State Land Board South Region Resource Specialist.

Department Information

This posting is only open to residents of the State of Colorado at the time of submitting your application.

Are you interested in investing in a career that makes a difference? Consider joining the dedicated people of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. It’s our mission to manage and conserve Colorado’s natural resources for the benefit of people today – and tomorrow. That means we have to balance development with conservation so the state we all love provides similar opportunities for our children and their children. We invite you to explore our website at https://dnr.colorado.gov/about-us to find out more about the work we do to manage Colorado’s natural resources for today – and tomorrow. 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.

In Addition To Offering Rewarding, Meaningful Work, We Offer:

• Medical, Vision 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
  
  

For more detailed information, please visit State of Colorado Employee Benefits

Do you have a passion for ranching and wildlife? Range management and ecosystem conservation? Wildlife habitat management? Working with an awesome small team?

We want you!

The Colorado State Land Board is looking for a South Region Resource Specialist to join our field operations team. You’ll use your knowledge of natural resources and agriculture to help oversee and steward 2.8 million acres of surface and 4 million acres of subsurface trust land in Colorado. On any given day you might be presenting to our Governor-appointed Commissioners, inventorying millions of acres of trust land, liaising with ranchers, or 4-wheeling on rugged terrain to inspect our leased properties.

What is the State Land Board?

The State Land Board is a constitutionally created agency that manages a $4 billion endowment of assets for the intergenerational benefit of Colorado’s K-12 schoolchildren and public institutions. The agency is the second-largest landowner in Colorado and generates revenue on behalf of beneficiaries by leasing nearly three million surface acres and four million subsurface acres for assorted purposes, including agriculture. Unlike public lands, trust lands are not open to the public unless a property has been leased for public access. We are entirely self-funded and receive no tax dollars.

Though we are a 144-year old, constitutionally chartered agency, we take pride in being entrepreneurial and business-savvy. We compete in private sector markets daily and generate more than $100 million in revenue annually.

What kind of land do we have and how do we manage it?

Our field operations team is responsible for overseeing 2.8 million acres of surface land. We currently have about 1,800 agriculture leases that generate $14 million annually. We have seven offices throughout the state. This position provides resource expertise in the agency’s district offices. The position supports the South Central, Southeast, and Southwest District offices.

While we own and lease the assets, we are not operators. Lessees are responsible for all ranching operations. That said, we partner with our lessees to ensure that the land is well managed and that the agency’s stewardship objectives are met. Most of our properties have multiple leases, for example an agriculture lease allowing grazing and a recreation lease allowing hunting. Layering leases is one way we carry out our mission, which is to raise money for Colorado public schools while ensuring that the land is well cared for in order to benefit future generations.

Description Of Job

This posting is only open to residents of the State of Colorado at the time of submitting your application.

The South Region District Resource Specialist manages specific agency assets (such as large ranches), performs field inspections, prepares reports (on rangeland inventory and monitoring), identifies and resolves issues associated with the use of state trust land and provides direct support to District Managers. This position possesses a unique level of knowledge and expertise required to manage large working landscapes and balance multiple priorities associated with ranching, farming, energy development, recreation and wildlife management.

The position supports the South Central, Southeast, and Southwest District offices.

Primary Duties Include But Not Limited To The Following:

Asset and Resource Management

• Travel independently to all properties within their districts and to complete inspections via foot and/or off-highway vehicle.
• Establish management plans for large ranch properties.
• Resolve property use conflicts and determines best approach to manage and avoid future conflict.
• Verify compliance with lease terms and determines the proper course of action if lease violations are identified.
• Assist large ranch lease holders develop range management practices, range monitoring, pasture and water development plans, and grazing strategies.
• Monitoring and inspection of irrigated and dry cropland farming.
  
  

Strategic Business Planning and Development

• Identify potential business transactions and works with the district manager and potential customer to strategically put the plan in place.
• Utilize their unique knowledge of the district and customers to evaluate and make decisions regarding new business opportunities. These may include the enrollment of land into the Public Access Program, requiring the use of Holistic grazing practices on state trust land and/or sourcing opportunities for recreation, minerals and renewable energy leases on state trust land.
  
  

Communication and Outreach

• Implement strategies for outreach and communication with lessees regarding new and/or modified Land Board policies.
• Work with SLB communications staff to effectively develop and deliver messaging related to SLB initiatives such as the emergency drought relief program, trust land hunting tag program and implementation of new lease rates.
• Provide district managers with clear and concise information regarding the status of current projects, programs and initiatives.
• Identify issues that may impact the timely implementation of agency policies and procedures and recommends potential solutions.
• Attend meetings in other state offices and attend group meetings held around the state
  
  

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions Of Employment & Appeal Rights

This posting is only open to residents of the State of Colorado at the time of submitting your application.

Minimum Qualifications:

Experience Only:

Six (6) years of relevant experience in the management of large working and/or production landscapes.

• OR -
  
  

Education And Experience:

A combination of related education and/or relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned equal to six (6) years, including the management of large working and/or production landscapes.

Acceptable degrees include Bachelor’s (substitutes for 4 years of experience) and/or Master’s (substitutes for 2 years experience) degrees in Agricultural Sciences, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Resource Economics, Range or Forest Management or closely related field.

Please note: The required experience must be substantiated within the work experience section of your application. Your resume will not be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications; only the work experience section of your application will be reviewed to determine this. “See Resume” statements on the application will not be accepted. In addition, part-time work will be prorated.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Current or former State experience relevant to this position
• Ranching and large working landscapes
• Range Management practices and rangeland monitoring (e.g. transects, photo points, clipping)
• Experience determining Livestock Carrying Capacity and stocking rates on rangeland
• Agricultural leasing and leases
• Noxious weeds and treatment strategies
• Ranching and/or landscape management in Southern Colorado
• Working knowledge of Colorado water law
• Working knowledge of GIS mapping systems, preferably ARCGIS Pro
  
  

Conditions Of Employment:

• Colorado residency is required at the time of application.
• Former State employees who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination must disclose the information on the application and provide an explanation why the prior termination or resignation should not disqualify their application from the current position. (Please Note: Absent extraordinary circumstances, prior disciplinary termination or resignation in lieu of termination will disqualify the applicant from future State employment with DNR).
• A current & valid Driver's license is required for operating a state vehicle and occasional travel is anticipated.
• Must be willing and able to occasionally exert up to 20 lbs. of force to move objects
• Travel to attend meetings in other state offices and attend group meetings held around the state.
• The position must be willing and able to travel independently to all properties within their district and to complete inspections via foot and/or off-highway vehicle.
  
  

Conditions Of Employment:

• Must be a Colorado resident at time of employment.
• Must be legally eligible to work in the United States to be appointed to this position. DNR does not sponsor non-residents of the United States.
  
  

Supplemental Information

The Assessment Process

• 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.
  
  

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

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, 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 Department of Natural Resources 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 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 dnr_hr_employeebenefits@state.co.us

ADAAA Accommodations

Any person with a disability as defined by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) may be provided a reasonable accommodation upon request to enable the person to complete an employment assessment. To request accommodation, please contact our Benefits Specialist at dnr_hr_employeebenefits@state.co.us at least five business days before the date that any accommodation will be required to allow us to evaluate your request and prepare for the accommodation. You may be asked to provide additional information, including medical documentation, regarding functional limitations and type of accommodation needed. Please ensure that you have this information available well in advance of the assessment date.

E-Verify

DNR uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify , including your rights and responsibilities.

Toll–Free Applicant Support - Technical Help

If you experience technical difficulty with the NEOGOV system (e.g. uploading or attaching documents to your online application) call NEOGOV at 855-524-5627, Mon-Fri between 6 am and 6 pm (Pacific Time). The Human Resources Office will be unable to assist with technical issues.