BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. Doug Burgum announced today the state will launch a search for a new executive director for Job Service North Dakota (JSND). The governor expressed his gratitude to North Dakota Workforce Safety & Insurance (WSI) Director Bryan Klipfel, who has served as interim executive director of JSND since 2019 and will return to leading WSI full time.

“Bryan has done a tremendous job as Job Service North Dakota executive director, stepping up in a huge way when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the economy and created once-in-a-generation workforce and unemployment challenges for our citizens and businesses,” Burgum said. “We are deeply grateful for the leadership and continuity he provided at Job Service and for the strength of the entire JSND team, whose outstanding work has kept the agency positioned to address the workforce challenges of today and tomorrow.”

Klipfel has served as director of WSI since 2009 and will return to that leadership role full time when his interim role at Job Service ends Dec. 31, 2021.

“It has been an incredible privilege serving the citizens of North Dakota as executive director of JSND,” Klipfel said. “I am appreciative of the opportunity given to me by Governor Burgum to work with such a resilient and talented Job Service team. The pandemic put a spotlight on this team, and I am so proud of what they have accomplished over the past three years. I am leaving them in good hands with a strong leadership team who will continue building on their mission of meeting workforce needs.”

Under Klipfel’s leadership, JSND went above and beyond in supporting North Dakota’s workforce during the pandemic. Since March 2020, the team has processed more than 280,000 unemployment claims – nearly 14 years’ worth of claims – and paid out more than $1.25 billion to eligible North Dakota workers. Over the past five months, the agency has focused on putting North Dakotans affected by the pandemic back to work, and helping employers fill the state’s more than 17,500 online job listings – part of an estimated 30,000 or more total job openings – by hosting multiple in-house hiring events, sponsoring multi-industry job fairs, and promoting a digital employment campaign, #JobUpND.

The Job Service executive director’s position is posted here. Applications will be accepted through November 15, 2021.

Job Service North Dakota has 156 full-time team members, 66 temporary employees and a biennial budget of $65.4 million to manage multiple federal grants for workforce and unemployment services. The agency has nine workforce centers across the state staffed with regional workforce experts to remove barriers to employment and to connect employers and job seekers by building partnerships within local communities with employers, schools, local economic development associations and chambers. Unemployment Insurance services are carried out at the central office location in Bismarck. Through this program, the agency stabilizes the workforce and economy by providing income replacement to eligible workers. The agency also provides education and labor market information to businesses and job seekers to make informed decisions.