Salary: $230,992.00 Annually
Location : Denver, CO
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: GOVELECT_EDCDLE_ESW11.04.26
Department: Office of the Governor
Opening Date: 11/04/2026
Closing Date: 11/30/2026 11:59 PM Mountain
FLSA: Determined by Position
Primary Physical Work Address: 200 East Colfax Avenue, Denver, CO 80203
FLSA Status: Exempt; position is not eligible for overtime compensation.
Type of Announcement: This announcement is not governed by the selection processes of the classified personnel system. Applications will be considered from residents and non-residents of Colorado.
How To Apply: Online applications through the Colorado Jobs portal will not be accepted. Please follow instructions on the job announcement for submitting an application.
Department Contact Information: [redacted] HOW TO APPLY: Please submit an online application for this position at buildingcoloradosfuturetogether.org. 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 before the closing date.
Department InformationThe vision of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) is a working economy that elevates all of Colorado. Its mission is to work together to promote a thriving employment environment with opportunity for every Coloradan to prosper. The department provides the information and tools that help Colorado businesses and workers remain competitive.
The department connects job seekers with jobs through its network of workforce centers. Its statisticians and economists provide an up-to-date and accurate picture of the economy to support decision making. The department assists workers who are injured on the job, ensures fair labor practices, and provides temporary wage replacement through unemployment insurance to people who have lost their jobs. It also protects workplaces and communities through consumer protection and safety programs. These programs oversee the use of explosives and the cleanup of leaking petroleum storage tanks, and they inspect gas pumps, boilers, elevators, and escalators.
The department's divisions and programs include Employment and Training, Labor Standards and Statistics, Unemployment Insurance, Workers' Compensation, Oil and Public Safety, Vocational Rehabilitation, Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI), and the Colorado Workforce Development Council. It also houses the Office of New Americans, the Office of the Future of Work, the Office of Just Transition, and the Colorado Disability Opportunity Office.
Description of JobDepartment: Office of the Governor; Colorado Department of Labor and Employment
Position Title: Executive Director
Summary of Functions: The Executive Director is the Chief Executive Officer of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. The position is part of the Governor's Cabinet and is responsible for overseeing the administration, programs, and strategic plan of the department and for the consistent achievement of its mission and objectives. The department sets and enforces the rules of Colorado workplaces and seeks to connect workers to the training, benefits, and support that make employment sustainable.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:- Oversee and manage the department's operations and ensure alignment with the department's goals, the Governor's initiatives, and the expectations of stakeholders
- Direct and oversee the department's budget and ensure fiscal management that operates within the approved budget, makes full use of available resources, and keeps the organization in a positive financial position
- Build and cultivate a high-performing team through effective leadership focused on recruiting and retaining top talent and providing guidance, coaching, and development to direct reports
- Direct the five statutory divisions of Labor Standards and Statistics, Employment and Training, Workers' Compensation, Oil and Public Safety, and Unemployment Insurance, and appoint their directors
- Oversee the Industrial Claim Appeals Office and the Colorado Workforce Development Council
- Administer unemployment insurance, Family and Medical Leave Insurance, vocational rehabilitation, and the federal grant-in-aid programs allotted to the department
- Set labor rules and enforce wage and worker protection laws, including laws on wage theft, misclassification, and unlawful retaliation
- Ensure that labor has a seat at the table alongside business in workforce policy and work with both communities to facilitate talent development
- Publish clear data showing how education and training programs lead to employment outcomes
- Partner with employers and business associations, local workforce development boards, community colleges, apprenticeship sponsors, and disability service providers
- Brief the Governor's Office on all relevant policy issues arising from state and federal legislative activities
- Build a good relationship with the legislature and serve as the point person for directing the department's response to proposed legislation that may affect its operations
Organizational Relationships: Industrial Claim Appeals Office, State Apprenticeship Agency; Colorado Disability Opportunity Office; Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT); Chief Performance Officer; and Chief Strategy and Partnership Officer on ColoradoCorps; Colorado Department of Higher Education;
Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal RightsPreferred Education/Experience:- A bachelor's or advanced degree in public administration, business, law, economics, labor relations, or a closely related field
- Ten or more years of leadership experience with a demonstrated focus on strategic workforce planning, workforce development, labor policy, labor relations, or public administration
- Five or more years of professional executive management experience that includes setting goals and objectives and managing a budget to achieve them
- Five or more years of experience fostering effective and efficient process improvements for an organization of twenty-five or more employees
- Experience building relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders with varying perspectives and interests
Preferred Qualifications:- Leadership experience across labor standards enforcement and workforce development policy
- Experience administering large-scale benefit payment systems
- Experience with regulatory enforcement across wage, safety, and workers' compensation law
- Demonstrated ability to hold the confidence of employers and organized labor in the same system at the same time
- Experience designing or scaling apprenticeship, earn-and-learn, or other work-based learning programs
Conditions of employment: Applicants must pass a thorough background check prior to employment and reside in Colorado once employed
Supplemental InformationHOW TO APPLY: Please submit an online application for this position at buildingcoloradosfuturetogether.org. 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 before the closing date.
A resume must be submitted with the application for consideration. Your resume must provide sufficient detail about your background and experience to allow the screening panel to properly assess your experience in the required elements, including your experience and achievements.
Benefits The State of Colorado offers a competitive benefits package to permanent employees:
- PERA retirement benefits including PERA Defined Benefit Plan, PERA Defined Contribution Plan, plus 401K and 457 plans
- Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance coverage
- Automatic Short-Term and Optional Long-Term Disability Coverage
- Life and AD&D Insurance
- Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
- Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) job protection and State of Colorado Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML)
- 11 Paid Holidays Annually and Accrued Annual and Sick Leave
- Variety of discounts on services and products available through the State of Colorado's Work-Life Employment Discount Program
To learn more about State of Colorado benefits visit: https://www.colorado.gov/dhr/benefits.
