Operations Director

Job Title: Operations Director Job Code: 880014

Monthly Salary Range: $10,826 - $14,615 FLSA Status: Exempt

Annual Salary Range: $129,913 - $175,383 Location: Colorado

Reports to: Executive Director Approved: October 9, 2026

Application Opening Date: 10/9/26 Application Closing Date: 10/23/2026 at 9:00am MST

Please note this posting may be used to establish an applicant talent pool.

About Bridges of Colorado

Established in 2018, Bridges of Colorado places Bridges Service Professionals across Colorado's 23 judicial districts to serve defendants (referred to as participants) in the criminal justice system who have significant mental health needs. Individuals with high acuity mental health needs are ten times more likely to be jailed and nationally there are three times more individuals with serious mental illness in jails or prisons than in hospitals. Bridges has been identified nationwide as a promising practice that focuses on the whole person. At its very core, Bridges is person-centered advocacy rooted in solution-focused, collaborative practices intended to promote positive outcomes for participants.

About the Role

This role exemplifies our values of being

Person-Centered by

• Participating in onboarding, education, communities of practice, team meetings, and professional development opportunities as recommended or required by Bridges leadership and supervisor. Support Bridges team in providing effective and meaningful services for participants through person-centered, solution-focused, and collaborative practices within the operational functions of the Office.
• Supporting Bridges team in providing effective and meaningful services for participants through person-centered, solution-focused, and collaborative practices within the operational functions of the Office.
• Supervising office managers. Responsibilities include training, planning, assigning, and directing work; quality control and priority management; and delivery of supervision and support to the administrative team. Leads or provides input into and participates in discipline, dismissal, and hiring processes for direct reports.
• Focusing on innovation and support of methods and processes for meaningful resources and experiences for all Bridges employees.
• Identifying areas for professional development of the office manager team’s employees for optimal personal performance and sustained engagement and retention. Manage direct reports and support their professional development with a whole-person approach.
• Supporting the leadership and liaison teams in innovatively centering the voices and experiences of participants through design, implementation, and management of operational systems which remove employee barriers, ultimately promoting positive outcomes for participants.

Solution-Focused by

• Championing a positive culture and taking leadership of the role in alignment with Bridges’ mission and values. Support Bridges team by providing long- and short-term strategic and operational leadership of the Office's operational functions and needs, including fiscal, human resources, information technology, and office space.
• Supporting Bridges team by providing long- and short-term strategic and operational leadership of the Office's operational functions and needs, including fiscal, human resources, information technology, and office space.
• Creating and directing innovative solutions and continuous improvement strategies to enhance operational support services.
• Developing or implementing fiscal rules, procedures, and internal controls to ensure consistent and efficient administrative services within broader regulatory, statutory, and constitutional requirements.
  
• Preparing, analyzing, and providing monthly budget monitoring updates and budget management strategies to the executive director.
• Assisting the executive director with budget-related deadlines. As needed, assist executive director in preparing the Office’s annual budget submission, budget requests, supplemental requests, figure-setting, budget-related legislative issues, and legislative responses to requests for fiscal analyses.
  
• Development and oversight of a procurement and contracting management policy, process, MOUs, and systems for the Office, ensuring that they all comply with fiscal rules and state law, including maintaining appropriate documentation.
• Maintaining and securing confidential personnel records of employees and applicants, including hiring materials, job descriptions, employment letters, I-9 documentation and other onboarding materials, benefits enrollment and terminations, workspace agreements, personnel actions, and employee IDs, position numbers, and necessary personal information according to state and federal laws and regulations.
  
• Staying current with personnel rules, policies, laws, and other rules and regulations regarding Office and state benefits. Provide oversight and develop processes to ensure employees are sufficiently informed of benefits available to them and are assisted with benefits enrollment, application, notification, and enrollment and termination by OASIA. Maintain and secure all related employee information per state and federal law.
  
• Supervising the Office’s criminal history background check (CHC) process, including document retention. Provide education and training to Office employees and supervisors on policies and procedures for conducting CHC’s.
• Providing oversight and guidance on Office personnel matters related to workers’ rights including, but not limited to, workers’ compensation, short- and long-term disability, Family Medical Leave Act matters, Family and Medical Leave Insurance matters, and Americans with Disabilities Act matters. Provide education and training to Office employees and supervisors on policies and procedures for related employee requests.
• Overseeing the Office’s information technology systems and IT contracts supporting those systems and make recommendations for best solutions and innovations to support the needs of the Office.

Collaborative by

• Engaging with Bridges team members, supervisor, and leadership to support continuous program improvement and development of services. Strategize and collaborate with the leadership team to provide ethical, financially sound systems and operational best practices within the Office.
• Strategizing and collaborating with the leadership team to provide ethical, financially sound systems and operational best practices within the Office.
• Maintaining a comprehensive understanding of independent agency operations working within compliance systems that include internal controls and legal requirements.
• Creating or assisting with developing and implementing rules, policies, procedures, and programs to ensure efficient operations and provide financial, human resources, and IT support to the Leadership team and all employees.
• Developing and implementing rules, policies, and procedures to ensure efficient operations and provide transactional human resources support to the organization and its employees.
• Engaging with OASIA to provide the Office with accounting support, including processing payments in the State Accounting System (CORE), vendor management in CORE, initiating accounting transactions directed by the Office, issuance and management of Office and employee PCARDS, maintaining account coding structure, and providing accounting related support.
• Identifying and creating solutions for office space needs of Bridges, both centrally in Denver and in regions as needs are identified.
• Assisting with auditing requests, as directed by the executive director or Bridges Commission.
• Ensuring staff support is provided to the Bridges Commission, as needed.
• Developing and engaging in specific projects and assignments to support Bridges as directed by the executive director.

Will provide direct supervision of office managers.

About You

You are passionate about working to improve the systems of care for those caught in the intersection of behavioral health and the criminal justice system, along with the following;

• Passionate about working to improve the systems of care for those caught in the intersection of behavioral health and the criminal justice system.
• Person-centered, solutions-focused, and collaborative and are deeply committed to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• Value individualized solutions and responses that are meaningful to the participant and their well-being.
• Knowledge and experience of interpersonal trauma-informed approaches and systems of care, specifically understanding the importance of being person-centered, solution-focused, and collaborative in this work.
• Able to communicate and collaborate with varying levels of positions of power and manage conflict proactively and responsively with professionalism, confidentiality, clarity, and effectiveness.
• Creative, self-motivated, and able to work and make decisions independently in a decentralized environment.
• Client-driven and values-driven.
• Aligned with Bridges’ culture and passionate about supporting it throughout the organization.
• Must be responsive, flexible and adaptable to the evolving needs of the role and the organization.
• Capable of, and enjoys, thriving in a fast-paced, multi-tasking environment with thoughtful decision-making skills.
• Emotional intelligence; able to create and sustain helpful, professional relationships thoughtfully and responsively with empathy, respect, and collaboration.
• Paralegal support and contract and procurement experience.

Lived Experience

At Bridges, we value lived experience in all forms. If you were formally justice involved or have experiences within the criminal justice and behavioral systems outside of formal education and work experience, we want to know! To discuss how your lived experience may be considered as a substitution for minimum qualifications, please reach out to Jori Dovey, People & Culture Director at jori.dovey@bridgesofcolorado.gov.

Minimum Qualifications

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree in a related field.
• Candidate must have a minimum of seven (7+) years of experience in operational leadership.
• At least three (3+) years of direct employee supervision with staff oversight of transactional human resource processes, practices, and compliance.
• At least two (2+) years of budgeting, contracts and procurement, and legal support.
• At least two (2+) years of providing formal training to other professionals.
• Ability to work independently with a hybrid environment
• Ability to organize and prioritize work
• Demonstration of professional alignment with Bridges values, culture, and principles of justice and equity through the organization.

OR

• At least two (2+) years as an employee or contractor with Bridges may substitute for the minimum qualifications above, with additional specialized training that may be required upon hire.
• Years of relevant work experience may substitute for the educational requirement with the exception of any required licenses, certifications, or accreditations.
• Years of education may substitute for the work experience requirement.
• Relevant lived experience could be considered as a substitution for educational and/or work experience with the exception of any required licenses, certifications, or accreditations. Please contact Jori Dovey, jori.dovey@bridgesofcolorado.gov, to determine whether your lived experience substitutes for any of the minimum qualifications.

Preferred Qualifications

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a master’s degree in a related field.
• Ten or more (10+) years of experience in office operations, office support, operations assistance, or a combination of the above.
• Experience providing support to employees within the criminal justice and/or behavioral health industry.
• Demonstrated continuing education, advocacy, or volunteer work in diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice or social justice principles. Lived experience will also be considered.
• Spanish speaking is a plus, and levels of proficiency will be considered in an employee’s pay.

Position Location and Travel Requirements

Bridges supports and fosters a flexible workplace for its employees. Upon initial employment, the supervisor will make a workplace determination which best suits the needs of Bridges and the employee’s role. This position will work from home with regular in-person requirements to meet business needs and state travel, depending on the particular assignment. Employees are expected to be readily available to meet business and last-minute needs. Travel to the Bridges office in Denver is to be expected. Reliable transportation will be required.

Accommodations

The Office of Bridges of Colorado 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 performing essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation, please direct your inquiries to Jori Dovey, People & Culture Director, jori.dovey@bridgesofcolorado.gov.

Compensation

We are proud of our equity-conscious pay scale for all positions, providing livable wages, robust benefits, and meaningful time-off policies.

This position's hiring pay is salaried. Pay for this position is $129,913 to $149,400. For equity, the pay for this position (and all Bridges positions) is based upon the cost-of-living adjustment for the Denver metro area. Actual compensation offered will be determined based on prior experience, education, knowledge, skills, and abilities relevant to the position. As a person grows in this role, the full pay range is currently $129,913 to $175,383.

In addition, we offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes health, dental, and vision coverage for spouses, families, and domestic partners; employer-paid basic life and AD&D insurance and short and long-term disability insurance; Public Employee Retirement Association (PERA) benefits; family and parental leave benefits; generous paid time off. Click here for further information about State of Colorado employee benefits.

We also offer professional and career development opportunities, including clinical supervision toward relevant licensure.
A cell phone will be provided, along with a hybrid work arrangement when feasible for your position’s responsibilities. Each employee will receive a laptop for their home office or travel for work. All employees will also receive exclusive parking at a discounted rate near the Ralph Carr Judicial building for easy access to the in-person meetings in Denver.

How to Apply

You will be required to provide the following documents:

• Resume
• Cover letter
• List of three references with contact information (2 of 3 must be professional)

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Faxed, mailed, or emailed applications will not be accepted unless you are instructed to do so. Please direct any additional inquiries or questions to jori.dovey@bridgesofcolorado.gov.

If you are offered employment, the following are the conditions of employment:

• Be a current resident of the State of Colorado or become a resident of the State of Colorado within 30 days of the hire date;
• Have reliable transportation to meet your position’s travel requirements;
• Ability to work remotely, in an office setting, and travel throughout Colorado or region, depending on the position’s responsibilities;
• Be willing to submit to a routine background investigation, including a criminal history check;
• If hired, the Immigration Reform and Control Act requires you to provide proof of your eligibility to work in the United States within three (3) workdays of your start date.

Bridges of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion of all voices in the workplace. We consider applicants equally and do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, religion, social class, national origin, marital or parental status, pregnancy, disability status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or political affiliation. We are committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and an environment of representation of diversity. We highly encourage individuals of all identities, backgrounds, and experiences to apply.

A State of Colorado Employer

By clicking on the 'Submit' button, I hereby certify that every statement I have made in this application is true and complete to the best of my knowledge. I understand that any false or incomplete answer maybe grounds for not employing me or for dismissing me after I begin work. I understand that I will have to produce documentation verifying identity and employment eligibility in the U.S. I understand that I may be required to verify any and all information given on this application. I understand that this completed application is the property of State of Colorado and will not be returned. I understand State of Colorado may contact prior employers and other references. I understand that I must notify the department to which I applied of any changes in my name, physical or e-mail address, or phone number. I understand that the information contained herein is considered public record and may be released upon request, subject to the limitations of any applicable open records laws.