Summary

This role involves working as a regional field specialist for Colorado's Department of Agriculture, focusing on supporting farmers and ranchers through on-site assistance in areas like animal health, water management, and local food systems.

The job requires traveling across the state to provide hands-on guidance and ensure compliance with agricultural standards.

It's a great fit for someone with practical farming experience who enjoys fieldwork, problem-solving in rural settings, and contributing to sustainable agriculture.

Key Requirements

Experience in agriculture, farming, or ranching operations
Knowledge of Colorado's agricultural regulations and environmental stewardship
Strong communication and interpersonal skills for working with stakeholders
Ability to travel regionally and perform fieldwork in various conditions
Administrative skills for reporting and program coordination
Commitment to core values like partnership, service, and proactivity
Bachelor's degree in agriculture, natural resources, or related field (preferred)

Full Job Description

Who we are:

Agriculture is a part of all our lives. When you eat, put on clothes, or care for an animal--your life is touched by agriculture.

Colorado's food and agriculture industry generated $47 billion of economic activity in 2019 and supports nearly 5% of the state's workforce. CDA is proud to be a part of such an important industry.

Mission:

The CDA's mission is to strengthen and advance Colorado's agriculture; promote a safe and high-quality food supply; protect consumers; and foster responsible stewardship of the environment.

Core Values: Partnership, Service, Professionalism, Proactivity, and Respect

CDA Wildly Important Goals:

To accomplish our mission, CDA focuses on four “wildly important goals:”

Goal 1: Advancing Local Food Access
Goal 2: Expanding Water-Resilient Agriculture
Goal 3: Supporting the Next Generation in Agriculture
Goal 4: Advancing Animal Health and Welfare

We use these goals to focus and align the daily work of our staff in support of Colorado farmers and ranchers. Learn more about our Department and our wildly important goals in our performance plan on our website.

What you get from us:

In addition to a great work location and rewarding and meaningful work, we offer:

Strong, secure, yet flexible retirement benefits including aPERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan plus optional 401(k) and 457 plans (www.copera.org)
Medical and dental health plans (https://stateofcoloradobenefits.com/)
Employer supplemented Health Savings Account ($60 per month)
Paid life insurance, plus additional optional life insurance options
Paid Short Term Disability and optional Long Term Disability coverage
11 paid holidays per year plus generous vacation and sick leave accruals
BenefitHub state employee discount program
Employee Wellness program State of Health
Excellent work-life programs, such as flexible schedules, remote work opportunities, free parking, professional development and more!

To learn about the total compensation package for State government employment visit: https://www.colorado.gov/dhr/totalcompensation

Equal Opportunity

The State of Colorado strives to create a Colorado for All by building and maintaining workplaces that value and respect all Coloradans through a commitment to equal opportunity and hiring based on merit and fitness.

The State is resolute in non-discriminatory practices in everything we do, including hiring, employment, and advancement opportunities.

We believe 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.

Learn more about our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion by visiting ourEDIHomepage:https://dpa.colorado.gov/about-us/edi.

Requirements

Serve as program liaison and resource to district employees and supervisors for southeastern Colorado conservation districts in the completion and timely submission of annual plans of work, general fund budgets, and audits.
Connecting them to the appropriate state agencies that can assist the completion of those forms.
Travel constantly to attend conservation district board meetings, annual meetings and watershed events. Advise and clarify procedures for accurate completion of these various reports.
Identify problem areas in the operation of individual conservation districts and devise appropriate solutions or suggestions to improve.
Provide guidance to district managers and supervisors for the districts on various aspects of daily and long term conservation district operations.
Connect the conservation districts to the appropriate subject matter expert at CDA as a resource for them.
This position is truly the connector of State and Federal opportunities for producers as well as resources to the districts.

Develop training and leadership expansion programs for conservation districts that will build their proficiency in grant writing and administration, employee supervision, equipment safety, special district operation, etc.
Coordinate and conduct “New District Manager/Supervisor Training” for conservation districts assigned to the position.
Travel throughout southeastern Colorado to conduct formal training sessions for district employees, supervisors, and partners.
Watershed Coordination
Provide support for meetings sponsored by the program as well as working with various partners in cooperative events and meetings to represent the program.
Work with watershed leadership to organize Watershed Association meetings in the region of the state that is delegated to this position.
Help further watershed planning efforts throughout eastern Colorado.

Plan, develop, and manage strategic communication efforts for CSCB;
Write, design, and publish external communication outreach materials, including program fact sheets and brochures, monthly e-newsletters and publish CSCB’s Annual Report.
Assist conservation districts with communications/ marketing needs, including with promotional material design;
Assist NRCS in outreach and communications needs as described in the CDA/NRCS contribution agreement.
Graphic design and creative communication are encouraged in addition to advanced writing skills.

Qualifications

This posting may be used to fill more than one vacancy.
This position is only open to residents of the state of Colorado at the time of application
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This position is advertised in line with the Governor’s executive order focused on skills-based hiring practices that focuses on the knowledge, skills, and abilities specific to the job and aligns the hiring process accordingly. Skills-based hiring reduces potential barriers for applicants and allows for reduced bias in the hiring process by providing a direct description of skills that are unique to the duties assigned to the position with a recognition that the applicant may have developed these skills through education, training, or past experiences.

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Salary:
BIWEEKLY
$2,264.31 - $2,717.08
ANNUALLY
$58,872.00 - $70,644.00
Minimum Qualification:Proven Experience, Knowledge, Skills:

Six (6) years of relevant experience in administrative roles supporting agriculture and/or conservation efforts

OR

Education and Experience:

A combination of related education and/or relevant experience in an occupational role supporting agriculture and/or conservation efforts equal to six years

Preferred Qualifications:

A bachelor's degree in common fields include agriculture, forestry, natural resources, environmental science, agronomy, soil science, biology, or animal science.
Previous experience working as an employee of the state of colorado

Conditions of Employment:

Must have an active Colorado driver's license.
Must be able to pass an employment and criminal background investigation
Must be a resident of the state of Colorado.
Be willing to travel for frequent single-day trips to work sites throughout assigned area and be willing to have overnight travel to other areas of Colorado
Must be willing to work outside of normal business hours
Will need to work outdoors in adverse conditions such as rain, heat, and snow.

Required Competencies (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities):

Excellent communication skills; able to communicate effectively and articulately in writing and orally with diverse communities in all corners of the state.
Knowledge of conservation
Knowledge of agricultural practices.
Effective communication skills with diverse populations
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and juggle multiple priorities, and able to react and adjust quickly to changing conditions.
Detail oriented.
Work well under pressure.
Highly resourceful team-player, with the ability to also be extremely effective independently.
Strong relationship management skills and excellent representation of the department in community interactions.
A proven track record for developing and maintaining trusted relationships with stakeholders and industry experts.
Excellent negotiation and consensus building skills.

Important Information:

Part of, or the entire selection process for this position will involve a review of the information you submit in your application materials. Therefore, it is paramount that in the experience portion of your application, you describe the extent that you possess the education, experience and competencies outlined in the job announcement as well as the special and/or preferred qualifications. Failure to include adequate information or follow instructions may prevent you from competing in subsequent measures used to arrive at a top group of applicants.

Please submit the following:

Online application (completed fully) describing how you meet the minimum qualifications

OR If you are not able to submit an online application, a paper application is available at this link: PDF State Paper Application.

Paper applications must be received (either by US mail or email to mary.hunt@state.co.us by the closing date and time of the application period listed on this announcement.

DD214 (if applicable)
Unofficial copy of transcripts (if applicable)

Factors that will be assessed:

Technical Competence – Technical experience as it relates to the duties outlined in this job announcement.
Depth and Breadth of Experience – Experience that covers multiple areas outlined in this job announcement. Experience should be varied and not one dimensional and demonstrate a wide range of community involvement.
Job Fit – Experience will be evaluated to determine how well your past experience aligns with and meets the business needs of this position. Current experience is preferred.

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 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.

Additional Information

Important Information:
Part of, or the entire exam for this position will involve a review of the information you submit in your application material. Applications are considered complete and accurate at the time of submission. Therefore, additional information may not be solicited or accepted after your application has been received. Therefore, it is very important that you clearly describe all of your relevant experience on the application itself. Applications left blank or marked "SEE RESUME" will not be considered.

All applications that are received by the closing date of this announcement will be reviewed against the Minimum Qualifications in this announcement by a Human Resources Specialist. Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications may proceed to the next step. Colorado Revised Statutes require that state employees are hired and promoted based on merit and fitness through a comparative analysis process.

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 by phone or email at least five business days before the assessment date 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.

The Department of Agriculture 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 Mary Hunt, at mary.hunt@state.co.us or call 303-869-9006.

E-Verify

CDA 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 Technical Support: If you experience technical difficulty with the NEOGOV system (e.g. uploading or attaching documents to your online application) call NEOGOV technical support at 855-524-5627 Mon-Fri between 6 am and 6 pm (Pacific Time). Helpful hints: if you are having difficulty uploading or attaching documents to your application first, ensure your documents are PDF or Microsoft Word files and second, close the document before you attempt upload (attach) it.

✓ Fresh Listing

CDA-Regional Field Specialist (Administrator III)

Job Description

Summary

Key Requirements

Full Job Description

Requirements

Qualifications

Additional Information

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