Post Secondary Specialist

This position is partially supported by a grant which ends in June 2025, so this is a term-limited position.

Colorado Department of Education – What We Do 
The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) provides leadership, resources, support, and accountability to the state's 178 school districts, 1,888 schools, over 53,000 teachers, and over 3,200 administrators to help them build capacity to meet the needs of the state's approximately 905,000 public school students. In addition, CDE provides structural and administrative support to the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind and the Charter School Institute.

As the administrative arm of the State Board of Education, CDE is responsible for implementing state and federal education laws, disbursing state and federal funds, holding schools and districts accountable for performance, licensing all educators, and providing public transparency of performance and financial data.

CDE is a values-based agency that serves students, parents, and the general public by protecting public trust through ensuring adherence to laws, strong stewardship of public funds, and accountability for student performance.

Why Work For CDE
The work we do is rewarding and impacts the students, families, educators, and communities across Colorado. Our leadership also promotes a culture that puts families and self-care as a priority. Along with meaningful work and an environment that puts employees first, the state also offers rich benefits that intend to make us an Employer of Choice!
The following is a summary of the benefits we offer:

• Flexible work schedules and flexible workplace options that may include flexible working hours, working from home, working in the office, and/or a hybrid working environment.
• Premier medical, dental, vision, and dependent life insurance options. All with a generous employer contribution keeping employee costs as low as possible.
• Employer paid short-term disability and life insurance
• Up to 160 hours of Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML)
• 11 paid holidays per year
• Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals
• Retirement through the Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) www.copera.org
• Employer paid RTD Eco Pass (certain restrictions may apply)
• Paid professional development opportunities

Position Summary:
The Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Specialist oversees programming that helps to prepare students for the next step in their educational and life pathway. This position will manage the Postsecondary, Workforce, Career, and Education grant program (also known as the FAFSA grant) created in HB22-1366, the Concurrent Enrollment Expansion and Innovation Grant Program, and the Accelerated College Opportunity Exam Fee Grant Program (also known as the AP/IB Exam Fee Program), all programs within the Office of Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness. This position is partially supported by a federal grant which ends in early fall 2025, so this is a term-limited position.

The Postsecondary, Workforce, Career, and Education program provides grants to local education providers to improve the training of school educators and administrators, to support students and families in developing career and education plans for after high school, and to increase the number of students for whom applications for free financial aid are completed. The purpose of the Concurrent Enrollment Expansion and Innovation Grant Program is to provide grants to partnering local education providers and institutions of higher education to expand and innovate concurrent enrollment opportunities to qualified students. The Accelerated College Opportunity Exam Fee Grant Program (AP/IB Exam Fee Program) is intended to increase the number of eligible students who take Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams and receive scores for which college academic credit is awarded by providing funds to high schools, to pay all or a portion of Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exam fees on behalf of eligible students.The final salary is anticipated to fall within the posted salary range, however could be higher or lower depending on the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other qualifications of the preferred candidate while considering internal equity.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:
Oversee procedures, processes, and manage the implementation and coordination of the Postsecondary, Workforce, Career, and Education grant program.
Oversee procedures, processes, and manage the implementation and coordination of the Concurrent Enrollment Expansion and Innovation grant program.
Oversee procedures, processes, and manage the implementation and coordination of the  Accelerated College Opportunity Exam Fee grant program.
Review state statute and State Board of Education rules to produce documents relating to requirements of the above grant programs.
Compile and analyze participant self-reported data and create annual reports for the above grant programs as requested by the supervisor.
Serve as liaison to partner agencies (e.g., Colorado Department of Higher Education and the Colorado Community College System), vendors, and other constituents for these programs.
Develop written correspondence, documents, reports and program related materials for internal and external audiences for these programs.
Monitor local education providers to ensure program compliance with the above programs.
Plan and execute technical assistance, training, webinars, presentations, and professional learning related to the three grant programs.
Initiate, develop and implement (in coordination with CDE’s communication unit) creative ways to communicate promising practices to the K-12 districts and charter schools.
Collaborate with department offices, state, and federal agencies as applicable for the two programs.
Comply with all department, state, partner, and federal regulations and guidelines.
Develop grant application documents that meet statutory and State Board of Education rule requirements.
Make changes to applications and other documents based on feedback from the field.
Review applications to determine if complete, what is missing.
Decide on how to collect and distribute Personally Identifiable Information while adhering to state law.
Develop reporting tools based on statutory and other state guidelines.
Other duties as assigned by the immediate supervisor.

MINIMUM EDUCATION  AND EXPERIENCE  REQUIREMENTS: 

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
OR Four (4) years of professional experience in a relevant field involving postsecondary readiness in partnership with K-12, higher education, Career and Technical Education, FAFSA/CASFA completion or Concurrent Enrollment.  

QUALIFICATIONS AND CONDITIONS: 
At least three years of experience in K-12 education, higher education, or work-based learning programs.
Excellent organizational and leadership skills.
Time management skills- multiple projects have different timelines and responsibilities- must be able to remain organized with time constraints.
Excellent analytical skills, especially regarding program-related data.
Ability to interpret statutory data reporting requirements and implement technical solutions to accomplish them.
Ability to interpret and implement state statutes and State Board of Education rules.
Ability to use multiple technological tools to support the field (e.g., Microsoft Office, Google Suite, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, survey tools, Syncplicity).
Ability to work closely with a team and to work independently to develop and maintain large programs and projects.
Ability to collaborate with multiple different internal and external stakeholders (industry representatives, technical assistance providers different CDE offices/units).
Ability and willingness to travel.
The ability to pass a background check, which includes a motor vehicle records search.
Ability to communicate and present or provide training to a variety of audiences.
Knowledge of educational systems within the state of Colorado.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
The duties of this position may require occasional travel. A valid driver's license is required.

 Preferred:
Bilingual (Spanish/English)
Experience working in both secondary and postsecondary educational settings.


 Conditions of Employment (Required):
·       Must be willing and able to submit to the pre-screening process and pass a background check.
·       Work extended schedule per business needs
·       Report to work location per business needs
·       Willing to travel to complete the duties of the position.
·       Valid Driver's License Required: Required to safely operate a motor vehicle to complete travel requirements.Complete Applications must include:

• Completed Online Application: Required - Submitted through our ATS.
• Cover Letter: Required - 
• Resume: Required - 

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) and Equal Employment Opportunity
The State of Colorado believes that equity, diversity, and inclusion drive our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply. The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them. Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, a medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.
 
The Colorado Department of Education is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or performing essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to hr@cde.state.co.us.

Salary : $68,000 - $74,000