POSITION: Program Associate, Outdoor Equity Grant

START & END DATES: September 2026 – June 2027 with exact dates negotiable.

PAY RATE & SCHEDULE: $20.00 – $26.00 per hour depending on experience. 35 – 40 hours per week, Monday through Friday, with occasional evenings and weekends.

LOCATION: Colorado with the main office located in Denver at 6060 Broadway. Position location within the state is flexible with the ability to work remotely. Occasional travel to the office and around the state will be required for attendance at team meetings, board meetings, conferences, and events.

COLORADO PARKS AND WILDLIFE

CPW’s mission is to perpetuate the wildlife resources of the state, to provide a quality state parks system, and to provide enjoyable and sustainable outdoor recreation opportunities that educate and inspire current and future generations to serve as active stewards of Colorado’s natural resources.

JOB DESCRIPTION

This position supports the work of the Outdoor Equity Grant Program.

CPW advances its mission through grant programs that support community engagement, collaboration & partnerships and reduce barriers to the outdoors. This Program Associate will support community engagement, grant management, and equity in the outdoors by supporting the Outdoor Equity Grant program manager.

The Outdoor Equity Grant program invests in organizations and projects that reduce barriers to the outdoors and help instill a sense of wonder, excitement, and responsibility for the environment in Colorado youth and families from traditionally excluded communities. The Outdoor Equity Grant Board is responsible for the governance of the grant program and awards grants to applicants that provide opportunities for youth to participate in outdoor recreation, environmental learning, and job and career training opportunities.This position assists with coordinating meetings of the Outdoor Equity Grant Board, administering the Outdoor Equity Grant program, managing the Outdoor Equity Grant network, and supporting grant awardees with resources and information to ensure the success of their grant projects.

Primary duties include:

• Coordinate communications, meetings, and plan engagement events with board, staff, and community partners
• Support information sharing, networking, collaboration, and online learning opportunities
• Develop outreach and communications materials including email newsletter, social media and web page content
• Assist with organizing workshops, meetings, and communities of practice, including logistics, notetaking and facilitation
• Develop and maintain relationships with grant applicants and recipients
• Support statutory reporting requirements for grant recipients and the OEGP as a whole
• Support solicitation, organization, review, and approval of grant requests; support grant administration through FLUXX
• Represent CPW with professionalism at meetings, public events and forums
• Engage other CPW staff, including regional staff, with the OEGP and increase opportunities for collaboration amongst CPW programs

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Qualifications (Substitutions offered):

• The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 2 years professional experience in Outdoor Recreation, Natural Resources, Wildlife Management/Biology, or related field and an undergraduate or graduate degree
• Experience with Microsoft Office, Excel and Google Suite
• Organized and detail-oriented with excellent communication skills (oral and written)
• Ability to work independently and with a team
• Experience interacting with colleagues and customers from diverse backgrounds and perspectives
• Exceptional customer service skills and problem solving abilities
• Creative thinking and a positive attitude
• An understanding of the historical barriers that have excluded communities from accessing the conservation and outdoors, and an interest in helping reduce those barriers

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proven ability to independently learn, troubleshoot and adopt new software, platforms or digital tools quickly
• Experience with community engagement
• Experience with qualitative and quantitative research
• Experience with virtual meeting platforms
• Experience with project management tools and technologies
• Training in and/or experience with current best practices in justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in conservation and the outdoors
• Fluency in Spanish or another language commonly spoken in Colorado is a plus

Substitutions: Work experience and/or education from an accredited college, university or distance learning program with course work in natural resources management, outdoor recreation, parks, or related fields may substitute for minimum qualifications.

BENEFITS: This position participates in PERA (public employee retirement program) and accrues paid sick leave. Potential for professional development and job shadowing opportunities.

HOW TO APPLY: Submit a cover letter detailing your interest in the position and resume or summary of experience to Andrea Kurth at andrea.kurth@state.co.us with “OEGP Associate Position” in the subject line. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with priority given to applications received by August 10, 2026.