Communications and Government Relations Specialist

The MITRE Corporation•McLean, VA

2d•$111,000 - $166,000•Hybrid

About The Position

At MITRE, your passion fuels work that impacts our nation and improves lives. This is where your skills strengthen national security, cybersecurity, health, transportation, and citizen services. We’re a nonprofit engineering, applied research, and advanced technology organization working in the public interest. With objectivity and integrity at our core, we lead federally funded research and development centers for U.S. government agencies – collaborating with industry and academia to deliver integrated, high-impact solutions that advance our nation’s health, security, and prosperity. Our people tackle the toughest technical challenges, supported by competitive benefits, meaningful career development, and a culture of innovation, collaboration, and technical excellence. Choose MITRE for a career with purpose — and help shape the future. MIRTE’s External Affairs function works to advance awareness and understanding of MITRE’s public-interest mission, technical expertise, and impact among policymakers, the media, and other external stakeholders. External Affairs brings together Government Relations, Media Relations, and other external engagement capabilities to help connect MITRE’s technical work and research with the broader policy and public conversations shaping issues of importance to the nation. Government Relations has primary responsibility within MITRE for engaging with the White House, U.S. Congress, and elected officials at the state and local levels. The team continuously monitors White House and congressional activities, including executive orders, congressional hearings, and policy developments, and provides timely insights that enable MITRE leadership to maintain situational awareness and make informed decisions related to sponsors, FFRDCs, MITRE, and other stakeholders. The team also coordinates briefings and meetings with elected officials and their staffs to share data and insights from MITRE’s technical work and research and serves as a strategic advisory resource to MITRE leadership on developments in the public policy environment. The External Affairs team also engages with national, trade, and local media to help communicate MITRE’s expertise, research, and impact to external audiences. This includes monitoring daily news coverage and emerging issues relevant to MITRE and its sponsors, identifying and distributing media coverage, supporting the development of press releases and other communications materials, and coordinating with subject matter experts and leaders across the company to support media engagement. This position will primarily support the Government Relations team while also providing support across the broader External Affairs function, including Media Relations. The role will contribute to the day-to-day operations of the department through activities such as monitoring and distributing relevant news and policy developments, supporting meetings and external engagements, assisting with the preparation and coordination of written materials, and helping ensure External Affairs teams have the information and organizational support needed to engage effectively with key audiences. MITRE is a nonprofit corporation chartered to operate in the public interest. Across External Affairs, our work is grounded in that mission and in MITRE’s role as an objective, nonpartisan resource. We work to ensure policymakers, the media, and other external stakeholders have access to credible technical insights and information that can help them better understand critical issues and challenges facing the nation.

Requirements

Typically requires a minimum of 5 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 3 years and a Master’s degree; or a PhD with relevant experience who can immediately contribute at this job step; or an equivalent combination of related education and work experience.
Excellent oral and written communication skills, including demonstrated ability to synthesize complex legislative, policy, and technical information into clear materials for nontechnical audiences.
Strong writing, editing, and proofreading skills, with demonstrated ability to produce accurate, concise, audience-appropriate materials under deadline.
High level of professionalism, tact, diplomacy, discretion, and sound judgment when working with sensitive information and senior internal and external stakeholders.
Demonstrated experience monitoring, researching, and synthesizing legislative, policy, or government-related developments at the federal, state, or local level.
Strong working knowledge of the legislative process and congressional organization, committees, and procedures.
Experience working with or supporting engagement with Congress, other elected officials, government agencies, or public policy stakeholders.
Experience using research, monitoring, and information resources to track legislative, policy, media, or other external developments.
Demonstrated experience building relationships with internal and external stakeholders and working effectively with cross-functional teams.
Comfort with technical topics and engaging with engineering and scientific experts.
Strong organizational and time-management skills with exceptional attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities, meet recurring and time-sensitive deadlines, and shift gears quickly in response to emerging needs.
Demonstrated ability to monitor news and current events, identify information relevant to organizational priorities, and exercise sound judgment in determining what should be elevated to internal stakeholders.
Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment and respond to time-sensitive developments, requests, and deadlines across multiple External Affairs functions.

Nice To Haves

Direct experience serving on a congressional staff, committee staff, or in a government relations role involving regular engagement with Congress.
Experience developing or maintaining stakeholder maps, contact databases, engagement records, media lists, coverage reports, or government relations and communications metrics.
Demonstrated experience leveraging artificial intelligence tools to improve efficiency, streamline existing processes, and design innovative business processes and workflows.
Experience supporting media relations, public affairs, strategic communications, government affairs, or a related External Affairs function.
Experience monitoring news and media coverage and using media monitoring, news aggregation, or related research tools to identify and distribute relevant coverage and emerging issues.
Experience drafting, editing, or coordinating press releases, media advisories, statements, talking points, fact sheets, or other external communications materials.

Responsibilities

Monitor the broader external environment across government, public policy, and media sources to identify developments relevant to MITRE, its sponsors, FFRDCs, and mission areas; prepare and distribute daily media clips; and help ensure timely situational awareness and coordination across the External Affairs team.
Track and report on the introduction of and actions taken on legislation and related policy developments at the federal, state, and local levels in issue areas relevant to MITRE sponsors, FFRDCs, independent research programs, and mission priorities, including annual appropriations measures and other legislation of interest to internal stakeholders.
Monitor congressional hearings and legislative developments within committees; review hearing records and other source materials; and prepare timely, tailored summaries of key developments and their potential relevance to MITRE and its stakeholders.
Help prepare briefing materials, background research, talking points, and other decision-ready resources for MITRE officers, leaders, and subject matter experts in advance of engagements with elected and appointed officials, their staffs, and other external stakeholders.
Support the planning, coordination, and execution of congressional meetings, educational briefings, roundtables, testimony, and visits by elected officials and other VIPs to MITRE, including scheduling, logistics, briefing materials, and follow-up activities.
Support federal, state, and local engagement strategies and plans by researching offices, committees, stakeholders, and policy forums; maintaining accurate contact lists and stakeholder information; and documenting engagement activities.
Work with technical leaders and the broader Communications and External Affairs team to translate MITRE’s analysis, research, and systems expertise into clear, objective, nonpartisan materials that support educational engagement with policymakers and their staffs.
Support activities that educate MITRE employees on appropriate ways to engage with federal, state, and local elected officials and their staffs, consistent with MITRE’s non-lobbying posture.
Maintain accurate records of past and upcoming engagements and develop reports and metrics that support timely information sharing, situational awareness, and coordinated engagement across MITRE.
Assist the Government Relations team in identifying and supporting opportunities for MITRE to serve as a trusted technical resource through educational briefings, policy discussions, publications, and other forums.
Support the Media Relations team by monitoring news cycles, media coverage, and emerging issues; conducting background research; and helping identify and prepare for potential media opportunities and inquiries.
Assist with the development, review, coordination, and distribution of press releases, media advisories, statements, talking points, fact sheets, and other media relations materials.
Support media engagements by preparing background and briefing materials, coordinating with MITRE subject matter experts, and assisting with scheduling, logistics, and follow-up activities.
Support External Affairs initiatives, events, and external engagements requiring coordination across Government Relations, Media Relations, and other Communications and External Affairs functions.
Conduct research and provide project and operational support for priority External Affairs initiatives, special projects, and emerging issues as needed.