It’s a great time to join the City of Boulder!
Application Deadline:
November 29, 2026
Compensation Details:
Full Pay Range
134,680.00 - 202,009.60
Generally, the hiring range is from the minimum up to 80% of the range.This is a full-time salaried position.
Scheduled Weekly Hours:
40
Benefit Eligibility Group:
Non Union (30+ Hours)
Locate the Benefit Eligibility Group value on the Employee Benefit Eligibility document to identify the benefits offered for this job.
Job Description Summary:
This is a fixed-term appointment of 18 to 24 months. The position will provide continuity of leadership during a period of rapid organizational growth, and will prepare OCED for future standalone department status. The selected individual will play a central role in building the office's organizational infrastructure, advancing its highest-priority initiatives, and collaborating across departments and external partners for long-term success.
Under limited direction, serves as the primary operational and strategic leader of the Office of Cultural and Economic Development (OCED), within the City Manager's Office. Responsible for the day-to-day collaboration with management and strategic coordination of the office's four areas — economic and business development, urban development, and arts and cultural programming.
Job Description:
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITES
Provides day-to-day operational leadership for all OCED functions, serving as the primary internal point of accountability for office performance, staff management, and cross-divisional coordination.
Plans and positions the OCED work for future growth and advancement within the organization.
Supervises the team leads overseeing economic development strategy and finance, business development and arts and culture; provides coaching, performance management, and professional development to all direct reports.
Develops and maintains an integrated, office-wide work plan aligned with the city's Economic Vitality Strategy, Arts Blueprint, and Citywide Strategic Plan, ensuring coherent prioritization across both portfolios.
Establishes and enforces standard operating procedures, meeting cadences, and internal communication systems that enable the office to function at a high level as it scales.
Fosters a unified, mission-driven team culture across economic development and arts and culture work — treating the integration of these portfolios as an organizational strength.
Provides executive oversight for the office's highest-priority and most complex initiatives, including Downtown Development Authority formation, Urban Renewal Authority activities, major redevelopment opportunities, and the development of new economic governance structures such as Metro Districts.
Directs implementation of the Arts Blueprint, including new program initiatives emerging from the Blueprint adoption, and ensures alignment between cultural programming and broader economic development strategy.
Oversees development of new economic development tools, financial incentive programs, and public-private partnership structures, ensuring financial feasibility, community engagement, and policy alignment.
Sets project goals, allocates resources across the office, and ensures cross-departmental collaboration on major strategic priorities involving Planning and Development, Finance, the City Attorney's Office, and other strategic partners.
Provides expert analysis and recommendations to the City Manager, Board and Commission, including City Council, as needed, on economic trends, redevelopment opportunities, and policy choices, drawing on data from the office's economic research and reporting functions.
Works closely with the Assistant City Manager to assess and build the organizational infrastructure necessary for OCED to grow and advance in the organization, including staffing models, budget structures, governance frameworks, and performance measurement systems.
Documents institutional knowledge, policies, and processes to…