CPW Land Protection Specialist (Colorado Wildlife Habitat Program Administrator) ADMINISTRATOR V

Full Job Description

• 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.

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 Real Estate Section (Section) coordinates, implements, and manages the Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Real Estate Program for the acquisition, disposition, and administration of real property assets in order 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 Section is responsible for ensuring compliance with the legal and procedural requirements of federal and state statutes pertaining to the Section as well as the directives and policies of CPW and the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission (Commission).

The Section is also responsible for creating and maintaining recording systems (manual, electronic, and interactive databases) necessary to document, track, and archive real property asset records and transactions.

Requirements

This is an Authority position which manages the annual Colorado Wildlife Habitat Program (CWHP), a statewide competitive Wildlife program with an annual budget of at least $11 Million, which includes an Annual Request for Proposals (RFP) to protect wildlife habitat and provide public access by acquiring and funding conservation real estate interests.

The position will continue to develop communication and representation for CPW as a statewide agency in this field. The CWHP RFP is authorized by the Habitat Stamp Statute, C.R.S. 33-4-102.7 (Statute).

This position also assists the statewide Conservation Easement (CE) Stewardship Program which oversees CPW’s CE portfolio, due in part to the CWHP’s annual and compounded investments.

This position provides Subject Matter Expertise and project management execution on multiple components of potential and completed perpetual conservation easement deals, while managing the RFP for new wildlife habitat conservation and public access opportunities.

As required, this position will manage compliance with the State Audit of Real Estate activities as these relate to the Colorado Wildlife Habitat Program (CWHP) RFP.

Serve as Authority on Managing Annual RFP Planning, Solicitation, Evaluation, and Decision Processes for CWHP:

• Annually coordinate, facilitate, and manage yearly CWHP RFP within a strict schedule of ~10 months.
• Direct two separate paths of proposal evaluation and funding prioritization: that of CPW’s statewide staff, and the Governor-appointed, Senate-approved Habitat Stamp Committee.
• Facilitate CPW’s Executive Management Team (EMT) and Parks and Wildlife Commission (Commission) to choose projects for habitat protection and wildlife-related recreation.
• Manage landowner, partner, and internal relationships throughout the RFP’s annual solicitation and evaluation period.

Annually revisit CWHP funding priorities and preferences with CPW’s Executive Management Team and Parks and Wildlife Commission to ensure the program regularly reflects statute and CPW’s current goals, policies, and budget.

Officially begin each funding cycle with formal recommendation by the Commission.

• Promote the CWHP via detailed presentations to large groups to include professional conferences, radio broadcasts, and meetings held both virtually and in person.
• Ensure statutory priorities and Commission policies and preferences are annually reviewed, updated as necessary, and reflected in yearly application materials.
• Annually review and improve the application, budget form, supplemental information document, RFP instructions, Habitat Stamp Committee scoring matrix, Wildlife staff scoring matrix, the CWHP public-facing website, promotional materials, and other materials as needed.
• Satisfy statutory public notice requirements and facilitate promotion of program and RFP annually, and within CPW and to partners, other stakeholders, and the public.

Serve as Authority on Conservation Real Estate Transactions and CWHP-funded deals:

Subject Matter Expertise on the land conservation toolbox.

With extensive, demonstrated experience closing Conservation Easement real estate deals, this position provides direction to CPW staff, landowners and their representatives, and to conservation partners on potential CWHP transactions and proposals.

Actively assist CPW staff in structuring new, active, or potential acquisition deals:

• This position will work regularly with CPW field staff, landowners, and conservation partners to negotiate new conservation real estate deals across the state.
• Upon Commission recommendation, consult Real Estate Specialists assigned to complete active Commission-recommended CWHP or non-CWHP, fully donated CE deals.
• Direct applicants to other funding programs to assist their application, or to other conservation programs if their project is inappropriate for the CWHP.

Develop and implement systems to promote CWHP successes and inspire program stakeholders:

Improve existing and create new systems and templates to publicly highlight the CWHP’s successes as needed.

Streamline communication with the Habitat Stamp Committee on achievements and active project statuses.

Collaborate with Public Info and GIS teams to refine CWHP’s webpage to be more informative and user-friendly, with focus on closed projects and recreational opportunities funded by the CWHP.

Project Management for Conservation Easement (CE) Stewardship Program:

This position assists the statewide CE Stewardship Program that oversees CPW’s growing conservation easement portfolio of over 300 CEs, including both CPW-held and 3rd Party-held CEs.

This position provides Subject Matter Expertise and project management execution on multiple facets of potential and completed CE projects.

Assist in the structure, due diligence, and archival documentation of CWHP projects to be managed as part of CPW’s real estate portfolio, with special attention provided to CPW’s active CE acquisition projects which will eventually be managed by local and Regional CPW staff and CPW’s statewide CE Stewardship Program.

Assist in the updates of template documents. Contribute to the review of active CPW CE acquisition projects to ensure CE terms and critical documentation support effective and enduring CE stewardship.

Assist in review of required annual monitoring reports for CPW and 3rd Party CEs.

Help identify and manage CPW CEs requiring Amendments, transfers to or from CPW, possible CE violations and potential solutions to resolution, landowner Reserved Rights Requests, third party rights, condemnations, etc.

Assist with annually required on-the-ground CE monitoring, training, and reporting. Assist with staying current on CE stewardship-related trends, policy, and technology.

Identify opportunities to fill in possible documentation gaps. Facilitate the creation or updating of conservation easement baseline reports, land management plans, and maps as needed.

Exercise best practices for commissioning, reviewing, approving, and facilitating signatures on new or updated critical documentation.

Update records and archives and communicate with local and Regional CPW field staff, appropriate landowner contacts, and partners, if necessary.

Work with the Section’s Program Assistant to pay bills, as appropriate.

Qualifications

• Eight (8) years of relevant experience in land trust, government open space, or other private land conservation occupations related to the work assigned to this position

OR

• A combination of related education and/or in land trust, government open space, or other private land conservation occupations related to the work assigned equal to eight (8) years

• Current or former State experience relevant to this position.
• Experience supervising professional staff or subordinate program managers and aligning their work with organizational goals.
• Demonstrated ability to translate strategic goals into actionable implementation plans.
• Strong analytical reasoning and decision-making capabilities.
• Familiarity with state government operations, strategic planning, and policy development processes.
• Adaptable and open to change; able to perform effectively under pressure and shifting priorities.
• Current or former State of Colorado experience, especially with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, is desirable.

• Mastery of deal structure and due diligence related to the acquisition of conservation real estate interests at the local, regional, or statewide level, with demonstrated experience closing conservation easement deals.

• Knowledge of wildlife-related recreation opportunity, management, and acquisition structure.

• Familiarity with conservation real estate funding programs, partnerships, and related compliance requirements.

• Ability to read complex maps and communicate to stakeholders what data should be or has been conveyed.

• Ability to synthesize complex information into concise reports, presentations, and briefings for leadership and policymakers.

• Ability to speak publicly.

• Experience in writing and managing grants, contracts, and large-scale projects related to conservation real estate interests.

• Ability to represent the agency effectively in public meetings, stakeholder forums, and professional settings.

• Strong problem-solving, judgment, and analytical skills with the ability to develop and implement complex statewide initiatives within the context of conservation real estate interests.

• Capable of aligning programs and policies with broader agency or statewide goals.

• Proven ability to build and maintain relationships with internal and external partners, including government agencies, nonprofits, and community organizations within the land conservation community.

• Skilled in facilitating collaboration, negotiation, and consensus among partners with competing interests in the Colorado conservation community.

• Excellent organizational and time-management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines simultaneously in the Colorado land conservation community.

• Skilled in program administration, budget oversight, and outcome monitoring.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including presenting complex information to diverse audiences.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google Suite.

• Experience with GIS

• Extremely high level of attention to detail.

• Ability to perform under pressure and to manage deadlines.

• Strong interpersonal skills

• Customer service mindset, respectful, helpful.

• Independent, proactive, and adaptable in dynamic environments.

• Enthusiastic, energetic, optimistic, positive attitude.

• Self confident, self-aware, and able to receive constructive feedback.

• Honest, trustworthy, and dependable in carrying out the agency’s mission.

• State of Colorado residency is required at the time of application.
• This position will be asked to travel overnight 2-4 weeks a year for meetings and as directed by supervisor

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 willdisqualify the applicant from future State employment with DNR).

Pursuant to the DNR-120 Fleet and Driving Standards Administrative Directive, any worker who will be expected to drive a State-owned vehicle is responsible for maintaining a safe driving record and a valid driver license prior to driving any State-owned vehicle.

To be compliant with the new fleet vehicle policy, Motor Vehicle Records (MVRs) will be pulled for review for workers who: Have an assigned State fleet vehicle

• Are required to operate a vehicle as part of the position

• Utilize a State fleet vehicle as a pool vehicle

Additional Information

• 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.

Resumes, cover letters, transcripts and relevant certifications are required attachments.

• 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.

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.