The North Dakota Department of Public Instruction (NDDPI) is seeking an Administrative Staff Officer to join our collaborative and mission-driven School Approval and Opportunity Team.
Join the Office of School Approval & Opportunity and play a vital role in supporting North Dakota's schools, educators, and students. Our team helps ensure public, nonpublic, and state schools meet the standards that foster safe, high-quality learning environments, supports educators throughout the credentialing process, and provides school leaders with the guidance and resources they need to succeed.
As the Administrative Staff Officer, you'll serve as the operational hub of a fast-paced, deadline-driven office. You'll be the primary point of contact for school administrators, educator applicants, and the public, providing exceptional customer service and reliable support. In this role, you'll assist with educator credentialing through the ND TEACH portal, help schools submit accurate and timely compliance reports and required records, and maintain the office's procedures, systems, and communications to ensure operations run efficiently year after year. Your work will directly contribute to the success of schools across North Dakota and support our mission of ensuring every student has access to a high-quality education.
What You'll Do
Key Responsibilities include:
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Serve as the central point of contact for the office. Field phone and email inquiries from school administrators, applicants, and the public, provide technical assistance, and route questions to the correct staff or agency.
- Prepare, proof, edit, and distribute correspondence, procedural guidance, office newsletters, and press releases. Maintain office web content and ensure ADA compliance.
- Support credential application processing in the ND TEACH portal: review applications for completeness and supporting documentation against established criteria, follow up on supervisor verifications and references, coordinate with universities and Education Standards and Practices Board (ESPB) on transcripts and coursework, issue credentials once eligibility is confirmed, and track expiring credentials and plans of study. Flag applications with eligibility questions for School Approval and Opportunity staff review.
- Support schools in submitting timely, accurate compliance reports and Fall/Spring calendars, and assist with licensed personnel reports, annual desk audits, and fire marshal inspection tracking. Maintain the associated databases and records, review submissions for accuracy, follow up with schools on deficiencies or overdue items, and keep guidance documents current.
- Support the Course Code Committee by preparing and publishing course code assignments in accordance with established guidance, to ensure accurate reporting and alignment with state requirements.
- Coordinate office functions: meeting scheduling and minutes, records retention, forms inventory, document routing, and the annual Back-to-School Drilldown for school leaders.
- Establish, document, and annually update standard operating procedures for assigned responsibilities.
- Collaborate with NDDPI staff and external partners to compile data on monitoring issues and areas where schools need increased technical assistance.
- Support team communication and organization (schedules, reminders, forms, records) and assist with special projects as needed.
What You'll Bring
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Proficiency with spreadsheet, word processing, email, and collaboration platforms, such as Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint-or comparable tools like Google Sheets, Docs, Gmail, and Drive-including the ability to use functions such as sorting, filtering, formulas, and pivot tables.
- Strong written communication skills with experience preparing, proofreading, and editing correspondence for accuracy, clarity, and professionalism.
- Excellent organizational skills with the ability to prioritize tasks, manage multiple deadlines, and maintain exceptional attention to detail.
- Outstanding verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences.
- The ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and maintain the confidentiality of applicant, employee, and student information.
To be considered you must have:
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Associate's degree in business or related field and four years' experience performing a variety of high- level complex office support tasks.
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Additional qualifying experience may substitute for education on a year-for-year basis.
Preferred Qualifications
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Experience in a K-12 school district, state agency, or other public sector office.
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Experience maintaining web content, including ADA/accessibility compliance
Why You'll Love Working Here
At the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction, you'll do meaningful work that makes a lasting impact on students, educators, and schools across the state. As part of the Office of School Approval & Opportunity, you'll help support the systems that ensure schools operate effectively, educators are credentialed to serve students, and school leaders have the guidance they need to create safe, high-quality learning environments.
If you're organized, enjoy helping people, and take pride in keeping important processes running smoothly, you'll find purpose in a role where your work directly supports our mission to ensure every student graduate choice ready with the knowledge, skills, and disposition to be successful in whatever they choose to do.
Compensation & Location
Hiring Range: $4,600-$4,900/month, depending on experience.
Location: Onsite at the State Capitol in Bismarck, ND.
About Team ND
"Far and away the best prize life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." - Theodore Roosevelt
More than 7,500 talented, hard-working people across sixty-three agencies have come together as Team North Dakota. At Team ND, we are driven to succeed through gratitude, humility, curiosity and courage. Our purpose is to empower people, improve lives, and inspire success. Join us in being legendary.
Total Rewards: The State of North Dakota is committed to providing team members with a strong and competitive rewards package that support you, your health and your family.
Considering a new position on Team ND? How does your current position stack up? Use our Total Rewards Calculator to estimate.
Application Procedures
Ready to Apply?
Submit your application and resume at www.nd.gov/careers by 11:59 PM Central Time (CT) on the closing date.
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Include details on how your background aligns with the role in your cover letter and resume.
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A criminal background check is required for the selected candidate.
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Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. (No visa sponsorships provided.)
Questions or Accommodations?
Contact Anne Kerzman, Human Resources Administrative Assistant
[email protected] | (701) 328-2262
For tech issues, contact [email protected] | (701) 328-3290
Equal Employment Opportunity
The State of North Dakota and this hiring agency do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), genetics, religion, age or disability in employment or the provisions of services and complies with the provisions of the North Dakota Human Rights Act.
As an employer, the State of North Dakota prohibits smoking in all places of state employment in accordance with N.D.C.C. Sect. 23-12-10.
