• Medical and Dental plans
• Strong, flexible retirement plans including PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan, plus pre-tax and Roth 401K and 457 plans
• Paid life insurance
• Short- and long-term disability coverage
• Employee Wellness programs
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Health Savings Accounts
• 11 paid holidays per year plus generous vacation and sick leave
• Flexible work schedule options and remote-work options
• Career advancement opportunities throughout the State system
• Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

Are you passionate about protecting native ecosystems and eager to make a tangible impact on incredible outdoor experiences and habitat conservation in Colorado’s State Parks? Join the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Resource Stewardship Program as the Ecological Programs Coordinator! In this dynamic role you will be the driving force behind the conservation of vegetation and habitat resources across the park system. Your expertise will be pivotal in overseeing high-impact initiatives such as habitat restoration, rare plant monitoring, native seed revegetation, and noxious weed management. By training and providing direction to field staff, contractors, and volunteers, you will ensure high standards of ecological data collection and project implementation, enabling informed resource management actions and decisions that support world-class recreation and the stewardship of Colorado’s State Parks.

In this role, you will have a unique opportunity to shape our vegetation programs. You will consult with park managers, capital construction project managers, CPW planners, and external partners to integrate botanical data into state park resource management and the development of new state parks. This role involves creating and adapting vegetation mapping and monitoring standards to meet the specific needs of state parks, ensuring compliance with state and federal resource protection laws. Through your leadership, you will foster collaboration among interdisciplinary teams, translating baseline ecological data into long-term property zoning, ecologically sustainable trail alignments, and management goals.

In addition to coordinating field-level restoration and invasive plant management efforts, this position will oversee project administration, manage scientific data collection methods, and ensure consistency of data collected by diverse groups. Responsibilities will also include negotiating and administering contracts with restoration consultants and native seed nurseries, analyzing habitat condition assessments, and developing clear, actionable vegetation management plans for property managers. As the main authority on ecological health in State Parks, you will recruit and lead seasonal technicians, secure non-traditional grant funding, and mobilize volunteers to rescue stalled restoration projects. By effectively managing budgets, grants, and contracts, you will ensure the successful recovery of capital construction sites and the implementation of vital conservation projects, ultimately contributing to the preservation and resilience of Colorado's natural heritage.

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  The primary duty for this position is to research, design, and coordinate monitoring of botanical resources and ecological systems, vegetation community mapping and condition assessment, and rare plant monitoring across new and existing state parks.
• Lead habitat and rare plant surveys for new and existing park planning efforts.
• Design and lead training sessions for staff and volunteers on ecological monitoring and data collection.
• Use dichotomous keys to identify rare and unknown plant species to create scientific data for use in conservation and legal compliance decision processes.
• Translate biological data for application in long-term property management including property zoning, trail alignments, and infrastructure placement that achieve recreational goals while protecting sensitive resources.
• Collaborate with state park managers, capital construction project managers, and CPW planning managers to apply monitoring data to decision processes and provide direction for future management actions.
• Manage and apply data generated from inventory and monitoring projects in GIS and database formats to achieve conservation goals.
• Clearly communicate and illustrate the results of survey and monitoring projects.
• Represent CPW in collaborations with external partner organizations like Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Denver Botanic Gardens, Colorado Native Plant Society, and others to enhance vegetation management and restoration on State Parks.

• Identify, prioritize, design and implement habitat restoration and revegetation efforts across the state park system to meet native vegetation management goals; collaborating with contractors, capital construction staff, state park staff, and volunteers.

• Design site-specific native seed mixes and plant lists with a goal of using ecoregionally specific native plant material in restoration projects.
• Monitor ongoing revegetation projects, intervening with real-time adaptive strategies when sites fail to germinate or are threatened by invasive species or extreme weather.
• Design and lead training sessions for staff and volunteers.
• Coordinate with CPW volunteers and the CPW Volunteer Program to support restoration efforts.
• Cultivate and nurture relationships with local nurseries and seed suppliers to ensure appropriate plant material is available for restoration and revegetation efforts.

• Plan and coordinate state park compliance efforts for the Colorado Noxious Weed Act and CPW vegetation directives by developing site-specific weed maps and integrated plant management plans.

• Create a standard approach to mapping, management protocols, and plans for terrestrial noxious weed species in the state park system that facilitates effective management and compliance with noxious weed laws.
• Advise and train park managers and park resource technicians on how to prioritize and implement noxious weed treatments, ensuring strategies align with available budgets and staffing while effectively targeting invasive species like Russian olive and tamarisk.
• Introduce field staff to alternative, wildlife-friendly vegetation management practices (e.g., timed mowing, spot spraying) to replace broad-reaching traditional methods. Train staff on evolving state laws, mapping technologies, integrated pest management (IPM) methodology and proper herbicide application.

• Manage budgets, contracts, seasonal employees, and grants to implement all elements of habitat improvement and conservation projects.
• Create reports for agency leadership and Resource Stewardship Program Managers to assist them in managing program budgets and to maintain and grow internal and external support for programmatic goals and responsibilities.
• Supervise and manage seasonal employees and volunteers as necessary to achieve desired project outcomes.

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  Provide general support and assistance for a broad set of resource stewardship program, as well as policy and planning branch activities, i.e. other duties as assigned.
• As needed, assist, implement and lead new, unique, and/or priority projects as assigned by immediate supervisor or Resource Stewardship Program Managers.
• Maintain a working knowledge of the variety of activities that are occurring in the Section and Branch to ensure necessary coordination to pursue efficient and complementary efforts.

• 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.
• This recruitment may fill multiple vacancies at the same reporting level.