Communications Associate

Key Skills

Apache Kafka, Machine learning techniques, NumPy, Python Programming, PyTorch, SQL, Tableau

Job Description

We are seeking a Communications Associate who will serve as the communications and marketing lead for the Biostatistics Department, overseeing communications and marketing strategies and tactics in support of the strategic priorities and initiatives of the department and in line with the school’s overarching communications and marketing strategy. The Communications Associate will liaise with The Office of External Affairs, which oversees an overarching communications and marketing strategy for the school, with a focus on the department’s individual needs and opportunities.

The Communications Associate will work with department leadership to set priorities and to deliver on opportunities to showcase the Biostatistics Department’s work, offerings, and community. This work spans multiple channels and formats (e.g., websites, social media, media relations, research promotion, events, and internal communications) and various skill sets (e.g., writing, editing, design, and digital production). This position will also include work on data visualization and data science communication.

This position reports directly to the Administrator of the department and works closely with the Department Chair and communications and marketing leadership and colleagues in the School’s Office of External Affairs.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

Strategy & prioritization

• Work with the Department Chair, Administrator, faculty, and staff to define strategic marketing and communication strategies and tactics in support of the department’s business goals and strategic priorities.
• Coordinate with the School’s Communications and Marketing team to align the department’s strategies and tactics with School-level communications and marketing goals, channels, and best practices.
• Prioritize incoming requests from faculty and affiliated groups, based on overarching goals and priorities.
• Educate internal and external stakeholders about communications and marketing strategies, tactics, practices, and results, including particular aspects related to data science and biostatistics, such as data visualization.

Execution

• Create and/or coordinate content for the department, including but not limited to articles, social media posts, videos, event materials, and web pages, to showcase the department’s work and to help recruit prospective students.
• Write, design, edit and produce announcements, campaigns, reports, graphics, and other documents that share the department’s work across internal and external platforms
• Oversee media relations strategy and execution about activities within the department, including pitching to media and coordinating interviews, drafting news releases, media advisories, op-eds, talking points, key messages, data visualizations in partnership with the School media relations team.
• Maintain and optimize the department’s website in Drupal, including copy and design and updates to faculty and alumni pages and Center content as needed.
• Help to organize and promote events in which the department participates.
• Manage the department’s social media accounts and content across agreed upon platforms (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, YouTube).
• Create and place paid advertising placements, print and digital, on behalf of the department.
• Responsible for full project management of department newsletters, including story selection, writing, editing, design, and distribution.
• Create and submit internal communications on behalf of the Department.
• Contribute to the department’s intranet content on SharePoint as needed.
• Draft communications materials for the Department Chair as requested.
• Ensure all communications for the department adhere to the school’s editorial and visual style guidelines, and Use of Name rules.
• Set, track, and report on key performance indicators for communications and marketing work, capture insights and best practices, and act on lessons learned.
• In collaboration with other department staff, maintain updated subscriber, partner, and stakeholder lists relevant to communications outreach.

Coordination & Collaboration

• Work with department students, staff, and faculty to understand department activities, including educational programs and research.

• Attend on-site seminars, meetings, and events to effectively engage with and understand the mission and culture of the Bloomberg School and Biostatistics Department
• Create and adhere to project plans and timelines to guide communication and marketing projects and strategies and collaboration with others as needed.
• Work with consultants and vendors on projects as needed and agreed upon, sourcing appropriate vendors, managing RFP, procurement, and contract processes.
• Advise Communications Associates in the department’s affiliated working groups, centers and institutes on the above tasks.
• Stay up to date with communications and marketing best practices and technologies from external and internal experts including attending quarterly schoolwide communications associates’ meetings led by the Office of External Affairs.
• Represent the department on University and School communications and marketing committees and projects as necessary.

Special Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Experience using web content management systems.

Technical Qualifications or Specialized Certifications

• Experience and working knowledge of web page design, content management tools (Drupal, WordPress, or similar)
• Familiar with social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn) and social media reporting (analyzing organic and paid performance).
• Experience writing according to a style guide, such as the AP Stylebook or an inhouse style guide.
• Proficiency with web- and paper-oriented design tools such as Adobe products (Illustrator, lnDesign, Photoshop, Acrobat, and Canva), and Microsoft products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), and understanding of cloud-based applications such as Basecamp, MailChimp and Eventbrite.
• Must have an openness to learn new software and database programs.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in related field.
• Four years related experience.
• Additional education may substitute for required experience, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong interest in the Biostatistics Department's areas of research, education, and practice relating to data science.
• Experience with best practices in data visualization.
• Ability to understand, synthesize and distill complex information into key messages for a variety of audiences.
• Ability to appropriately and frequently communicate and collaborate with a wide array of internal and external partners.
• Experience leading/managing projects and ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously.
• Ability to work well under pressure with demanding and/or shifting deadlines.
• Excellent work attitude and habits including strong interpersonal skills, reliability, flexibility, self-motivated and the ability to think and work independently and as a team.
• Demonstrated ability to think creatively and critically in problem-solving and project implementation.
• Project management experience.
• Experience using newsletter publishing software (i.e. Mailchimp, Constant Contact)
• Experience using, translating, and applying Google Analytics.