SLB Field Operations Team Leader

Salary : $96,852.00 - $141,600.00 Annually
Location : Denver Metro, CO
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: PCA 00054 09/2026
Department: Department of Natural Resources
Division: Colorado State Land Board
Opening Date: 10/16/2026
Closing Date: 11/9/2026 5:00 PM Mountain
FLSA: Determined by Position
Type of Announcement: This position is open only to Colorado state residents.
Primary Physical Work Address: 1127 Sherman Street, Suite 300, Denver, CO 80203
Hiring Pay Rate: Employees new to State Government will be paid on a bi-weekly basis.
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.

For more detailed information, please visit State of Colorado Employee Benefits

Do you have a passion for sustainable land management? Range management and ecosystem conservation? Wildlife habitat management? Working with an awesome small team? And doing all of this to support Colorado's public schools?

We want you!

The Colorado State Land Board is looking for a Field Operations Team Leader to join our management team. You'll use your knowledge of natural resources and agriculture to help oversee and steward 2.8 million acres of surface and 4 million acres of subsurface trust land in Colorado. On any given day you might be presenting to our Governor-appointed Commissioners, inventorying millions of acres of trust land, working with one or more of the field team members, liaising with land managers, discussing wildlife needs with a sister agency, or coordinating with one of your fellow program managers to determine how best to layer multiple leases on a property.

What is the State Land Board?

The State Land Board is a constitutionally created agency that manages a $6 billion endowment of assets for the intergenerational benefit of Colorado's K-12 schoolchildren and public institutions. The agency is the second-largest landowner in Colorado and generates revenue on behalf of beneficiaries by leasing nearly three million surface acres and four million subsurface acres for assorted purposes, including agriculture, ecosystem services, recreation, energy development, and more. Unlike public lands, trust lands are not open to the public unless a property has been leased for public access. We are entirely self-funded and receive no tax dollars.

Though we are a 150-year-old, constitutionally chartered agency, we take pride in being entrepreneurial and business-savvy. We compete in private sector markets daily and generate more than $200 million in revenue annually.

What kind of land do we have and how do we manage it?

Our 17-person field operations team (including six District Managers, six District Assistants, three Resource Specialists, a Regenerative Agriculture Manager, and the Field Operations Team Leader) is responsible for overseeing 2.8 million acres of surface land. We currently have about 2,000 agriculture leases, 450 recreation leases, and support about 10 percent of the renewable energy capacity statewide. We have a Denver headquarters and six district offices throughout the state. This job manages our six District Managers and our Regenerative Agriculture Program Manager.

While we own and lease the assets, we are not operators. Lessees are responsible for all operations. That said, we partner with our lessees to ensure that the land is well managed and that the agency's stewardship objectives are met. Most of our properties have multiple leases, for example an agriculture lease allowing grazing and a recreation lease allowing hunting. Layering leases is one way we carry out our mission, which is to raise money for Colorado public schools while ensuring that the land is well cared for in order to benefit future generations.

Description of Job
This posting is only open to residents of the State of Colorado at the time of submitting your application.

The Field Operations Team Leader is responsible for the activities of the Field Operations team currently consisting of 16 staff members in six offices across the state, plus the Field Operations Team Leader based in Denver. The position ensures that the Field Operations team achieves the goals and objectives described by the agency's Strategic Plan and annual business plan. The Field Operations Team Leader has experience, knowledge, and expertise related to the management of natural resource and rangeland management, leadership of dispersed teams, and working with appointed boards. This position is based at the Denver headquarters and is part of the team of program managers who work closely with the agency's senior leadership, but it also requires frequent travel across the state to meet in person, at times in remote locations, with district staff, lessees, and other people with whom the agency has business.

Specific Duties Include:
Strategic Planning and Leadership: The position is responsible for implementing the agency's strategic business plan in a manner that achieves specific district level goals for revenue growth that come from land resilience, ecosystem health, and the development of particular lines of business. The Field Operations Team Leader provides a source of vision, ideas, and leadership during the development of long and short-term plans that guide the efforts of staff in six district offices, models creative and steadfast pursuit of goals, plans, and problem solving and works to ensure integration of the district staff with the Denver headquarters.

Supervision and Personnel Management: The Field Operations Team Leader is the supervisor for six District Managers located in offices across the state as well as the Regenerative Agriculture Program Manager. The position works with each manager to develop staffing plans and job assignments required to accomplish agency goals and oversees management activities related to the implementation of agency programs and initiatives. The Field Operations Team Leader develops, implements, and monitors adherence to standards for professionalism, accountability, and exemplary customer service. The position identifies areas for professional skill development and growth for direct reports and collaborates with other team leaders to ensure that appropriate training is provided.

Asset and Resource Management: The Field Operations Team Leader assists District staff with lease and property inspections and management activities, builds teams and leads special projects (e.g., large property request for proposals), participates in competitive bid reviews and requests for lease assignments, and presents to the Board on various matters. Further, the Field Operations Team Leader represents the agency at a variety of external meetings with lessees, other government agencies, and organizations. The role is an ambassador for the Board and expresses the mission and vision of the agency.
Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights
This posting is only open to residents of the State of Colorado at the time of submitting your application.

Minimum Qualifications:
Nine (9) years of relevant experience in natural resource and sustainable rangeland management and supervising field teams.

- OR -

Education and Experience:
A combination of related education and/or relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned equal to nine (9) years, including natural resource and sustainable rangeland management and supervising field teams.

Acceptable degrees include Bachelor's (substitutes for 4 years of experience) and/or Master's (substitutes for 2 years experience) degrees in Natural Resources, Range Management, Agriculture and Resource Economics, Land Planning, Environmental Science, or in another field of study directly related or closely related field.

Please note: The required experience must be substantiated within the work experience section of your application. Your resume will not be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications; only the work experience section of your application will be reviewed to determine this. "See Resume" statements on the application will not be accepted. In addition, part-time work will be prorated.
Preferred Qualifications:

• Current or former state or federal government experience relevant to this position
• Additional years of professional experience above the minimum of eight (8) years
• Experience managing and leading professional staff
• Range management practices and knowledge of carrying capacity
• Comfort with public speaking and presenting
• Experience using complex databases
• Understanding of ranch and/or farm infrastructure systems
• Wildlife and habitat management experience
• Regenerative grazing management experience
• Knowledge of, and practical experience applying, Colorado water law
• Experience with noxious weeds and treatment strategies
• Familiarity with Google office products
• Familiarity with ARC GIS mapping tools

Required Competencies:

• Supervisory and leadership skills
• Good written and oral communication with the ability to convey information to others effectively and efficiently
• Independent yet also a team player, quick to help others
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Customer-service mindset, respectful, helpful
• Proactive, takes initiative, self-motivated
• Possesses good problem-solving skills, seeks to understand alternatives, employs logic and good judgment
• Self-confident and self-aware
• Great work ethic: results oriented, disciplined, conscientious, thorough, and diligent
• Honest, trustworthy, dependable
• Enthusiastic, energetic, optimistic, positive attitude
• Organized and professional
• Adaptable and open to change

Conditions of Employment:

• Must be a Colorado resident at time of employment.
• Must be legally eligible to work in the United States to be appointed to this position. DNR does not sponsor non-residents of the United States.

Supplemental Information
The Assessment Process

• All applications received by the closing of this announcement will be reviewed by an HR Specialist against the Minimum Qualifications in this announcement.
• 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 will be a structured application review by Subject Matter Experts.
• Resumes, cover letters and other attachments are not considered as part of initial reviews, therefore, it is important to document in your application your education, experience, minimum qualifications, and preferred qualifications as outlined in the job announcement
• Please thoroughly answer all supplemental questions (if listed) since question responses may be evaluated for content, writing ability, spelling, grammar, and effective communication.
• This recruitment may involve additional testing and/or exams to arrive at the top group for interviews.