Director of Communications

Sanford Burnham Prebys is a preeminent, independent biomedical research institute dedicated to understanding human biology and disease and advancing scientific discoveries to profoundly impact human health.

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The duties and responsibilities contained in the job description are intended to be examples of the accountabilities for which the person in the position will demonstrate competency through performance.

The job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list. Duties and responsibilities are subject to change and other duties may be assigned as necessary.

Summary :

Reporting to the VP of Communications, the Director of Communications helps set and guide the communications strategy and daily activities toward achieving department and institute goals.

The position is responsible for implementing institute communications strategies, including messages in support of the Institute’s mission and vision, brand and research achievements.

The director is responsible for day-to-day oversight of the communications department with respect to scientific writing, donor and partnership communications, media relations and social media.

Manages the activities of direct report(s) and other staff members, plus vendor relationships. The director is also responsible for and contributes to the writing and production of internal and external print matter and digital publications, including press releases, blog, institute magazine, e-newsletter, social media and collateral, plus philanthropic materials as appropriate, such as case for support, case statements for campaign priorities and stewardship materials.

Duties and Responsibilities :

• Develops communications strategies that support Institute-wide activities to educate and increase awareness of the Institute’s research and initiatives among scientific, lay and donor communities.
• Develops marketing communications strategy for Institute translational science initiatives.
• Establishes strong working relationships with faculty to facilitate effective communication of research findings.
• Establishes collegial and productive relationships with administrative department leaders to provide communications strategy and support for their programs, in particular Philanthropy.
• Manages communications department workflow and monitors staff progress to ensure projects are completed accurately and on schedule.
• Manages budget for a variety of communications projects, such as production of the institute magazine, videos and special projects.
• Independently evaluates the institute’s publications and rigorously applies relevant content standards and scientific accuracy of all publications.
• Ensures scientific content is targeted to appropriate audiences (i.e., scientific, lay and other types of readers).
• Ensures publications reflect the Institute’s brand and helps elevate recognition and awareness of the Institute’s achievements, goals and mission.
• Writes scientific press releases, blog posts, publications and collateral; leverages articles across all institute media channels as appropriate.

Edits and oversees similar work produced by other members of the Communications team.

• Creates editorial calendars and themes in line with the goals and overall strategy of the VP of Communications.
• Manages freelance / contract writers for their research and writing of accurate, interesting and high quality articles or other products.
• Oversees staff / vendors to coordinate production and distribution of publications, press releases, online postings, videos and other projects.
• Serves as an institute spokesperson (as needed) on a variety of issues with local and state media and as a primary point-of-contact for scientific media requests.
• Maintains relationships with journalists and other media and utilizes social media to promote SBP publications.
• Prepares scientific highlights, edits content and reviews final format of quarterly Board reports or similar products as needed.
• Reviews with VP, recommendations to enter publications in national / international award programs.
• Performs other related tasks, duties and responsibilities as required, assigned or directed.

Education and / or Experience :

Advanced degree (Master’s or PhD) in a biological science or related discipline or equivalent education, training and / or experience from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been attained is preferred.

Minimum required degree : Bachelor of Science or Art in relevant field.

• Four years supervisory / management experience required.
• Seven years of practical and relevant experience in journalism, public relations or communications; 10 years preferred.
• Experience with media relations and publications online, print, TV, radio and other platforms.
• Experience and success using social media platforms.

Other Knowledge, Skills and / or Abilities :

• Demonstrated experience in management-level decision-making and strategy development.
• Demonstrated superior scientific writing skills and proven ability translating complex scientific research findings into concise language for a lay audience.
• Demonstrated skills and ability to write effectively across a spectrum of styles and approaches, such as philanthropy communications, video scripts, social media and long-form story-telling.
• Proven ability to use sound judgment when representing the institute to both internal and external parties.
• Ability to mentor others, including training on how best to communicate scientific information.
• Proven ability to manage workflows for a team of internal staff and external freelancers.
• Ability to review, assess and leverage new social media tools.
• Extensive work portfolio.
• Responsible, organized and effective time management.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Professional proficiency in Microsoft Office and the ability to learn other department-specific computer systems as needed.
• Basic HTML and image editing skills desired, but not required. Creative abilities in photography, videography and similar content is highly desirable.

Supervisory Responsibilities :

This position oversees other individuals.

Compensation : The expected Hiring Range for this role will be $133,700 - $173,811.

Sanford Burnham Prebys celebrates the rich diversity of our scientists, students and staff, who hail from more than 30 countries.

Our diverse and inclusive environment catalyzes innovation and fuels discovery, enhancing the value and impact of our research.

We welcome talented individuals of all backgrounds regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, military or veteran status.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

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