CPW Firearms Safety Program Assistant I at State of Colorado

About the Department

• Medical and Dental plans
• Strong, flexible retirement plans including PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan, plus pre-tax and Roth 401K and 457 plans
• Paid life insurance
• Short- and long-term disability coverage
• Employee Wellness programs
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Health Savings Accounts
• 11 paid holidays per year plus generous vacation and sick leave
• Flexible work schedule options and remote-work options
• Career advancement opportunities throughout the State system
• Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

The Field Services Branch of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is responsible for providing and/or overseeing the delivery of law enforcement programs, services, and trained staff necessary to enforce laws, rules, and regulations required to protect and preserve the state’s wildlife and parks resources.  The branch includes multiple units, including Investigations (LEU), the CPW K9 Program, Emergency Management/Backcountry Search and Rescue (EM/BSAR), Commercial Parks, Illegal Trafficking Unit, Training, Law Enforcement Records, Boating Safety, and Registrations.

Specifically, the Firearms Safety Program is a newly created work unit within Field Services with the passage of SB25-003. The administration of the Firearms Safety Program was legislatively designated as a CPW function, in cooperation with local county Sheriff’s offices and The Colorado Bureau of Investigation, that must be in place and available for public use on August 1, 2026.

The Firearm Safety Program will manage the following functions, as required by legislation:  1) Build and maintain a central database housing firearms eligibility information required by the bill that is accessible to county sheriffs, private firearms instructors, Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation in a secure manner, 2) Design and write firearms training curriculum as required by SB25-003, 3) Design and write an eligibility assessment questionnaire to be administered by Sheriff’s offices for all applicants, 4) Liaison with sheriffs offices, CBI, firearms instructors and FFLs to complete the requirements set forth by SB25-003, and 5) work in conjunction with the Parks and Wildlife Commission to establish a firearms safety program records fee to provide on-going funding for the program.

Position Duties

The Firearms Safety Program Assistant will provide administrative support for the Firearms Safety Program Manager and Training Specialist associated with SB25-003. This administrative support includes tracking and managing program operations budgets, CORE entry, SARA allocation, ARAS allocation, contractual support, meeting coordination, and other logistical needs. 

Customer Support:

• This position will be the point of contact for answering customer inquiries regarding the newly created Firearms Safety Program. 
• This position will be expected to research and formulate answers in an accurate and timely manner to inquiries received via phone, email, and through the mail.

• This position will provide administrative support to the Firearms Safety Program Manager and Training Specialist. Duties will include CORE entry, contractual support, budget tracking, and other logistical needs. 
• This position will assist with the procurement process of completing purchase orders and contracts, following all state procurement requirements and protocol. 
• This position will assist with meeting preparation and logistical planning for stakeholder meetings. 
• This position will additionally determine travel arrangements for the Program Manager and Training Specialist, coordinating schedule restraints, rentals, and lodging.

• The position will assist with the development of a firearms safety database. 

• This position will assist with testing and troubleshooting all functionalities of the database prior to program go-live. Upon program go-live, the position will assist with data entry, ensuring the accuracy and completeness of all data entered. 

• This employee will be required to regularly handle and protect PII (Personal Identifying Information) and will be responsible for regular auditing of the PII. This position will serve as the main point of contact for all database troubleshooting for both external customers and stakeholders. 

• This position will be responsible for creating accurate and timely data reports for any regularly anticipated reporting frequencies, in addition to providing timely data for all ad-hoc data and program information requests. 

• This position will require working closely with the CPW Budget Analyst to determine the annual starting budget and then creating a budget tracking process for ongoing purchases and expenditures. 
• This position will be required to provide a monthly expense report to the Program Manager and cross-check expenditures using state-sponsored resources such as the CPW Budget Dashboard.

• The Field Services Branch has extremely variable work objectives and work units; including Special Operations, Emergency Management & Backcountry Search and Rescue, Training, Boating Safety, LE Records and Registrations.  
• On a regular basis, work projects and events require members of each unit to assist in other areas of the branch to achieve objectives.  
• Specifically, Program Assistants may be required to assist with other administrative and support functions for time sensitive and special projects.  
  • The duties may include assistance with In-Service Training planning, Rule 17 compliance, LE records needs or other duties as assigned.  This effort is to provide redundancy and information sharing to ensure smooth operation throughout the branch.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience Only:

Four (4) years of relevant experience in firearms training, customer service, retail manager, front desk services, call center, conflict management, book keeping.

Or

Education and Experience:

A combination of related education and/or relevant experience in firearms training, customer service, retail manager, front desk services, call center, conflict management, book keeping equal to four (4) years.

• Current or former State experience relevant to this position.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Ability to work in a team.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Understanding of firearms and firearms laws or regulations
• Adaptable and open to change.

• Organization and time management skills.
• Strong level of written and oral communication skills.
• Strong multi tasking skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Google suite.
• Able to demonstrate the ability to handle confidential and protected information.

• State of Colorado residency is required at the time of application.
• Firearms proficiency.
• Must possess and maintain a valid state of Colorado driver's license if operating a State vehicle.
• This position will be asked to travel overnight occasionally for meetings and as directed by supervisor
• Former State employees who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination must disclose the information on the application and provide an explanation why the prior termination or resignation should not disqualify their application from the current position.  (Please Note: Absent extraordinary circumstances, prior disciplinary termination or resignation in lieu of termination will
  disqualify the applicant from future State employment with DNR).

• Must be able to legally possess and handle firearms.

• Must be able to pass a criminal background check

• Pursuant to the DNR-120 Fleet and Driving Standards Administrative Directive, any worker who will be expected to drive a State-owned vehicle is responsible for maintaining a safe driving record and a valid driver license prior to driving any State-owned vehicle. To be compliant with the new fleet vehicle policy, Motor Vehicle Records (MVRs) will be pulled for review for workers who: 

  • Have an assigned State fleet vehicle

  • Are required to operate a vehicle as part of the position

  • Utilize a State fleet vehicle as a pool vehicle

Other Qualifications

• All applications received by the closing of this announcement will be reviewed by an HR Specialist against the Minimum Qualifications in this announcement. 

• Colorado Revised Statutes require that state employees are hired and promoted based on merit and fitness through a comparative analysis process. Part of, or all of, the comparative analysis for this position will be a structured application review by Subject Matter Experts.

• Resumes, cover letters and other attachments are not considered as part of initial reviews, therefore, it is important to document in your application your education, experience, minimum qualifications, and preferred qualifications as outlined in the job announcement. 

• Please thoroughly answer all supplemental questions (if listed) since question responses may be evaluated for content, writing ability, spelling, grammar, and effective communication. 

• This recruitment may involve additional testing and/or exams to arrive at the top group for interviews.

The State of Colorado strives to create a Colorado for All by building and maintaining workplaces that value and respect all Coloradans through a commitment to equal opportunity and hiring based on merit and fitness.

The State is resolute in non-discriminatory practices in everything we do, including hiring, employment, and advancement opportunities.