Colorado Zone Director

The Office of Economic Development and International Trade (“OEDIT”) was created to foster a positive business climate that encourages quality economic development through the support of local and regional economic development activities throughout the State of Colorado. A comprehensive slate of programs within OEDIT’s divisions work together to offer economic development services for all Colorado businesses – new and expanding, traditional and emerging, small and large – including retention programs to ensure continued competitiveness of Colorado’s economic base, and job training to keep Colorado’s workforce the best in the nation.

NOTE:
This posting is open only to individuals on a promotional list of the listed department. The posting is for transparency purposes only to comply with the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act. Applications from individuals not on the department promotional list will not be accepted.

The position offers part-time employment as an at-will State of Colorado Employee. The funding stream supporting this position is time limited and it is expected that the position will be restructured or eliminated after one year of service or by October 29, 2027 date at the latest.

The Colorado Opportunity Zone Program Director will oversee, develop, and implement initiatives and policies associated with Colorado’s second iteration of the Opportunity Zone Program (OZ 2.0). This person will work closely with the Special Projects & Rural Funding Director, as well as stakeholders and partners across the state, to set and execute the strategy for OZ 2.0. This includes ongoing statewide education and outreach and working with communities in leveraging their Opportunity Zone designations.

It also includes directly managing an OZ 2.0 funding opportunity, database, and any related contracts.

The Colorado Opportunity Zone Program Director may also be responsible for supporting other programs or initiatives as needed and assigned by the Director of the Business Funding & Incentives Division and in collaboration with the Special Projects & Rural Funding Director.

This ideal candidate for this position will be a self-starter, with a demonstrated track record of developing and driving multiple parallel projects in a collaborative way across a range of stakeholders and who absorbs strategic guidance but does not require tactical day-to-day supervision to get things done.

• The Colorado Opportunity Zone Program Director’s responsibilities include leading strategy, execution, outreach, and documentation of Colorado’s support for OZ 2.0. Specifically:

  • Draft and implement any related requests for proposal, contracts, and statements of work in collaboration with the procurement officer;

  • Design and implement OZ 2.0 funding opportunities, including but not limited to grants to local communities to help them leverage their OZ designations or help establish a Mixed-Income Neighborhood Trust, and write any related policies and procedures;

  • Lead efforts to establish a statewide OZ project database;

  • Oversee any related contract performance, reporting, and the initiation of payments;

  • Help market OZ 2.0 funding opportunities and initiatives, including by developing marketing materials and communications strategies and hosting events, trainings, and webinars in collaboration with the OEDIT marketing, housing and Rural Opportunity teams;

  • Design and execute a system for monitoring and reporting results;

  • Manage the OZ 2.0 budget and follow all necessary budget reporting procedures;

  • Align state practices and strategies with national best practices, thought-leaders’ ideas, and U.S. Treasury guidance, and ensure these are provided to Colorado stakeholders; and

  • Presenting progress updates to the…