Associate Director of Youth Center Operations

State of Colorado•Denver, CO

10h•Hybrid

About The Position

This position provides consistent leadership and management for all Division of Youth Services (DYS) youth center operations, in support of the DYS Vision and Mission statements. Some of the specific duties include, but are not limited to, providing guidance, leadership, and direction to the following Central Office programs and functions and to State-Operated Institutions. Direct supervision of two Facility Operations Administrators (who directly supervise all facility superintendents), Security Operations Administrator, Facilities Programming Administrator, and Youth Safety Coordinator; assuring the consistent implementation in facilities statewide of policies, initiatives, and programming allowing continued practices consistent with evidence-based principles and sound correctional practices. This includes risk mitigation and reduction of liability. This position is also a member of the Division's Leadership Team and Senior Managers Group, and participates in defining the major budgetary needs of the Division, and analyzing future capacity and programming needs of the Division. Working in conjunction with the Division Director, Division Deputy Director, and the other Associate Directors, this position will assist in making decisions regarding expenditure of the Division's $183+ million operating budget on a daily basis. Finally, this position acts independently in its responsibilities as liaison with other Department of Human Services agencies, including Human Resources and Division of Facilities Management, as well as membership on the DYS Provider Council and the CYDC Advisory Group, in addition to external juvenile justice agencies.

Requirements

Ten (10) years of relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned to this position, two (2) of which must have included experience with public or business administration, establishing goals and objectives, as well as developing and managing a budget to achieve program goals and objectives OR A combination of related education and/or relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned, equal to ten (10) years, two (2) of which must have included experience with public or business administration, establishing goals and objectives, as well as developing and managing a budget to achieve program goals and objectives
Full Background CBI name check and fingerprint check, ICON Colorado court database, Medicare fraud database, Reference Checks, Professional License verification (licensure requirements), Drug Screen, PREA (Division of Youth Services), Trails check (direct contact with children), CAPS (direct contact with adults – Mental Health Institutes, Regional Centers, Veterans Community Living Centers)
Be a minimum of 21 years of age
Current/Valid and non-restricted CO Driver’s License
Successful completion of the DYS Pre-service Training Academy, Field Training Program (FTO), and mandatory annual training in all subject areas.
Successful completion of the Diana Screen®, a sexual risk screening tool.

Nice To Haves

Five or more years of executive leadership in juvenile or adult corrections, public safety, or law enforcement, to include supervising people leaders
Experience leading large, diverse teams and implementing policy at a Division or Departmental level
Demonstrated success in leading and building diverse stakeholder coalitions, including cultivating partnerships, aligning cross-sector interests, and building consensus around shared priorities
Experience with developing, executing, and managing large-scale budgets
Expert knowledge of relevant licensing body regulations, and state or federal regulations related to corrections operations, such as the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), American Correctional Association (ACA), and the Juvenile Justice Reform Act

Responsibilities

Leadership, direction, and oversight of major functional and program areas within the Division of Youth Services, including direct supervision of the respective Facility Operations Administrators (who provide direct oversight of the facility superintendents), Security Operations Administrator, Facilities Programming Administrator, and Youth Safety Coordinator, as well as oversight of the DYS ten state-operated secure facilities.
Future-focused program planning with these areas to determine the long-term strategic agency mix of services provided by assigned FTE’s, and to ensure that all program area goals are aligned with the overall vision and mission of the Division.
Responsible for mid-management hires, and responds to appeals on employee grievances and answers appeals on corrective/disciplinary actions.
Coordination with the Attorney General's office on personnel issues and other program areas requiring support and or guidance for practice and interpretation of the Colorado Revised Statutes.
Translates the Division’s long-term vision and strategic goals into actionable operational plans for all state-operated youth centers.
Developing standardized facility-level performance metrics, auditing operational compliance against Division standards, and optimizing the allocation of human and capital resources to ensure consistency in service delivery across all geographic regions.
Identifies operational gaps and develops mitigation strategies to ensure facility stability and safety.
Serves as the primary technical expert for Youth Center Operations during legislative inquiries, budget hearings, and Departmental audits.
Developing data-driven justifications, fiscal impact analyses, and operational briefings that the Deputy Director and DYS Director utilize to advocate for resources with the Governor’s Office and General Assembly.
Manages the implementation of legislative mandates within the facilities and ensures operational transparency for external oversight bodies.
Participation on several teams and committees, including the Division's Leadership Team, the Colorado Youth Detention Continuum Advisory Board, the DYS Provider Council, the Division's Senior Management Group, the Facility Director's Group, the Division's Central Office Managers' Group, and the Department's HR Policy Steering Committee.
Participation in many of these groups requires preparation work, ongoing task responsibilities, and, in some cases, leadership of the group.
Any duties that may arise for the needs of the Division, Office, or Department.

Benefits

Strong, secure, yet flexible retirement benefits including a PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan www.copera.org plus 401(k) and 457 plans
Medical and dental health plans
Employer supplemented Health Savings Account
Paid life insurance
Short- and long-term disability coverage
11 paid holidays per year plus vacation and sick leave
BenefitHub state employee discount program
Employee Wellness program MotivateMe
Excellent work-life programs, such as flexible schedules, training and more
Remote work arrangements for eligible positions
Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.