Director of the Office of Neighborhood Safety - Office of Social Equity and Innovation

About Our Job

With 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.

The hiring range for this position is $109,134.00 - $125,000.

What We Offer

The City and County of Denver offers a competitive salary commensurate with education and experience. 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 service

• 457B Retirement Plan

• 140 hours of PTO earned within first year + 11 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday and 1 volunteer day per year

• Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date

At the Office of Social Equity and Innovation (OSEI), we are dedicated to the vision of a city where race and other social identities no longer predict life outcomes and where all have equitable opportunities to thrive. Driven by a commitment to anti-racist principles, we strive to create a more equitable Denver through the shaping of policies, practices, and budget priorities that create targeted solutions for historically marginalized communities. Our work revolves around advocating for systemic changes, inclusive policy strategies through transformative training, research, and impactful initiatives to promote racial and social equity for the City and County of Denver.

The Director of the Office of Neighborhood Safety (ONS) provides strategic and functional leadership for Denver’s community-based safety initiatives. The Office of Neighborhood Safety is a division within the Office of Social Equity and Innovation (OSEI) and plays a central role in advancing the City’s commitment to equitable, community-centered approaches to violence prevention and neighborhood safety.

Working in partnership with OSEI leadership and citywide partners, the Director helps shape and advance innovative, collaborative strategies that align with the City’s broader priorities and mayoral goals related to safety, equity, and community well-being. The Director provides functional direction for ONS programs and initiatives, ensuring strong alignment between strategy, partnerships, and program impact.

While operational management of the division is led by the Deputy Executive Director, the Director focuses on strengthening cross-sector collaboration, advancing innovative program approaches, and ensuring ONS initiatives contribute meaningfully to Denver’s broader community safety ecosystem. The Director represents ONS in high-visibility settings, builds trusted relationships with internal and external partners, and helps ensure the division advances effective, equitable solutions for residents and communities. 

Core Responsibilities:

• Provides functional leadership and strategic direction for Office of Neighborhood Safety initiatives within the Office of Social Equity and Innovation (OSEI).

• Works with OSEI leadership and the Deputy Executive Director to help shape strategic priorities, initiatives, and goals for ONS programs and partnerships.

• Advances innovative and collaborative approaches to juvenile justice and resiliency, violence prevention and community safety that align with citywide priorities and mayoral goals.

• Supports the translation of strategic priorities into programmatic direction, ensuring initiatives contribute to measurable improvements in community safety and well-being.

• Cultivates strong cross-agency and community partnerships that strengthen Denver’s citywide safety ecosystem.

• Identifies opportunities for innovative programming, partnerships, and pilot initiatives that expand the City’s ability to prevent violence, support youth, and advance community-driven safety solutions.

• Builds and maintains trusted relationships with community members, partner agencies, civic leaders, and stakeholders to support collaboration and shared accountability for community safety outcomes.

• Supports the development, implementation, and evaluation of programs that serve individuals, families, and communities most impacted by violence or interaction with the criminal justice system.

• Works collaboratively with the Deputy Executive Director and ONS leadership team to ensure alignment between strategy, partnerships, and operational implementation.

• Identifies opportunities for resource alignment, grant partnerships, and program development that strengthen the impact of ONS initiatives.

• Coaches, mentors, and supports staff to foster professional growth, strong collaboration, and a culture rooted in accountability and compassion.

• Represents ONS and OSEI in meetings, partnerships, and public forums related to community safety initiatives.

Ideal Candidate

• 5 - 7 years of experience in government, criminal justice, public health, or a related field, with a focus on violence prevention, intervention, community safety, or supporting youth or young adults impacted by systemic inequities

• Experience working in neighborhoods most impacted by violence, with an ability to show up with humility, cultural responsiveness, and respect for lived experience.

• Familiarity with gang culture, credible messenger models, street outreach, or community‑based intervention strategies.

• Experience working with youth and young adults navigating complex life circumstances, including justice involvement, housing instability, or school disengagement

• Ability to translate community voice and youth insight into policy, program design, and strategic decision‑making recommendations.

• Commitment to advancing healing‑centered, trauma‑informed, and culturally grounded approaches to violence prevention and community safety.

• Demonstrated experience developing competitive grant applications and overseeing grant‑funded programs to ensure compliance, impact, and alignment with organizational goals

• Experience working in or with municipal systems and navigating complex, multi-stakeholder environments

• Proven ability to build and sustain relationships with diverse stakeholders, including community members, grassroots organizations, and government partners

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including public speaking, facilitation, and the ability to influence across sectors

• Experience in community organizing, coalition-building, and cross-sector collaboration

• Comfortable operating in a strategic leadership role that influences direction and outcomes without direct operational oversight

• Master’s degree in criminal justice, public administration, public health, social work, or a related field preferred

Minimum Qualifications

• Education requirement: Bachelor's Degree in a related field based on a specific position(s).

• Experience Requirement: Five (5) years of experience at the type and level of functional or operational management, which must have included management of subordinate supervisors.

• Education/Experience Equivalency: Two (2) years 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.

By position, must obtain Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) clearance within the probationary period.

About Everything Else

Job Profile

CA2758 Director

To view the full job profile including position specifications, physical demands, and probationary period, click here.

Position Type

Unlimited

Position Salary Range

$109,134.00 - $180,071.00

Target Pay

The hiring range for this position is $109,134.00 - $125,000.00

Agency

Office of Social Equity & Innovation

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 Jobs@Denvergov.org 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.

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