The mission of the Colorado Energy Office (CEO) is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and consumer energy costs by advancing clean energy, energy efficiency, and zero emission vehicles to benefit all Coloradans. We do this by developing and implementing highly impactful policies and programs, establishing Colorado as a leading state for climate action. The Colorado Energy Office is a great place to work, with collaborative and talented employees who are passionate about our mission and a hybrid (work from home/work from office) atmosphere. Employees report high satisfaction with their work, their colleagues and manager, and CEO leadership. Join us! 

The Local Government Climate Solutions team is a new team at CEO that supports local action toward meeting Colorado’s greenhouse gas reduction targets. The team’s portfolio includes several existing programs, as well the recently awarded Local Government Climate Action Accelerator (Accelerator) program, funded through the EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Program. The Accelerator will be a two-part program offering that provides grants to support local government policy adoption in the areas of transportation, buildings, land use, and waste, and equity-focused incentive grants to support local project implementation. This position is one of four new program managers, each focused on a specific policy area noted above. The Program Manager for Land Use, while a member of the Local Government Climate Solutions team at CEO, will work very closely with the Division of Local Government (DLG) in the Department of Local Affairs. This arrangement will allow the program manager to support CEO’s critical work on policy adoption and project implementation while working closely with experts in other state agencies to advance thoughtful and coordinated land use policies and programming. Funding for the position is tied to the federal grant which has a period of performance of five years.  

The expectations for local government climate action in Colorado and nationally are high, and candidates for this position should have extensive subject matter expertise combined with experience designing and launching new programming. Given the accelerated nature of the Local Government Climate Action Accelerator program, candidates should also have experience using data and participant feedback to refine programming for maximum impact. Finally, since program managers will work closely with local governments and other stakeholders, experience working with a variety of stakeholders and managing competing policy and programmatic objectives is required. CEO is committed to increasing the diversity of our staff and providing culturally responsive programs and services. Therefore, we encourage responses from people of diverse backgrounds and abilities.

Responsibilities:

Policy and Program Development 

• Work with team director and other program staff to develop the Accelerator program framework and design details including overall funding, policy and project grant levels, and strategies to scale requirements and grant amounts appropriately for small and large community applicants, and ensure program complements other programming offered by partner agencies.
• Develop and refine policies, policy guidance, and eligibility requirements, and contribute to the grant-making process including solicitation, evaluation criteria, and scoring rubrics related to land use policies and implementation projects.
• Assist in preparing scopes of work, evaluating proposals, and selecting program vendors related to technical support, regional coordination, and best practices development and contribute to a vetted consultant list or consultant pool for program grantees. 
• Work with the Accelerator’s technical vendor to develop program metrics, data tracking strategies, reporting process, and other activities related to tracking the impacts of policy adoption and project implementation related to land use. 
• Help to ensure that the Accelerator is designed to increase program benefits to those living in disproportionately impacted communities. 

Program Administration

• Work with team members, other CEO teams, state agencies, and stakeholders to plan for launch and administration of the Accelerator, ensure effective and efficient procurement and contracting, and establish strong partner relationships needed for successful implementation.
• Work with team members and DLG team to conduct in-depth outreach and engagement to solicit interest from local governments in applying to adopt land use related policies via the program, develop land use educational and technical assistance materials for local governments, and lead educational and engagement opportunities such as cohort peer-learning for communities who have adopted or are pursuing similar land use policies and projects.
• Assist in the grant-making process by reviewing and evaluating applications, making awards and issuing award notifications, and developing scopes of work for project contracting for land use related grants.
• Administer land use solutions grants for policy adoption and implementation, including regularly engaging with and supporting grantees, reviewing and approving invoices and project deliverables, ensuring successful completion of projects, and managing project close-out.
• Regularly review quantitative and  qualitative data including program metrics and grantee feedback, evaluate program outcomes, and modify the Accelerator as needed to ensure it achieves programmatic goals and remains responsive to the needs of partners and participants. 
• Ensure program compliance with state and federal grant requirements including Build America Buy America, Davis-Bacon, and required reporting, Colorado Revised Statutes, CEO policies and procedures, and the Governor’s office employee handbook.
• On an annual basis, work with the team director and other team members on the annual planning and budgeting process.  

Collaboration with Other Units and Stakeholders

• Serve as a conduit between DLG, Local Government Climate Solutions team, and other CEO teams to share information, expertise, and policy and program best practices.
• Work closely with team members and other CEO teams as appropriate on planning, launch, and continuous improvement of program offerings and related resources and activities. 
• Partner with local governments and related stakeholders, utilities, community-based organizations, and others to educate potential applicants about the program, and drive interest and participation. 
• Facilitate a land use solutions cohort among participating local governments for policy and adoption and program implementation.

Minimum Qualifications:

• At least 3 years experience in land use or related fields.
• At least 3 years of experience developing, managing, and refining programs.
• Strong time management and organizational skills.
• Strong written, oral, and presentation communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working with federal grants and procuring and managing vendors or grantees is strongly preferred.
• Experience working with local governments is strongly preferred.
• Preferred experience working with stakeholder groups, including local governments and utilities.