Salary: $96,852.00 - $125,904.00 Annually
Location : Denver Metro, CO
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: FAA01981-07/01/26
Department: Department of Public Health & Environment
Division: Prevention Services Division
Opening Date: 07/01/2026
Closing Date: 7/24/2026 11:59 PM Mountain
FLSA: Determined by Position
Type of Announcement: This position is open only to Colorado state residents.
Primary Physical Work Address: Main Campus: 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South Denver, CO 80246
FLSA Status: Exempt; position is not eligible for overtime compensation.
Department Contact Information:
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.

Department Information
This posting is only open to residents of the State of Colorado

The application deadline is July 24, 2026. This recruitment may be extended at the discretion of the department.

Description of Job
THE WORK UNIT:

The Prevention Services Division works with partners across Colorado to improve the health of all Coloradans. Division professionals develop, review, implement and evaluate public health interventions proven to promote healthy living, prevent chronic disease, protect against injury and ensure access to health care and opportunities for a healthy lifestyle. The division strives to understand the needs of Colorado's communities and encourages the contributions of stakeholders in identifying and solving public health problems. The division is committed to the professional development, collaborative effort, and sustained wellness of its workforce.
The Office of Suicide Prevention, within the Prevention Services Division, serves as the lead entity for suicide prevention in Colorado. The Office prioritizes evidence-based strategies and best practices to reduce suicides, through health policy, public awareness and education, community grant making, plus intervention and postvention supports. The Office partners with hospitals, gun shops, schools, local public health agencies and community-based organizations to do its work. The Office is familiar with state and national suicide and behavioral health data, and uses these indicators to plan and evaluate it's work. The Office monitors trends in the suicide rate overall and for teens and priority at-risk populations in Colorado.

WHAT YOU WILL DO: Director of the Office of Suicide Prevention

The Director of the Office of Suicide Prevention provides strategic programming to reduce the suicide rate in Colorado. The position is familiar with Colorado's data, including demographics and trends, plus suicide prevention strategies and best practices for priority populations most at risk of suicide, and directs the use of resources accordingly. The position sets office goals and measures progress, in collaboration with division leadership. The position oversees grant management, including grant reporting plus grant writing to seek additional funding. The position also oversees a community grants program, directing dollars toward strategies and priority populations to reduce suicides in Colorado. The position manages an annual budget of $5.9 million, supervises nine staff, and coordinates Colorado's Suicide Prevention Commission. The position assures the office builds and maintains relationships with community partners, including local public health agencies, gun shop owners, hospitals and schools. The director may meet with legislators, CDPHE's executive director and members of the governor's staff to answer questions and demonstrate progress.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Office and Program Management
• Grant Writing and Management
• Suicide Prevention Subject Matter Expert
• Strategic Programming to Reduce the Suicide Rate
• Partnership Development
• Supervision

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
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.

Work Experience Only:
Nine (9) years of professional experience working in injury prevention or similar public health program, including grant management, grant reporting and writing, directing a work unit, and supervising staff in a public health setting to produce improved health outcomes on a population level.

OR

Education and Experience:
A combination of related education and experience: A Bachelor's degree with 5 years of relative work experience or a Masters degree with 3 years of relative experience as required below:

• Graduation from an accredited college or university in public health, mental health, psychology, or sociology or a field of study closely related to the work assignment, and professional experience directing a work unit and supervising staff in a injury prevention or similar public health program, including grant management, grant reporting and writing, directing a work unit, and supervising staff in a public health setting to produce improved health outcomes on a population level.

**This experience must be substantiated within the Work Experience section of your application. "See Resume" will not be accepted. In addition, part-time work will be prorated.**

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

In addition to the minimum requirements, the successful candidate in this position will have the following highly desirable experience and competencies:

• Master's degree in Public Health
• Experience directing injury prevention programs on a population level
• Experience directly supervising staff
• Grant writing experience
• Program management experience
• Experience successfully working with stakeholders

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

• A pre-employment background check will be conducted as part of the selection process.
• A financial check will be conducted as part of the selection process due to being Management personnel with fiduciary responsibility to the department.
• 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.

APPEAL RIGHTS:

An applicant who has been removed from an employment list or removed from consideration during the selection process may request a review by the State Personnel Director.
As an applicant directly affected by the results of the selection or comparative analysis process, you may file a written appeal with the State Personnel Director.
Review of the completed, signed and submitted appeal will be timely on the basis of written material submitted by you, using the official appeal form signed by you or your representative. This form must be completed and delivered to the State Personnel Board by email at [email protected] within ten (10) calendar days from your receipt of notice or acknowledgment of the Department's action.
For further information on the Board Rules, you can refer to 4 Colorado Code of Regulations (CCR) 801-1, State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures, Chapter 8, Resolution of Appeals and Disputes, at spb.colorado.gov/board-rules.

Supplemental Information
A COMPLETE APPLICATION PACKET MUST INCLUDE:

• Completed State of Colorado application.
• A cover letter describing how your professional/supervisory experience aligns with the minimum and preferred qualifications of this position
• If using education to qualify for this position a copy of your transcripts (unofficial acceptable) or diploma must be provided with application. Transcripts must be attached to your colorado.gov/jobs application.
• If you are a veteran, a copy of your DD214 must be attached to your colorado.gov/jobs application.

THE SELECTION PROCESS:

• All applications that are received by the closing of this announcement will be reviewed against the Minimum Qualifications in this announcement. Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications proceed to the next step.
• 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 may be a structured application review, which involves a review of the information you submit in your application materials by Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) against the preferred qualifications.
• A top group, up to six candidates, will be invited to schedule an interview with the hiring manager.