Department Information

OPEN ONLY TO CURRENT RESIDENTS OF COLORADO

Are you interested in investing in a career that makes a difference?
Consider joining the dedicated people of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. It’s our mission to manage and conserve Colorado’s natural resources for the benefit of people today – and tomorrow. That means we have to balance development with conservation so the state we all love provides similar opportunities for our children and their children.

We invite you to explore our website at https://dnr.colorado.gov/about-us to find out more about the work we do to manage Colorado’s natural resources for today – and tomorrow.

The State of Colorado believes that equity, diversity, and inclusion drive our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply.

In addition to offering rewarding, meaningful work, we offer:

• Medical and Dental plans
• Strong, flexible retirement plans including PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan, plus pre-tax and Roth 401K and 457 plans
• Paid life insurance
• Short- and long-term disability coverage
• Employee Wellness programs
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Health Savings Accounts
• 11 paid holidays per year plus generous vacation and sick leave
• Flexible work schedule options and remote-work options
• Career advancement opportunities throughout the State system
• Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

About COGCC:

• 
  The protection of public health, safety, welfare, environment and wildlife

• The efficient exploration and production of oil and gas resources
• The prevention of cumulative impacts from oil and gas development

• Cooperative relationships between COGCC and local governments as well as state and federal agencies with oversight of oil and gas operations

• Compare conditions of approval for oil and gas location permits, production well permits, injection well permits, waste management facility permits, waste management plans, remediation plans, plugging and abandonment plans, and technical well information against as is field installations and construction activity to determine whether or not the installed facility complies with the permit conditions and Commission rules.
• Respond to inquiries from the public and investigate complaints regarding the compliance status of oil and gas facilities.
• Refer onsite environmental and engineering issues that require additional review or investigation to the Environmental or Engineering Units for follow up investigation.
• Collect initial “screening level” samples (soil, oily waste, soil gas, etc) or if necessary, request assistance from the Environmental Unit.
• Design procedures, and work with the IT and Information Managers and Enforcement Officer to develop forms and processes for efficiently managing and tracking inspection and enforcement information.
• Evaluate and determine whether recommendations from other stakeholders that have been incorporated as COAs into an approved permit are appropriate and needed to protect public health safety, welfare, and the environment including wildlife resources;
• Monitor field operations under the EPA delegated UIC program.
• Initiate enforcement actions when compliance cannot be obtained cooperatively.
• Negotiate enforcement actions to pursue cooperative settlement.
• Prosecute contested enforcement actions before Hearing Officer or Commission.
• Train industry, local government, land owners, environmental groups, and other interested parties on operating procedures that comply with COGCC rules and orders.
• Educate operators on issues and methods for minimizing and mitigating impacts from surface disturbance related to oil and gas operations.
• Provide technical knowledge and guidance to the regulated community and Local Governmental Designees.
• Identify orphaned wells and wells sites and refer to Orphaned Well Program.
• Evaluate and propose new rules and regulations or modifications to existing rules and regulations for implementation by COGCC.
• Provide expert testimony to Commission or other regulatory agency regarding compliance of oil and gas facilities with Commission rules and the Colorado Oil and Gas Act.
• Represent the COGCC at public outreach events and meetings and conduct stakeholder meetings.

Description of Job

Position Summary: This position prosecutes violations of the Commission’s Rules.
An Enforcement Officer's responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

• Providing legal advice in the course of investigating alleged violations of Commission Rules and the issuance of Notices of Alleged Violations (NOAVs);
• Assembles and leads a work team comprised of COGCC and Office of the Attorney General staff with subject matter expertise related to the specific complaint;
• Prepares enforcement cases for hearing and represents COGCC staff before a Hearing Officer, Administrative Law Judge, or the Commission in contested enforcement hearings;
• Negotiates settlements with violators of the Act and Commission Rules;
• Prepares all filings and other documents related to the prosecuting of an enforcement case;
• Prepares draft final orders in contested matters.

Prosecute Enforcement Cases – Consent Decrees

• Decide the appropriate legal and regulatory citations to include in NOAV’s and Administrative Orders by Consent (AOC’s)
• Decide the best strategy, course of action, and terms or conditions to use in the settlement of the OGCC’s enforcement actions to ensure compliance with applicable law and department and agency policy objectives
• Assess and determine appropriate fines for violations of COGCC rules
• Work with the operator (or its attorney) and COGCC staff to ensure that all violations by the operator are well-documented, that the appropriate corrective action and penalty assessed are included, and that any additional information that can be provided by the operator is incorporated into the final AOC
• Meet with the operator (or its attorney) and COGCC staff to mediate any disputes contained in the AOC, and to facilitate an administrative resolution
• Mediate disputes through negotiation with complainants
• Present and defend his/her AOC’s before a Hearing Officer, Administrative Law Judge, or the Commission for final approval
• Prosecute contested enforcement actions before a Hearing Officer, Administrative Law Judge, or the Commission

Prosecute Contested Enforcement Actions
Enforcement Guidance to Technical Staff

• Decide and explain the appropriate legal and regulatory citations to include on NOAVs, AOCs and OFVs.
• Evaluate the sufficiency of evidence and work with technical staff regarding information necessary to support enforcement actions.
• Coordinate various alleged violations with different technical staff units for a unified enforcement action.
• Confer with the regulated industry about compliance.

CORA (Colorado Open Records Act) Response

• Review CORA requests to develop internal processes required to respond
• Coordinate with the Office of the Attorney General in evaluating responsive documents and assisting identification of documents subject to exceptions from disclosure
• Communicate COGCC’s responses to requests under CORA

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights

Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in a field of study related to the work assignment.

AND

Three years of professional experience in an occupational field related to the work assignment.

Substitutions:
Additional experience related to one of the specified fields of study or in another field of study directly related to the assignment will substitute for the education on a year-for-year basis. A master's or doctorate degree in one of the specified fields of study or in another field of study directly related to the assignment will substitute for the degree and one or two years of experience respectively.

Please note: The required experience must be substantiated within the work experience section of your application. Your resume will not be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications; only the work experience section of your application will be reviewed to determine this. “See Resume” statements on the application will not be accepted. In addition, part-time work will be prorated.

• Attorney licensed in the State of Colorado
• Professional experience with trial and hearings
• Excellent legal writing and legal research skills
• Excellent negotiation skills
• Experience giving presentation to diverse audiences
• Current or former State experience relevant to this position

Conditions of Employment:

• Colorado residency is required at the time of application.
• Former State employees who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination must disclose the information on the application and provide an explanation why the prior termination or resignation should not disqualify their application from the current position. (Please Note: Absent extraordinary circumstances, prior disciplinary termination or resignation in lieu of termination will disqualify the applicant from future State employment with DNR).
• Must be willing and able to possess and maintain a State of Colorado Driver's License
• Must be willing and able to travel to out of town hearings of the COGCC
• Must be willing and able to occasionally exert up to 20 lbs. of force to move objects

APPEAL RIGHTS:
It is recommended that you contact the Human Resources Specialist listed below to resolve issues related to your possession of minimum qualifications. However, if you receive notice that you have been eliminated from consideration for this position, you may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board or request a review by the State Personnel Director.

An appeal or review must be submitted on the official appeal form, signed by you or your representative. This form must be delivered to the State Personnel Board by email, US Mail, faxed or hand delivered within ten (10) calendar days from your receipt of notice or acknowledgement of the department’s action.

For more information about the appeals process, the official appeal form, and how to deliver it to the State Personnel Board go to spb.colorado.gov or refer to 4 Colorado Code of Regulations (CCR) 801-1, State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures, Chapter 8, Resolution of Appeals and Disputes, at spb.colorado.gov under Rules.

Supplemental Information

The Colorado Constitution requires all appointments and promotions in the state personnel system be made according to merit and fitness.

Check out https://careers.colorado.gov/how-to-apply for a quick video on how to apply for State of Colorado and Department of Natural Resources jobs, as well as how to search for jobs.

Applicant Checklist:
Complete Applications must include the following documents:

• A complete online Application for Announced Vacancy
• A cover letter that describes 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.
• A current resume uploaded as an attachment to your online application
• 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. 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.

The Assessment Process

• All applications received by the closing of this announcement will be reviewed by an HR Specialist against the Minimum Qualifications in this announcement.
• 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 will be a structured application review by Subject Matter Experts.
• Resumes, cover letters and other attachments are not considered as part of initial reviews, therefore, it is important to document in your application your education, experience, minimum qualifications, and preferred qualifications as outlined in the job announcement .
• Please thoroughly answer all supplemental questions (if listed) since question responses may be evaluated for content, writing ability, spelling, grammar, and effective communication.
• This recruitment may involve additional testing and/or exams to arrive at the top group for interviews.

Comparative analysis factors to be assessed:

• Technical Competence – Technical experience as it relates to the duties outlined in this job announcement.
• Depth and Breadth of Experience – Experience that covers multiple areas outlined in this job announcement; varied and not one dimensional; and demonstrate progressively higher level of responsibility with a wide range.
• Job Fit – Experience evaluated to determine how well your experience aligns with and meets the business needs of this position. Current/recent experience is preferred.
• Upload additional pages if necessary to detail your experience and accomplishments. 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 in future steps in the assessment process.