Wildlife Communications Specialist

Who we are:

Did you know Ohio operates 76 state parks, manages over 750,000 acres of diverse wildlife land and more than 2 million acres of water? That’s just the tip of the iceberg of what we do at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) as we seek to ensure a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all!

Across our 12 divisions and support services, we employ office staff, law enforcement officers, geologists, biologists, engineers, attorneys, communicators, managers, and so much more. Whatever your passion, we likely have a position to fit it and pathways for advancement!

Working at ODNR is a special experience. Our employees are afforded opportunities to participate in public events at parks, nature preserves, wildlife areas, and annually at the Natural Resources Park at the Ohio State Fair!  We routinely have Lunch and Learn events at our Assembly Center which are streamed on Teams Live as are monthly updates with our Director.

What we need:

We are seeking energetic, passionate people who enjoy the outdoors and want to play a key role for the position of Wildlife Communications Specialist within the Division of Wildlife, assigned to either:

• Franklin County, 1500 Dublin Rd, Columbus, OH 43215.

OR

• Athens County, 360 E. State Street, Athens, Ohio 45701

To learn more about the Division of Wildlife, please visit Division of Wildlife.

Job Description

What you will do… 

• Conduct wildlife education and information programs (e.g., shooting sports, fisheries management, hunting, fishing, trapping, wildlife identification and wildlife diversity and wildlife conservation topics)
• Assist in development and implementation of wildlife program/education curriculums for use by educators and conduct clinics (e.g., archery, rifle, pistol, shotgun operation, firearm cleaning and maintenance, hunter, trapping, fishing, firearm safety and species-specific education)
• Conduct hunter education, trapper education, national archery in schools, and passport to fishing instructor courses and workshops; oversee volunteers (e.g. communicate with and coordinate, advise); present interpretive programs and conduct interpretive workshops for educators 
• Develop and present educational displays; communicate with internal and external organizations (e.g., conservation clubs, firearms/archery instructors) to conduct shooting sports programing at range education centers and districtwide
• Maintain, prepare, inventory and track check in and check out of outdoor skills equipment, firearms, bows, trailers, audiovisual equipment, and displays assigned to section for districtwide use; clean and maintain firearms and other assigned equipment as needed
• Assist shooting range &/or Visitor Center, training, and education administrator with administrative tasks (e.g., purchasing, educational materials/supplies, project writing for information and education projects and evaluating the effectiveness of agency program participation)
• Starting hourly pay of $24.66/hr with multiple pay increases over your first 5.5 years of service, with an end salary of $32.08/hr.

Why Work for the State of Ohio

At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees*. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website! Our benefits package includes:

• Medical Coverage
• Free Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance premiums after completion of eligibility period
• Paid time off, including vacation, personal, sick leave and 11 paid holidays per year
• Childbirth, Adoption, and Foster Care leave
• Education and Development Opportunities (Employee Development Funds, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and more)
• Public Retirement Systems (such as OPERS, STRS, SERS, and HPRS) & Optional Deferred Compensation (Ohio Deferred Compensation)

*Benefits eligibility is dependent on a number of factors. The Agency Contact listed above will be able to provide specific benefits information for this position.

Qualifications

24 mos. trg. or 24 mos. exp. in wildlife education or fish &/or wildlife management AND 1 course or 3 mos. exp. in public relations.

-Or completion of undergraduate core program in wildlife education or fish &/or wildlife management AND  6 mos. trg. or 6 mos. exp. in wildlife education or fish &/or wildlife management AND  1 course or 3 mos. exp. in public relations.

-Or equivalent of Minimum Class Qualifications For Employment noted above.

Job Skills: 

Technical Skills: Wildlife, Communications, Public Relations
Professional Skills: Presenting
 

Supplemental Information

Application Requirements:

Please ensure your online application clearly indicates how you meet minimum qualifications (MQs).  Transcripts are required for all coursework, degrees or educational accomplishments claimed on the application.  Applicants must submit a transcript (can be unofficial until point of selection) by the posting deadline (attach in the Additional Attachments section of the application submission, Step 6).  Should you have issues attaching, please email to: hr@dnr.ohio.gov.  “See resume” is not a substitution for completing supplemental questions. Answers to the supplemental questions must be supported by the work experience/education sections of the application.  Applications that fail to demonstrate how they meet minimum qualifications will not be considered. 

To request a reasonable accommodation due to a disability please contact Mohammad Yakubu, EEO Regional/Program Administrator at 614-265-6992 or mohammad.yakubu@dnr.ohio.gov.

Effective July 1, 2015 applicants must apply online for positions at all state agencies except the Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD).

The final candidate selected for the position will be required to undergo a criminal background check. Criminal convictions do not necessarily preclude an applicant from consideration for a position. An individual assessment of an applicant's prior criminal convictions will be made before excluding an applicant from consideration. 

STATUS OF POSTED POSITIONS: Applicants can view the status of this position by logging into their user profile on the Ohio Hiring Management System [OHMS] Home page at the following link careers.ohio.gov, and selecting "My Profile". 

NOTES: 
Bargaining unit applicants will be given consideration for applicable positions, pursuant to collective bargaining agreement. 

Selection devices, proficiency testing and/or assessments may be used to determine if an applicant meets and is proficient in the minimum qualifications for this position.

Please do not upload attachments that have an anomaly or are password protected.

ADA Statement

Ohio is a Disability Inclusion State and strives to be a model employer of individuals with disabilities. The State of Ohio is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.

Drug-Free Workplace

The State of Ohio is a drug-free workplace which prohibits the use of marijuana (recreational marijuana/non-medical cannabis). Please note, this position may be subject to additional restrictions pursuant to the State of Ohio Drug-Free Workplace Policy (HR-39), and as outlined in the posting.