Program Associate - Healthy Food for Denver’s Kids - Department of Public Health and Environment

About Our JobWith competitive pay, great benefits, and endless opportunities, working for the City and County of Denver means seeing yourself working with purpose — for you, and those who benefit from your passion, skills and expertise. Join our diverse, inclusive and talented workforce of more than 11,000 team members who are at the heart of what makes Denver, Denver.What We OfferThe City and County of Denver offers a competitive salary commensurate with education and experience. The salary range for this position is $68,773.00 - $91,124.00. We also offer generous benefits for full-time employees which include but are not limited to:A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service457B Retirement Plan140 hours of PTO earned within first year + 12 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday, 1 Wellness Day and 1 volunteer day per yearCompetitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start dateThis is a limited position with an expected end date of December 31, 2029.LocationThe City and County of Denver supports a hybrid workplace model. Employees work at a job site 3 days per week and off-site as needed. Employees must work within the state of Colorado on their off-site days. The office for this position is located at the Wellington E. Webb Municipal Building at 201 W. Colfax Ave., Denver, CO 80202.What You’ll DoDenver's Department of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE) is dedicated to advancing Denver's environmental and public health goals. DDPHE works collaboratively with city, state and community partners to conduct education, community engagement, and enforcement to promote healthy people, healthy pets, and a sustainable environment. DDPHE oversees a number of services related to public health and the environment and is comprised of seven divisions: Division of Shared Services and Business Operations; Community & Behavioral Health; Public Health Investigations; Denver Animal Protection; the Office of Medical Examiner; Emergency Management and Medical Operations; and Environmental Quality. For more information on DDPHE’s programs and services, visit the DDPHE website at: Denver Department of Public Health and Environment.We foster an inclusive culture by respecting the values, customs, and authenticity of everyone and by implementing equitable public health strategies so Denver communities can thrive.The Community and Behavioral Health (CBH) division within DDPHE has an opening for a Program Associate – Healthy Food for Denver’s Kids. This position will report to the HFDK Supervisor and will work with a team of four (4) other staff members.The Healthy Food for Denver’s Kids ballot initiative increases city of Denver sales and use taxes by an estimated $11 million dollars annually for ten years (2019-2029) to fund healthy food access and food-based education for Denver’s kids, primarily low-income and under-served. The funding is distributed as grants by DDPHE, with funded projects selected by the HFDK Commission (13 non-profit, community, and government appointees). These grants have been provided to nonprofit organizations, public schools in Denver (including Denver Public Schools), and agencies of local government. Since 2020, HFDK has awarded nearly $110 million dollars to 118 organizations. DDPHE has released HFDK funds as part of six annual funding cycles, in addition to COVID-19 emergency hunger relief rapid response grants and multiple rounds of micro-grants.Specifically, in this role, you will:Utilizing technical skills to analyze HFDK grantee data and stories, develop and implement consistent, effective, and accessible public-facing communications activities, in collaboration with the DDPHE Communications Team. Draft press releases, social media posts (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X), and website updates to announce HFDK funding opportunities and publicize new grantees.Review and evaluate HFDK grantee data and stories to lead and administer strategic communications efforts, in collaboration with the DDPHE Communications Team. Determine public health significance of grantee data collected and summarize to raise public awareness of the program and showcase grantee accomplishments through storytelling and other public relations campaign activities, including project and budget management for public relations (PR) campaigns and events, including scheduling, relationship building, and coordination of stakeholders such as grantees and contractors.Using quality assurance, produce and disseminate day-to-day program communications, including compilation of and analytics review for the Food Systems Team newsletter, organization of grantee photo library, and facilitating approval of grantee logo usage.Recommend city’s position on supporting food access programs by collecting data and stories from the public around needs. Lead resident-facing community engagement for the program, in collaboration with the Community and Behavioral Health Division and Department-wide Community Engagement leads. Identify and coordinate tabling opportunities and represent HFDK at public events, which may include occasional evening and weekend events.Establish authentic and equitable community outreach and partnerships with city government, key stakeholders, and external partners, soliciting input through one-on-one meetings, listening sessions, needs assessments, and coalition participation. Guide and participate in appropriate bi-directional communication and information flow with community partners and HFDK team.Provide education and training to the HFDK Commission (e.g., orientation and onboarding). Develop and maintain strong relationships with Commissioners by guiding membership recruitment, ongoing engagement, and offboarding.Administer and advise on the HFDK program, including leading meeting logistics and administrative coordination for the DDPHE Food Team (e.g., notetaking, virtual meeting management, venue reservations, catering requests, etc.) for the HFDK Commission (bi-monthly public meetings and committee meetings), HFDK grantee gatherings, and the Denver Sustainable Food Policy Council. Implement and oversee creation of agendas and conduct meeting facilitation (current Commission subcommittees include funding, evaluation, technical assistance, and membership).As needed: administer and advise on the HFDK program, including participate in evaluation and funding activities, including contributing to and reviewing drafts of Request for Proposal and evaluation deliverables and providing technical assistance and grant support to partners upon request. May take a leadership role in future micro-grant opportunities.Actively participate as part of the broader DDPHE Food Systems and HFDK teams, working toward a shared vision for Denver food systems, including collaboration, partnerships, and collective work (e.g., related to community engagement, funding, data and evaluation, technical assistance, etc.), and navigating internal city processes.Along with all department staff, this position will actively participate on an emergency preparedness and response team to support DDPHE’s responsibilities outlined in the City’s Emergency Operations Plan. This may require being ‘on-call’ from time to time to help respond to emergencies. Additional training commensurate with assigned duties will be provided.Other duties as assigned.What You’ll BringWe value diversity of ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, sexual identity, gender, religion, language, ability, and experience and exemplify this through the makeup of our team at all levels. You'll be right at home here if you cultivate strong relationships and push yourself, your work, the people around you and Denver to the next level.Our ideal candidate has some or all the following experience, skills, and characteristics:Bachelor’s degree in relevant discipline such as Public Health, Nutrition, Sustainability, Food Systems, Agriculture, Public Administration, Business Administration, Economic and Community Development or Urban Planning, Environmental Science, Communications, Marketing or similar2-4 years of post-college technical work experience in above mentioned fields including community-based nonprofits, communications, social media, marketing, public relations, community engagement and/or policy advocacy workBasic knowledge of and/or excitement to learn about food systems, food access and food justice issuesCreative thinking and experience with communications, marketing, and/or public relations, including social media and graphic design. Familiarity with design software like Adobe ExpressExperience with community outreach and stakeholder engagement, including meeting facilitation and logistics and representing organizations and programs to public-facing audiencesAbility to problem-solve and influence decision-making processes in a diplomatic and collaborative mannerExperience working on projects in a team setting, sufficient to be able to assist with assigned projects, including developing project plans and managing timelines, budgets, and documentationAbility to implement equitable program practices that build on values of anti-racism, equity, and ensuring fair practices for allExperience collaborating with diverse or historically oppressed stakeholders and community partners to communicate and achieve shared goalsAbility to be self-directed and flexible, with strong organizational skills and detail-oriented approach to program design, policy, processes and proceduresExcellent written and spoken communication skills, including strong interpersonal skillsRequired Minimum QualificationsEducation requirement: Bachelor's Degree in Public Health, Environmental Health, or in a related field based on a specific position.Experience Requirement: One (1) year of professional experience conducting research and analysis on a variety of environmental or public health issues or conducting environmental or public health inspections and investigations to ensure compliance with regulations and standards.Education/Experience Equivalency: One (1) year of the appropriate type and level of experience may be substituted for each required year of post-high school education.Additional appropriate education may be substituted for the minimum experience requirements.License/Certifications: Requires a valid Driver's License at the time of application.Licenses and certifications must be kept current as a condition of employment.Application DeadlineThis position is expected to stay open until Friday, May 22, 2026. Please submit your application as soon as possible and no later than that date at 11:59 p.m. to ensure consideration.To be considered for this position, you must include the following on your job application (upload the attachment(s) to the Resume/CV section on the My Experience tab):Cover letterResumeAbout Everything ElseJob ProfileCE3351 Environmental Public Health Analyst AssociateTo view the full job profile including position specifications, physical demands, and probationary period, click here.Position TypeLimited (Fixed Term)Position Salary Range$68,773.00 - $113,476.00Target Pay$68,773.00 - $91,124.00AgencyDept of Public Health & EnvironmentRedeployment during Citywide EmergenciesCity and County of Denver employees may be re-deployed to work in other capacities in their own agencies or in other city agencies to support core functions of the city during a citywide emergency declared by the Mayor.The City and County of Denver provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, or any other status protected under federal, state, and/or local law.It is your right to access oral or written language assistance, sign language interpretation, real-time captioning via CART, or disability-related accommodations. To request any of these services at no cost to you, please contact View email address on click.appcast.io with three business days’ notice.Applicants for employment with the City and County of Denver must have valid work authorization that does not require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S.For information about right to work, click here for English or here for Spanish. #J-18808-Ljbffr City and County of Denver