Strategic Communication Outreach Specialist

BLN24•Mclean, VA

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Strategic Communication Outreach Specialist leads the development and execution of integrated communications, marketing, and stakeholder engagement strategies that promote transportation research, engineering innovations, and public-sector initiatives. This role combines strategic planning, digital communications, branding, content development, and outreach to translate complex technical and policy information into compelling communications for diverse audiences. The Specialist plays a key role in expanding the reach of organizational publications and digital platforms while advancing public engagement, technology transfer, and organizational communications objectives.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, Journalism, English, or a related discipline; Master's degree preferred.
Six to ten years of progressively responsible professional experience in strategic communications, public affairs, digital marketing, communications planning, or stakeholder engagement.
Demonstrated experience developing and executing integrated communications and marketing campaigns across multiple communication channels.
Proven experience creating content for websites, social media, newsletters, technical publications, digital campaigns, and other communications products.
Demonstrated success developing and executing social media and digital marketing campaigns that produced measurable increases in publication subscriptions, readership, audience reach, or stakeholder engagement.
Experience translating complex technical, engineering, scientific, or policy information into clear, audience-focused communications.
Experience leading public outreach, stakeholder engagement, branding, and promotional campaigns within federal, research, engineering, transportation, or scientific organizations.
Demonstrated ability to analyze communications performance using marketing, web, and social media analytics to drive continuous improvement.
Excellent written, editing, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
Experience managing multiple concurrent projects while meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting highway, surface transportation, or other transportation-related programs is highly preferred.
Master's degree in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, Journalism, or a related field.
Experience supporting federal infrastructure, engineering, scientific research, or technology organizations.
Knowledge of transportation research, technology transfer, infrastructure programs, and public-sector communications.
Experience developing campaigns that increase readership, subscriptions, stakeholder engagement, or public awareness.
Experience with content management systems (CMS), social media management platforms, email marketing tools, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, and web analytics platforms such as Google Analytics.
Familiarity with Section 508 accessibility requirements, plain language principles, digital communications best practices, and federal branding standards.
Experience supporting conferences, trade shows, public meetings, and stakeholder engagement events.
Professional certifications in digital marketing, communications, social media, public relations, or analytics are desirable.
Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation skills with the ability to communicate complex technical information to diverse audiences.
Ability to build collaborative relationships with Government stakeholders, researchers, engineers, technical experts, industry partners, and the public.
Demonstrated ability to develop compelling communications campaigns, storytelling approaches, and audience engagement strategies.
Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent communications initiatives while meeting deadlines and maintaining quality.
Ability to evaluate campaign performance, interpret communications metrics, and use data to continuously improve outreach effectiveness.
Ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams, adapt to changing priorities, and maintain a customer-focused approach in a dynamic environment.

Responsibilities

Lead quarterly promotional campaigns designed to increase magazine subscriptions, digital readership, and global audience reach, including coordinating with authors and subject matter experts to promote feature stories across web, email, social media, and other channels.
Develop and execute integrated communications, outreach, and marketing strategies that promote research initiatives, publications, programs, and organizational priorities.
Plan and manage multi-channel communications campaigns across digital, print, social media, email, and web platforms to increase audience engagement, subscriptions, and readership.
Lead branding and promotional initiatives for technical publications, digital content, and organizational communications, ensuring consistent messaging across all communication channels.
Create, edit, and publish high-quality content, including articles, web content, newsletters, social media posts, feature stories, graphics, and promotional materials.
Translate complex technical, engineering, research, or policy information into clear, engaging content for technical, executive, industry, and public audiences.
Conduct market research, stakeholder analysis, audience segmentation, and reader surveys to inform communications strategies and improve outreach effectiveness.
Analyze campaign performance using web, social media, and marketing analytics to evaluate effectiveness and recommend continuous improvements.
Coordinate communications support for conferences, trade shows, workshops, public meetings, and stakeholder engagement events, including the development of promotional materials and event communications.
Collaborate with researchers, engineers, subject matter experts, editors, graphic designers, multimedia specialists, and Government stakeholders to ensure communications products are accurate, timely, and aligned with organizational objectives.
Maintain editorial calendars and coordinate communications activities across multiple concurrent projects while ensuring quality, consistency, and adherence to established branding standards.
Adapt messaging, content formats, and promotional approaches for technical, policy, industry, executive, and general-public audiences while maintaining consistent branding and strategic intent.