Cemetery Support Assistant

Full Job Description

The Colorado Department of Military & Veterans Affairs (DMVA) has four major operational divisions: Army National Guard, Air National Guard, Civil Air Patrol, and Veterans Affairs. These divisions utilize state and federal resources to provide our communities, state, and nation with a ready military force for national defense and state emergency response as well as providing assistance to our Colorado Veterans.

DMVA offers a comprehensive benefit program to its classified work force that includes paid holidays, annual leave, sick leave, medical, dental, life, disability, flexible spending accounts, and public retirement options.

Requirements

This position is part of the Veterans Affairs branch and is located at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery of Western Colorado, which provides for the interment of eligible veterans and their spouses and other eligible dependents.

This division is responsible for coordinating and maintaining Cemetery operations and state of appearance befitting the dignity of those interred therein.

This position will assist the Cemetery Director in the management, administration, and supervision of interment operations, grounds, and facilities maintenance, administrative operations, data entry, records management, and landscaping.

Specific duties include, but are not limited to:

• In coordination with the Cemetery Director, carry out the routine day-to-day operations, maintenance, and burial services for cemetery operations, including oversight of staff and contractors;
• processing administrative information and requests for burial services such as determining eligibility of requests, assigning burial plots, scheduling and coordinating committal shelters, arranging for military honors, ordering and tracking delivery of headstones and niche markers, inspecting inscriptions and placements, and acting as the post-interment resource to family members and other related professionals;
• serving as the liaison at all cemetery committal services involving timing all associated activities such as law enforcement escorts, funeral honors, making announcements, escorting family members, and coordinating with surrounding buildings to minimize disruptions;
• collaborating with grounds crews to ensure gravesites are properly closed, clean, and all equipment is secured and shelter is locked;
• interacting with a variety of external governmental and public interest groups to provide information, support, and services to veterans families;
• performing a variety of administrative functions such as compiling records, tracking interments into the federal Burial Operations Support System (BOSS), developing pamphlets and brochures, tracking staff and contractor time, developing spreadsheets, preparing briefings to nursing homes and schools and other civic groups, and administer the cemetery's Early Registration Program; and
• supports the Cemetery Director by providing input into cemetery operations, operating budgets, long and short term plans for operations and maintenance, developing equipment tracking and replacement cycles, and give input into future cemetery expansion or operational needs.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications
Four years of general administrative service experience with preference given to candidates with funeral/cemetery experience.

Successful candidates will have the following and/or must be willing to:

• have good public speaking abilities and be willing to make public presentations;
• be wiling to alter work schedules to include weekends, evenings, and holidays as funerals dictate;
• be wiling to work with bereaved and highly emotional persons;
• be willing to become CPR/First Aid certified;
• be willing to work beyond normal requirements to meet the needs of the cemetery;
• be willing to interact with persons in all stages of bereavement and show concern, compassion, understanding, tolerance, and patience;
• be willing to perform physically demanding activities requiring walking, bending, stooping, sitting, pushing, pulling lifting, digging, carrying 50+ pounds, and climbing into and out of confined spaces; and
• be willing to work in all environments and weather conditions and under unpleasant circumstances.

Substitutions
College, university or non-correspondence business school course work may substitute on a year-for-year basis for the general administrative experience.

Additional Information

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 tospb.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, atspb.colorado.govunder Rules.

Colorado for All Philosophy: Colorado for All means working toward a Colorado where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. It means we support the basic human rights of our neighbors regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status, education level, disability, socio-economic status, or any other visible or invisible identity.

Employment Philosophy:The State of Colorado strives to build and maintain workplaces that value and respect all Coloradans. We are building a Colorado for All through a commitment to equal opportunity and hiring based on merit and fitness. The State is committed to non-discriminatory practices in hiring, employment, and advancement opportunities.

Accommodations:

The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs 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 720-250-1538.