Communications Specialist

Position Overview

Location	Bismarck
Salary	$5,299 - $7,287/mo. hiring range
Closing Date	March 1, 2026
Status	Full-time
Type of Recruitment	Internal/External
Notes

Summary of Work

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is seeking a Communications Specialist to serve within the Conservation and Communications Division. This position plays a key role in delivering the Department’s mission through strategic, accurate, and engaging communications for internal and external audiences. The Communications Specialist is responsible for developing, coordinating, and distributing a wide range of content across multiple platforms, including but not limited to:

Writing and producing articles for North Dakota OUTDOORS magazine.
Creating content for the North Dakota Outdoors webcast and weekly television programs.
Preparing and editing weekly and special news releases.
Contribute content for podcasts, blogs, and marketing initiatives.
Developing content for the Game and Fish Department website and other social media platforms.
Capture and contribute photography and video for a wide range of communications projects.
Assisting with the development and editing of hunting and fishing regulations and guides.
Contributing to various special communications projects as assigned.
Representing the department at meetings, workshops, and outreach events.

This position will also serve as the Department’s lead legislative information specialist, providing accurate, timely, and consistent communication related to legislative activities, coordination, and outreach.

Minimum Qualifications:

Requires a bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations or administration, journalism, English or closely related field or five years of directly related professional work experience in these areas.

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:

Experience in creating hunting, fishing, trapping and other outdoor content.
Experience editing articles and other written materials.
Experience, knowledge and understanding of fish and wildlife management, hunting, 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.
Experience working with Adobe Creative Suite

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.