Senior Scientific Communications & Outreach Specialist

General Dynamics Information Technology•USA NC Home Office (NCHOME), NC

20h•$102,000 - $138,000•Remote

About The Position

GDIT seeks an experienced, scientifically fluent Senior Communications & Outreach Specialist to support a government contract with the NIH Office of Research Innovation, Validation, and Application (ORIVA). The Specialist leads end-to-end planning and execution of scientific workshops and webinars, serves as a primary liaison to senior researchers and workshop organizers, and provides senior-level communications and administrative leadership for the program team. The position reports to the team's Communications Lead and works alongside 3–4 teammates. It is suited to a scientifically trained professional with technical credibility, strong interpersonal skills, independent judgment, and initiative in undefined situations. The role is 100% remote, with a physical office available in the Research Triangle Park, North Carolina area. Travel is required approximately 4–6 times per year to support client events. The position requires obtaining and maintaining a Public Trust, including onsite fingerprinting at a designated facility. Work visa sponsorship is not available, and third-party agency or corp-to-corp submissions are not accepted. GDIT describes its workplace as offering career growth tools, internal mobility support, comprehensive benefits and wellness packages, a 401(k) with company match, competitive pay and paid time off, and an award-winning culture of innovation. The stated likely salary range is $102,000–$138,000, depending on experience, geographic location, and possibly contractual requirements. The role is scheduled for 40 hours per week.

Requirements

At least 8 years of relevant experience.
An advanced degree in a relevant scientific field, such as Biomedical Engineering, Biology, Toxicology, Pharmacology, or Public Health, or equivalent professional experience.
Demonstrated experience independently organizing or co-leading scientific workshops, conferences, or working groups, including direct engagement with senior researchers and stakeholders.
Ability to follow established NIH-compliant processes and exercise sound independent judgment and problem-solving when no formal procedure is defined.
Experience applying or exploring artificial intelligence tools, such as Copilot, Gemini, or Claude, to improve process efficiency.
Familiarity with Microsoft Office tools, including Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and Planner.
Familiarity with Adobe Acrobat for editing and improving PDF accessibility.
Excellent interpersonal and relationship-management skills, including the ability to engage diplomatically with senior-level researchers and stakeholders.
Strong written communication skills for technical and lay audiences.
Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust, including onsite fingerprinting at a designated facility.
No security clearance is required; U.S. citizenship is not required.
Work visa sponsorship is not available; only direct applicants are eligible for consideration.

Nice To Haves

15 or more years of experience spanning scientific research, science communication, and/or project or program management.
Experience editing scientific manuscripts or abstracts for publication.
Experience with cross-agency collaboration or trans-agency working groups.

Responsibilities

Lead end-to-end planning and execution of scientific workshops and webinars, coordinating project team members, scientific staff, steering committees, speakers, vendors, and client stakeholders.
Manage speaker coordination, steering committee engagement, agendas, travel sponsorship, audiovisual and venue logistics, materials, registration, promotion, budget tracking, accessibility accommodations, event execution, and post-event reporting.
Coordinate 40 or more speakers across concurrent workshops and work with steering committees of 10–20 members, keeping participants informed, aligned, and prepared.
Draft substantive correspondence and materials for organizers and speakers, applying judgment about tone, technical accuracy, and stakeholder sensitivities.
Facilitate communication among organizers, speakers, scientific staff, and project team members; clarify roles, document decisions, track action items, and follow up on dependencies affecting event readiness.
Track multiple concurrent projects and deadlines using task management tools, proactively identifying, communicating, and mitigating risks to scope, budget, and timelines.
Draft and send professional, policy-compliant responses to public and stakeholder inquiries in accordance with NIH communication guidelines.
Write and edit public-facing website, newsletter, and other outward-facing content, translating complex scientific material for non-technical audiences.
Draft white papers, meeting notes, and summary documents, condensing technical discussions for different audiences.
Edit staff manuscripts and abstracts for clarity, accuracy, and style before submission or publication.
Revise PDFs, Word documents, PowerPoint decks, and other materials to meet accessibility standards before publication on government websites.
Lead scheduling, agenda-setting, and minute-taking for committee meetings involving senior scientific stakeholders.
Manage the status of ongoing projects and tasks, following up with team members and the client when deadlines are at risk.
Maintain accurate, audit-ready records related to events, communications, and project timelines.
Provide broader program support, including documentation, scheduling, and correspondence, and identify opportunities to streamline processes.

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits and wellness packages.
401(k) plan with company match.
Competitive pay.
Paid time off, including vacation, sick and personal time, holidays, paid parental, military, bereavement, and jury duty leave.
Typically 15 days of paid leave per calendar year for new employees, prorated based on hire date.
Typically 10 paid holidays per year, prorated based on hire date.
Paid Family Leave of up to 160 hours in a rolling 12-month period for eligible employees.
Medical plan options, including options with Health Savings Accounts.
Dental plan options.
Vision plan.
Short- and long-term disability benefits.
Life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment, personal accident, critical illness, and business travel and accident insurance are provided or available.
Full flex work weeks where possible.
Career growth tool identifying career steps and learning opportunities.
Internal mobility team focused on employees' career goals.