Summary

This role leads efforts to improve and modernize how the Colorado Department of Education operates, focusing on strategic changes to better support schools, teachers, and students across the state.

It involves planning big-picture transformations, ensuring they align with laws and values like integrity and equity, while managing resources and accountability.

A good fit would be an experienced leader passionate about education reform, with strong skills in strategy and team collaboration.

Key Requirements

Advanced experience in organizational transformation and strategic planning, preferably in education or public sector
Deep knowledge of state and federal education laws, funding, and accountability systems
Proven leadership in driving change initiatives and building team capacity
Commitment to core values including integrity, equity, accountability, trust, and service
Ability to live and work in Colorado, with flexibility for hybrid work arrangements
Strong analytical skills for performance evaluation and resource stewardship
Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement abilities

Full Job Description

This position is not part of the classified personnel system; applications will be accepted from Residents and Non-Residents of Colorado.

Incumbent will be required to live in and complete work for CDE within Colorado.

Colorado Department of Education – What We Do
The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) provides leadership, resources, support, and accountability to the state's 178 school districts, 1,888 schools, over 53,000 teachers, and over 3,200 administrators to help them build capacity to meet the needs of the state's approximately 905,000 public school students. In addition, CDE provides structural and administrative support to the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind and the Charter School Institute.

As the administrative arm of the State Board of Education, CDE is responsible for implementing state and federal education laws, disbursing state and federal funds, holding schools and districts accountable for performance, licensing all educators, and providing public transparency of performance and financial data.

CDE is a values-based agency that serves students, parents, and the general public by protecting public trust through ensuring adherence to laws, strong stewardship of public funds, and accountability for student performance.

CDE strives to incorporate five core values that we uphold in our work internally and externally. If you come to CDE, be prepared to incorporate Integrity, Equity, Accountability, Trust, and commitment to Service in what you do.

Why Work For CDE
The work we do is rewarding and impacts the students, families, educators, and communities across Colorado. Our leadership also promotes a culture that puts families and self-care as a priority. Along with meaningful work and an environment that puts employees first, the state also offers rich benefits that intend to make us an Employer of Choice!
The following is a summary of the benefits we offer:

Flexible work schedules and flexible workplace options that may include flexible working hours, working from home, working in the office, and/or a hybrid working environment.
Premier medical, dental, vision, and dependent life insurance options. All with a generous employer contribution keeping employee costs as low as possible.
Employer-paid short-term disability and life insurance.
Up to 160 hours of Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML).
11 paid holidays per year.
Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals.
Retirement through the Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) www.copera.org.
Employer-paid RTD Eco Pass (certain restrictions may apply).
Paid professional development opportunities.

A wide salary range is posted for this position, and any job offer is based upon a salary analysis to comply with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act. The salary analysis considers relevant experience, education, certifications, and state seniority relative to others performing substantially similar work. While most salary offers are made within the posted range, occasionally an offer is made below or above the posted range based upon this salary analysis.

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.

Requirements

Work Environment:

This position is full-time, federally funded (funding is expected to continue indefinitely unless otherwise indicated in this posting), and is hybrid.

Extended hours during the evening or the weekend may be required by business needs.
Travel required within the Denver Metro/Downtown for Meetings and Trainings.
In-state travel, limited overnights, and expectations of approximately 30% travel.
A Remote (Home) office is required.
Required to report to the work location per business needs.
Essential Functions (ADAAA)
- LIGHT/Office environment:
  - Required to sit, view a computer screen, and utilize a keyboard and mouse for extended periods of time.
  - May be required to lift and move up to 10 lbs of force frequently or 20 lbs occasionally.
  - Required lifting, bending, stooping, pushing, walking, etc.
  - Light work usually requires walking or standing to a significant degree.
- Colorado DL: Required to safely operate a motor vehicle or a State of Colorado Fleet motor vehicle required to complete travel requirements.

Position Summary:

The Director of Strategic Transformation provides leadership for Colorado’s most complex and persistently low-performing schools and districts, ensuring rigorous, coherent, and aligned supports across the Improvement & Innovation Unit. This role leads the Strategic Transformation Office while advancing I&I’s core purpose: to build a coherent, practical, responsive statewide improvement system grounded in the Four Domains, aligned across charter, online/blended, and traditional schools, and anchored in district capacity-building. The Director oversees accountability pathways strategy, supports significant aspects of State Board engagement, strengthens earlier-clock supports, and ensures that improvement planning becomes a driver of change rather than compliance.

The final salary is anticipated to fall within the posted salary range, however could be higher or lower depending on the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other qualifications of the preferred candidate while considering internal equity.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Alignment to CDE’s School Improvement Mission

Lead a team in developing and advancing the strategic work of the Transformation Strategy Office to ensure supports for low-performing schools are coherent, predictable, usable, and aligned to the Improvement and Innovation Unit’s purpose and theory of action.

Lead efforts to ensure all Transformation Strategy supports are based on the Four Domains, CDE’s strategic plan, and contribute to shared frameworks, tools, diagnostics, and guidance used across I&I.

Lead the unit in shifting orientation and services from emphasis on low performing schools that have reached year 5 and later on the state's accountability clock toward strong improvement coherence for all low performing sites, ensuring districts experience earlier, clearer, and tiered supports.

Lead strategic engagement with charter and online and blended learning offices to ensure charter, online/blended, and traditional schools experience a shared improvement language rather than parallel systems.

District and School End-of Clock Supports & State Board Leadership

Lead hearings and end of clock engagement with State Board of Education
Act as the department's lead content expert and representative at the State Board of Education accountability hearings. This includes leading preparation of CDE board materials, community engagement readiness, preparing board members, presenting at hearings, and providing updates on the school or district's progress to date.

Lead oversight and progress monitoring for districts and schools operating with State Board directed action including providing strategic updates to the Commissioner, the State Board of Education, and local boards of education.

Lead individualized strategic supports and performance management for end-of-clock districts and schools

Act as the lead CDE content expert in the statutory accountability options and provide strategic support to the schools and or districts on selecting accountability options that best support local improvement efforts tailored to their unique context and capacity.

Provide strategic leadership and technical assistance to schools and districts in year 2 and beyond in navigating the accountability system including conducting community meetings, completing the School Review Panel process, and engaging with stakeholders.

Lead coaching and technical assistance with authorizers, charter schools, and online schools in exploring improvement strategies and end of clock options based on their unique models and contexts.

Lead regular and consistent performance management conversations with district and school leadership teams designed to reflect on improvement plan implementation and drive student performance progress and school practice to build capacity in schools and districts.

Act as a CDE primary support lead for districts identified as in need of supports in multiple domains (e.g. Holistic support districts), including ensuring these districts receive adequate support and grant funding while also coordinating with other CDE personnel who work with the district to ensure all CDE-led supports are coherent and serve to address the district's most pressing needs.

Provide technical assistance to end-of-clock districts and schools on the UIP and overall improvement planning and aligning resources for implementation including the EASI grants and providing recommendations on other relevant grants.

Partner with the Intensive Supports team to provide professional development and support to schools participating in Intensive Supports.

Create and lead face-to-face, peer-to-peer, and online professional development and networking opportunities for districts and schools.

Connect district and school leaders with other schools and partners to facilitate best practice sharing specific turnaround strategies.

Collaborate with district leadership to build and evaluate the effectiveness of district and school improvement plans.

Lead presentations and technical assistance on Colorado's clock progression and end-of-clock accountability system with local school and district stakeholders, including school boards. Facilitate accountability pathways planning and implementation.

Lead work that builds capacity of districts/LEAs as the primary unit of change, strengthening their planning coherence, implementation, and systemic leadership.

Lead CDE collaborations to develop a coherent system of support including policies, guidance, services, and funding for end-of-clock districts and schools

Lead the departments process for creating and maintaining CDE's guidance materials and support resources for districts and schools in implementing accountability pathways. This includes the development of any new pathways guidance documents or resources. Ensure all guidance documents are aligned to Improvement and Innovation Unit priorities, emphasizing clarity, credibility, and practicality for the field.

Lead collaboration with CDE offices - in particular, field services, accountability and continuous improvement, school and district transformation, and federal programs - to ensure internal policies and practices support rigorous interventions (e.g., supports for schools identified as comprehensive support for three or more years).

Lead collaboration with the team and other CDE offices to establish supports that grow the capacity of districts to develop the infrastructure needed to drive sustainable improvement for low-performing schools.

Lead collaboration with other CDE offices to ensure districts meet accountability pathways requirements, particularly community meetings and the State Review Panel.

Collaborate with other division leaders to co-design and implement the department's annual process for tiered supports to identify critical supports for schools and districts most in need of CDE's supports.

Lead cross-divisional teams in developing and providing a coherent system of supports to schools and districts identified on either the state accountability system or the federal accountability system as they progress on the clock.

Build relationships with internal CDE departments and work to understand the rules and requirements of each department to best support districts late on the Accountability Clock. This could include Unified Improvement Planning, Federal Programs, Schools of Choice and Innovation, Early Literacy, Data and Accountability, Educator Effectiveness, etc.

Lead unit efforts to align statutory improvement pathways with innovative approaches, portfolio strategy, and school model respective supports.

Internal Leadership & Cross-Department Collaboration

Lead and supervise Transformation Strategy staff and build a collaborative, learning-centered team culture.

Provide oversight and leadership to managing the contract and outcomes for CDE’s Transformation Strategy Partner organization, which It is a direct contract with CDE to work with the sites under state board-directed action.

Lead collaborations with Continuous Improvement, Intensive Supports, Charter Schools, and Online/Blended offices to braid supports and messaging.

Contribute to Innovation and Improvement Unit's communication, trust-building, and shared learning efforts, ensuring consistent messaging to the field.

Lead collaborations with leaders within the School Quality and Support Division, such as School and District Transformation and Federal Programs to build coherence of supports and professional learning opportunities across all schools, state, and federally identified.

Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

MINIMUM EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in a field of study related to the work assignment
Minimum 10+ years in education leadership roles, including recent experience as a school and/or district leader.
Turnaround/priority improvement leadership experience required.
Experience working with charter, innovation, or other unique school models preferred.

Qualifications for Success in the Position:

Demonstrated track record of improving student outcomes.
Strongly demonstrated executive leadership experience; ability to influence in high-stakes environments.
Deep knowledge of school accountability systems, improvement pathways, and statutory context.
Ability to build trust quickly across diverse communities and school system contexts.
Exceptional facilitation, communication, and presentation skills, including State Board readiness.
Strong project management and organizational execution capacity.
Commitment to equity, coherence, and student-centered improvement.
Travel required within the Denver Metro/Downtown for Meetings and Trainings.
In-state travel, limited overnights, and expectations of approximately 30% travel.

Preferred Qualifications (Preferred/Not Required):

Master's degree preferred.
Active Colorado Principal license preferred.

Conditions of Employment (Required):

Must be willing and able to submit to the pre-screening process and pass a background check.
Ability and willingness to independently determine, obtain means, and complete required travel (30 %).
Work extended schedule per business needs.
Report to work location per business needs.
Valid Colorado Driver's License Required: Required to safely operate a motor vehicle or a State of Colorado Fleet Motor vehicle to complete travel requirements.

Additional Information

Complete Applications must include:

Completed Online Application: Required - Submitted through our ATS.
Resume: Required - Copy and Paste into the Supplemental Questions (11,000 character limit, aprx. 3 pages)
Transcript: Required if using education to meet MQs - Attached to the online application and meeting requirements as described under "College Transcripts".

FOR CURRENT OR FORMER EMPLOYEES OF THE STATE OF COLORADO:

Per the requirements of the Step Pay Program implemented on July 1, 2024, any State employee must be paid a rate that is equal to or greater than the appropriate step pay rate within their classification’s pay range based on completed years in their current class series as of June 30. All current and former State employees must ensure that your entire work history within the State Classified System, including at Institutions of Higher Education, is indicated in your application so that your time-in-series can be calculated accurately.

Email Address:
All correspondence regarding your status in the selection/examination process will be conducted via email. Include a working email address on your application; one that is checked often as time-sensitive correspondence such as exam information or notification will take place via email. Please set up your e-mail to accept messages from "state.co.us" and "info@governmentjobs.com" addresses. It is your responsibility to ensure that your email will accept these notices and/or review your junk mail and spam-filtered email.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) and Equal Employment Opportunity
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, a 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 Education 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 performing 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 hr@cde.state.co.us.

✓ Fresh Listing

Director of Transformation Strategy (Non-Classified)

Job Description

Summary

Key Requirements

Full Job Description

Requirements

Qualifications

Additional Information

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