We are hiring a Communications Strategist to join our team supporting the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). EERE is working to build a clean energy economy that benefits all Americans. Whether the focus is immediate needs (like lower utility bills or clean energy job opportunities) or imminent concerns (like improved health and a better planet for future generations), our strategic engagement and outreach support services contribute to EEREs mission. Join us in supporting a clean energy revolution!
The Communications Strategist will:
- Apply diplomacy in meetings with varied opinions and priorities
- Directly support a high-ranking, federal government organizational division leader and serve as a liaison between the leader and the divisional government personnel and contract teams
- Serve as a true partner with the client, willing to roll up your sleeves and collaboratively produce work together as a team
- Cross-collaborate with other division strategists and across workstreams to independently provide strategic direction and increase efficiencies/enhance the quality and impact of strategic communications
- Work side-by-side with program communications staff and actively support the development of a wide variety of interesting, public-facing written products, including press releases, speeches, web articles, media pitches, and social media content. Materials are highly visible internally with senior leadership
- Provide rigorous oversight of program-level communications products, ensuring cohesion with senior leaders and the public affairs office while adhering to high quality control standards
- Establish and engage in a standing meeting with each division lead for the sole purpose of discussing high-level communications strategy
- Lead the execution of cross-cutting deliverables within each division (e.g., leadership talking points and presentations, division-level web updates, and more)
- Coordinate between multiple division office teams, ensuring each is aware of the others major communications initiatives and strategic priorities
- Set guidelines for, monitor, and conduct strategic communication and outreach tasks, including strategy and messaging development, communications products development, presentation development, research and evaluation of marketing products and successes, and project and results tracking and improvement
- Develop strong understanding of departmental, Front Office, and programmatic priorities and goals
- Develop communications key messages and talking points and manage the implementation across programs
- Ensure that plans, materials, tools, events, and other communications products and services are aligned with overarching priorities and support clients strategic communications goals
- Establish and evaluate lessons-learned and best practices that can be applied to future projects and engagements
The ideal candidate will demonstrate:
- Experience working as a federal contractor or in a federal agency in a strategic communications capacity
- Experience with federal government energy initiatives, especially sustainable transportation and fuels
- Successful project management experience
- Strong communications/interpersonal skills to clearly articulate ideas, frame challenges, highlight opportunities, and offer insights and solutions
- Working knowledge of SmartSheet or similar project management tools
- A positive, can-do attitude
- Sound interpersonal skills and the ability to effectively interact with commercial, government, industry, and internal personnel
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
- Ability to thrive and multi-task in a fast-paced work environment
- Must have a Minimum of 10 years of experience and a Bachelors Degree, or 7 years of experience and a Masters Degree, or 5 years of experience and a Doctorate Degree
- Must have U.S. citizenship with verbal and written fluency in English
- Must be able to receive and maintain a federal security clearance (public trust level)
- Must have excellent writing skills and score well on a pre-hire writing test
- Must be skilled in effectively and tactfully engaging with senior leaders and provide smart, strategic insights and recommendations for highly visible communications initiatives
- Must have a strategic mind and connect the dots across multiple divisions and teams to drive strategy and create efficiencies in the production of complex strategic communications materials
- Must have expert interpersonal skills to create a collaborative and supportive working environment with federal personnel, multiple contract team members, and other vendors
- Must thrive in high pressure environments with constantly changing priorities and tight deadlines and multiple projects
- Must be detail-oriented with strong project- and time-management skills required, including the ability to manage multiple projects, tasks, people, and teams simultaneously