Communications Manager

Position Overview

Location	Bismarck, ND
Salary	$6,367 - $9,100 hiring range
Closing Date	November 30, 2025
Status	Full-time
Type of Recruitment	Internal/External
Notes

Summary of Work

Position serves as the Communications section manager of the Conservation and Communications Division.
The position provides direction and supervision of planning, development, and implementation of the section’s operations, staff, and budgets for all Game and Fish Department communications projects.
Major projects include the North Dakota OUTDOORS magazine, North Dakota Outdoors online webcast and weekly television series, weekly and special news releases, podcast, blogs, marketing, public information/phone services, Game and Fish website, social media, regional communications and education activities, hunting and fishing regulations and guides, and various special communications projects.
In addition to directing and coordinating communications projects, the position actively participates in developing and creating content, and contributing stories, photos, editorial review, and ideas to major communications projects to fulfill agency mission.
The position participates in agency management team meetings and additional strategic planning and coordination of efforts for communication on agency issues and provides management team reports to staff.
Serves as the Game and Fish Department’s lead public information officer.

Minimum Qualifications

Requires a bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations or administration, journalism, English, Biology or a field closely related to the program area and five years of directly related professional work experience in these areas. At least one year of work experience requirement must have included working in a supervisory capacity.

Applicants must have demonstrated leadership skills and the ability to balance different interests. Applicant must be extremely self-motivated and have the ability to motivate others, solve problems, resolve conflict, and respond quickly to make many independent decisions. Applicant must be highly organized and have well-developed interpersonal skills and the ability to work well with a diverse group of people. Must be able to work under stress, remain calm, and maintain focus under demanding and conflicting work schedules with rapid shifts in priority. Applicants must be able to demonstrate an ability to effectively communicate, both orally and in writing. Must have a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office products (Outlook, Word, and Excel).

Employee must be able to travel periodically within North Dakota. Applicant must have a valid driver’s license and be able to work under a flexible daily schedule that periodically includes early mornings, late evenings and weekends as required.

Requires satisfactory completion of a criminal background check.

Preferred Qualifications

Preference will be given for:

Supervisory experience of employees
Strategic/operational planning
Budget development, management, and overseeing.
Experience, knowledge and understanding of fish and wildlife management, hunting and fishing habitat conservation, and hunter/angler recruitment, retention, and reactivation efforts and strategies.
Experience and participation in hunting, fishing and other related outdoor recreational activities.

Application Procedures

Applicants must complete the online application. Applicants will be scored by their responses to the questionnaire questions – please do not say “See Resume” to any questions.
Applicants must also upload a cover letter describing how the applicant’s ability and experience relates to the Summary of Work.
Applicants must upload a current resume that includes information to demonstrate how you meet the minimum qualifications as posted.

Applicants should save their applications frequently to avoid any loss of information. The online application system will time you out after 40 minutes and you will lose any information that is not saved.

Applicants must submit all documents above. It is very important to be thorough and detailed on all your application materials. If the Department’s human resource manager cannot determine that you meet the minimum qualifications or verify your answers to the questionnaire questions you will not be given credit.

Current state employees with access to PeopleSoft can access the job posting through the PeopleSoft Portal.

External applicants can access the job posting by going to the ND State Jobs Openings.

Applications must be completed by 11:59 p.m. on the posted closing date.

For information about the position or for persons needing accommodation or assistance in the application or interview process, contact Melissa Long, HR Services Manager, at 701-328-6318.

For troubles or questions about applying on the online system, contact recruiter@nd.gov.

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department makes reasonable accommodations for any known disability that may interfere with an applicant's ability to compete in the recruitment and selection process or with an employee's ability to perform essential duties of the job. It is the applicant's responsibility to make known any needs for accommodation. ND Relay Number 1-800-366-6888

As employers, the state of North Dakota and political subdivisions prohibit smoking in all places of state and political subdivision employment in accordance with N.D.C.C. § 23-12-10.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The state of North Dakota does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), genetics, religion, age, or disability in employment or the provision of services, and complies with the provisions of the North Dakota Human Rights Act.