The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) is the state agency that advances public education and libraries in Wisconsin. Our mission is to advance equitable, transformative, and sustainable educational experiences that develop learners, schools, libraries, and communities in Wisconsin. Working at DPI offers you the opportunity to build on our long-standing commitment to public education so that students are learning the skills and knowledge necessary to become contributing members of our communities.

At DPI, we are committed to creating an environment where everyone feels safe, supported, and valued. Equity and inclusion are at the core of our organizational values, which include belonging, integrity, love, humility, and honor. These values guide how we build our teams, develop our leaders, and create a culture that empowers everyone to be their authentic selves. When employees are respected and valued for who they are and staff are held accountable for demonstrating that respect to others, we believe it drives greater engagement and collaboration, ignites creativity and innovation, and fosters connection between teams and those we serve. 

Our employees enjoy an exceptional employee assistance program that offers a variety of programs and tools to help promote wellness. We have a team-oriented atmosphere, focus on work-life balance, and offer flexible work schedules for most positions. Click this video to learn more about the benefits of working at DPI.

The Office of Communications within the Division of Government and Public Affairs is seeking applicants for a Communications Specialist Senior position.  In this role you will have the autonomy to work with a wide range of people to modernize the DPI and the way our agency communicates with different audiences. In addition, you will develop engaging content and remarks for an elected official and work closely with leadership to make important decisions.  If this sounds like a role you may be interested in, please apply!

This position helps coordinate the state superintendent’s communication with the public, educators, internal staff, and other stakeholders. As a core member of the Office of Communications, this position’s primary responsibility is strategic writing and copyediting – developing speeches for leadership, news releases, internal communications, and a bi-weekly newsletter for educators. Under the supervision of the Office of Communications director, this role involves researching, writing, and editing high-quality content that aligns with the DPI’s mission and supports its public outreach and internal messaging goals.

The individual in this position will be relied upon for exceptional writing, editorial, and storytelling skills and must be adept at translating complex educational topics into clear, engaging, and accurate messages across a variety of platforms. The role also includes oversight of related content for the DPI’s website and contributes to public relations planning and messaging strategy.

For more information, please view the complete position description.

Depending on qualifications, the salary will be between $30.00 - $35.00 per hour (approximately $62,400 - $72,800 per year). For current and eligible former State employees, compensation will be set in accordance with the State Compensation Plan effective at time of hire. This position is in pay schedule 07, range 04. A one-year probationary period will be required.

This position offers excellent benefits. The State of Wisconsin is a qualifying employer for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

Remote Work: This position has the option to work 100% remote with a requirement that the employee is expected to have access to secure high speed internet. DPI employees are generally expected to work within the state of Wisconsin. Advance approvals are required to have an out-of-state telework site. Remote work flexibility will be discussed in more detail during the interview process.

Travel: This position will travel an average amount of two times per month for events. 

Headquarters: The position is headquartered at 201 W. Washington Ave. in Madison, WI, and employees are required to report there on their first day of employment. In addition, the employee may need to report to their headquarter location as operational needs require. Reimbursement for traveling to or from the employee’s headquarters is not provided (e.g., mileage, meals, parking, lodging, etc.).

Pre-hire requirements: A criminal background check will be conducted prior to an offer of hire.  A TB screen will be required prior to start.

Legal authorization: Applicants must be legally entitled to work in the United States (i.e., a citizen or national of the U.S., without DPI sponsorship). The Department of Public Instruction does not sponsor visas, either at time of hire or at any later time.

Please address the following in your resume and/or letter of qualifications.

A minimally qualified applicant must have all the below:

• Experience developing and editing speeches, news releases or other communications for external use
• Experience with AP Style and/or Chicago Manual of Style
• Experience tailoring communication for multiple diverse audiences (e.g., general public, legislature, education leaders, internal organization-wide, etc.)
• Experience managing digital communication tools (e.g., managing web content, social media platforms, e-newsletters, etc.)

Please note that a college degree is not required for this position.

Well-qualified applicants will also have:

• Experience with K-12 public education (i.e., working in a school, communicating with public education staff, etc.)
• Experience in media relations, news media, event planning or crisis messaging
• Experience with accessibility and design for digital content
• Developing or supporting equity and inclusion initiatives (e.g., developing/providing feedback on policies/practices, implementing equity and inclusion initiatives, advocating for equity and inclusion needs, participating in committees/groups, etc.)

Applying is easy! Click “Apply for Job” to start your application process.  Sign into your account or click “Register Now” to create an account before applying for the job. Follow the steps outlined in the application process and submit your application.

Helpful Tips:

• Current state employees must apply through the STAR “Careers” tile. Do not create an external applicant account. 
• There will be no opportunity to change your application materials once you have clicked “Submit”.
• The system will automatically log you off after 30 minutes of inactivity, so click “Save as a Draft” often. 
• Please visit the Frequently Asked Questions section for general Wisc.Jobs user information and technical assistance. 
• Candidates may need to check their spam or junk email folders for correspondence about this position.

Each time you apply for a state job; you should update and tailor your resume and letter of qualifications. You should clearly describe your education, training, and experience related to the items listed in the “Qualifications” section of the job announcement. These qualifications should be addressed in your resume and expanded upon in your letter of qualifications. This will allow a fuller assessment regarding your qualifications and those required for the job applying for. Please review these resume and letter of qualifications tips for more information on your application materials.

Your resume should include the following:

• Your educational background including any course work that relates to the position in which you are applying. 
• Your employment history, including experiences and/or duties and a summary of accomplishments and skills learned or used. 
• Any training or experience, including volunteer work or internships, you have related specifically to the “Qualifications” section of the assessment. 
• Spell out any acronyms and/or abbreviations the first time used. 

Your letter of qualifications should include:

• Additional information regarding your past work experience, including volunteer work and internships, or coursework you have taken. 
• Highlights of your most relevant skills and experiences as they related to the specific job you are applying for. 
• Specific examples that clearly demonstrates your level of expertise. 

What not to include in your resume or letter of qualifications:

Your application materials should not include any information that is not job-related, such as race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, creed, disability, or genetic information. Further, do not include any self-identifying information such as photos, social security numbers, political affiliation, citizen status or conviction records. This document is not a letter of recommendation that someone else wrote about you.

Application materials will be evaluated, and the most qualified applicants will be invited to participate in the next step of the process. References will be requested from top candidates once interviews have taken place. 

The State of Wisconsin offers a special program for qualified veterans with a 30% or greater service-connected disability. If you are a qualified veteran, please visit the Veterans Employment page for application instructions to be considered for the Veterans Non-Competitive Appointment program.  Once you have applied, please send an email indicating your interest in being considered for the Veterans Non-Competitive Appointment program to the HR staff listed in the​​ job posting.

The State of Wisconsin is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to applicants of any race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

We provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities.

Questions? Please contact the recruiter, Amanda Edl, at Amanda.edl@dpi.wi.gov. 

The deadline for this announcement is 11:59 p.m. on Friday August 15, 2025.