Communications Director

Job Details

General Notes

The newly launched NSF-Simons AI Institute for Cosmic Origins (CosmicAI) seeks a part-time (50% Full Time Equivalent) communications director to manage all aspects of internal and public-facing communications.

Purpose

The Communications Director will play a key role in managing communications for the CosmicAI Institute, enhance the Institute’s public presence, and contribute to promoting the Institute’s groundbreaking work for a variety of audiences.

This position is based at the NSF-Simons AI Institute for Cosmic Origins, which is housed in the Oden Institute at UT Austin.

About CosmicAI and the Oden Institute

CosmicAI aims to grow transformative AI advances with the overarching goal to increase the accessibility of astronomy data and knowledge for researchers, students, and the public.

CosmicAI leverages partnerships between academia (UT Austin, U. of Virginia, U. of Utah, UCLA), national facilities (NSF NRAO and NSF NOIRLab), nonprofits, and industry to develop capabilities that enable astronomical researchers to conceptualize, define, and execute research projects via trustworthy, efficient, robust, and explainable AI methods.

By building next-generation AI tools the Institute aims to accelerate discoveries related to the most basic human question : Where do we come from?

The Oden Institute is an organized research unit that fosters interdisciplinary programs in computational sciences and engineering, computational medicine, computational geosciences, mathematical modeling, applied mathematics, data science, software engineering, and computational visualization.

About the University of Texas at Austin and Benefits

The University of Texas at Austin is a nationally ranked, tier-one research institution and one of the largest employers in central Texas.

UT is located in the heart of Austin, a vibrant city that frequently appears on lists of best cities to live and work. Committed to recruiting and retaining a varied and talented workforce, the university offers competitive salaries and benefits, an extensive support network, and above all, an enriching and highly collaborative community that is deeply passionate about our vision for higher education and public service.

UT Austin offers a competitive benefits package that includes :

• Part-time medical coverage available
• Retirement contributions
• Paid vacation and sick time
• Paid holidays

Please visit our website to learn more about the total offered.

Responsibilities

Website Management : Oversee the design and maintenance of the CosmicAI website. Ensure content is current, accessible, and engaging for a broad audience, from researchers to the public.

Assist the Managing Director in working with web developers and designers to enhance user experience and implement new features.

• Content Creation : Develop and curate written, visual, and multimedia content for the website, newsletters, social media channels, press releases, and other promotional materials as well as monitor and analyze social media performance using analytics tools, adjusting strategies as needed.
• Promotional Material & Swag : Design and purchase branded swag and promotional materials for outreach events, including conferences, seminars, and public engagement.
• Conference & Event Support : Organize and manage CosmicAI’s booth presence at conferences. Assist in promoting and organizing events, seminars, workshops, and conferences hosted by the CosmicAI institute.

Coordinate logistics, staffing, and material preparation to ensure seamless execution and high attendee engagement.

Public Communication : Manage communication channels, including email newsletters, public inquiries, and Slack. Ensure timely and professional responses.

Represent the CosmicAI institute at university functions, community events, and industry conferences.

• Branding & Graphic Design : Ensure cohesive and visually appealing branding across all institute communications, from web to print and digital materials.
• Press & Media Coordination : Assist the Directors with press and media outlets to promote research findings, upcoming events, and key announcements.

This job description is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to the job.

Required Qualifications

Education qualifications : Bachelor's degree in a communications, marketing, or media related field. Experience or a portfolio in the field may compensate for education qualifications.

A strong eye for design and branding with an ability to design promotional materials and manage vendor relationships.

Excellent writing and technical media design and communications skills for varied audiences and scientific or public policy topics.

Excellent interpersonal communication skills to establish and maintain effective positive and cooperative relationships with a varied group of internal / external stakeholders in higher education, campus and broader scientific community.

Experience with website design and content management systems (e.g., WordPress, Squarespace).

Experience with event coordination or conference management. Advanced skills in calendaring, AV equipment, and advanced knowledge of or experience in social media management and strategies for increasing engagement.

Comfortable using communication platforms such as Slack, Constant Contact / MailChimp, and Google Workspace.

Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously combined with attention to detail and commitment to delivering high-quality work.

Ability to travel periodically to meetings and workshops.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience working in or communicating complex topics related to science, AI, or astrophysics or a strong curiosity and willingness to learn these topics.

Experience with university-based research concepts, principles, and conduct of research.

Familiarity with tools like Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator) or other graphic design software.

Experience with public relations and working with media outlets.

Knowledge of campus policies and procedures to interpret inquiries and requests to formulate appropriate action or response.

Salary Range

$46,000+ depending on qualifications and experience, 50% FTE (equivalent to $92,000 FTE)

Working Conditions

Nearly Continuously : Office environment.

Required Materials

• Resume
• Cover letter
• Contact information for three references; at least one should be a supervisor.

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers : You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications.

Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section;

you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded.

Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers : As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs.

If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply.

This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume.

In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.

that were noted above.

Employment Eligibility :

Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers.

Staff who are promotion / transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

Retirement Plan Eligibility :

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

Background Checks :

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.