Director, Communications and Research Amplification

UL Research Institutes • Rockville, MD

27d • $144,305 - $198,419

About The Position

The Director of Communications and Research Amplification for the Electrochemical Safety Research Institute (ESRI) leads ESRI's communications strategy and team, with a primary focus on knowledge transfer: making ESRI's research visible and useful to the industry, regulators, first responders, standards bodies and researchers who apply it. The Director counsels ESRI leadership, owns ESRI's stakeholder engagement, convenings and sponsorship portfolio, and works hand in hand with ULRI's central communications teams. The role reports to the VP & Executive Director, ESRI, with a dotted line to the VP, Corporate Communications & Public Affairs, and works closely with other directors, leaders and colleagues to advance ESRI's growth strategy.

UL Research Institutes
At UL Research Institutes (ULRI), we expand the boundaries of safety science to create a more secure and sustainable world. For more than a century, we have studied the unintended consequences of innovation, designed solutions to mitigate risk and shared our findings with academia, scientists, manufacturers, and policymakers across industries. We identify critical safety and sustainability issues, asking the tough questions because we believe a safer world begins with knowledge.

Build a safer, more secure, and sustainable future with us. Join our Electrochemical Safety team, which conducts the research required to produce that knowledge and put it into practice.

Electrochemical Safety Research Institute
The Electrochemical Safety Research Institute (ESRI) investigates the safety and performance limits of energy technologies. Through our discovery-driven research, we innovate, test, model, and lay the foundation for electrochemical energy storage that is both safe and reliable. Our scientific research helps everyone in the energy storage and battery value chain - from cell and battery manufacturers, suppliers, and original equipment manufacturers to recyclers, shippers, and consumers - understand and thereby help minimize the various safety risks associated with batteries in various applications, including electric vehicles and renewable energy storage systems.

Collaborating with a wide variety of partners to help meet the world's energy safety needs, we disseminate information by convening a diverse group of stakeholders at events such as global battery summits and webinars to find data-driven solutions to new and emerging energy storage risks.

Requirements

• Expert and disciplined written and verbal communication; excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to understand electrochemical and battery safety science and translate it accurately for technical, industry and policy audiences.
• Leadership, initiative, and influence skills with advanced strategic thinking to create alignment and buy-in with multiple stakeholders and deliver results in a matrixed organization.
• Collaborative approach and strong interpersonal skills to work effectively with leaders and colleagues across ESRI, ULRI, and external organizations.
• Strong people and agency management skills with the ability to select the best third-party partners for the job and lead the RFP process.
• Balanced knowledge of the content, stakeholder engagement, and operations sides of communications, and of how institute and central teams work together in a matrixed organization.
• Working knowledge of the latest communications and marketing technologies, tools, and platforms.
• Proficiency in MS Office is required. Advanced skills in Excel and PowerPoint, and knowledge of analytical tools and databases is preferred.
• High degree of curiosity to learn about the mission and impact of the organization and its areas of specialization.
• Experience building relationships with industry associations, government agencies, standards bodies or professional and scientific communities.
• Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, science communication or a related field; a background in science or engineering is a plus.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in communications, marketing or a related field, including four or more years of management or leadership experience.
• Experience communicating scientific or technical research to professional, industry or policy audiences is required. Media relations experience is preferred.
• Experience in a research, scientific, engineering or other technical organization is preferred.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced skills in Excel and PowerPoint, and knowledge of analytical tools and databases is preferred.
• A background in science or engineering is a plus.
• Experience in an academic, research laboratory, or government environment is preferred.
• Media relations experience is preferred.
• Experience in a research, scientific, engineering or other technical organization is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead ESRI's communications plan, tied to ESRI's research priorities and research calendar, with a primary focus on knowledge transfer: translating ESRI research into content, programs, and engagement that industry, regulators, first responders, standards bodies and fellow researchers can apply.
• Build the processes, approvals and governance that keep ESRI communications accurate, timely and consistent with ULRI brand standards, including working with research experts to understand and confirm technical accuracy and ensure high-quality communications deliverables are delivered to the market.
• Collaborate with central communications on ULRI's measurement framework; track and report ESRI's knowledge-transfer outcomes, such as research uptake, stakeholder engagement, and new collaborations, to guide ongoing optimization of ESRI's channels and programs.
• Provide expert communications counsel to the VP & Executive Director and ESRI's research leaders and develop the ESRI leader's visibility and thought-leadership plan in partnership with ULRI Corporate Communications.
• Direct ESRI's technical and editorial content for practitioner, industry, and research audiences, including research summaries, technical briefs, ESRI's section of UL.org and ESRI's social channels. Partner with ULRI's Integrated Content & Storytelling team to bring ESRI science into ULRI stories and campaigns.
• Own ESRI's stakeholder engagement strategy, including relationships with industry associations, regulators, first-responder organizations and standards bodies, in partnership with ESRI's technical leaders, and the pipeline of ESRI researchers speaking at technical conferences.
• Direct ESRI's portfolio of convenings, conference presence, and strategic sponsorships, set annually against research priorities, with clear objectives and outcome reporting for each.
• Serve as ESRI's primary liaison to ULRI's central communications teams, routing creative, web, digital, marketing operations, and media needs through central intake and planning major research announcements with central teams.
• Partner with ULRI Corporate Communications on issues and crisis communications affecting ESRI, providing technical context and coordinating ESRI's response.
• Lead, develop and coach the ESRI communications team, and direct staffing, budget planning and allocation, and vendor and agency management in line with ULRI communications guidelines.
• Ensure ESRI's communications align with ULRI's corporate narrative, brand strategy, and communications operating model to build and protect the reputation of ESRI and ULRI.
• Support media relations led by the ULRI press office by identifying newsworthy ESRI research, preparing ESRI scientists as spokespeople and ensuring the technical accuracy of releases and coverage.
• This position may support other nascent institutes in the short term.

Benefits

• bonus compensation
• comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans
• 401k matching structure of up to 5% of eligible pay
• additional 4% into your retirement saving fund after your first year of continuous employment
• flexible working arrangements
• paid time off, including vacation, holiday, sick, and volunteer days

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director