Strategic Communications Outreach Specialist

Nexight Group•Silver Spring, MD

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Nexight Group is seeking an experienced Strategic Communications Outreach Specialist to lead integrated communications, marketing, and stakeholder outreach initiatives for a federal transportation client. This senior-level role requires a strategic communicator who can translate complex technical and policy information into audience-centered strategies and compelling content; execute integrated campaigns across digital, print, and event channels; build productive stakeholder relationships; and use research and analytics to continuously strengthen communications outcomes. This position is contingent upon Nexight Group receiving an anticipated federal contract award. Employment under this position will begin only after contract award and authorization to proceed. Nexight Group is a small technical and management consulting firm that serves a variety of clients in many topic areas. We value adaptability, critical thinking, curiosity, initiative, and taking pride in high-quality work. Our staff work collaboratively, communicate openly, and continuously look for ways to improve our work and deliver greater value to clients. To learn more about the company, please visit our careers page. This is a hybrid position. Candidates should be within reasonable commuting distance of the Washington, DC, metropolitan area and available for meetings and other activities at client locations in McLean, VA, and Washington, DC, as required.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, Journalism, or a closely related field.
6–10 years of progressively responsible professional experience in strategic communications, marketing, digital communications, public affairs, stakeholder engagement, or related work.
Demonstrated experience developing and implementing integrated communications or marketing strategies for diverse audiences.
Demonstrated experience developing and executing social media or digital campaigns that increased readership, subscriptions, engagement, reach, or other relevant audience outcomes.
Experience conducting market or audience research and interpreting analytics, performance metrics, and stakeholder insights to inform communications strategy and evaluate effectiveness.
Experience developing audience-specific messaging and translating complex technical, research, or policy information into accessible communications.
Experience supporting and facilitating stakeholder outreach, conferences, webinars, or other audience-engagement activities.
Experience managing multiple communications initiatives and deadlines simultaneously.
Strong proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint and familiarity with digital communications, email marketing, social media, and analytics platforms.
Ability to successfully complete required federal personnel security/background investigation and obtain required facility and system access.
Strong strategic communications judgment, with the ability to connect organizational objectives, audience needs, messages, content, channels, and desired outcomes.
Ability to move fluidly between strategy and execution, developing communications plans while also contributing directly to messaging, content, outreach, and implementation.
Ability to synthesize complex information and communicate it clearly, accurately, and compellingly for technical and nontechnical audiences.
Ability to build productive relationships and communicate professionally with clients, subject matter experts, stakeholders, creative professionals, partners, and senior leaders.
Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, including the ability to interpret research, audience insights, and communications performance data and translate findings into practical recommendations.
Ability to manage multiple concurrent initiatives, priorities, stakeholders, and deadlines while maintaining quality and attention to detail.
Curiosity, critical thinking, adaptability, and initiative, including the ability to quickly become conversant in unfamiliar technical topics, solve problems proactively, and identify opportunities to improve communications strategies, stakeholder engagement, and client outcomes.
Ability to take ownership of work independently while collaborating effectively across multidisciplinary teams in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented consulting environment.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, Journalism, or a closely related field.
Federal government communications, public affairs, or outreach experience.
Transportation, highway/surface transportation, infrastructure, engineering, research, or related technical sector experience.
Experience marketing technical publications, research programs, or other complex information products.
Experience developing communications strategies for audiences spanning government, industry, academia, practitioners, and the public.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute integrated communications, marketing, and stakeholder outreach strategies aligned with organizational objectives, priority audiences, and measurable outcomes.
Conduct market and audience research, including surveys, stakeholder analysis, digital analytics, and other methods, to understand audience needs, behaviors, preferences, and opportunities for engagement.
Translate audience insights into communications objectives, audience-specific messaging frameworks and key messages, content strategies, campaigns, channel strategies, and engagement approaches tailored to diverse stakeholder groups.
Lead multiple concurrent campaigns and communications initiatives, coordinating activities across digital, print, social media, email, web, events, and stakeholder outreach.
Develop and oversee audience-centered content, including social media, web content, newsletters, outreach materials, presentations, promotional products, talking points, and other communications.
Lead marketing and outreach efforts to increase awareness, engagement, subscriptions, and readership, including ongoing issue-level promotion and broader targeted campaigns.
Measure and evaluate communications performance using appropriate analytics, engagement metrics, stakeholder feedback, and campaign results; translate findings into actionable recommendations for continuous improvement.
Support brand strategy and implementation, working with communications and creative teams to ensure messaging and visual communications are cohesive, audience appropriate, and aligned with organizational objectives.
Plan, facilitate, and support conferences, trade shows, webinars, and other stakeholder engagements, including engagement strategies, agenda development, speaker outreach and coordination, promotional materials, onsite/virtual support, performance metrics, and post-event synthesis.
Translate complex transportation, research, technology, and policy information into clear, compelling narratives appropriate for technical and nontechnical audiences.
Develop media and public-facing communications materials and coordinate with appropriate client communications/public affairs personnel as needed.