Summary
Description
Description of Job
The Work Unit
The Prevention Services Division works with public and private partners across Colorado to improve the health of all Coloradans. Division professionals develop, review, implement and evaluate public health interventions proven to promote healthy living, prevent chronic disease, protect against injury and ensure access to health care and opportunities for a healthy lifestyle. The Division is committed to the professional development, collaborative effort and sustained wellness of its workforce. The Prevention Services Division is actively building a workforce reflective of the diverse communities we serve. The Division strives to understand the needs of Colorado’s communities and encourages contributions of stakeholders in identifying and solving public health problems. We are committed to providing a respectful, supportive and inclusive work environment that demonstrates our commitment to accept and respect individuals from all communities.
The PSD Communications Branch provides a full range of internal and external communication services for the division. The branch executes strategic communication initiatives to improve the health, well-being, and equity of all Coloradans and to promote public health programs among partner agencies, the media, legislative audiences, community partners, and the public. The branch consists of staff uniquely experienced in strategic communications, media and public relations, graphic design, and behavior change marketing.
The Healthy Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Branch, in the Prevention Services Division, reviews, plans, designs, implements, and evaluates public health interventions related to chronic disease and related risk factors to advance health and racial equity and improve health-related quality of life for all Coloradans. Special emphasis is placed on evidence-based practices, data-based and evidence-informed decision-making, capacity-building, partnerships, and integration between program efforts for efficiency and effectiveness. The Tobacco Program is part of the HPCDP Branch.
We are aware that many chronic diseases share the same systemic causes (i.e. tobacco use, lack of access to nutritious foods, built environments to support physical activity, social connectedness, and poverty and economic instability). As we seek to address these crucial issues, we commit to responding to the reality that structural racism intensifies each of them. We also commit to growing our workforce with professionals with lived experiences and local experience partnering with diverse populations. The HPCDP Branch recognizes that racism is a public health crisis and is committed to improving racial and other forms of equity through all of its programs and practices.
For us to successfully make a positive impact in disproportioned and oppressed communities, we must have representation from those communities with shared perceptions and understand the systemic causes. These systemic injustices and additional risk and protective factors are shared across many of the outcomes we address. Our work continues until all Coloradans have the opportunity to live and have healthy lives, in a way that celebrates intersectional identities including race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, education level, age, language, religion, ability, and geographic location. Collectively, we can work to achieve this by advancing racial justice and other forms of equity through all of our programs and practices.
The purpose of the Tobacco Program is to reduce tobacco use and tobacco’s adverse health effects in Colorado through funding, promotion, and support of primary prevention, education, and cessation efforts. This includes recognizing systemic and institutional oppression, advocating for equitable and sustainable change, and supporting changes in local and state policies and the environment that help all Coloradans develop and maintain healthy behaviors.
The Position
The position is embedded in the PSD Communications Branch, and is the communications liaison to the State Tobacco Education and Prevention Partnership (STEPP) in the Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Branch. This position directs the development, implementation, and coordination of paid, earned, and owned communications for the State Tobacco Education and Prevention Partnership (STEPP) and leads and executes statewide tobacco communications in alignment with CDC best practices and the Tobacco Strategic Plan. The position stays up to date on the latest public health communications trends and best practices to inform these efforts. It directs contracts with vendors to support comprehensive communications campaigns to support the Tobacco Strategic Plan. It also manages contracts with organizations and provides technical assistance, support, and training to CDPHE staff and local grantees in the area of behavior change marketing, communications, and public relations.
This position independently performs a full range of professional tasks and sets the strategic direction for tobacco communications. Works with and balances the interests of a multitude of interested partners and parties. Position requires subject matter expertise of communication and marketing strategies, best practices, and tactics to regularly make decisions at the process level that are based on public health communications models; analyzes complex data and process outcomes; identifies problems and recommends solutions; and helps build support for tobacco prevention, cessation, and awareness efforts. Position navigates political considerations, engages the media, solicits and manages input, and provides productive and supportive guidance to internal staff and local partners.
Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights
An applicant may meet the minimum qualifications for this job in one of two ways: They may qualify through their work experience alone or through a combination of education and work experience.
Experience Only: Six (6) years of relevant experience in a communications related field.
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Education and Experience: A combination of related education, graduation from an accredited college or university in health communications, communications, journalism, marketing, or a closely-related field AND relevant experience in a communications related field equivalent to Six (6) years.
Preferred Qualifications and Essential Competencies
The preferred experience, competencies and abilities are highly desirable for this position and will be considered in selecting the successful candidate:
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Marketing: Experience developing, managing, and evaluating comprehensive communication plans or social marketing campaigns.
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Project Management: Ability to apply processes, methods, skills, knowledge, and experience to achieve specific project objectives, including strategic planning, communication planning, and reporting.
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Relationship Skills: Ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders, speak and write authoritatively and compellingly, resolve communication problems, and negotiate and manage competing interests.
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Writing and Communication: Ability to communicate effectively with leadership, state agency partners, grantees, contractors, and other stakeholders through various written and digital tools. Synthesize complex information and communicate in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
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Media Relations: Experience drafting and responding to media inquiries.
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Spokesperson: Experience serving as a spokesperson.
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Editing: Experience writing and editing content using Associated Press Style for various communication tactics such as newsletters, brochures, news releases, fact sheets, web content, social media content, marketing materials, reports, etc.
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Contracts: Experience working with government entities and understanding of government procurement processes.
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Bilingual: Ability to speak, write, and read fluently in English and Spanish.
Conditions of Employment:
- Pursuant to CDPHE policy, a background check is required for all positions at CDPHE.
APPEAL RIGHTS: 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 acknowledgment 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
A complete application packet must include:
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A completed State of Colorado application.
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Unofficial transcripts if using to verify educational requirement
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If you are a veteran, a copy of your DD214 attached to your colorado.gov/jobs application.
The Selection Process
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All applications that are received by the closing of this announcement will be reviewed against the Minimum Qualifications in this announcement. Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications proceed to the next step.
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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 may be a structured application review, which involves a review of the information you submit in your application materials by Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) against the preferred qualifications.
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A top group, of up to six candidates, will be invited to schedule an interview with the hiring manager.
E-Verify: CDPHE 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.
You must be legally eligible to work in the United States to be appointed to this position. CDPHE does not sponsor non-residents of the United States.
ADAAA Accommodations:
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 Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment 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, Dan McKenna, at daniel.mckenna@state.co.us or call 303-692-2060, option 5.
