Farm Bill Communication Support Specialist

Title: Farm Bill Communication Support Specialist

Location:Bozeman, MT

Department:ACES/NRCS

Location Name:Bozeman, MT

Wage Max:30.00 

Wage Min:30.00 

Shift:Monday - Friday, Days

ID:AMT1-009

Location:Bozeman

Program:ACE

Wage/Hr:$30.00

Hours/Week:20

Minimum Age:55

Duties:

Provide support to the public affairs program in Montana through writing, photography, videography, coordination with agency partners, drafting social media posts, website and SharePoint maintenance, and other duties that promote NRCS technical and financial assistance through Farm Bill and supporting legislation. All duties to be completed under guidance and collaboration with the public affairs specialist and relevant subject matter experts. Work location: Remote: 90% Field Site: 10%

• Conduct producer/conservationist success stories to increase awareness and utilization of NRCS Farm Bill technical and financial assistance. Through field visits, conduct interviews, collect photos and/or videos. Return to duty station to write stories, edit photo/video, add captions/closed captions, manage review of materials, and post to web platforms. This may be done in person as travel budget allows. May also conduct interviews virtually and coordinate with landowners/employees to obtain photos. Includes getting signed release forms.   15%
• Develop communication strategy for Farm Bill success stories and related materials, manage review of strategy, and implement strategy components.   15%
• Draft regular posts highlighting Farm Bill assistance for NRCS Montana X account with appropriate graphic/photo/video, manage review process, and schedule posts.   15%
• Update NRCS Montana webpages based on input from subject matter experts using the Drupal platform.   10%
• Coordinate with partner communicators to establish a regular schedule and platform for discussion and collaboration to advance toward common goals, leveraging their work to advance understanding of Farm Bill assistance by our customers.   10%
• Draft text for technical or programmatic materials needed for information transfer to customers regarding Farm Bill implementation.   10%
• Design layout of technical or programmatic materials used for information transfer, using agency templates when available, that meet agency guidelines.   10%
• Support presentation of agency documents to customers via web platforms by completing 508 conformance activities.   5%
• Maintain the NRCS Montana SharePoint and provide support to subject matter experts as updates are needed to support field staff implementing Farm Bill work with customers.   5%
• Support additional communication efforts that advance awareness of NRCS Farm Bill assistance among agency customers as they arise.   5%

Qualifications:

Minimum of 10 year(s) of experience in NRCS public affairs and communications, familiarity with NRCS assistance and experience gathering customer stories. OR AA Degree in General

• Microsoft products, Adobe Creative Cloud suite, photography, videography, writing, 508 conformance, web editing using Drupal, SharePoint maintenance
• Experience required with Windows, MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint
• Adobe Creative Cloud suite, SharePoint, Drupal

Other:

• On the job
• On the job.
• Overnight travel: Determined by workload. Up to 15 nights per year.
• Air travel anticipated: Determined by workload. Up to 4 trips per year.
• Physical requirements: Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

Disclaimer: This is not a federal position. This role is offered through a partnership agreement and does not constitute an NRCS hiring action.

This position is a non-federal role funded through an existing agreement between NRCS and NEW Solutions. The enrollee is not a federal employee. The enrollee will provide direct support to farmers and landowners, enabling the implementation of conservation practices on the ground. This role contributes to meet the mission of NRCS by enhancing capacity in field offices and ensuring timely assistance to producers. It is designed to free up NRCS staff for emergency and high-priority responses, not to replace federal staff.

This role helps ensure continued progress on conservation planning, practice implementation, and technical assistance, especially in high-demand or disaster-affected areas. Additionally, this position aligns with the priorities of the Administration for farmer-first, field-facing, and partner-enabled capacity expansion.

For over 25 years, National Experienced Workforce Solutions (NEW Solutions) has specialized in connecting experienced workers (ages 55+) with full-time and part-time job opportunities that support the critical missions of Federal Agencies across the United States.

NEW Solutions connects experienced workers (ages 55+) with the Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS). These are experienced professionals who provide technical and professional assistance to the Department of Agriculture for the Agriculture Conservation Experienced Services (ACES) Program.

Benefits: Paid Health Insurance Premium for positions budgeted at 60+ hours per pay period, Accrued Vacation and Sick Leave, Paid Federal Holidays, and optional Vision and Dental Insurance available for positions budgeted at 35+ hours per pay period.

Positions listed here do not guarantee employment for any definite period. Enrollment in the Experienced Worker Programs administered by NEW Solutions is temporary. The enrollment relationship between NEW Solutions and the Enrollee is an ?at-will? relationship. This means that an Enrollee is free to terminate enrollment at any time during the enrollment period, and NEW Solutions and the Agency have the right to terminate the relationship with the Enrollee.