Colorado Child Protection Ombudsman; Chief Executive Officer

The Agency:
The Office of the Colorado Child Protection Ombudsman (CPO) – Denver, CO

The Office of the Colorado Child Protection Ombudsman (CPO) is an independent state office established in statute to provide oversight of Colorado’s child protection system. The office serves as a neutral forum for members of the public to raise concerns related to child protection services and as a source of credible, system-level insight for state leaders. Its work focuses on how child protection systems operate in practice, where they fall short, and what can be learned to strengthen fairness, accountability, and outcomes for children, youth, and families across Colorado.

The Ombudsman does not operate programs, make placement decisions, or advocate for agencies. Instead, the office reviews complaints, investigates concerns, evaluates system performance, and identifies patterns and trends that inform recommendations to the Governor, the General Assembly, and other stakeholders. Housed within the Colorado Judicial Branch and operating independently from the agencies it reviews, the CPO’s authority is grounded in law, independence, and disciplined analysis.

The office occupies a unique position within state government, where its influence depends not on enforcement authority, but on independence, judgment, and the trust it earns.

Colorado Child Protection Ombudsman Agency Website

Are you a leader whose career has prepared you to hold complexity without becoming reactive, to speak uncomfortable truths with integrity, and to lead without needing to control outcomes? Are you an experienced executive who understands public trust as a responsibility, not a talking point?

If this description reflects how you already lead, this role offers the opportunity to apply that leadership at a statewide level, where judgment and independence matter most. Colorado is seeking its next Child Protection Ombudsman, an independent statewide leader entrusted with safeguarding fairness, accountability, and learning across the child protection system.

As Child Protection Ombudsman, you will serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the office and report to the Ombudsman Advisory Board.

You will lead a highly skilled team engaged in emotionally complex, high-stakes work. You will represent the office publicly in legislative hearings, judicial settings, media inquiries, and community forums. You will assess systems that are under constant scrutiny, and you will do so without becoming politicized, defensive, or detached.

This role requires calm authority, moral courage, and the ability to speak truth to power without losing credibility or relationships.

Colorado Child Protection Ombudsman - Official Job Description

• Setting strategic direction and ensuring fulfillment of the office’s statutory mission.
• Leading and supporting senior leadership, including the Deputy Ombudsman and Director of Client Services.
• Overseeing complaint investigation, system evaluation, and public reporting processes.
• Serving as the primary spokesperson for the office.
• Engaging credibly with legislators, judicial leaders, agency executives, media, and the public.
• Fostering an inclusive, mission-driven culture that supports staff working in emotionally complex environments.

This is a hands-on executive role. Authority and accountability are inseparable in this role.

Within your first 12–18 months
, you will have:

• Reinforced the office’s ethical independence and public trust.
• Strengthened internal systems for complaint review, trend analysis, and transparent public reporting.
• Built credibility with staff, Board members, legislators, judicial partners, counties, and advocacy organizations.
• Elevated statewide understanding of the Ombudsman’s role and value.
• Delivered evidence-based recommendations that influence policy, practice, and system behavior.

Success in this role is measured by clarity, credibility, and impact.

This role is designed for a seasoned executive leader whose experience reflects both scope and substance.

• An advanced graduate…