Policy Director

Who We Are

Colorado Governor-elect Phil Weiser is committed to an administration that represents all of Colorado, and serves and protects every Coloradan. Governor-elect Weiser and his team will lead State government to ensure that we serve the people of Colorado, working to make their lives better, and together, we meet opportunities and challenges with creativity, collaboration, and compassion. His commitment to serve as the People’s Governor means that he and his team will have a sustained focus on how to make Colorado safer, more affordable, more sustainable, and a great place to live, build a business, and raise a family.

 We Have Strong Core Values

Our core values drive our actions. We are: 1) principled, maintaining the highest ethical standards, acting with integrity, and operating transparently; 2) public servants, who are always ensuring our work is not about us, but instead is about improving the lives of the people of Colorado; 3) innovative, by seeking to solve problems creatively and operate with a continuous improvement mindset; and 4) "better together," by working to support each other as a team and collaborate effectively.

Department Information

The Office of the Governor oversees the operation of the executive branch of state government, including the coordination, direction, and planning of agency operations. The Governor’s staff includes offices for budgeting, communications and outreach, legal counsel, legislative liaison, operations, policy and research, and scheduling.

Description of Job

Department: Office of the Governor

Position Title: Policy Director

Summary of Functions: The Policy Director oversees and manages an office of policy advisors who provide strategic policy and legislative analysis and recommendations, project management, press guidance, and general policy support for the Governor’s agenda. The position also works with the rest of the senior staff to help set policy strategies for the office and assists with implementing the office’s and the agencies’ legislative agenda. The Policy Director directly advises the Governor on general policy matters, coordinates the office’s policy work with the work of other teams in the Governor’s Office, including budget, communications, community engagement, legal, legislative, operations, and scheduling, as well as with cabinet agencies, and from time to time takes on specific policy assignments.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Hire and supervise deputy policy directors and policy advisors to provide quality advice to the Governor, achieve the goals of the office, and advance the Governor’s policy agenda
• Ensure quality control for all written products produced by the Office of Policy and that all policy memoranda addressed to the Governor are polished, thorough, accurate, and cited
• Mentor and assist policy staff to maximize effectiveness and ensure professional growth
• Directly advise the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, and senior staff on general policy matters and on projects of unique importance
• Work in collaboration with the Deputy Chief of Staff, the Director of Legislative Affairs, and other members of the Governor’s senior staff on strategies to achieve the Governor’s agenda
• Coordinate with Cabinet members and key agency staff on high-priority issues and matters that involve multiple agencies and jurisdictions
• Engage external stakeholders as appropriate to inform and support policy and the Governor’s strategic agenda
• Review and draft office communications, including talking points, speeches, and memos, to ensure consistency and accuracy, and maximize strategic opportunities
• Set priorities in a fast-paced professional environment and provide structure to an office dealing with a wide range of challenges
• Brief the Governor’s Office on relevant policy issues arising from state and federal legislative activities
• Support management of the administration’s proactive legislative agenda and of externally driven legislation that affects the Governor’s operations and priorities

Organizational Relationships: Chief Policy Advisor; Senior Policy Advisors; Policy Advisors; Director of Legislative Affairs; Cabinet; cabinet agencies; Governor’s Office; Office of the Lieutenant Governor

Preferred Qualifications & Conditions of Employment

Preferred Education/Experience:

• A bachelor’s or advanced degree in public policy, public administration, economics, law, or a related field
• Five or more years of related professional experience, including supervisory experience
• Extensive experience successfully advising elected or appointed officials on complex or difficult policy issues
• Experience as a strategic thinker familiar with the public sector, preferably at the state level
• Familiarity with Colorado government processes and an understanding of the issues unique to this state
• Demonstrated success supervising teams, mentoring team members, and helping them navigate complex issues and systems
• Experience building relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders with varying perspectives and interests, including legislators, local governments, and advocates

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with the Colorado state budget and legislative process
• Experience providing effective structure and operational support in a complex environment without micro-managing or adding unnecessary layers of review
• Demonstrated ability to serve as an innovative thought partner, finding solutions to organizational challenges and empowering team members to do the same

Conditions of Employment: Applicants must pass a thorough background check prior to employment and reside in Colorado once employed.

FLSA Status: Exempt

Supplemental Information

A cover letter and resume must be submitted with the application for consideration. Your cover letter and resume must provide sufficient detail about your background and experience to allow the screening panel to properly assess your experience in the required elements, including your experience and achievements.

Colorado Residents: In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.

The State of Colorado offers a competitive benefits package to permanent employees:

• PERA retirement benefits including PERA Defined Benefit Plan, PERA Defined Contribution Plan, plus 401K and 457 plans
• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance coverage
• Automatic Short-Term and Optional Long-Term Disability Coverage
•  Life and AD&D Insurance
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
• Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) job protection and State of Colorado Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML)
• 11 Paid Holidays Annually and Accrued Annual and Sick Leave
• Variety of discounts on services and products available through the State of Colorado's Work-Life Employment Discount Program

To learn more about State of Colorado benefits visit: https://www.colorado.gov/dhr/benefits.

ADAAA Requests
The State of Colorado is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our office 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 to perform 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 our ADAAA Coordinator at ada@buildingcoloradosfuturetogether.org.

We believe that diverse teams produce better results and encourage people of a variety of backgrounds and qualifications to apply.

Salary: $120,000 - $150,000 Annually
Closing date: 11/30/2026