COSA ECMC hiring a Public Information Officer

Hi COSA community,
The Energy and Carbon Management Commission is hiring a Public Information Officer. Here is the posting:

Join the Community Relations team at the Energy and Carbon Management Commission to be the division’s Public Information Officer. This is an opportunity to affect positive change statewide and ensure communities have equitable access to engage in ECMC’s work by serving as spokesperson with the media and coordinating communication efforts among energy community groups, individual community members, industry operators, and other parties.

Apply now! (Applications accepted through 1/11/26.)

About Community Engagement at ECMC

The mission of the Colorado Energy & Carbon Management Commission (ECMC) is to regulate the development and production of the natural resources of oil and gas, deep geothermal resources, the capture and sequestration of carbon, and the underground storage of natural gas in a manner that protects public health, safety, welfare, the environment and wildlife resources. We have the most protective standards for energy development in the country and recently adopted new, stronger protections to ensure cumulative impacts from oil and gas operations are addressed as part of our protective regulatory protocol, particularly impacts in Disproportionately Impacted communities.

ECMC’s Community Relations Unit roots our work in the Environmental Justice Act. Addressing long-standing environmental and health impacts, particularly in Disproportionately Impacted (DI) communities, requires an accurate and realistic understanding of the effects from combined exposures to chemical and other stressors such as noise, odor, and socioeconomic disadvantages. It also requires that stakeholders have equitable access to accurate information and decision-making opportunities. That’s where you come in as the agency’s public information officer.

About the job opportunity

Your duties include:

  1. Serve Coloradans as a public information officer. (40%)

    1. Proactively write, develop, and review communication plans, news releases, media pitches, digital content, key messaging, talking points for leadership, campaigns, stakeholder and community engagement plans, and more to ensure ECMC’s work is accessible and understandable for Coloradans.

    2. Field press inquiries and maintain professional relationships with reporters. Respond to inquiries accurately and proactively anticipate inquiries.

    3. Serve as auxiliary to unit manager for crisis communication.

    4. Advance ECMC communication and environmental justice goals in support of SB24-229 such as plain language, language justice, person centered communications, coalition building and partnership development to meet ECMC environmental and public participation goals.

    5. Proactively communicate ECMC’s milestones and accomplishments with media, often on tight deadlines and under pressure. This work involves regular coordination with ECMC Commissioners, ECMC staff leadership, and ECMC SMEs.

    6. Prepare, coach, and support subject matter experts for media interviews and public speaking engagements.

    7. Coordinate and support multiple, simultaneous communications projects and processes to ensure they are on track, achieving the intended purpose, and that information is conveyed in a timely, appropriate manner to inform target audiences.

    8. Coordinate Hispanic media outreach with a peer colleague (Environmental Justice Community Liaison) who is responsible for Hispanic community outreach.

  2. Coordinate digital communication. (40%)

    1. Serve as the division’s digital communication lead by developing, implementing, evaluating, improving, and maintaining a digital strategy and conducting day-to-day content management in relation to web, email marketing, social media, visual communications/graphics, branding, video, and more. Coordinate external digital communication in coordination with subject matter experts, ECMC Unit colleagues, and others as appropriate.

    2. Serve as the lead content webmaster for the division. Ensure timely, consistent web updates in accordance with digital accessibility requirements and best practices, plain language and language justice requirements and best practices.

    3. Lead and implement ECMC social media engagement in alignment with division messaging and engagement strategies.

    4. Analyze platform analytics to assess strategies and make continual improvements.

    5. Devise and implement event promotion campaigns for ECMC outreach in concert with colleagues in the Community Relations Unit.

  3. Interpret technical content and provide Complaint Program support. (20%)

    1. Serve as a translator, taking complex, technical information and turning it into clear, concise, and user-friendly content for lay person audiences and the media. This includes planning, creating, and maintaining various forms of documentation, from instruction manuals to online help systems in close coordination with ECMC Community Liaisons, particularly regarding outreach to disproportionately impacted communities and community complainants.

    2. Support Community Relations Liaison with complaint communications by communicating investigation findings to community complainants after investigations are completed by technical staff.

What can you expect from us in return for your hard work?

We are a passionate, hardworking team that cares deeply about environmental justice and energy management. We place significant emphasis on promoting and maintaining a positive work environment. The qualities of our environment include transparent and open communication, work-life balance, and a focus on training and development. As a state employee, you have access to a suite of HR benefits and holidays, including professional development funds and tuition reimbursement. And you can feel good knowing your work matters and is directly supporting Coloradans.

What attributes are we looking for?

Seven (7) years of professional experience in public relations or public information; government-related communications; public safety-related communications; risk communication; energy development/natural resources, natural hazards, environmental or related science-based communications, event and/or community engagement promotions, or an occupational field related to the work assigned to the position. A combination of related education and/or relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned equal to seven (7) years

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Current or former State experience relevant to this position.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Experience working with diverse groups of people and adapting messaging to meet needs of difference audiences.
  • Experience with digital communication best practices.
  • Knowledge of Colorado’s energy sector.
  • Professional level writing, research and communication development skills.
  • Experience converting technical/scientific content into plain language content.
  • Customer service experience, previous public service experience, experience dealing with public, experience with complaint intake/response.

The current work arrangement for this position is as follows:

(Please note, this arrangement can be subject to change)

  • Hybrid: This is a hybrid position that can work remotely from anywhere in Colorado with expectations of in-office Denver attendance for infrequent
    (quarterly) team meetings as well as in-person attendance at occasional events (0-3 per month) around the state as needed.

Apply!

Sincerely,
Kristin