Montana Outdoors Editor

Please remember to attach the required documents Cover Letter and Resume listed in this announcement. Applications missing the requested documents will be considered incomplete and may not progress further in the process. Documents not requested will not be considered in the recruitment process. The State Application is not a substitute for a Resume. This position closes at 11:59 PM Mountain Time on November 3, 2024. You must apply through the State of Montana Career site. 

Special Information:
Identity of applicants who become finalists may be released to the public if the Department deems it necessary.Employees who exceed 1,040 hours in a calendar year are also provided health, dental and life insurance. Other benefits include retirement, paid vacation, sick and holidays.This position may be covered by a VEBA (Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association).

A successful applicant will be subject to a background investigation.Women and minorities are under-represented in this job category and are encouraged to apply.

one of the premier fish and wildlife agency magazines in the country is looking for a proven editor, with the skills and vision to continue the magazine’s excellence into a new era. is the flagship magazine for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. It covers the work of the agency from the dense forests near Glacier National Park, to the badland prairies in eastern Montana and everywhere in between. The magazine covers stories like mountain biking in grizzly country, game wardens busting poaching rings, fisheries biologists restoring federally endangered pallid sturgeon, research scientists monitoring prairie songbirds, and restoring trophy bighorn sheep in the Missouri Breaks. In addition to covering fish and wildlife issues across the state—many of them, like how ranchers keep wolves from their livestock and what FWP does to keep people safe from expanding grizzly populations-- publishes work from some of the top outdoor writers and photographers from around the West.

A successful candidate must have a proven track record as a journalist and editor; be passionate about hunting, fishing, and other outdoor recreation; and have an inherent understanding of the role a fish and wildlife magazine serves for a state agency. Additionally, the editor of is a key part of the Communication and Education Division leadership, help with broader FWP outreach efforts. In this capacity, experience in communication and outreach planning is helpful.

Job Duties:

The editor is responsible for producing and publishing , the bimonthly Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks magazine, one of the most-awarded state conservation agency magazines in the nation. The job provides opportunities to learn about and communicate some of the most interesting and important fisheries, wildlife, and outdoor recreation activities and issues in the United States. Whether working at the office in outdoor-recreation-rich Helena or remotely from another Montana location, the editor is responsible for day-to-day operations administration, strategic planning, market analysis, content writing and assigning, copy-editing, and supervising contractors hired to perform these and other editorial functions.

The editor will need to maintain high industry standards for journalism, writing, editing, proofreading, photography, and graphic design; supervise editing and proofreading to ensure clarity and logical structure, appropriate syntax, grammar, diction, and style, and factual accuracy. The candidate must also be experienced in using five-color Web press printing to produce the highest standards of printing excellence.

To ensure that the magazine serves the department’s communication needs, the editor works with senior FWP managers and field staff to identify, develop, and schedule many of the magazine’s articles.

This position hires and supervises two part-time staff (art director and circulation coordinator) and oversees their work (including layout and design, circulation, fulfillment, and promotion).

The editor also provides additional communication assistance and training to the department when time permits, such as writing brochures, giving presentations on communication strategies and planning, and copy-editing department publications.

Physical and Environmental Demands:

Incumbent performs work indoors in a typical office environment with light lifting and extensive computer use. The employee is regularly required to stand, sit, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer. May sit for extended periods. Incumbent must work long and irregular hours, often on weekends, under stressful conditions of maintaining strict production schedules, meeting print deadlines, and preventing any errors in the magazine that could embarrass FWP or compromise the agency’s relationship with the governor’s office, legislators, other elected officials, or key stakeholder groups.

Requires some overnight travel to meetings at locations far from duty station and to accompany field staff to gather field information and photographs for articles, the latter requiring the ability to hike, at times in inclement weather. Some out-of-state travel required. 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 

The incumbent must possess a unique combination of technical and literary skills and expertise including: technical knowledge of fish, wildlife, and state parks management and fish and wildlife biology; knowledge of Montana geography, outdoor recreation opportunities, and the state park system; knowledge of the history, current trends, and major issues related to Montana and national fish, wildlife, and state parks management; knowledge of the FWP mission, core values, and vision, as well as current communication objectives for each division and bureau; thorough knowledge of and experience with magazine or other periodical production processes; thorough knowledge of magazine journalism techniques, standards, and ethics; knowledge of communication principles and practices; expert knowledge of English language style and usage; knowledge of graphic design; ability to supervise and motivate staff and freelance writers, editors, and proofreaders; experience with using computer communication networks; ability to manage budgets; ability to perform strategic and planning; ability to revise position descriptions, and write selection processes, work plans, and performance evaluations.

Incumbent works under indirect supervision and must be capable of making final decisions on areas of responsibility. Must be able to identify which matters require further review by administration.

The position requires the ability to simultaneously schedule and track all components of several issues of the magazine.

Minimum Qualifications (Education and Experience):

The knowledge, skills, and abilities of this position are normally attained through a combination of education and experience equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in journalism, communication or other liberal arts field and at least four years experience as an editor of a journal, newspaper, magazine, or other print publication. Other combinations of education and experience will be considered on a case-by-case basis.