Senior Science Awards Coordinator

Mass General Brigham•Boston, MA

2d•$79,560 - $115,721•Remote

About The Position

Mass General Brigham relies on a wide range of professionals, including doctors, nurses, business people, tech experts, researchers, and systems analysts to advance our mission. As a not-for-profit, we support patient care, research, teaching, and community service, striving to provide exceptional care. We believe that high-performing teams drive groundbreaking medical discoveries and invite all applicants to join us and experience what it means to be part of Mass General Brigham. POSITION SUMMARY: Reporting to the Associate Director of Ophthalmology Communication at Harvard Ophthalmology, the Senior Communications Specialist oversees a diverse portfolio of internal and external communications across the Mass General Brigham and Harvard Departments of Ophthalmology, develops original written content for departmental communications and media, serves as the primary scientific contributor and editor of departmental publications, provides direct support to the Chair of Ophthalmology, and oversees the Harvard Ophthalmology nominations processes for internal and external awards. The individual independently manages all aspects of the award process for over 60 local, national, and international awards annually, develops quarterly meeting materials, and synthesizes award requirements with experience-driven insights to guide the strategic selection of candidates with the Nominations Committee. The individual serves as the liaison between Harvard Ophthalmology and awarding institutions and functions as the primary departmental resource for awards, aiding nominees in preparing and submitting their applications. The individual also authors letters of support on behalf of the Chair, which involves synthesizing information from CVs and research proposals/abstracts. Applies in-depth knowledge and understanding of highly technical subspecialty research to assignments. This position requires superb writing, communication, and project management skills. A substantial degree of autonomy is expected.

Requirements

Master’s degree in scientific area, with PhD preferred
Minimum 4 years’ experience with background in healthcare, academic medicine, or science, along with an interest in communications and writing preferred
Excellent communication skills, with a clear and compelling writing style and an ability to synthesize and communicate complex scientific concepts to both a professional and lay audience
Thorough understanding of the scientific publication and review process (including manuscript tracking and submission, authorship policies, and disclosure policies)
Attention to deadlines and ability to handle competing priorities
Critical thinking and strong initiative
Professional demeanor and ability to work with highly confidential information are fundamental
Demonstrated ability to mentor, coach, or provide constructive feedback to junior colleagues
Proficient working knowledge of MS Office Suite
Bachelor's Degree Communications required or Bachelor's Degree Writing required or Bachelor's Degree Related Field of Study required
Can this role accept experience in lieu of a degree? Yes
experience in editing or proofreading, with experience leading a team of editors and writers 3-5 years required
Strong attention to detail and excellent proofreading skills.
Ability to lead and mentor a team of editors and writers.
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and meet tight deadlines.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Familiarity with Chicago Manual of Style or AP Stylebook.
Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of editing software such as Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat is a plus.
Experience with textbook production/publishing and knowledge of the process to obtain copyright clearance
Working knowledge of Adobe CS (Acrobat, Photoshop), referencing programs (Endnote, Reference Manager, Papers), and editorial content management products (Editorial Manager, ScholarOne, EVISE).

Responsibilities

Authors scientifically rigorous letters of support on behalf of the Chair, synthesizing CVs, research proposals, and scientific contributions into compelling nominations for awards (local, national, and international), trainee awards and fellowship applications, including named fellowships, and institutional support for grants.
Manages review of Chair letters with Vice Chairs, Program director(s), and other leadership/faculty, as necessary.
Manages work of freelance letter writers and provide editorial oversight and scientific review of Chair letters.
Provides high-level executive communications support to the Chair, working directly with the Chair on strategic messaging and public-facing materials.
Works directly with the Chair to develop presentations, remarks, and briefing materials for departmental events and meetings.
Synthesizes institutional data, departmental priorities, and strategic insights into clear, compelling, and event-specific narratives.
Secures and organizes essential data from internal sources and creates polished visual content (e.g., slides, charts, graphics) for executive-level presentations.
Leads iterative review and revision process with the Chair to ensure accuracy, alignment with institutional goals, and consistency of voice.
Oversees the maintenance and updates the Chair’s professional online profiles.
Leads editorial strategy and topic selection for Mass General Brigham’s Advances in Motion by monitoring faculty publications, assessing the scientific significance and broader impact of findings, and identifying emerging research trends and high-priority gaps in coverage.
Partners with MGB Communications to review, edit, and finalize AiM articles, managing the multi-step review process with faculty authors and the Chair.
Serving as the department’s principal scientific editor, this individual selects and translates key research and clinical findings into original content for Harvard Ophthalmology’s digital newsletters for professional and lay audiences.
Provides expert review and editing of scientific content in Mass General Brigham press releases for the Ophthalmology Department.
Initiates creation of all pre-read materials (award summaries, eligibility lists, etc.); organize and facilitate quarterly meetings with the Nominations Committee (NomComm).
Synthesizes award requirements and eligibility criteria, drawing on deep institutional knowledge and historical context to develop well-informed, strategic candidate recommendations for committee members.
Facilitates final nominee selections through close collaboration with committee members, Vice Chair of Basic and Translation Research, and Ophthalmology Chair.
Primary departmental expert resource expert resource and high-level strategic advisor for nominees throughout the application process—providing guidance on award-specific requirements and questions, advising on nomination framing, and leveraging institutional knowledge to identify and recommend the strongest possible letter writers; responsibilities include: Communicating award requirements with the nominee and defining timelines for required materials.
Serving as department liaison between awarding institutions/bodies and selected candidate.
Obtaining nominating letters and seconding letter drafts from internal and external faculty.
Collecting all required documentation.
Submitting Chair letters and award application materials.
Tracks submission timeline and manage applications for awards outside of Nominations Committee selection process (Non-NomComm).
Initiate creation of all pre-read meeting materials (award summaries, eligibility lists, suggested candidates, etc.) and facilitate final nominee selection with Research Leadership.
Notify nominees of selection and serve as point person for award submissions.
Serve as Departmental resource for nominees in preparing their application, as outlined above.
Other duties and projects important to the department’s missions.