Peak Academy - Continuous Improvement Associate

City and County of Denver; United States; Hybrid; USD 64,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Lifelong pension

457B retirement plan

PTO + holidays + personal day

Job summary

City and County of Denver seeks a full-time Continuous Improvement Associate to support Peak Academy and Citywide innovation initiatives. You will facilitate improvement events, coach staff, and advance strategic goals with cross‑functional teams.

The role requires a Bachelor's Degree and at least two years in continuous improvement, with strong facilitation and training skills. Hybrid work and competitive pay are offered, with full city benefits.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree required.
• Two years of continuous improvement experience and ability to facilitate events.
• Education/experience equivalency may be used to substitute.
• Experience with cross‑functional coordination and stakeholder engagement.

Responsibilities

• Provide project management support to Continuous Improvement Seniors & Peak leadership.
• Lead process improvement events lasting 1–5 days.
• Teach Peak Academy courses in process improvement and coordinate training.
• Coach employees citywide on innovation projects and measure outcomes.
• Log and track employee innovation data and evolve Peak Academy offerings.
• Complete special projects and other duties as assigned.

Skills

Facilitation

Oral communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Written communication

Relationship building

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Teams

SharePoint

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

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.

What We Offer

The City and County of Denver offers a competitive salary commensurate with education and experience. New hires are typically brought into the organization between $63,679.00 - $84,375.00/year.

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 + 12 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday, 1 Wellness Day and 1 volunteer day per year
• Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date

Location & Schedule

The City and County of Denver utilizes a hybrid model workplace that balances the responsibilities of public service with the benefits of a flexible work environment. Employees work where needed, at a city site and/or in the community several days a week. In this position you can expect to work on site, at three (3) days a week at: Wellington E. Webb Building–201 W Colfax Ave., Denver, CO 80202. It will be expected that you are in-person, on-site for facilitation, as needed at various CCD locations.

Please note: Downtown parking expenses are the responsibility of the employee.

We offer a flexible spending account option specifically for parking; if you elect this option, you can use pre-tax dollars for parking.

We also offer a City-sponsored RTD EcoPass to all City employees – allowing the use of public transportation for free as a City Employee.

Who We Are & What You’ll Do

The Department of Finance (DOF) is responsible for the fiscal health of the City. DOF leads fiscal analysis and guidance, budgeting, accounting functions, enforcement of fiscal policies, practices and procedures for the entire City and County of Denver. DOF fulfills the state statutory responsibilities for tax assessment and collection. DOF also manages the City’s debt portfolio and investment portfolio. DOF commits to delivering these services through a financial structure that reflects the best practices of both the public and private sectors. This commitment promotes better service, enhanced performance measures, maximum accountability, and improved business processes.

Through coaching, training and project facilitation, Peak Academy inspires and empowers City and County of Denver staff at all levels to continuously improve service delivery for our community. Since its inception, Peak has grown to become a respected leader for its approach to innovation in government. The City and County of Denver has saved over $83 million through efforts by individuals and agencies that have engaged with the Peak program.

Denver Peak believes in:

Achieving measurable results through continuous improvement. Our ability to make Denver the most well-run city in the nation. Patience with people and impatience with processes. Supporting colleagues to innovate. Failure, because failure leads to breakthrough. Living our core values: Place Team Over Self. Always. Learn. Activate. Repeat. Be Steadfast in your Grit and Gumption. Drive Connection Through Authenticity. Promote Transparency in Process and Progress. Create an Environment Where Change Can Thrive. Ignite and Sustain the Flame in Others.

Peak Academy is hiring for a full-time, unlimited Continuous Improvement Associate.

Specifically, as the Continuous Improvement Associate you will:

• Provide project management support to Continuous Improvement Seniors & Specialists and Peak leadership, including project intake, project execution & follow-up, data collection, data entry, event facilitation and other administrative duties as assigned or requested.
• Advance Peak team strategic goals and priorities through action item completion.
• Lead process improvement events lasting 1-5 days, including obtaining executive support, performing data analysis, and following up with participants to ensure lasting, substantive results.
• Continuously improve Peak Academy's training curriculum and teach Peak Academy courses in process improvement while supporting the team and leadership with training program coordination and follow-up, as assigned or requested.
• Support Peak engagement with inquiry management, communications, and event planning.
• Coach employees citywide on individual innovation projects, including incorporating performance metrics and providing implementation guidance.
• Log and track employee innovation data and strategically evolve the Peak Academy's service offerings.
• Complete special projects and perform other duties as assigned or requested based on the team’s needs.

What You’ll Bring

We 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:

• Strong facilitation skills for guiding diverse groups through workshops, improvement events, and decision-making.
• Excellent oral communication skills and the ability to teach information clearly to audiences.
• Ability to work with many different personalities across all organizational levels to build sustained relationships and trust with City agencies and team members.
• Project Management – Demonstrated experience in creating clear project scopes, project schedules and plans, and resource allocation for on-time projects.
• Proven track record of collaboration with cross‑functional stakeholders to achieve understanding, buy-in, participation, and empowerment in improvement projects.
• Ability to guide trainees and partner agencies from process improvement ideation to implementation.
• Knowledge of how government works and Continuous Improvement methodologies preferred.
• Strong written communication skills and proficiency in developing materials utilizing Microsoft Office and related platforms (Teams, SharePoint, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.).
• Ability to prioritize work and balance Peak administrative tasks with training duties and projects.
• Peak Academy Black Belt or other relevant certifications preferred.

Required Minimum Qualifications

• Education requirement: Bachelor's Degree.
• Experience Requirement: Two (2) years of continuous improvement experience and facilitation of events.
• 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.

Application Deadline

This position is expected to stay open until November 1, 2026.

About Everything Else

Job Profile CA3107 Continuous Improvement Associate.

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

Position Type Unlimited Position.

Salary Range $63,679.00 - $105,070.00.

Target Pay $63,679.00 - $84,375.00/year, based on experience and education.

Agency Department of Finance.

Redeployment during Citywide Emergencies City 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 [e-mail] 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, for English or for Spanish.

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.

See yourself experiencing growth and balance. See yourself being respected and valued. See yourself belonging here. Join our diverse, inclusive and talented workforce of more than 11,000 team members who are at the heart of what makes Denver, Denver. Your journey starts right here.