Chief of Economic Recovery Strategy

Help the Polis administration to “focus like a laser beam on the economy” and achieve the Governor’s Wildly Important Goal (WIG) for Colorado to remain in the top 5 economies in the country through June 2022 (including sub goals for jobs/unemployment, business environment, and growth).

Key roles: Lead a 6-12 month response, involving representatives from the public and private sectors, to address the economic challenges resulting from COVID-19. Ensure that Colorado is creating and implementing economic policies and programs that enable a fast and robust recovery. This may include convening thought leaders, researching and developing policies, modeling various outcomes, and building consensus.

Develop a strategy to achieve the WIG and ensure progress toward its achievement. Requires assessing sufficiency/insufficiency of department strategies, identifying gaps and risks, and proposing non-agency strategies, tools, and resources. Requires leading the Administration in breaking out of silos and agency thinking to achieve a bold result.

Other responsibilities:

• Coordinates economic policy advice for the Governor, resolving conflicting advice from agencies, and streamlining the Governor’s economic briefings to key information
• Ensures that policy decisions are consistent with the Governor’s economic goals
• Analyzes progress achieved against the Governor’s economic goals, proposing changes as needed during this highly uncertain time

Desired attributes:

• Economist (or related field) willing to take 6-12 mos. leave from a position at a university, business, government agency, research organization, or think-tank.
• Strategic thinker, with policy expertise in economic recovery.
• Works well with the numerous high level executives and decision makers, including Cabinet members and advisers whose policy jurisdictions impact the state’s economy, i.e., someone who will lead and coordinate efforts without stifling voices.
• Excellent research skills. The position does not have a dedicated staff, but will draw from resources in the Governor’s Office and Departments, including staff economists in OSPB, policy analysts, and Department SMEs in health, business, labor, agriculture, energy, finance, fiscal policy, and healthcare.
• Strong written and verbal presentation skills are needed, representing the Governor in interagency meetings and engagement with external stakeholders. Many perspectives, from inside and outside of government, must be given voice, ensuring that the Governor has informed advice in a timely and efficient way.