County Administrator

Boulder County Sheriff's Office; Colorado; On-site; USD 260,000 - 320,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health plans

PERA 401k

Paid time off

Job summary

Boulder County is seeking a County Administrator who reports to the Board of County Commissioners to lead the county’s administrative operations, coordinate policy and budget, and serve as liaison to department directors.

This exempt, full-time role requires a public administration background, residency in Colorado, and availability for emergency duties. Salary ranges from $260,000 to $320,000, DOE/DOQ, with comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Business, or related field; master’s degree preferred.
• Ten years of progressively responsible supervisory experience in local government, including 5+ years as an executive.
• Extensive knowledge of management principles and public administration.
• Colorado residency within Boulder County region required.
• Emergency‑response availability outside regular hours.

Responsibilities

• Meet regularly with the BOCC to discuss policy.
• Implement BOCC policy directions and strategic priorities.
• Coordinate updates to policy manuals and personnel procedures.
• Oversee day‑to‑day county administration and budget process.
• Develop annual budget in collaboration with county officials.
• Lead disaster response coordination with Sheriff and others.

Skills

Management principles

Organizational skills

Public administration knowledge

Policy interpretation

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

Annual Salary: $260,000-$320,000 DOE/DOQ.

Salary
$260,000.00 - $320,000.00 Annually

Location

Boulder County, CO

Job Type

Full-time

Job Number

6866(XA1)

Department

County Administrator

Opening Date

09/01/2026

Closing Date

9/30/2026 11:59 PM Mountain

FLSA

Exempt

Position Summary

This position, working at the pleasure of the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), serves as the main administrative officer for the county and liaison between the Board of County Commissioners and the county department directors. The County Administrator is responsible for implementing BOCC's policy directions to county staff and coordinating the flow of information and advice to the Board. The purpose of the role is to manage and coordinate county resources to accomplish the objectives of the BOCC.

Duties And Responsibilities

• Meets regularly with the BOCC.
• Exercises responsibility for communicating and implementing BOCC policy direction and strategic priorities.
• Manages all operational and administrative matters within Board policies and in accordance with the county personnel and policy manual, including resolving questions arising from policy interpretation.
• Coordinates updates to the personnel and policy manual, including implementation with Elected Officials.
• Manages the day-to-day administration of the county organization.
• Prepares agendas and supporting materials for BOCC business meetings and public hearings.
• Oversees county facilities with the support of department staff.
• Manages county personnel within departments assigned by the BOCC with the support of the Human Resources Department.
• With direction from the BOCC, evaluates and documents the performance of the Deputy County Administrator and Department Directors, including overseeing recruitment, hiring, and termination activities.
• Conducts organizational assessments to align resources with BOCC direction, policy objectives, and good governance best practices.
• Collaborates with Elected Officials, Department Heads, and the County Chief Financial Officer to develop an annual recommended budget for BOCC consideration.
• Coordinates with the elected Sheriff to lead disaster response efforts, manages the transition to disaster recovery, and leads recovery operations.
• Develops and coordinates Continuity of Operations and Emergency Plans across the county organization.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the BOCC.
• Performs related duties as required.
• Serves in reassigned roles during emergency situations, as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration, Business, or related field. Masters preferred.
• Experience: Ten years of progressively responsible supervisory experience including five or more years of recent experience as an executive in local government or director of a local governmental department with substantial responsibilities, budgetary oversight, or staff. Demonstrated knowledge of Colorado governmental structures, systems, statutes, and practices. Additional related education may count towards required experience.
• Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Extensive knowledge of management principles, organizational skills, and the ability to apply these to public administration.
• Residency Requirement: The selected candidate must establish Colorado residency by their first day of employment and maintain residence within the Boulder County region for the duration of employment.
• Special Requirement: This position is designated as an emergency response worker and requires the incumbent to be available outside of regular business hours, including evenings, weekends and holidays, as operational and emergency needs arise.

Additional Requirements

• Position is contingent on successful completion of the following checks:
  • Background with Fingerprints
  • Motor Vehicle Record (MVR)
  • Financial Background

Benefits

• Outstanding options of comprehensive health plans that include vision and dental coverage. Information can be found HERE.
• Additional Benefits include
  • Family-forming benefits- infertility treatment, adoption and surrogacy reimbursements
  • 12 weeks Paid Caregiver leave
  • Breast feeding friendly-work environment
  • Infants-at-work policy
  • Access to LifeMart and Benefits Hub discount hub, including discounts on childcare centers, event tickets, travel and more!
  • Access to a nationally-recognized wellness program
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • PERA 401k
  • Social Security retirement plans
  • Additional Life and Disability Insurance
  • Critical Illness and Accidental Insurance
  • County-paid tuition assistance
  • Eligible for PSLF- Public Service Loan Forgiveness
  • Free EcoPass
  • Hospital Indemnity
  • ID Theft Protection
  • Pet Insurance
  • 8 Hours of Paid Public Service Leave
• Generous paid time off
  • Holidays
    • New Year's Day
    • Martin Luther King's Birthday January
    • Presidents' Day
    • Memorial Day
    • Juneteenth
    • Independence Day
    • Labor Day
    • Indigenous People's Day
    • General Election Day November (first Tuesday after the first Monday, even years)
    • Veterans' Day
    • Thanksgiving Day November
    • Friday after Thanksgiving*
    • Christmas Eve- ½ day (full day off depends on day of the week)
    • Christmas Day
    • New Year’s Eve- ½ day (full day off depends on day of the week)
  • Vacation**
    • 80-hour bank of vacation at the time of hire
    • Eight hours of vacation per month for the first year of continuous service, then accrue twelve hours of vacation per month after the first year of continuous service.
  • Medical**
    • Eight hours of medical leave for each month employed.
• PERA- The County and all employees pay into both Social Security and PERA
  • Employer contribution to Social Security: 7.65% of salary
  • Employer contribution to PERA (Local Government Division- most county employees: 15.80%
  • The District Attorney’s Office observe Francis Xavier Cabrini Day on the first Monday in October and omit the Friday after Thanksgiving
  • Vacation and Medical leave are based off of full time FTE accruals. Part-time FTE/term employees accrue leave based on the percentage of time they work.

Questions

• Please contact Boulder County Human Resources Director, Christine Scarlett, with any inquiries about this position at [e-mail]
• Please contact ADA Coordinator, Alexis Ozimek, for any disability accommodation, [e-mail]

Boulder County is a workplace dedicated to supporting individuals and families of all types and to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and respectful environment for all employees. We prohibit unlawful discrimination against applicants and employees on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Required Question

Employer Boulder County

Address 2025 14th Street

Boulder, Colorado, 80302

Phone [phone]

Website http://www.bouldercounty.org