Operations / Administration Chief Strategic Recovery Officer
Job Description
Position Summary
The Chief Strategic Recovery Officer will lead CDE’s efforts to create strategic, cohesive initiatives at the state and local levels to address the learning impacts of COVID-19 on the state’s students, with an explicit focus on students who have also experienced historic opportunity gaps.
This person will work collaboratively across the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) and with the Colorado education community to drive forward four main priorities:
(1) lead the decision-making process for allocation of CDE’s federal stimulus relief state reserve funds to ensure that resources are used in the most strategic, effective ways to support and serve Colorado’s students who have been most impacted by the pandemic
(2) coordinate, monitor and support implementation of evidenced-based activities at the local and state level to address pandemic impacts and support strategies will that create long-term improvements in student outcomes
(3) collect and summarize impact data on student learning of both the pandemic and CDE’s recovery efforts
(4) make recommendations on systemic changes required across CDE systems to benefit the education community over the long term. In addition, this position will support other CDE staff leading efforts to distribute and monitor federal stimulus funds, provide technical assistance to districts, and draft K-12 education policies, as necessary.
This position will also play a key role in communication and strengthening partnerships with the K-12 education community and policymakers, including the State Board of Education, the General Assembly, and the Governor’s Office.
Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
A. Lead the development and implementation of the department’s COVID-19 education recovery plan in collaboration with other CDE leaders and staff, including use of state and federal relief funds, implementation of department-led recovery programs, and related state and federal reporting and monitoring activities.
B. Lead and facilitate the implementation of CDE’s student learning recovery and innovation efforts. This will include coordination and clear communication concerning the work across the department, facilitating cross-department working teams and driving sustained effective functioning of the department’s teams.
C. Depending upon the date of hire, the position will lead the process for decision making on CDE’s federal stimulus relief funds by working with a contractor to gather, analyze and respond to community input, bringing research on high impact strategies into the process, communicating results and proposed allocations to the State Board of Education, and supporting implementation of the board and commissioner’s final decisions on the funding.
D. Recruit, hire and lead teams of new or current employees to assist with roles defined in this job description and work closely with other Executive Team members for implementation of recommendations. The teams will include a CDE Learning Team that will be responsible for determining and articulating the impacts of the pandemic on K-12 education, advising on research around the highest impact activities to address those needs, recommending data collections and metrics to measure the impact of state-determined Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER)-funded initiatives, and informing potential policy adjustments. The team will also be responsible for supporting and coordinating federal reporting requirements concerning the use of ESSER funds.
E. Support the department in understanding various funding sources dedicated to recovery and how to leverage those funds appropriately.
F. Coordinate the implementation of the identified high impact state and local initiatives, when allocation decisions are finalized, which may include expanded learning opportunities, statewide workforce capacity and other initiatives.
G. Support coordination of CDE’s technical assistance to the field, as defined and organized around the Learning Impacts Toolkit.
H. Communicate in writing and verbally about the student learning recovery and innovation work at CDE and in the field, including through State Board of Education and legislative presentations, meetings with policy makers, regular meetings with the K-12 education community, and updates for CDE staff.
I. Coordinate an independent evaluation of CDE’s organizational systems and make recommendations on how to improve existing structures for more effective support of the Colorado education ecosystem.
K. Other duties as assigned by the immediate supervisor.
REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS
The position reports to the Commissioner of Education and will be a part of the commissioner’s executive team.
Supervisory Responsibilities
- This position does have supervisory responsibilities. The duties and responsibilities for employees that supervise staff include, but are not limited to the following:
- Models and ensures consistency with organizational values and policies.
- Clearly communicates expectations and standards to staff.
- Conducts timely performance management of staff including formal evaluations, on-going and routine feedback, and holding staff accountable.
- Awareness and approval of employee time worked and work schedules. This includes approval of time worked for payroll and monitoring and approval of all work schedules including remote work and flex schedules, based upon CDE’s policies.
- Provides the applicable tools and resources staff require to perform their job.
Supplemental Information
Competency and Qualification Requirements
- Experience in and knowledge of the K-12 education landscape in Colorado including key policies, governance structure, education data and educational equity, diversity and inclusion
- Successful program management experience (developing, monitoring, implementing and revising program plans, budget, schedule, activities, and deliverables), involving cross-organizational teams in a targeted, focused, and outcomes-driven format from initiation to completion
- Excellent written and oral communication skills, including facilitation and presentation skills
- Strong communication, collaboration, and conflict resolution skills
- Understanding of federal stimulus funding/grant parameters, and ability to think creatively within those parameters to solve historic and new problems in new ways
- Ability to provide performance improvement feedback and facilitate change management within individuals, teams, organizations and oneself
- Demonstrated ability to work through ambiguity to bring clarity to roles and tasks to meet deliverables
- Experience in all stages of the research process, including design, implementation, data collection and interpretation; and dissemination of results to a variety of audiences
- Knowledge of how students learn and effective intervention strategies, including relevant research
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Recent leadership experience in a K-12 education setting in Colorado
- Proficiency in facilitating design thinking sessions
- Experience in grant management, including managing budgets, meeting statutory requirements, and reporting outcomes.
- Ability and willingness to travel
- The ability to pass a background check, which includes a motor vehicle records search
Minimum Education Requirements
Bachelor’s degree or higher in education or related field or comparable experience
Preferred Qualifications
Master’s degree or equivalent experience
How to Apply
View and Apply for Jobs at CDE at: http://www.cde.state.co.us/humanresources/jobs- Full-Time - At-Will position
- Department: Commissioner of Education
- Position #: 1801
- Closes: Sunday, June 6, 2021
- This is a term-limited position and will be funded through September 2024
