Classification: Communications Specialist, Job Code 8342CG, Civil Service

Location: St. Paul Campus; some hybrid work may be possible

Reports to: Becky Beyers

Apply by: February 17, 2026

Posting Date: 02/06/2026

Closing Date: 02/17/2026

Location in MN: Metro

Job type: full-time

Organization

CERTs, RSDP, UMN Extension

Organization Summary

The University of Minnesota Extension Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (RSDP) connect Greater Minnesota communities to the University of Minnesota to support local sustainability projects. RSDP brings together community and University knowledge and resources to drive sustainability in four focus areas: agriculture and food systems, clean energy, natural resources and resilient communities. The statewide office of the Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) provides RSDP energy programming. CERTs connects individuals, organizations, and their communities with the resources they need to identify and implement community-scale energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. The person in this position will be a member of the Extension Communications team, and will collaborate extensively with colleagues in CERTS and RSDP to deliver effective and powerful communications.

Stories are powerful — they can create new social norms by inspiring and shaping people’s understanding of what is possible. Storytelling is a core pathway we use to advance RSDP and CERTs’ community-focused work. We rely on human-centered, compelling stories to highlight the champions driving change through the models and practices they’ve employed to advance sustainability and clean energy action. These stories make their actions visible, relatable, and normal. The Sustainability Storyteller will be instrumental in producing and publishing case studies, blog posts, newsletters, and more about sustainability and clean energy efforts in communities across Minnesota. If you’re creative, collaborative, and an excellent writer who tells stories through appropriate digital channels and passionate about making a positive impact on the environment and Minnesota communities, you should apply!

Primary Duties

Sustainability reporting and writing: (75%)

Write and edit original, interesting, and persuasive Minnesota sustainability and clean energy stories with a focus on people-centered narratives that convey complex ideas and processes for a general audience.
Become deeply familiar with influencers and networks in the sustainability and clean energy communities. Use those relationships to discover, research and share timely and engaging stories using a variety of print and multimedia communications tools.
Plan, write, design, and post social media content and newsletters.
Create content for a range of other channels (reports, factsheets, presentations).
Attend events related to sustainability and clean energy.

Communications planning: (25%)

Collaborate in planning and carrying out an editorial calendar that aligns with RSDP and CERTs communications strategies and stakeholder needs.
Collaborate with Extension and University of Minnesota communications colleagues to ensure aligned messaging and shared resources.
Use analytics and engagement to measure the results of communications in multiple channels, and adjust planning and storytelling to achieve engagement goals.
Develop a content guide that reflects the unique voice, goals and styles of RSDP and CERTs.

Experience

Required Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, writing, journalism, or related field plus two (2) years relevant professional experience, or six (6) years combined equivalent education and experience.
Demonstrated experience interviewing and writing persuasive content about sustainability, energy, and environmental topics.
Experience creating multimedia including but not limited to photography, videography, PowerPoint, infographics.
Experience with social networking sites and email marketing systems.
Demonstrated ability to work with people and organizations that represent significant diversity in culture, values, education, occupation, income, and changing rural demographics.
Ability to work independently and with limited supervision, as well as in a group setting.

Additional Requirements:

Must have a valid driver’s license and own means of reliable transportation with required liability insurance.
Must have reliable internet if/when working outside of assigned office location.
Must be able to work regularly at a dedicated/assigned Extension office on the Saint Paul Campus.
Must be able to work outdoors in various kinds of weather.
Must be able to drive outside the Twin Cities 2-3 times a month and occasionally overnight.

Preferred Qualifications:

Training on and/or experience with sustainability and energy topics.
Experience publishing to website content management systems like Drupal and/or Wordpress.

Salary

$59,000 - $65,000 ($28.37 - $31.25 an hour); depending on education/qualifications/experience.

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program
Low-cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
University HSA contributions
Disability and employer-paid life insurance
Employee wellbeing program
Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
Financial counseling services
Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost
Employee Transit Pass with free or reduced rates in the Twin Cities metro area

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click on the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will be given the opportunity to complete an online application for the position. Please attach the following required application materials:

Cover letter

Resume - Your resume must include all your education and experience as it relates to the required qualifications. The initial HR screening process focuses primarily on the resume.
Those being invited to interview will be required to provide:

Names and contact information for three professional references.

Two (2) writing samples: One should demonstrate your ability to write persuasively for a general audience. The other can be any example of writing or other work of your choice (blog, press release, presentation, infographic, factsheet, etc).
Additional documents may be attached after the application by accessing your “My Job Applications” page and uploading documents in the “My Cover Letters and Attachments” section. See full application instructions.

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail employ@umn.edu or call (612) 624-UOHR (8647).

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