Communications Specialist

Oak Ridge National Laboratory•Oak Ridge, TN

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is seeking a forward-looking Communications Specialist to support the Information Technology Services Directorate (ITSD) in driving its digital transformation. This position will play a pivotal role in shaping and amplifying narratives around the directorate’s modernization efforts, particularly in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, research computing, and user experience innovation. The successful candidate will serve as a bridge between technical teams and the broader ORNL community. The position reports to the Communications and Community Engagement Directorate (CCED).

Requirements

BS degree in communications, data journalism, technical writing, or related field with 5+ years of experience in a scientific, technical, or government context.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to translate technical concepts into user-centric language.
Strong knowledge of generative AI, its communication risks, and governance frameworks.
Proficiency in tools such as Office365, PowerPoint, Adobe Creative Suite, and interactive visualization or CMS platforms (e.g., SharePoint, Power BI, WordPress).

Nice To Haves

MS degree in communications, organizational change, or digital media.
Experience in building communications for change adoption, technical training promotion, or DevSecOps initiatives.
Prior military experience or experience in the DOE or National Laboratory environment.
Proven experience supporting communications for IT modernization efforts, especially in domains like AI, cybersecurity, or enterprise architecture.
Familiarity with AI literacy frameworks, federal data privacy standards, and cybersecurity communication practices.
Exposure to crisis communications and high-stakes incident response.
Background in communicating technical training opportunities and digital skilling initiatives.

Responsibilities

Support CCED’s Communications Lead who is matrixed to ITSD and serves as the primary liaison between ITSD and CCED to ensure compliance with ORNL communications standards. Partner with CCED peers when there is overlap in efforts.
Support CCED’s Communications Lead in managing strategic campaigns supporting ITSD initiatives such as AI readiness, digital workplace modernization, and security awareness, with measurable adoption goals.
Craft clear, compelling narratives around emerging technologies (artificial intelligence, machine learning, high performance computing, cloud-native services, zero-trust architecture), tailored to internal stakeholders and external partners.
Partner as directed with change management and IT training leads to promote upskilling programs, IT roadmap awareness, and cultural adoption of digital tools.
Work with graphic designers, technical editors, videographers, subject matter experts and others to produce concise, understandable content and/or deliverables.
Develop resources (toolkits, video explainers, executive briefs) that support leaders in explaining AI ethics, digital trust, and technology impact.
Gather data through regular customer engagement to measure success of efforts and help identify and drive strategies; adjust strategies based on user feedback and benchmarking with peer labs.
Help ITSD communications team to plan and prioritize work and advocate for additional resources as needed.
Comply with environment, safety, health, and quality program requirements.
Maintain a strong commitment to implement and perpetuate ORNL’s core values and ethics.
Complete all other duties and tasks as assigned.
Deliver ORNL’s mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote equal opportunity by fostering a respectful workplace – in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.