Scientific Outreach Specialist

AAAS•Washington, DC

8d•$80,000 - $90,000•Remote

About The Position

SciLine, a program of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), is seeking a bilingual (English, Spanish) Visiting Scientific Outreach Specialist for a full-time, two-year opportunity. This role is crucial in connecting journalists with scientific expertise. The specialist will research, identify, vet, and recruit scientific experts for SciLine’s Expert Matching Service, with a focus on expanding the database with Spanish-speaking scientists. The ideal candidate will be fluent in English and Spanish, possess a strong understanding of science, be familiar with current research trends, have excellent research, data analysis, and time management skills, and communicate effectively with scientists. Familiarity with the news media landscape is a plus. This is a two-year, term-based position with potential for extension, attractive to those with a Master's or PhD in science considering non-academic careers.

Requirements

Master’s degree or Ph.D. in a scientific discipline (social sciences a plus).
Excellent written and verbal communication skills in both English and Spanish.
Excellent research skills and commitment to scientific rigor.
Ability to build trusting relationships with scientists, research institutions, and scientific organizations.
Ability to read, digest, and quickly extract meaning from scientific and technical papers across a wide range of scientific domains.
Ability to identify and assess scientific communications skills using a diverse range of potential resources.
Ability to clean, analyze, and extract conclusions from large qualitative and quantitative datasets.
Ability to balance short- and long-term deadlines simultaneously.
Ability to work independently, but appreciative of collaborative inputs.
Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion across the scientific and journalistic enterprises.
Sensitivity to social and ethical issues relevant to science, science communication, and journalism.
Appreciation for SciLine’s overarching mission of enhancing journalism with scientific expertise and context and leveraging journalism in support of evidence-based decision-making.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with the news media landscape.
Proficiency with Tableau, Power BI, R, and/or Salesforce.

Responsibilities

Identify scientific experts from SciLine’s internal database and other sources, and vet their scientific expertise and communication skills for referral to journalists.
Recruit scientific experts to participate in interviews with local and national media outlets for specific stories.
Partner with SciLine’s Scientific Outreach Managers to expand SciLine’s database of experts, including recruiting bilingual scientists and those from diverse backgrounds.
Analyze quantitative and qualitative data collected by SciLine to assess the efficacy and value of its services.
Potentially participate in other SciLine activities such as organizing media briefings, arranging interviews, or teaching media communication skills, depending on candidate skills and organizational needs.