Courtesy Posting: Director of Communications, Office of the Colorado Child Protection Ombudsman

About the role

The Office of the Colorado Child Protection Ombudsman (CPO) is an independent state office established in statute to provide oversight of Colorado’s child protection system. The CPO serves as a neutral forum for people to raise concerns about child protection services and provides credible, system-level insight to state leaders. Through complaint review, investigation, and analysis, the CPO identifies patterns and recommends improvements that strengthen fairness, accountability, and outcomes for Colorado’s children, youth, and families. Housed within the Colorado Judicial Branch, the CPO operates independently from the agencies it reviews. Agency Values The CPO’s work is guided by the following principles: Integrity – Transparent, impartial, and consistent; Collaboration – Change through shared knowledge and partnership; Equity – Systems responsive to diverse experiences and needs; Curiosity – Continuous learning and reform; Independence – Autonomy from the agencies reviewed.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement short- and long-term communication strategies that strengthen public awareness, outreach, and the CPO’s internal and external communications.
• Serve as a trusted communications advisor to the Ombudsman, Deputy Ombudsman, and agency leadership on emerging issues, media inquiries, public messaging, communication risks, and opportunities for engagement.
• Manage the CPO’s media relations, including responding to inquiries, developing media materials, coordinating interviews, and preparing agency representatives for media engagement.
• Coordinate timely and legally compliant responses to Colorado Open Records Act requests in collaboration with agency leadership and legal counsel, as appropriate.
• Expand the CPO’s outreach and education efforts for youth, families, care providers, community partners, rural communities, and the Colorado General Assembly.
• Develop clear, accurate, and accessible content for the CPO’s website, newsletters, social media, reports, briefs, and other communication platforms.
• Lead the development and publication of major agency communication products, including the CPO’s annual report.
• Manage the CPO’s Youth Voice Collective and develop youth-focused communications, outreach activities, and opportunities for young people to engage with the agency.
• Establish communication protocols, messaging resources, and style guidance that support consistent and effective communication throughout the agency.
• Provide CPO staff with communication training, guidance, and support for public-facing materials, presentations, outreach, and media interactions.

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, public relations, public administration, or a closely related field and at least seven years of progressively responsible experience in communications, public relations, public affairs, journalism, or a closely related field.
• Candidates without a bachelor’s degree must have at least 15 years of relevant professional experience.
• Experience developing organizational communication strategies and managing multiple projects, platforms, priorities, and deadlines.
• Experience producing, writing, and editing clear and accessible communications for diverse audiences, including websites