Communications & Engagement Specialist

Park District of City of Fargo•Fargo, ND

1d•$53,898 - $80,846

About The Position

The Fargo Park District is seeking a Communications and Engagement Specialist to lead strategic communications, public relations, and community engagement efforts. This role is crucial in strengthening the relationship between the district and the community it serves. The specialist will translate complex organizational information into clear, accessible communications for various stakeholders including residents, media, employees, executive leadership, and the Park Board. Through storytelling, public information dissemination, engagement activities, and cross-departmental collaboration, this position aims to foster transparency, support informed decision-making, and raise awareness of the Park District's community impact. The ideal candidate will be a strategic thinker, a skilled communicator, and a relationship-builder capable of managing both planned initiatives and urgent public information needs.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Marketing, or a related field.
Three to five years of progressively responsible experience in strategic communications, public relations, community engagement, journalism, public information, or a related field.
Exceptional writing, editing, verbal communication, and presentation-development skills, with the ability to adapt complex information for different audiences.
Proven ability to build and maintain positive relationships with media, community leaders, employees, and diverse audiences.
Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.
Proficiency with digital communication, project-management, presentation, engagement, social media, and content-production tools.
Must possess a valid driver’s license.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a public-sector, nonprofit, or community-serving organization is preferred.
Experience developing executive, Board, media, or other high-visibility public communication materials is preferred.
Experience coordinating multiple contributors, approvals, and deadlines for complex communications is preferred.

Responsibilities

Coordinate the development of presentations, talking points, summaries, and other communication materials for Park Board meetings, public meetings, executive leadership, and organizational events.
Gather, synthesize, and organize information from departments and subject-matter experts into clear, audience-appropriate materials.
Support leadership and staff in preparing for media interviews, public presentations, community discussions, and other high-visibility communications.
Review Board-facing and executive communication materials for clarity, consistency, accuracy, and public accessibility.
Assist with communication following Board actions, organizational decisions, and major public meetings.
Develop templates, processes, and guidance that improve the consistency and efficiency of organizational communications.
Develop, coordinate, and implement communication strategies that support the Park District's mission, strategic priorities, major projects, and operational needs.
Research, write, and edit clear, accessible content for press releases, presentations, talking points, newsletters, website content, social media, community reports, letters, scripts, internal communications, and public notices.
Translate complex operational, financial, policy, and project information into communications that are understandable and useful to public and internal audiences.
Collaborate with departments to identify and communicate stories, projects, and updates that demonstrate the impact of Park District parks, programs, facilities, partnerships, and employees.
Lead communication planning for major initiatives, capital projects, policy or fee changes, facility updates, and other matters with significant community impact.
Develop communication timelines, key messages, frequently asked questions, and supporting materials in collaboration with subject-matter experts.
Coordinate messaging and collaborate with creative staff to ensure communications are accurate, accessible, and consistent with Park District brand standards.
Develop or coordinate basic visual communication materials, presentation layouts, signage, and multimedia content as project needs and team capacity require.
Serve as a primary media contact and Park District spokesperson, coordinating responses with leadership and subject-matter experts as appropriate.
Research, draft, edit, and distribute press releases, media advisories, public statements, interview briefs, key messages, and talking points.
Triage media inquiries, identify appropriate spokespeople, and coordinate interviews, schedules, locations, approvals, and supporting materials.
Prepare staff and leadership for interviews by developing background information, anticipated questions, and key messages.
Build and maintain responsive, professional relationships with local and regional media outlets.
Proactively identify media opportunities that highlight Park District programs, people, partnerships, facilities, and community impact.
Monitor media coverage and public response, identify emerging communication needs, and share relevant developments with leadership and affected departments.
Build and maintain relationships with residents, neighborhood groups, community organizations, partner agencies, and local businesses.
Plan and facilitate community engagement opportunities, including neighborhood meetings, open houses, surveys, online engagement platforms, listening sessions, pop-up outreach, and community events.
Develop engagement plans that identify stakeholders, outreach methods, communication timelines, and opportunities for meaningful public participation.
Develop accessible outreach campaigns that invite residents to participate in Park District programs, planning initiatives, public meetings, and feedback opportunities.
Serve as a connection point between residents and the Park District by gathering, organizing, and communicating public input to appropriate departments and decision-makers.
Coordinate engagement materials and logistics with operational departments, leadership, and external partners.
Summarize community feedback and prepare findings for staff leadership, project teams, the Park Board, and the public.
Develop and coordinate internal communications that keep employees and leadership informed of organizational priorities, upcoming initiatives, media activity, and public-facing projects.
Produce recurring internal updates, organizational summaries, staff features, and other employee communications.
Coordinate information, approvals, deadlines, and deliverables across departments for major communication and engagement projects.
Establish communication workflows, templates, and intake processes that improve collaboration between the Community Relations team and other departments.
Provide communication guidance and support to employees serving as project leads, presenters, or subject-matter experts.
Support the Director of Community Relations and organizational leadership in planning communications for urgent, sensitive, high-risk, or rapidly evolving issues.
Gather and verify information from operational teams and leadership before public release.
Develop holding statements, key messages, frequently asked questions, and channel-specific updates as circumstances evolve.
Coordinate timely, accurate, and transparent updates across appropriate internal, public, and media channels to support public safety, organizational credibility, and community trust.
Monitor media and public response and recommend follow-up communication when needed.