics based upon CPW leadership goals. The work unit is responsible for communicating with the public using the agency website, press releases, social media, regulation brochure publications, mass marketing efforts, video, and Colorado Outdoors Magazine and blog. The work unit is also responsible for pricing, production and distribution of these materials. The work unit is also responsible for overseeing the CPW retail operations, including the online store.

Description of Job

This position serves to develop and manage content for agency-related information and events internally and externally, and determines what information is suited for distribution, and the appropriate venue(s) for information (e.g., internal newsletter, press release, radio broadcast, email, fact sheet, media kits, communication plan, other agency publications or web presence) based upon CPW’s strategic communication plan and Colorado State Statute. This position works closely with program staff to serve as a communications subject matter expert and works with Public Information Supervisor, Section Manager and Program Staff to determine the appropriate audience and develop key messages for distribution based on analysis of current public opinion on wildlife-related issues and wildlife-related recreation (i.e., report, newsletter, media kit, press release). This position leverages, develops, evaluates and revises strategic communication plans for CPW’s overall communication mission.

The Communications Specialist analyzes past, current and future strategies to project actual impact and outcomes to determine goals for future communication. The position works closely with the Public Information Supervisor, Branding and Communications Section Manager and all branches of the division, (i.e., CPW Executive Management Team, Regional Managers, Regional Public Information Officers, Creative Services and Marketing, Education, etc.) as well as outside CPW partners, stakeholders and recreationists to identify, monitor and determine issues to be communicated, which are integral to the sustainment of conservation, parks, outdoor recreation, stewardship and wildlife management. This position builds cultures and engages the outdoor community in CPW’s mission.

The Marketing and Communications Specialist IV is a pacesetter who has a unique level of technical expertise in strategic communications and is critical to the agency’s success.

The Statewide PIO position:

Demonstrates the ability to conduct media requests independently;
Demonstrates the ability to represent CPW, in an articulate way and without direct supervision, to external stakeholders and agencies;
Demonstrates the ability to represent CPW in sensitive public arenas with high visibility;
Demonstrates the ability to effectively contribute to statewide communications staff in crisis management and issues of critical importance;
Serves as the primary contact on statewide issues regarding complex media, communication, and marketing strategies;
Provide statewide subject matter expertise on media, communication, and marketing strategies

Specific duties include, but are not limited to:

Internal & External Communications

Serve as the Communications/Public Information lead for assigned priority programs and projects and their respective staffs, while also sharing back information to the Branding and Communications team as the communications subject matter expert on those programs and projects.
Execute and manage communication activities that aggregate agency and mission-related information and events internally and externally, leverages internal communications to convey messages to inform, align and engage CPW employees and stakeholders, with primary attention on conservation, wildlife management and related programs and projects, and scientific research conducted by CPW staff.
Develop and maintain strong relationships with senior leaders, assigned program and projects teams of subject-matter experts, Department of Natural Resources communications director, program coordinators, regulation, policy and research, Attorney General’s office, CPW partners and stakeholders to create a culture reflective of CPW’s mission and Leadership Intent.
Advises CPW Executive Management Team, program leaders and staff on best practices regarding communication concerns, venues and matters related to conservation, wildlife management and program- or project-related topics and scientific research conducted by CPW staff.
Monitor, analyze and maintain CPW’s communication plan and benchmarks as outlined through CPW’s Operation Plan. Meet and confer with CPW staff for the implementation of CPW’s communication plan.
Draft, evaluate and revise strategic communication plans for CPW’s overall communication strategy, based upon current and past implementation and analysis of projected and actual impact outcomes and goals (e.g., increase in sales, change in public opinion, number of calls, distribution of media).
Develop both short-term and long-term communication strategies regarding what are the most important issues to be discussed with the media and the public in order to ensure that the Division continues to be viewed as a credible, trustworthy, open and responsive state agency.
Maintain an accurate and thorough database of key wildlife constituents and advocacy groups and ensure they are receiving the most current information about activities of the Division through a variety of communication channels used by the agency
Exercises tact and diplomacy while representing Public Info/Web section at regional, branch and section meetings and employs a high level of interpersonal knowledge and skill.
Assist with Colorado Open Records Act Requests and responses, when needed, regarding assigned programs or projects.

Embed with program/project teams for regular meetings, travel, etc.

Work with assigned program or project staff to craft a targeted focus on developing messaging and communicating agency management processes and programs designed to communicate the agency’s work around these assigned programs and projects.
Participate in program/project meetings, field work, and other requested opportunities to streamline the processes of developing and managing public messaging and narrow the points of contact for internal staff managing related programs and projects.
Minimize the layers of the information approval process, as the role will work more regularly and more closely with program leads and project managers to ensure existing content is being updated, vetted, and approved in a timely fashion, allowing additional focus on communicating information about the varied stakeholder relationships and media concerns with the agency.
Regular in-state and occasional out-of-state travel with program staff for attending meetings, field work, and assisting statewide and regional PIOs for up-to-date and ongoing public information needs and creating visual or written content.

Develop and Maintain Website, brochure, other published content

Determine, write and produce relevant and timely content regarding assigned programs and projects for the CPW website, relevant Intranet sites/pages and all official CPW publications.
Work collaboratively with program and project staff to create and manage content updates that compliment and expand CPW’s mission and strategic communication objectives as outlined in the communication and operational plan.
Assist Branding and Communications section and Information and Education Branch teammates in creating credible, reliable communication with targeted audiences to produce material that defines the need and importance of conservation, parks, outdoor recreation, stewardship and wildlife management.
Builds cultures and engages statewide and local/impacted communities in CPW’s mission.

Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights

Minimum Qualifications

Seven (7) years of professional experience in public relations or public information; government-related communications; natural resources, environmental or related science-based communications, or an occupational field related to the work assigned to the position.

A combination of a Bachelor's degree in public relations, journalism, marketing, political science, natural resources management, environmental studies or biology, and professional experience in public relations or public information; government-related communications; natural resources, environmental or related science-based communications or an occupation related to the work assigned equal to seven (7) years.

Substitutions

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

Preferred Qualifications

Current or former State experience relevant to this position.
Current or former Colorado Parks & Wildlife work or volunteer experience.
Knowledge of public relations and mechanisms of inquiry.
Able to independently determine program communication needs through discussion with senior leaders, program managers, park rangers and wildlife officers.
Experience developing a communication plan that may include television and radio appearances, press releases, media kits or FAQ’s.
Effective means of distributing messages and follow up to determine if agency or program goals were attained.
Organizational understanding of current affairs within the outdoor recreation and natural resource professional field.

Required Competencies

High level of written and oral communication skills
Strong relationship-building skills
Excellent organizational and time management skills
Strong written skills with an ability to produce press releases, web and blog content quickly
Ability to communicate complex issues concisely and comprehensively (oral and/or written)
Team player who proactively ensures the success of other teammates

Conditions of Employment

State of Colorado residency is required at the time of application.
Must possess and maintain a valid state of Colorado driver's license if operating a State vehicle.
Travel is required to attend statewide, regional, program and PWC meetings representing the Public Information and Web Section. These may be held outside the Denver metro area and require overnight travel. As the agency is statewide in nature, the employee may occasionally travel to other agency office locations for overnight work assignments.
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).

APPEAL RIGHTS:
It is recommended that you contact the Human Resources Specialist listed below to resolve issues related to your possession of minimum qualifications. However, if you receive notice that you have been eliminated from consideration for this position, you may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board or request a review by the State Personnel Director.

An appeal or review must be submitted on the official appeal form, signed by you or your representative. This form must be delivered to the State Personnel Board by email (dpa_state.personnelboard@state.co.us), postmarked in US Mail or hand delivered (1525 Sherman Street, 4th Floor, Denver CO 80203), or faxed (303.866.5038) within ten (10) calendar days from your receipt of notice or acknowledgement of the department’s action.

For more information about the appeals process, the official appeal form, and how to deliver it to the State Personnel Board; go to spb.colorado.gov; contact the State Personnel Board for assistance at (303) 866-3300; or refer to 4 Colorado Code of Regulations (CCR) 801-1, State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures, Chapter 8, Resolution of Appeals and Disputes, at spb.colorado.gov under Rules.

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, 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, at dnr_hr_employeebenefits@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 accommodation, please contact our Benefits Specialist at dnr_hr_employeebenefits@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
DNR uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. 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.