Description

Hennepin County’s Environment and Energy Department (EED) is seeking a Communications Specialist to create compelling content for a wide range of digital and print channels and to support environmental communication and outreach strategies for key department initiatives, including zero-waste efforts and natural resource protection.

The Environmental Education and Outreach Unit leads the department’s work to educate and engage the community, promote environmental stewardship, and inspire individuals to take meaningful action to preserve and enhance the environment for future generations.

Location and hours:

This position is hybrid and will be performed both on-site at the 625 Building in downtown Minneapolis located at, 625 Fourth Ave South, Minneapolis, MN 55415, and remote as job duties require. Work hours will typically be Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with some evening and weekend hours to attend meetings and events around the county. While this position is designated as hybrid, based on current requirements hires must reside in or relocate to Minnesota or Wisconsin. New Employee Orientation (NEO) for all new benefit-earning employees is in-person in downtown Minneapolis. Details about NEO will be provided upon hire.

About The Position Type

This is a full-time benefit earning position.

This position is internally classified as a Communications Specialist.

Click here to view the job classification specification.

In This Position, You Will

Develop environmental education and awareness content—including articles, videos, graphics, and campaigns—for digital newsletters, websites, social media, factsheets, flyers, presentations, and reports.
Assist in managing the editorial and social media calendar to support consistent and strategic content delivery.
Maintain, support, and enhance the use of communication tools and best practices across websites, forms, social media, online ordering systems, and newsletters.
Implement communication and environmental education plans and messaging strategies for department programs.
Research content, audience needs, resources, educational approaches, and messaging strategies to inform program development and planning.
Evaluate the effectiveness of communication and environmental education efforts and identify opportunities for improvement.
Deliver environmental education by presenting and training youth and adult audiences on the department’s environmental topics.

Need to have:

One of the following:
- Bachelor's degree in journalism, English, communications, mass communications, marketing, media studies, graphic design, photojournalism, telecommunications, visual communications, public administration or a closely related field.
- Two years of college plus two years of related professional experience.
Note: Experience can be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis.

Nice to have:

Experience:
- Translating scientific, environmental, technical, and other complex information into content that is understandable and relatable for general audiences.
- Coordinating, developing, and producing high-quality content across multiple formats.
- Creating communications tailored to diverse audiences and channels, adapting messaging to meet specific needs.
- Communicating clearly and accurately about environmental topics and issues.
- Organizing and maintaining an editorial and social media calendar to support consistent content planning and delivery.
- Researching, developing, and implementing communication plans and messaging strategies.
- Organizing, updating, and analyzing communication and outreach data to support decision-making.
- Collaborating on photo, video, and graphic design projects to enhance storytelling and engagement.
- Using communication tools such as Microsoft Office, Adobe Express, e-newsletter platforms, web content management systems, and social media in a professional setting.
- Coordinating effectively with teams of staff and partners across multiple work areas, organizations, and agencies.
Ability to:
- Operate confidently and efficiently in fast-paced environments, including hybrid, remote, and in-person settings.
- Collaborate effectively with diverse staff and partners, ensuring meaningful input and shared understanding.
- Prioritize and manage multiple projects at once, using proactive planning to consistently meet deadlines.
- Track, organize, and maintain content to deliver clear and consistent messaging across multiple communication channels.
- Build strong working relationships with individuals and organizations representing a wide range of cultures, values, backgrounds, and lived experiences.

About the department:

The Environment and Energy department protects and preserves the environment to enhance the quality of life for current and future generations. We engage communities to develop and enact sustainable solutions. We focus on reducing and responsibly managing waste, protecting and preserving ecosystems, delivering clean energy, and promoting environmental stewardship.

About Hennepin County

Hennepin is the largest county government organization in Minnesota. Our employees work every day to improve the health, safety and quality of life for our residents and communities. All of our jobs align with our mission to serve residents through transformative services that eliminate disparities, eliminate inequities, and create opportunity for all and our vision of a community where all people are healthy, all people are valued, and all people thrive.

Our employees receive a combination of competitive benefits and positive workplace culture not found at other organizations. This includes meaningful work that impacts our community, competitive pay, work-life balance, a variety of benefits and opportunities to grow. Learn more at The Bridge (login as Guest).

Hennepin County envisions an organization where our commitment to diversity and the elimination of disparities is fundamental in providing excellent service to our community.

Your future. Made here.

This posting may be used to fill current and future vacancies.

Watch this video for application best practices and tips.

Invitations to interview will be based upon an assessment of education and experience. Final candidates may be required to complete a criminal background check.

If You Have Any Questions, Please Contact

Talent Acquisition division

Hennepin County Human Resources department

Submit a request at hennepin.us/ask-hr or 612-348-7855

Hennepin County

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Environmental Communications Specialist