Partner Engagement Strategist

Overview

RTI’s Communication Practice Area has an immediate opening for a Partner Engagement Strategist , who brings skills and experience blending communication strategy with partnership engagement.

They should have expertise in identifying, cultivating, and managing strategic partnerships with organizations and audiences to achieve communication and engagement goals.

This person will be a leader in developing multimedia behavioral change campaigns and initiatives designed to engage diverse, multicultural audiences and continuing to build our successful portfolio of project work.

RTI International is one of the world's leading research institutes, dedicated to improving the human condition by turning knowledge into practice.

RTI’s Communication Practice Area works on behalf of domestic, public sector clients to research, design, deliver, and evaluate evidence-based solutions to address real-world challenges across the domains of health, education, justice and climate.

We are a team of communication scientists and strategists with deep expertise across the entire communication continuum, who develop messages and products and deliver effective communication campaigns and interventions that help people make everyday decisions.

At RTI, your work will make a meaningful difference for our clients and the communities and people they serve.

We’re looking for a creative and solution-minded professional who understands how to use innovative, digital strategies and partner engagement to influence audience attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.

Your work is both audience-centric and client-oriented. You thrive in a deadline-driven environment. You are equally comfortable conceptualizing overall campaign strategy and developing concrete communication products.

You’ll have strong writing and editing skills, attention to detail, and a collaborative spirit.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to :

• Campaign Planning and Strategy
• Lead or co-lead projects focused on communication strategy for domestic public sector clients.
• Conceptualize and plan multimedia campaigns with the goal of influencing audience knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, or behaviors.
• Leverage existing audience research and communication best practices to plan communication strategies and tactics that effectively reach and motivate diverse, multicultural audiences to make informed decisions.
• Plan for the appropriate mix of products and channels needed to achieve campaign objectives, including both traditional media (e.

g. print materials, earned media) and digital outlets (e.g. social media, search advertising, e-newsletters).

• Incorporate human-centered design techniques into campaign strategy to understand and address the drivers of audience behavior.
• Work closely across a highly matrixed environment with multidisciplinary teams that include researchers, subject matter experts, user experience (UX) experts, developers, and creative and editorial staff.
• Mentor and develop junior team members.
• Partner Engagement and Product Development
• Identify, recruit, cultivate, and manage relationships with organizational partners and digital influencers to amplify campaign messages.
• Facilitate the delivery of technical assistance, workshops, meetings, and events for organizational partners and digital influencers, including planning, coordination, and logistics.
• Use human-centered design techniques to develop campaign events and products, including engaging audience members, partners, and other stakeholders in co-creation.
• Lead the development and management of interactive digital products, such as websites and digital tools (e.g. quizzes, decision support, values clarification).
• Analytics, Audience Testing, and Market Research
• Lead UX research and testing with audience members, including audience recruitment, data collection, and data analysis.
• Lead the collection of market research that clarifies the campaign’s environment, including competing brands and behaviors.
• Distill UX research findings, media / digital metrics, and market research into actionable recommendations that guide campaign strategy and product optimization.
• Identify distinct audience segments based on audience research and digital usage patterns (website journeys, media usage).
• Develop personas that describe key characteristics of different audience segments.
• Business Development Lead and contribute to proposals focused on communication organizational capabilities in communication strategy to existing and prospective clients.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 8+ years of experience in communication, marketing, or behavior change (or a related field); or a master’s degree and 6+ years of relevant experience.
• Awareness of current digital media and marketing landscape, trends, and strategies.
• Experience overseeing the design and development of digital products, campaigns, online experiences, and / or interventions.
• Familiarity with campaigns and initiatives for diverse, multicultural audiences, especially those most affected by social determinants of health.
• Awareness of digital analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Meta Business Suite Insights, Chartbeat).
• Experience working with external clients, especially federal clients.
• Strong writing, copywriting, and editing skills (including for digital platforms).
• Experience leading or contributing to new business development, including proposals and client conversations.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills.
• Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States and must not require visa sponsorship now or in the future.
• Samples of campaign or digital products such as websites, blogs, and multimedia assets are

Desired Skills

• Experience managing or coordinating a team of strategists, writers, designers, and other campaign staff.
• Experience communicating and engaging with healthcare professionals.
• Experience with human-centered design processes.
• Familiarity with project management software (e.g., Asana, Jira, Trello).
• Experience mentoring and coaching staff.
• Fluency or proficiency in Spanish (written and spoken).

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