Salary: $100,000.00 - $120,000.00 Annually
Location : Denver Metro, CO
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: EDA_SpcPrj_RurFunDir_9/17/2026
Department: Office of Economic Development and International Trade
Opening Date: 09/17/2026
Closing Date: 9/20/2026 5:00 PM Mountain
FLSA: Determined by Position
Primary Physical Work Address: 1600 Broadway, Denver, CO 80210, USA
Department Contact Information:
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: 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.

Description of Job

NOTE: This posting is open only to individuals on a promotional list of the listed department. The posting is for transparency purposes only to comply with the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act. Applications from individuals not on the department promotional list will not be accepted.
The position offers full time employment as an at will State of Colorado Employee. Some of the funding streams supporting this position are time limited and it is possible the position is restructured or eliminated after three or four years.
The Special Projects & Rural Funding Director will oversee new and existing programs within the Business Funding & Incentives division at OEDIT and develop and implement additional initiatives, policies, and programs within the division. This position is also responsible for the management directly or partially of up to half a dozen team members.
The Special Projects & Rural Funding Director will be responsible for overseeing a variety of grant and tax incentive programs, including one-time funding opportunities and programs. This portfolio includes oversight of the full administration and management of the Enterprise Zone Program, the Rural Jump-Start Program, BF&I's coal transition community programming, and the Freight Rail Tax Credit. This person will work with the respective program managers within OEDIT, as well as stakeholders and partners across the state, to set and execute the strategy for these programs. This includes ongoing statewide education and outreach and working with communities in developing their strategy to encourage participation in these programs. The portfolio also includes oversight of the partial or back-end administration of Skill Advance Colorado, the Community Revitalization Tax Credit, the Opportunity Now Tax Credit, the Film Festival Tax Credit, the Commercial Historic Preservation Tax Credit, and the Employee Ownership Tax Credits to Establish and Expand and to Strengthen and to Thrive. For these programs, administration is shared with other divisions within OEDIT and/or other state agencies, and the Special Projects & Rural Funding Director will play a critical role in aligning strategy and establishing strong communication with those parties and ensuring best practices for tax credit administration are promulgated across OEDIT . The position will also work with the respective program managers on all identified programs to continuously identify opportunities for program improvement. The Special Projects & Rural Funding Director will also work closely with the Colorado Opportunity Zone Program Director to develop strategy for that program.
The Special Projects Director will also be responsible for overseeing other programs or initiatives as needed and assigned, including drafting funding applications, agreements with recipients of State funding and incentives and ensuring compliance with those agreements. This will involve close collaboration with other members of the Business Funding & Incentives team, other OEDIT Divisions, the OEDIT procurement team, Commissioners on the Colorado Economic Development Commission, and external business partners and stakeholders.
This ideal candidate for this position will be a self-starter, with a demonstrated track record of developing and driving multiple parallel projects in a collaborative way across a range of stakeholders and who absorbs strategic guidance but does not require tactical day to day supervision to get things done in a timely and efficient way. The candidate should also have experience in management and be committed to mentoring new and developing BF&I team members.
KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• The Special Projects & Rural Funding Director's responsibilities include leading strategy for and overseeing the execution, outreach, and documentation of a wide variety of grant and tax credit programs.
• The Special Projects & Rural Funding Director is also responsible for overseeing the budget and compliance of these programs and ensuring relevant program managers follow all necessary reporting procedures.
• The Special Projects & Rural Funding Director will supervise and empower the respective program managers.
• Developing strategy for programming and the management and oversight of program staff and their relevant programming is anticipated to consume 70-80% of the position's time.
• The Special Projects & Rural Funding Director will directly manage other projects and special initiatives as assigned by the Director of the Business Funding and Incentives Division at OEDIT. As of August 2026, this includes the Freight Rail Tax Credit and the coal transition community funding. Direct management of programming is anticipated to consume 20-30% of the position's time but this could shift depending on future learnings, program evolution and division needs. These initiatives could include the following responsibilities:
  
  • Draft and implement requests for proposal, contracts, and statements of work in collaboration with the procurement officer;
  • Design program implementation mechanisms for funding and incentive programs;
  • Design program policies and rules and implement statutory requirements;
  • Review relevant legislation and make technical or substantive recommendations in collaboration with OEDIT legislative team;
  • Oversee contract performance, reporting, and the initiation of payments;
  • Help market programs and initiatives, including by developing marketing materials and communications strategies in collaboration with OEDIT marketing team;
  • Design and execute a system for monitoring and reporting results; and
  • Engage with external community stakeholders and partners to gather input on the needs of Colorado businesses and communities to develop programs that are equitable, meaningful, and relevant.
• Upon the elimination of the Colorado Opportunity Zone Program Director role in approximately one year, the Special Projects & Rural Funding Director will absorb those duties or oversee their successful transition to another team member.
• The Special Projects & Rural Funding Director will present programs, policies, and projects for approval by the Colorado Economic Development Commission.
• The Special Projects & Rural Funding Director will collaborate with OEDIT Division Directors and program managers across OEDIT to ensure appropriate follow up and transparency is provided to the Economic Development Commission (EDC) where needed on projects they oversee.
• The Special Projects & Rural Funding Director will collaborate and partner across all OEDIT divisions, other State agencies, and external partners to ensure alignment and coordination of messages and programs and effective, aligned execution of the project plans. This is especially true for programs that require administrative partnership with other divisions within OEDIT.

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights
COMPETENCIES

• Nimbleness to respond to newly articulated or emerging needs from Colorado stakeholders and to pivot in response to a potentially fluid environment.
• Leadership- Communicates the vision; leads cross functional and stakeholder team; works to engage others in implementing the vision and creates collaboration; builds enthusiasm; participation and positive morale and loyalty; takes charge as appropriate of groups and situations; promotes a safe, challenging work environment.
• Management-overseeing; developing and course-correcting the work of a substantial number of team members, including identifying and working with team members on their strengths and weaknesses and ensuring deliverable deadlines are met and quality is maintained.
• Planning- Identifies and analyzes steps required for each project; frames strategic questions; recommends how to deploy resources in alignment with strategic priorities.
• Project Management - Plans, directs and monitors projects and programs, consistently creating high-quality results. Clearly articulates project purpose, defines priorities and expectations; provides clear directions and explanations so that all participants have mutual shared understanding. Anticipates and plans for contingencies and assures that projects are on schedule and completed successfully.
• Attention to details is important to ensure strong execution.
• Budget - Manages overall budget and alignment of resources to ensure funding is maximized and best used to advance priorities.
• Communication - Understands others; clearly articulates key points when writing and speaking; actively listens; effectively interprets non-verbal communication and truly hears what a wide variety of people are trying to say; accurately assesses personal styles and adjusts own style of communication to optimize personal effectiveness.
• Analytical - The ability to oversee the work of others and collaborate with partners and to perform program management functions such as budget tracking, results metrics, reporting requirements.
• Results Driven- Drives for successful results; makes things happen and conveys a sense of urgency; sets aggressive goals and works hard to achieve these goals; moves tasks and assignments toward closure; invests considerable effort to ensure goals are met in a high-quality manner. Problem solver.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES
The Special Projects & Rural Funding Director must have the capability to participate in developing a new and strategic vision utilizing a strong understanding of the economic development needs across the state. As such, the following qualifications are sought:

• Ability to understand and articulate to others via verbal and written communications a wide variety of funding and incentive programs and their potential impacts for community and economic development strategies.
• Strong knowledge of Colorado's communities and regional economic needs and backgrounds.
• Proficiency in drafting formal documents, including contracts, statements of work, and requests for proposals.
• Strong leader who is versatile, patient and has a positive attitude and sound judgment.
• Ability to effectively work with internal and external executive level staff to achieve objectives/deliverables in various areas of responsibility.
• Exceptional interpersonal, public relations, oratory and presentation skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail; strong oral and written communication skills; problem solving acumen; demonstrate personal integrity, confidence, and tact/diplomacy as well as flexibility.
• Effective interaction with businesses, communities, and decision-makers during conversations or meetings.
• A star performer in this role would have the ability to do everything listed above in this job description AND initiate and develop new proposals to maximize the benefits of State economic development funding across Colorado.
• Passion for public service and the state of Colorado.
• Familiarity with and desire to support economic development in rural Colorado.

This role is based in Denver. The role will involve regular travel around the state (likely 4-6 trips/year).
EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

• A combination of substantial experience in some or all of the following areas: project management, program management, a legal background in the context of policy development and implementation, working with non-profit or public organizations, public policy, reading, understanding and interpreting state and federal legislation, economic or community development, management consulting.
• At least 3 years of management experience supervising direct reports.
• An equivalent combination of 12 years post-secondary education and experience in program, policy, or project management. A graduate degree in a relevant subject area (MBA, MPP, JD, etc.) is preferred but relevant experience will be considered as an alternative.

Supplemental Information
Salary Range: $100,000 - $120,000 Annually
This position is considered non-classified, which means the position is not part of the Colorado State Personnel System. Therefore, the individual appointed to this position is considered at-will, and is not covered by the State Personnel Rules or the State Classification System. However, this position does come with the same benefits (retirement, insurance, etc.) as every other State employee, and with the same opportunities, pr