We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Communications Specialist to support a growing team within AAAS focused on increasing access, engagement and success for all people across STEMM pathways, including from underrepresented groups.

The Senior Communications Specialist will spend 50 percent of their time managing day-to-day communications for the STEMM Opportunity Alliance, and the other 50 percent providing high-level strategy and support to a range of projects across STEMM pathways. The STEMM Opportunity Alliance is a network of 250+ cross-sector partners committed to adding 20 million new STEMM workers to the U.S. economy by 2050, and AAAS serves as the backbone organization to coordinate, align and ensure shared accountability across the network.

This role will sit in the AAAS Office of Communications, reporting to the Senior Media and Public Affairs Manager, and will work under the direction of the director of the Alliance.

Help us ignite the next era of science.

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What You’ll Do

Alliance content development and management

• Strategize, develop, and deliver content across social media accounts, a newsletter, blogs, and STEMMOpportunity.org; analyze and optimize content performance.
• Inform and help to implement refreshes and overhauls to STEMMOpportunity.org.
• Develop or support the vision and creation of multimedia content (e.g., social media cards, graphics for newsletter, blog and website, videos, slide decks, etc.).
• Provide input on overarching and audience-specific messaging and support the development of speeches.

Alliance partner communications and support

• Conceptualize and develop communications toolkits for partners to use in messaging, presentations, social media content, digital channels, and media relations.
• Support partners across the Strategic Communications Capstone in setting priorities and creating deliverables.
• Serve as a key contact and liaise with partners on communications efforts such as social media campaigns, announcements, multimedia content, newsletters, blogs and websites.
• Design and inform engagement strategies for the Alliance’s online community of practice.

Provide communications support for other STEMM pathways programs

• Support the development of communication plans and strategies in collaboration with project teams.
• Support centralized communications structures, processes, and analytics to streamline project teams’ workflows related to communications and increase the overall impact of our unit.
• Contribute to the development of communications resources including newsletter templates, social media content, infographics, toolkits, and other products.
• Provide guidance on strategies to engage program participants, key stakeholders, and AAAS members in communities of learning and practice.
• Serve as the key point of contact for the Office of Communications on communications support requests from this unit and project manage assignments with that team.

Support the Alliance’s and other STEMM pathway programs’ media relations efforts in coordination with the Office of Communications

• Collaborate with the Office of Communications and their public relations agency on media relations, including announcements, media interviews, and news around events; seek guidance on story pitches, quotes, and media outreach.
• Coordinate with the Office of Communications and public information officers on announcements.

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Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and at least five years of professional work experience providing communications support for projects with multiple audiences, partners, and deliverables.  

• Experience developing or supporting the development of communications assets for stakeholder groups (e.g., education, workforce, government).
• Ability to translate strategic vision and academic content into tactical actions and understandable content for a lay audience.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a particular ability to synthesize clear and concise information from a wide array of sources via multiple communication channels.
• Knowledge of monitoring platforms, social media management tools, and other online platforms.
• Passion for inclusivity for excellence in STEMM.
• Program management experience preferred but not required.

• Understanding of what constitutes newsworthy angles and experience securing media results across a range of outlets preferred but not required.

• Experience developing communications strategies to cultivate shared goals, metrics, and collaborations is preferred but not required.
• Basic knowledge of the STEMM ecosystem from Pre-K through career, and partnership development is preferred but not required.  
• Intermediate graphic design experience is preferred but not required.‍

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Application Process

Submit a resume and cover letter outlining qualifications and interest in the position by December 26, 2024. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. A Recruiter will contact you with next steps if you are selected for an interview.

The anticipated initial rate of compensation for this position is between $65,000 and $75,000 per year. AAAS currently provides the following benefits for this position: paid vacation leave, paid sick leave, paid holidays, health insurance, flexible spending account, dental insurance, vision insurance, retirement benefits, short- and long-term disability, and life insurance, each subject to the terms of the applicable program. Additional benefits may apply.

Any actual offer of employment, reflecting the total compensation package and benefits, will be made in the sole discretion of AAAS and will be based on a variety of factors, including years of experience, depth of experience, and other relevant factors. AAAS reserves the right to amend or modify its employment benefits and compensation structure at any time.

AAAS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or other protected category. AAAS uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees.

Search Firm and Employment Agency Disclaimer
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Any unsolicited resumes sent to AAAS from a third party, such as an agency, including unsolicited resumes sent to an AAAS mailing address, fax machine or email address, directly to AAAS employees, or to the AAAS resume database will be considered AAAS property. Verbal or written communications from any employee of AAAS shall not be considered binding obligations. AAAS Human Resources is the only AAAS representative authorized by AAAS enter into any employment agreements with any third party. AAAS will not pay a fee for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited resume.

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Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)