HR Communications & Training Specialist

Department Information

This position is only open to Colorado state residents.
About CDOT
Do you want to make a difference in Coloradans’ lives? Do you have a passion for helping people and keeping them safe? At the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), you’ll have the opportunity to do just that. The work our people does contributes to keeping Coloradans and visitors safe and provides freedom, connection, and experience through travel. Please visit our careers page to learn about CDOT and how we are making Colorado a great place to live, work and play, now and for the future!

CDOT for All
CDOT’s strength is our people, and our commitment to our people is to shape, support, and sustain the employee experience, and ultimately, create a supportive workplace where everyone, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status, education, disability, socio-economic status, or any other identity, has the opportunity to thrive.

In addition to a fantastic place to work, CDOT offers a variety of benefits which include:

• Annual leave (accrued based on years of service, starting at 8 hours a month)
• Sick leave accrued at 6.66 hours a month
• 10 paid holidays per year
• Medical and dental plans with no cost preventative services
• State paid Life Insurance with optional additional life insurance
• State paid Short Term Disability coverage, with optional long term disability plan
• Participation in PERA with 2 retirement plan options, and voluntary PERA 401K and 457 plans
• Credit Union membership
• Work life programs
• State Employee Assistance programs at no cost
• Tuition and certification reimbursement program
• Access to a diverse array of technical, leadership, supervisory and specialty training across the state, in addition to personal development and productivity learning opportunities
• State employee discount programs

To learn more, visit our careers page!

Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. For more information, go to https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service?

Life at CDOT during COVID-19
At CDOT, we have taken several measures to protect employee safety and health, while ensuring continuity of operations. Employees with the ability to perform their job duties from home are encouraged to do so. For those employees who are working on-site, facial coverings in public spaces and social distancing when possible are required. We will provide employees with masks, as needed. We have implemented frequent deep cleaning and disinfecting procedures in our buildings and equipment. You can expect your interview to be done remotely and visitors to any CDOT building are required to pre-screen. You can rest assured that we are committed to doing our part to keep employees connected, healthy, safe, and productive during these challenging times.

#LI-POST

Description of Job

About the Work Unit
This position is located within CDOT’s Division of Human Resources, Office of Employee Development (OED). OED supports the achievement of the goals and objectives of CDOT by delivering organizational learning; change management; supervisor, management and leadership development; and HR communications.

About the position
This position strategically oversees and manages internal and external communications for the Human Resources (HR) Division of CDOT. This position will also coordinate internal training for CDOT. The scope of this position’s work includes communications and training for employees about HR programs, processes, and tools as well as communications to external parties about hiring, employer of choice, etc. This position plans, develops, and implements communication and training strategies and oversees and coordinates communications and training, such as web content, newsletters, presentations, event coordination, scripts, speaking points, news releases, e-learning, training content, LMS content, etc.

Major duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Coordinate communications for the audience of CDOT employees statewide; work with the Chief Human Resources Officer, HR managers, and HR employees to communicate HR processes, policies, procedures, benefits, initiatives, etc. to CDOT employees and supervisors;
• Develop the communications strategy in conjunction with HR leadership and have primary ownership over communications tactics; collaborate with the CDOT Communications department and other internal communications coordinators at CDOT as needed;
• Coordinate communications on a variety of HR topics, such as HR policies and procedures; hiring/staffing; HR systems and processes; time and leave; equity, diversity and inclusion; employee training; employee benefits; and more; communication types can include: email blasts, FAQs, reference materials, intranet content, process overviews and instructions, internally produced videos, and more;
• Collaborate with Recruiter and Inclusive Excellence Manager to draft communications for university and community college recruiting, Workforce Center outreach, and HR advertising; develop value proposition to further relationships with high schools, trade schools, community colleges, and other internship and apprenticeship programs;
• Manage the Employee Hub intranet’s HR pages and the Learning Lane training pages built using Google Sites, including: maintaining accurate, up to date content; coordinating with groups to ensure content is streamlined and not duplicative; organizing and presenting information in a logical way with the highest level of usability for employees; working with subject matter experts (SMEs) to develop new pages; doing routine checks of existing pages; and proactively working with SMEs to keep the content fresh and relevant;
• Develop communication plans and deliver communications for HR’s new Internal Customer Service support program that seeks to improve internal customer satisfaction and enhance the employee experience;
• Support the implementation and communications for the implementation and rollout of a new Cornerstone Learning Management System (LMS), including: writing announcements, building web pages and writing web content, writing instructional materials, conducting virtual information sessions, etc.;
• Coordinate internal employee training that serves all CDOT employees; develop and coordinate training content and materials, such as basic e-learning, training videos, instructional demos, step-by-step instructions, references, etc.;
• Help plan and coordinate training content in the Cornerstone LMS, once it is implemented, such as LinkedIn Learning content, self-guided IT training, and self-guided leadership training content;
• Help develop training content such as read-and-sign compliance training, video demos, e-learning, quick courses, tests, etc.;
• Help manage and communicate virtual training, such as web sessions using tools such as Google Meet, Adobe Connect, Zoom, etc.;
• May conduct some in-person training courses across the state, though main training focus will be on virtual training;
• Support other communications and training duties as necessary;
• Other job duties as assigned.

Work Environment:

• Primarily 8:00 am – 5:00 pm work hours, Monday-Friday
• Travel during work hours throughout Denver metro area/front range
• Potential for overnight travel; position may travel up to 10% throughout the state, but will be focused on virtual training
• Required to operate CDOT vehicles
• This position may be subject to many interruptions while handling multiple projects
• Operate in a politically sensitive environment
• An ability to work in a collaborative, team-oriented environment is a must
• An ability to lift up to 50 lbs. (e.g., boxes of training materials, set up training rooms, etc.) is required

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights

Minimum Qualifications
This experience must be specifically documented on your application. Additional information submitted after the closing date of this announcement will not be considered in the review of your application.

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Communications, Human Resource Management, Public Administration, Curriculum and Instruction, or a closely related field of study that provided a sound basis of the theories, principles, and practices required to perform these duties. (A transcript showing degree conferral must be submitted to verify this requirement.)

AND

• At least three years of progressively responsible full-time professional experience where the primary focus was managing employee communications, developing employee training courses/content, and/or coordinating employee training using an LMS system in a business or corporate environment.

Substitutions:

• Additional work experience that provided the same kind, amount and level of knowledge acquired in the required education, may substitute on a year-for-year basis for the required bachelor’s degree but not for the specific experience.
• A graduate degree in Communications, Human Resource Management, or Public Administration will substitute the required professional experience on a year-for-year basis.

Please note: The required experience must be substantiated within the work experience section of your application. “See Resume” statements on the application or resumes in lieu of a complete application may not be accepted. Additional information submitted after the closing date of this announcement will not be considered in the review of your application. In addition, part-time work will be prorated.

College Transcripts: If you are using education to qualify, a legible copy of your official or unofficial college transcript(s) or a foreign credential evaluation report must be submitted with your application. Transcripts must show the name of the school and that a degree was conferred. Transcripts from colleges or universities outside of the United States must be assessed for U.S. equivalency by a NACES educational credential evaluation service. Failure to provide a transcript or foreign credential evaluation report may result in your application being rejected and you will not be able to continue in the selection process for this position.

Conditions of Employment

• Must pass a pre-employment screening which may include social security number trace, criminal records check, public court records check, educational records, and driving records checks. More information in the supplemental information section.
• A current valid driver license is required for all Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) positions which require operating a state or personal motor vehicle to perform one or more essential functions of the position.

Preferred Qualifications
The exceptional applicant will be an experienced communications and training professional with proven ability or accomplishment in the following:

• Demonstrated success with the duties listed in the Description of the Job section;
• Highest work/personal ethics and integrity and the ability to maintain confidentiality;
• Demonstrated knowledge of HR functions, communications best practices, and training best practices;
• Extensive experience developing employee communications and coordinating HR training in a business/corporate environment;
• Extensive experience managing and supporting intranet content in a business/corporate environment;
• Extensive experience building all types of training materials (presentations, instructor materials, student manuals, assessments, basic e-learning, videos, graphics, etc.) for employee training;
• Extensive experience using instructional design theories and principles (ADDIE, SAM, etc.) and best practices of adult learning (action based, blended learning, etc.);
• Extensive experience using a learning management system in a corporate environment;
• Fluency in MS Office, Google (Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Forms, Google Classroom, Google Pages, etc.), Google Sites and web content management, YouTube, basic graphic design, basic audio and video editing for web content, and aptitude to quickly learn these types of technologies;
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment with changing deadlines;
• Ability to take initiative to solve problems in an innovative manner;
• Ability to partner with a wide variety of stakeholders, in situations which may be politically sensitive, with sensitivity to needs, priorities, promises made, and commitments;
• Effective interpersonal and relationship building skills;
• Excellent reasoning, analytical, and problem solving ability;
• Excellent facilitation, presentation, and communication skills, both written and oral;
• Strong attention to technical detail and accuracy;
• Ability to work effectively in both independent and team situations.

Supplemental Information

Applicant Checklist

Complete Applications must include the following documents:

• A complete CDOT Application for Announced Vacancy (please submit online using the green 'APPLY' button at the top of this announcement)
• A complete Supplemental Questionnaire (The questionnaire is part of the online application. You will be prompted to answer them as you are completing your online application.)
• A cover letter that describes your interest in this position and how your experience aligns with the minimum and preferred qualifications of this position. Cover letters must be uploaded as an attachment to your online application. Cover letters will not be accepted after the closing date and time of the announcement.
• If you are using education to qualify, a copy of your official or unofficial transcript showing that your degree has been conferred and the name of your school, or your NACES accreditation report. Please submit this as an attachment to your online application.
• If you are a veteran, a copy of your DD214. Please submit this as an attachment to your online application.

Only complete applications submitted by the closing date for this announcement will be given consideration. Every effort must be made to submit all application materials by the announcement close date. Where unusual circumstances prevent timely acquisition of transcripts, they must be submitted within five business days of the announcement close date. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed application. Failure to submit properly completed documents by the closing date of this announcement may result in your application being rejected.

Notifications:
All correspondence regarding your status in the selection/examination process will be via email. Include your current working email address on your application and check your email frequently as you could receive time sensitive correspondence regarding this position. We highly recommend that you set up your email to accept messages from "state.co.us" and "info@governmentjobs.com" addresses. It is your responsibility to ensure that your email will accept these notices and/or review your junk mail and spam filtered email. Immediately after you submit your application you should receive an email that confirms that you successfully submitted an application for this position. If you do not, try submitting again until you receive the confirmation email. Be sure to also check your junk folder for email communications from the State of Colorado's website.

The Hiring Process:

• All applications that are received by the closing of this announcement will be reviewed against the minimum qualifications in this announcement. Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications proceed to the next step.
• 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 may be a structured application review, which involves a review of the information you submit in your application materials by Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) against the preferred qualifications.
• Be sure your application materials specifically addresses your qualifications, experience, work products, and accomplishments as they relate to the Major Duties, Minimum Qualifications, and Preferred Qualifications sections as listed above. Failure to include adequate information or follow instructions by the deadline for application may result in your application not being accepted for this position and may affect your inclusion as a qualified candidate in any of step of the selection process and placement on the eligible list.

• A top group, up to six candidates, will be invited to schedule an interview with the hiring manager.

Transfer, Non-Disciplinary Demotion or Reinstatement
If you believe that you are eligible to be considered as a transfer, non-disciplinary demotion or reinstatement to this vacancy, you must submit a completed application following the directions in this job announcement and you will be included in the selection process along with other qualified applicants. If you are the finalist for this position after the selection process, Human Resources will confirm your eligibility to be appointed as a transfer, non-disciplinary demotion or reinstatement applicant.

Employment Screening
If an applicant reaches the finalist stage of the hiring process, the Colorado Department of Transportation may procure a consumer report and/or investigative consumer report on the applicant in connection with his/her application for employment purposes, as defined under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. These reports may be obtained at any time after receipt of the applicant's authorization. As part of the employment screening an applicant will be requested to disclose any deferred judgments and convictions as well an explanation of the circumstances around any arrest or conviction. In the event that a screening returns information that the applicant believes is not accurate, he or she will have an opportunity to dispute the information with “Info Cubic”.

Info Cubic, a consumer reporting agency, will obtain the report for CDOT. Further information regarding Info Cubic, LLC, including its privacy policy, may be found online at www.InfoCubic.com. Info Cubic is located at 116 Inverness Drive East, Suite 206, Englewood, CO 80112, and can be reached at 877.360.4636.

The report may contain information bearing on the applicant's character, general reputation, personal characteristics, and mode of living. The information that may be included in the report includes: social security number trace, criminal records check, public court records checks, educational records, and driving records checks. CDOT will only request credit reports insofar as they relate to the position for which the applicant is applying. The information contained in the report will be obtained from private and/or public record sources. The applicant will have the right, upon written request made within a reasonable time after receipt of a notice, to request disclosure of the nature and scope of any investigative consumer report.

Appeal Rights
If you receive notice that you have been eliminated from consideration for the position, you may protest the action by filing an appeal with the State Personnel Board/State Personnel Director within 10 days from the date you receive notice of the elimination. Also, if you wish to challenge the selection and comparative analysis process, you may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board/State Personnel Director within 10 days from the receipt of notice or knowledge of the action you are challenging. Refer to Chapters 4 and 8 of the State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures, 4 CCR 801, for more information about the appeals process. The State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures are available at www.colorado.gov/spb. The Consolidated Appeal/Dispute Form is available at: www.colorado.gov/spb/forms-2 . Any appeals must be in writing and received no later than 10 calendar days from the date the examination was administered. Send appeals to the appropriate address as indicated on the Consolidated Appeal/Dispute Form. The above ten-day deadline and appeal procedures apply, as well, to all charges of discrimination.

ADAAA Accommodations
CDOT is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability as defined by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or 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 Erin Hardin at Erin.Hardin@state.co.us or 303-757-9797.

Former employees of the Colorado Department of Transportation System or any other State of Colorado Department or Agency, who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination, must disclose this information on his/her application.

ERIN (SAP #50003945/PCR #38929)