Beeck Center Georgetown University Beeck Center: Social Impact + Innovation

Director of Communications

Job Description

Job Overview

The Director of Communications will lead the Beeck Center’s overall communications strategy, help the Center with branding and public positioning, support and advance communications for the Center’s projects, and manage and expand the Center’s media relations. We are looking for an experienced professional who is comfortable speaking about how data, design, technology, and policy can be leveraged to improve peoples’ lives, and is comfortable helping the Center respond to emerging issues and handling any rapid response needs. The right candidate will be entrepreneurial, empathetic, strategic, and action-oriented, and will help oversee the use of modern tools to share our research, stories, and impact with a diverse range of audiences. 

We need someone who knows how to develop a strategy to spotlight the Beeck Center’s work shaping more equitable public systems while making our projects accessible and easy-to-understand to a wider range of stakeholders, including non-technical and non-governmental stakeholders. The Director of Communications will work closely with the Center’s Storyteller-in-Residence to find creative ways to build the Beeck Center’s brand with stories that matter to everyday people. The Director of Communications will be a trusted communications architect and spokesperson for our organization.

The Director will lead the strategic process to refine and implement our communications plan, working closely with the Executive Director. The ideal candidate: 

  • Has a strong track record in civic sector marketing and/or communications
  • Can translate complex and wonky work into engaging content for various audiences
  • Can navigate nuanced or sensitive policy subjects that affect peoples’ lives 
  • Has a strong track record as a manager and demonstrated ability to collaborate with direct reports
  • Has a proven track record helping organizations grow
  • Has interest or experience in data, design, and technology
  • Can independently drive and execute a strategy

Work Interactions

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Director of Communications will integrate strategic communications into our day-to-day operations and into the execution of our overall organizational roadmap. The Director will work collaboratively with Center staff, fellows and project teams.

This position will supervise 1-2 communications staff, manage vendors and contractors, and work closely with our project teams and Student Analysts. The Director should have management experience and be an inclusive leader and coach for other team members as well as a strong team communicator.

Responsibilities

Communications Strategy – 40%

  • Lead strategy and development of the Center’s communication practices to a wide range of audiences, who might be brand new to or deeply embedded in public interest technology
  • Lead Center’s digital strategy including alignment and processes across digital properties (Beeck website, resource libraries, etc.) and social media channels
  • Directly execute or support communications activities such as writing, editing, conducting media outreach, and engaging partners 
  • Develop systems and processes to ensure communications are integrated and aligned to project teams’ work and outcomes 
  • Work with PR professionals to pitch media outlets, field inquiries, develop and maintain relationships with reporters 
  • Work with Storyteller-in-Residence and a junior digital communications position to draft content for digital properties, press releases, media advisories, talking points, and background memos

Marketing Strategy – 40%

  • Work with the Executive Director and leadership team to design and develop a marketing strategy to promote Beeck Center and project team work and achieve organizational goals 
  • Develop and implement an engagement strategy to reach our target audiences, including through audio, video, or other creative formats
  • Find out-of-the-box ways to raise the Beeck Center’s profile and empower leaders and fellows to lift up the Center’s work 
  • Coordinate with partners to ensure the Center maximizes cross-promotion to be successful in publishing research products
  • Provide strategic marketing and communications insights and support directly to project teams including supporting funder communications

Brand Alignment – 20%

  • Map out the Beeck Center’s brand and define the right audiences to engage with our project work and content
  • Provide strategic direction for digital promotion and brand identity support  for Beeck Center events and convenings 
  • Identify and train Beeck Center leadership and fellows for press events and interviews with clear and consistent messaging
  • Ensure consistent language and style across all Beeck Center communications and platforms
  • Manage contractors to support graphic design, brand identity work, copyediting, and other content development across projects
  • Ensure that Beeck Center’s message and brand reflect the innovative, playful, and practical approach we take to our work

Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree, and 8 or more years of experience including 3 years of supervisory experience, or equivalent relevant work experience; e.g., each year of work experience may be substituted for each year of education required
  • Experience in a management position in a nonprofit organization, private sector company, foundation, and/or government agency
  • Understanding of the public interest technology, civic technology, or the data for good space, including trends and leading collaborators (ideally with media contacts covering relevant fields)
  • Demonstrated leadership and critical eye in delivering effective communications and marketing via social media and other nontraditional platforms
  • Confident and quick writing and editorial acumen, adept at both producing and directing the crafting of top-quality content
  • Experience initiating creative and innovative communications – tell us about the ideas you’ve brought to your past work! 
  • Passionate spirit and a commitment to working well with others toward common goals 
  • Previous experience recruiting, selecting, and managing contractors
  • Experience coaching leaders and subject matter experts to serve as compelling spokespeople

Work Designations

This position has been designated as hybrid. Please note that work mode designations are regularly reviewed in order to meet the evolving needs of the University.  Such review may necessitate a change to a position’s mode of work designation. Complete details about Georgetown University’s mode of work designations for staff and AAP positions can be found on the Department of Human Resources website: https://hr.georgetown.edu/mode-of-work-designation.

The Beeck Center operates as a distributed team, with some team members working remotely and others working in-person in our Washington, D.C. offices. A distributed team means there will be heavy reliance on asynchronous communication channels such as Slack, Asana, and email while also having many meetings fully virtual or hybrid to include remote employees, using Zoom.

Beeck Center team members based outside the Washington, D.C. area are expected to travel to Washington, D.C. at least 2-3 times per year for retreats, work weeks, and other team activities. Non-local team members also often travel at their discretion for internal and external work-related events.

Salary, Benefits, and Employment Term

The Director of Communications is a full-time, two-year term. The salary band for this position is $110,000-$140,000, commensurate with experience, and includes full benefits.

Application and Interview Process:

STEP 1: Beeck Center Supplemental Application (contact details, short-answer questions, logistical questions)

STEP 2: Georgetown University Application (standard resume, no cover letter needed)

PRIORITY DEADLINE: Both portions of the application should be submitted by June 4, 2023 for consideration.


Need Assistance:

If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please click here for more information, or contact the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Affirmative Action (IDEAA) at 202-687-4798 or ideaa@georgetown.edu.

Need some assistance with the application process? Please call 202-687-2500. For more information about the suite of benefits, professional development and community involvement opportunities that make up Georgetown’s commitment to its employees, please visit the Georgetown Works website.

EEO Statement:

Georgetown University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer fully dedicated to achieving a diverse faculty and staff.  All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity and expression, and sexual orientation), disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Benefits:

Georgetown University offers a wide variety of comprehensive and competitive benefits. Benefits packages include comprehensive health, dental and vision plans, disability and life insurance coverage, retirement savings programs, tuition assistance, voluntary insurance options (including group legal, accident, and critical illness), and much more. Whatever your need, the Office of Faculty and Staff Benefits will be standing by to support you. You can learn more about the benefits offered to eligible faculty and staff at https://benefits.georgetown.edu or view the online interactive benefits guide for more information.