Employment

DURA is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to open and full competition when filling job openings. DURA advertises all job openings in local publications and posts them on this website.

Current Openings:

Accounting Analyst I

Executive Director

THE ORGANIZATION

The Denver Urban Renewal Authority (DURA) plays a critical role in shaping Denver’s economic vitality through targeted redevelopment, strategic investment, and public-private partnerships.

Leveraging Tax Increment Financing (TIF) to affect change, DURA works in close collaboration with the City and County of Denver, developers, and community stakeholders to catalyze projects that address blight, promote inclusive growth, and enhance long-term economic resilience. DURA’s portfolio includes complex, highly visible redevelopment initiatives that require thoughtful structuring, financial creativity, and strong alignment with public priorities.

In addition, DURA’s Community Investment programs are designed to support small businesses, nonprofits and community-serving organizations that help stabilize neighborhoods, preserve culture and strengthen local economies. These programs extend the benefits of urban renewal beyond physical redevelopment by reinvesting resources directly into communities, particularly those that have experienced historic disinvestment or market pressure.

Learn more at https://renewdenver.org/

MISSION, VISION, AND FOUNDATIONAL PILLARS

DURA’s mission promotes the elimination of blight, inclusive reinvestment, equitable growth, community building, and environmental sustainability throughout Denver. DURA provides targeted financial assistance to support economic growth, revitalize challenged areas, and preserve historic structures.

Vision: DURA is a valued partner in the collective efforts to, 1) create opportunity through development and redevelopment, and 2) sustain and stabilize communities throughout Denver.

Foundational Pillars:

• • Supporting new development capacity within the city – Ensuring redevelopment and new investment aligns with community needs and neighborhood identities while filling financial gaps for critical projects.
• • Sustaining existing elements of the community – Investing in civic amenities that add to the quality of life of communities and small businesses, nonprofits, and workforce development to help preserve culture and stabilize local economies.
• • Equity & Inclusion – Acknowledging historic disparities caused by past urban renewal models and working to address ingrained inequities through actionable, responsive development strategies.

GOVERNANCE AND STRUCTURE

Governed by: Board of Commissioners composed of 13 members, 11 of whom are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council. The remaining 2 are one elected board member of Denver Public Schools and one board member of a special district that levies a property tax within Denver.

The Executive Director is a non-voting member of the Board of Commissioners and acts as Secretary.

Reporting Relationships

 Executive Director Reports To: DURA Board of Commissioners

Direct Reports: All DURA staff currently rolls up to the Executive Director through 4 direct reports including department directors and managers responsible for redevelopment, community investment, finance, operations, and administration. 

Work Location: This is a full-time, in-person executive leadership position based at DURA’s headquarters in downtown Denver, Colorado. Given the collaborative and public-facing nature of the role, the Executive Director is expected to maintain a regular on-site presence and actively represent DURA at Board meetings, public meetings, project sites, and meetings with public and private partners throughout the Denver metropolitan area.

THE OPPORTUNITY

DURA seeks a strategic, credible, and highly collaborative Executive Director to lead the organization through its next phase of impact and growth. This leader will serve as the chief strategist, relationship-builder, and operational executive, guiding a small but highly capable team while partnering closely with the Board and key public and private stakeholders.

The Executive Director is responsible for the overall leadership, strategic direction, operational performance, financial stewardship, and public representation of the Authority. Working closely with the Board of Commissioners, the Executive Director implements the Board’s strategic direction and policies while leading the day-to-day operations of the organization.

This is a high-impact leadership role that sits at the intersection of economic development, real estate finance, and public governance. The next Executive Director will be expected to elevate DURA’s visibility, strengthen stakeholder trust, and drive execution of complex redevelopment initiatives across Denver.

Key Priorities for the Next Executive Director

• • Advance Strategic Redevelopment Initiatives
  Lead the structuring and execution of complex urban renewal projects, ensuring alignment with City priorities and community outcomes.
• • Strengthen Public-Private Partnerships
  Build and maintain trusted relationships with developers, city leadership, and community stakeholders to facilitate successful deal-making.
• • Enhance Organizational Effectiveness
  Lead and mentor a lean team, ensuring clarity of roles, strong execution, and operational discipline.
• • Elevate Financial and Project Structuring Capabilities
  Oversee sophisticated financing strategies, including tax increment financing (TIF) and other redevelopment tools.
• • Strengthen Board Engagement and Governance
  Serve as a strategic partner to the Board, ensuring alignment, transparency, and effective decision-making.
• • Position DURA for Long-Term Impact
  Identify emerging opportunities and ensure DURA remains a key faciltator of equitable and sustainable development in Denver.
• • Comprehensive Overview/Understanding current Urban Renewal Law and Statutory Framework

Leverage a deep understanding of Colorado’s urban renewal statutes, redevelopment practices, and financing mechanisms to maximize DURA’s impact today, while working collaboratively with legislators and key stakeholders to enhance and evolve the legislative framework available to support future community reinvestment and redevelopment efforts.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Strategy

• • Strengthen DURA’s position as a proactive and trusted redevelopment partner and advance redevelopment initiatives.
• • Translate Board priorities into a strategic plan with actionable strategies and measurable outcomes.
• • Implement the strategic plan and provide overall leadership and direction for the organization.
• • Ensure alignment between DURA’s mission, projects, and community impact goals.

 Project & Portfolio Oversight

• • Oversee evaluation, structuring, and execution of redevelopment projects.
• • Ensure projects are financially sound, strategically aligned, and deliver intended outcomes.
• • Manage risk across the project portfolio.

External Relations & Stakeholder Engagement

• • Serve as DURA’s primary representative with City leadership, developers, and community partners.
• • Build credibility and trust with a broad set of stakeholders.
• • Navigate complex political and community dynamics with diplomacy and effectiveness.
• • Strengthen stakeholder relationships.

Board Partnership

• • Support the Board in governance responsibilities and strategic decision-making.
• • Ensure clear and timely communication on organizational performance and project progress.
• • Facilitate effective Board meetings and engagement.

Organizational Leadership

• • Lead, coach, and develop staff.
• • Foster a high-performance, collaborative culture.
• • Ensure effective internal processes and accountability.

Financial Oversight

• • Oversee financial management, including budgeting and project financing.
• • Ensure appropriate use of public funds and adherence to regulatory requirements.
• • Guide the financial structuring of redevelopment projects.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university required. An advanced degree in public administration, business administration, finance, real estate, urban planning, law, economic development, or a related field is preferred.
• • Minimum of ten years of progressively responsible leadership experience in urban redevelopment, real estate development, economic development, public finance, community development, public-private partnerships, or a closely related field.
• • Demonstrated senior leadership experience guiding strategy, operations, staff, and organizational priorities in a complex organization, public agency, quasi-governmental entity, nonprofit, development organization, or comparable setting.
• • Proven ability to successfully lead and manage multidisciplinary teams with varied technical skill sets, professional backgrounds, and functional responsibilities, including real estate, finance, community investment, operations, legal, communications, or related disciplines.
• • Demonstrated experience working with boards, elected officials, public agencies, developers, community stakeholders, and external partners in politically visible or publicly accountable environments.
• • Strong working knowledge of real estate development, redevelopment financing, project feasibility, public-private partnerships, and the financial tools used to support complex development initiatives, including tax increment financing.
• • Demonstrated ability to evaluate complex projects, understand development economics, assess financial feasibility, and balance public benefit, fiscal stewardship, community impact, and implementation risk.
• • Experience with redevelopment financing tools (including TIF).
• • Experience guiding redevelopment projects through financial structuring, negotiation, public approvals, and implementation.
• • Proven track record of advancing strategic priorities from concept through execution, including the ability to manage multiple projects, competing interests, public expectations, and long-term organizational goals.
• • Demonstrated commitment to ethical leadership and transparency.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• • Demonstrated success working with public-private partnerships and complex stakeholder environments.
• • Experience serving as a credible external representative for an organization, including presenting to governing bodies, engaging with public officials, communicating with stakeholders, and explaining technical issues to non-technical audiences.
• • Demonstrated commitment to public service and responsible stewardship of public resources.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

Leadership and Organizational Management

• • Ability to lead with credibility, confidence, and humility while building trust with staff, the Board, City leadership, developers, community partners, and the public.
• • Demonstrated ability to develop, support, and retain a high-performing team of professionals by
  • Creating a culture of collaboration, trust, and continuous improvement
  • Empowering staff
  • Fostering technical excellence
  • Encouraging innovation
  • Establishing accountability
  • Ensuring continual communication
  • Providing professional growth opportunities
• • Ability to make sound decisions in a complex environment, balancing thoughtful analysis with the need to move projects and organizational priorities forward.

• • Skilled at helping an organization evolve while respecting its history, mission, statutory responsibilities, and public purpose.

Redevelopment, Real Estate, and Financial Acumen

• • Strong understanding of real estate development, redevelopment strategy, development pro formas, transaction structures, project feasibility, and public financing mechanisms.
• • Working knowledge of tax increment financing and other tools used to close financing gaps, leverage private investment, and support redevelopment projects that produce meaningful public benefit.
• • Ability to review complex financial, legal, and development documents, ask informed questions, identify risks, and rely effectively on internal and external subject matter experts.
• • Demonstrated ability to balance creativity and innovation with due diligence, risk management, financial discipline, and accountability to taxpayers.
• • Understanding how redevelopment projects intersect with broader city planning, infrastructure, housing, economic development, community investment, and neighborhood priorities.
• • Ability to evaluate redevelopment opportunities from the perspectives of both the public sector and private development partners, recognizing project risks, financing constraints, entitlement challenges, market conditions, and implementation realities.
• • Recognizes emerging redevelopment opportunities before they become active projects and proactively positions DURA to add value through strategic partnerships, financing tools, and early engagement.

Board Governance and Public Accountability

• • Experience working effectively with a governing board, including preparing recommendations, supporting informed decision-making, maintaining transparency, and respecting governance boundaries.
• • Ability to serve as a thoughtful strategic partner to the Board while also leading staff, managing operations, and ensuring the organization remains staff-led and professionally managed.
• • Strong judgment in navigating public processes, open government expectations, legal requirements, reputational risk, and community scrutiny.
• • Ability to present complex redevelopment, financial, and policy matters clearly and credibly to the Board, City Council, public officials, and community audiences.

Stakeholder Relations and Political Acumen

• • Demonstrated ability to build and sustain trusted relationships with elected officials, city leadership, developers, neighborhood representatives, business leaders, community organizations, and other civic partners.
• • Strong political acumen and ability to navigate competing priorities, public concerns, community sensitivities, and complex municipal dynamics with diplomacy and integrity.
• • Ability to position DURA as a proactive, solutions-oriented partner that is engaged early in conversations and viewed as a valued resource.
• • Comfort operating in visible public settings, including City Council meetings, community meetings, stakeholder briefings, media-sensitive situations, and industry forums.

 Communication and Public Representation

• • Clear, credible, and accessible communicator with the ability to translate technical financial, redevelopment, and legal concepts for diverse audiences.
• • Ability to listen carefully, synthesize information quickly, respond thoughtfully, and build confidence among stakeholders with differing viewpoints.
• • Skilled at representing the organization externally with professionalism, transparency, and confidence.
• • Ability to tell DURA’s story in a way that clearly communicates its mission, impact, tools, limitations, and value to Denver’s future.

Innovation and Strategic Thinking

• • Brings an innovative mindset to how DURA partners on projects, supports redevelopment, strengthens community investment, and deploys its tools for meaningful public benefit.
• • Ability to identify new opportunities for DURA to add value while remaining aligned with its statutory authority, mission, financial capacity, and public accountability.
• • Comfortable challenging legacy practices, modernizing internal systems, and encouraging new ideas from staff and partners.
• • Ability to think creatively about how DURA can support community-serving organizations, small businesses, workforce development, historic preservation, infrastructure, and neighborhood vitality.
• • Balances innovation with sound stewardship, ensuring new approaches are practical, financially responsible, legally grounded, and aligned with community needs.

 Personal Attributes

• • High integrity, transparency, and accountability.
• • Collaborative, approachable, and team-oriented.
• • Confident, steady, and resilient in visible or politically complex environments.
• • Curious, open-minded, and willing to listen before deciding.
• • Public service-oriented, with a genuine commitment to Denver’s neighborhoods, residents, businesses, and long-term vitality.
• • Pragmatic and solutions-focused, with the ability to move from discussion to action.

COMPENSATION

Hiring Salary Range: $230,000 – $310,000

Comprehensive Benefits package

DURA will offer the successful candidate a competitive compensation and benefits package which includes medical, dental, vision, life, long-term disability and AD&D insurance, a 401(a)-retirement plan and optional 457 plan, RTD Eco Pass and parking stipend, vacation, sick and parental leave and paid holidays. DURA participates in FAMLI.

DURA is headquartered in Denver, Colorado. Denver offers a compelling combination of professional opportunity and lifestyle quality, making it one of the most attractive places in the country to live and work. As one of the fastest-growing metropolitan economies in the United States, Denver provides a strong and diverse job market across industries such as technology, healthcare, aerospace, and professional services. In addition to its economic strength, the city delivers an exceptional quality of life—featuring vibrant neighborhoods, a thriving arts and culture scene, and more than 300 days of sunshine each year. What truly sets Denver apart is its unique ability to blend urban energy with unparalleled access to the outdoors, with the Rocky Mountains just a short drive away for year-round recreation. This “live, work, play” environment, combined with continued investment and growth, makes Denver an exciting and dynamic place for professionals to build both their careers and their lives.

APPLICATION PROCESS

CBIZ, an executive search firm, is assisting DURA with this important search. All calls and inquiries should be made through the search firm. Applications will be held in confidence to the full extent permitted by Colorado law.

Applications will be accepted through 5:00 pm MT on August 14, 2026.  Late applications will not be accepted.

Qualified applicants must successfully complete a pre-employment background screening. DURA participates in E-Verify.

Please Apply here: Executive Director

NON-DISCRIMINATION

The Denver Urban Renewal Authority provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, genetic information, age, or any other status protected under federal, state, and/or local law.

CONTACT:

Kimberly Bradney
VP & Executive Search Consultant
[email protected]720-200-1725

Tamara Wesely
Recruiting Consultant
[email protected]720-200-1723