Deputy Communications Director

Salary: $96,852.00 - $125,000.00 Annually
Location : Denver, CO
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: FAA02380
Department: Department of Public Health & Environment
Division: Administration Division
Opening Date: 11/12/2026
Closing Date: 11/23/2026 11:59 PM Mountain
FLSA: Determined by Position
Type of Announcement: This position is open only to Colorado state residents.
Primary Physical Work Address: 4300 Cherry Creek S Dr, Denver, CO 80246, USA
FLSA Status: Exempt; position is not eligible for overtime compensation.
Department Contact Information:
Salary Note: Although the full salary range for this position is provided, appointments are typically made at or near the range minimum.
How To Apply: Please submit an online application for this position at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/colorado. Reach out to the Department Contact to apply using a paper application, including any supplemental questions. Failure to submit a complete and timely application may result in the rejection of your application. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that application materials are received by the appropriate Human Resources office before the closing date and time listed.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

• This position will have hybrid workplace options available, at the discretion of the supervisor and based on business needs. The employee will still be required to report to the agency address listed on this announcement: 4300 Cherry Creek S Dr, Denver, CO 80246, USA

CDPHE offers:

• Free parking and access to RTD bus lines.
• Flexible working arrangements
• Retirement ( PERA options), Medical and dental health plans
• Defined Benefit Plan or the PERA Defined Contribution Plan, plus optional 401K and 457 plans
• Paid life insurance
• Short- and long-term disability coverage
• 11 paid holidays per year and generous personal time off
• Tuition assistance
• Wellness programs
• Professional development opportunities on a wide variety of subjects
• Career advancement opportunities throughout the State system

Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. For more information, go to: https://studentloans.gov/myDirectLoan/pslfFlow.action#!/pslf/launch

Description of Job

The Work Unit:
The Office of Communications leads and coordinates CDPHE's enterprise communications function. The office provides department-wide communications strategy, editorial direction, media relations, internal communications, digital communications, marketing, crisis and emergency communications, language access, risk assessment, and coordination with executive leadership and the Governor's Office.

CDPHE uses a matrixed enterprise communications system. The Office of Communications partners with communications staff and directors across divisions and offices to coordinate communications and share accountability for outcomes. Divisions and offices bring subject matter expertise and knowledge of their programs, partners, regulated communities, and operational needs. The Office of Communications establishes department-wide standards, coordinates significant communications, provides quality control, and helps CDPHE communicate clearly and consistently.
What You Will Do:

The Deputy Communications Director reports to the Senior Director of External Affairs and Communications and helps lead CDPHE's enterprise communications function. You will supervise four communications professionals, provide strategic editorial review for consequential department communications, lead recurring department-wide communications operations, and manage cross-functional projects. You will work across public health and environmental programs, often under short deadlines and while situations are developing. The position serves as acting office lead when delegated by the Senior Director.
This role requires excellent judgment, exceptional editing skills, the ability to learn technical subjects quickly, and a management style that gives employees clear direction and support.
Key Responsibilities:

1. Team leadership and supervision
2. Strategic editing and quality control
3. Recurring communications operations and coordination
4. Cross-functional project management

Lead and develop the team

• Supervise the webmaster and creative specialist, social media manager, internal communications manager, and a communications specialist.
• Serves as acting office lead when delegated or when the Senior Director is unavailable, making timely decisions consistent with delegated authority and department and state policies.
• Set priorities, assign and review work, coordinate coverage, and manage competing deadlines.
• Set performance expectations and provide coaching, feedback, recognition, performance management, and professional development.

Provide strategic editing and quality control

• Review high-profile, sensitive, cross-divisional, leadership-level, regulatory, legislative, partner-facing, constituent, and media-related communications.
• Edit for plain language, accuracy, conciseness, accessibility, consistency, and alignment with department positions.
• Help subject matter experts explain complex scientific, technical, regulatory, and policy information without changing its meaning.
• Identify communications risks, unanswered questions, conflicting recommendations, and potential areas of public confusion.

Run recurring communications operations

• Plan and manage cross-divisional communications meetings and recurring meetings with local public health agency public information officers.
• Oversee the local public health agency communications digest and routine communications reports for department leaders and communications staff.
• Gather information about upcoming announcements, reports, campaigns, rulemaking, public meetings, and emerging issues so the right people have shared awareness.
• Maintain calendars and coordination tools and improve recurring processes when they are no longer useful or effective.

Manage cross-functional projects

• Define project scope, participants, roles, milestones, deliverables, timelines, review requirements, and approval paths.
• Track department marketing campaigns, facilitate required reviews and approvals, and share approved campaign materials with local public health agencies.
• Develop constituent messaging and response templates when needed.
• Coordinate with divisions and offices to gather information for CDPHE's SMART Act presentation and follow up on outstanding materials.
• Keep leaders informed, resolve barriers, and elevate risks.

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights
Residency Requirement:
This posting is only open to residents of the State of Colorado at the time of submitting your application.
Class Code & Classification Description:
H1A3XX Program Management II
Minimum Qualifications:
NOTE: An applicant may meet the minimum qualifications for this job in one of two ways: They may qualify through their work experience alone or through a combination of education and work experience.

Experience Only:
Nine (9) years of relevant professional experience in public sector, public health, or environmental health communications, public relations, journalism, technical writing, marketing, digital communications, communications program management.

Or

Education and Experience:
A combination of related education in communications, journalism, public relations, marketing, public administration and/or relevant professional experience in public sector, public health, or environmental health communications, public relations, journalism, technical writing, marketing, digital communications, communications program management equal to nine (9) years
**You must substantiate that you meet the minimum qualifications when filling out the Work Experience section of the application. Failure to do so will result in the application not moving forward in the hiring process. "See resume" will not be accepted. Resumes are considered supplemental information and are not considered in the initial evaluation. In addition, part-time work will be prorated when determining whether minimum qualifications are met.**
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

The strongest candidates will bring several of the following:

• Experience supervising communications professionals, setting priorities, managing performance, and developing employees.
• Exceptional strategic editing skills, including experience turning complex scientific, technical, legal, regulatory, or policy information into clear public-facing language.
• Experience working in a large, matrixed, highly regulated, or similarly complex organization.
• Experience managing cross-functional projects involving people who do not report directly to you.
• Experience establishing editorial standards, approval processes, quality-control practices, or communications governance.
• Experience coordinating public education or marketing campaign reviews.
• Experience communicating about public health, environmental protection, emergency response, government, science, or another technical field.