Program Assistant I

Department Information
This position is open only to Colorado state residents.
An eligible list established with this recruitment may be used to fill other similar positions within the Colorado Department of Public Safety in the next 12 months.

Our Mission – Engaged employees working together to safeguard lives and to provide diverse public safety services to local communities
Our Vision – Creating safer and more resilient communities across Colorado
Our Core Values – Unity, Honor, Service

CDPS commits to cultivating an equitable, diverse, and inclusive work environment. We ensure that we recruit, retain, and promote engaged employees. Our approach to diversity is simple – it’s about embracing everyone! We strive to build and nurture a culture where inclusiveness is a reflex, not an initiative. Our strength is our promise to be inclusive with intentional strategies to welcome and uplift our employees to thrive – while building a more equitable workplace. CDPS is an equal opportunity employer. See our CDPS 2022 Equal Employment Opportunity Plan

Why Do I Love My Job at CDPS

At CDPS we nurture a centric culture driven by our commitment of creating a safer Colorado, an inclusive workplace where everyone can be their own authentic self. We model a culture of collaboration, support and growth to our employees. Our culture has public service focus, and we strive to provide innovative solutions and services to our fellow Coloradans!

Careers with a purpose:

If you are passionate about public safety service, and are eager to dedicate your career to serving Coloradans, this is the organization you want to join!
We are committed to providing public safety services to our fellow Coloradans in their times of greater needs such as: safety on our roads, preparing and mitigating environmental disasters, disaster recovery, combating crime, school safety, and victim recovery.
You’ll have the opportunity to challenge yourself and acquire new capabilities to build a rewarding and fulfilling career while making a difference in our community!

When you join CDPS, you are joining a team of exceptional individuals and together you will be inspired, motivated and supported to become the best you can be.

Unmatched Benefits:

We highly value work life balance and offer excellent work-life programs, training and enriching professional development opportunities and a wide range of benefits.
Medical and dental options are available for permanent employees and their dependents. We also offer short and long-term disability coverage, and life insurance that includes legal resources and discounts.

State contribution into Health Savings Account when enrolled in HDHP.

Job protected medical leave under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the State of Colorado Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program (FAMLI).
Paid medical leave benefits provided by the State of Colorado.

Eligibility for hybrid or other flexible work arrangements based on the nature of the role.

We offer unmatched retirement benefits including mandatory PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan, plus optional 401K and 457 plans. For information on mandatory employee salary deferral (in lieu of contribution to Social Security), visit Colorado PERA for details.

CDPS provides generous time off including 11 paid holidays annually and accrued annual and sick leave and annual wellness days.

The Employee Assistance Program (C-SEAP) is available in every region of the state. It is our effort to support the well-being of employees and the workplace. EAPs provide short-term counseling, referrals and resources, as well as training and organizational development services.
Additional benefits offered include tuition reimbursement and reduced college tuition at CSU Global and DeVry University.

Credit Union of Colorado membership eligibility.

To learn more about State of Colorado benefits, please visit State of Colorado benefits.

Description of Job
About the Work Unit
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation Forensic Services maintains four operational forensic science laboratories throughout the state: Denver, Pueblo, Grand Junction, and Northern Region. Forensic Services is responsible for the scientific analysis of physical evidence collected during the investigation of criminal cases. The role of our scientists is to evaluate, examine the evidence using the latest state of the art techniques, and objectively testify to their findings for the state and federal law enforcement agencies we serve and for the prosecution and defense in court. In order to best serve the citizens of Colorado, we strive to build and maintain partnerships not only with law enforcement agencies but also within the communities we serve.
About the Job
This position exists to support staff operations of the regional CBI Forensic Science Laboratories by using a variety of complex computer programs to collect, organize, evaluate, collate, enter, retrieve, and analyze operational, financial, and forensic information to assist management, forensic scientists, and technicians with daily and on-going functions. Analysis, logic, and focus are necessary to determine which of the operational activities and procedures are required for each assignment. This position is held to a high level of confidentiality. This position coordinates administrative functions for lab staff; assemble, calculate, and circulate forensic statistics; collect, evaluate, and research data; interpret policy and procedure within position’s authority, and orders supplies, provides accounting, and budgetary support.

This position serves as the face of the laboratory and as such is responsible for greeting, assisting and solving the day to day concerns and issues of all internal and external customers, whether by phone, through email or in person. It is expected that this position demonstrates the highest level of customer service in all of these interactions. Because many of the inquiries for assistance begin with Administrative staff, this position must make solid professional judgments and complex reasoning regarding the next steps to assist these individuals including who to contact and what to do. This requires the ongoing ability to build relationships within and outside the building. This position must ensure that the physical working environment supports the expectation of excellence in service.
Key Responsibilities

Casework and Discovery Support
Casework-related functions are discovery management, Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) entry, and information liaison for District Attorney’s offices and Law Enforcement agencies. The CBI receives discovery requests for CBI cases that can contain multiple reports from multiple forensic disciplines being completed at different times. The Program Assistant I manages the discovery by providing the discoveries for completed reports, monitoring reports in progress, notifying forensic scientists of the request, providing the additional discoveries as the reports are completed, and communicating with the DAs office regarding the timeline for the full discovery. The Program Assistant I also efficiently and effectively enters all casework-related documentation and correspondence into the LIMS. This position understands the confidentiality requirements and ensures case information is provided only to appropriate individuals and knows the Forensic Services processes with enough detail to direct calls to the appropriate manager, forensic scientist, or forensic discipline.

The Program Assistant I takes on special casework projects as needed. Creating reports from LIMS data, completing ‘LIMS Administrator’ steps for cases that are part of a specific specific project, and data mining to troubleshoot, identify, and help resolve a quality incident are examples of these special projects.

Forensic Services Program Support
The Program Assistant I manages the laboratory asset inventory, finds appropriate vendors for needed facility repairs, coordinates scheduling of vendors to accommodate Forensic Services personnels’ changing schedules, and books travel arrangements. They also process incoming mail; order supplies; update Qualtrax and SharePoint with vital forensic staff information; compose documents including letters, memos, general correspondence and spreadsheets, scan or email documents or correspondence as necessary, email and file signed reimbursements, track maintenance and mileage on fleet vehicles, maintain the forensic library, maintain subscriptions, register the forensic services staff for intra and interstate trainings, renew technical memberships, maintain digital workspaces, and uploading documents to Qualtrax.

Fiscal Support
The Program Assistant I follows all purchasing procedures, creates purchase requests, makes purchases, ensures invoices are accurate, makes the necessary inquiries when invoice concerns exist and paying these bills in a timely manner; allocates for administrative staffs’ state-issued credit cards in a timely manner, ensures that proper signatures are secured regarding all fiscal matters; monitors a particular budget as requested, ensures the correct object codes are established and are utilized properly; assists with any facet of grant management as instructed by the supervisor or other member of Forensic Services management.
Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights
NOTE: To be considered for this position, you must meet one of the following options for consideration.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE)

Four (4) years of general clerical experience supporting individual or a team.

OR

A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in any field.

WORK ENVIRONMENT
Office, sedentary, with occasional travel for special events across the state. Work schedule is typically Mon-Fri, in person.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
Requires successful completion of a background investigation that includes a polygraph exam, a fingerprint based criminal history search, a drug screen, court records review, personal evaluation profile test and reference checks.
Must be Colorado resident at the time of application

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. A standard appeal form is available at: www.colorado.gov/spb. If you appeal, your appeal must be submitted in writing on the official appeal form, signed by you or your representative, and received at the following address within 10 days of your receipt of notice or knowledge of the action: Colorado State Personnel Board/State Personnel Director, Attn: Appeals Processing, 1525 Sherman Street, 4th Floor, Denver, CO 80203. Fax: 303-866-5038. Phone: 303-866-3300. The ten-day deadline and these appeal procedures also apply to all charges of discrimination.
Supplemental Information
ARE YOU IN NEED OF AN ACCOMODATION?

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 Human Resources at cdps_hr@state.co.us .

EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION STATEMENT

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. The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them. Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.

Colorado Department of Public Safety is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, 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 our Human Resources department at cdps_hr@state.co.us .

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.

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY – RECRUITMENT TIMELINE INFORMATION
Applications are considered complete and accurate at the time of submission. Therefore, additional information may not be solicited or accepted after your application has been received.
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 may 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.