Communications Coordinator

Duties & Responsibilities

The Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University seeks an experienced, motivated, and charismatic Communications Coordinator to play a crucial role in supporting the Center’s relationships with a broad range of audiences. This role will report to the Communications Manager and support the Communications Team’s tasks of translating and amplifying the work of the Center with the overall goal of raising its profile nationally and internationally and advancing its public interest mission.

The Communications Coordinator will create and post content for the BKC website, email newsletters, social media, and other channels related to research outputs and other announcements. They will work closely with project teams to identify communications gaps and opportunities and help execute in addressing them, with a special emphasis on supporting the efforts of particularly large or high-profile projects such as the Ethics & Governance of Artificial Intelligence Initiative. The Coordinator will also support positive relationships with the news media by fielding inbound inquiries from journalists and helping to connect them with appropriate experts in our community as well as by helping to draft press pitches, identify relevant journalists, conduct proactive outreach, and track press mentions. The Coordinator will also provide operations support in the manner of metrics gathering, website content production and maintenance, events support, tools management, vendor relationship management, and other duties as needed.

The ideal candidate should have a teamwork mentality and be willing and able to pitch in on a variety of tasks handled by the Center’s small communications team. They will serve as an integral, active member of the communications team, generating ideas and proposing solutions.

Responsibilities

Content & Operations

• Manage posting and distribution of institutional and community content across channels (website, social media, etc)
• Writing: draft original content for the website and social media channels
• Maintain social media calendar in coordination with overall communications plans
• Manage content, production, and subscriber lists for email newsletters
• Work with project teams on project releases and announcements, providing content and outreach support
• Editorial support: copyedit, proofread variety of content as needed
• Support multimedia production and design tasks as needed
• Assist with website maintenance and content management as needed
• Help document communications procedures & guidelines
• Conduct outreach for events as needed
• Other duties as needed

Media Relations

• Serve as initial contact for press requests, and help connect journalists with members of our community
• Help with media/press outreach for initiatives (compile relevant press and outreach lists, draft emails etc)
• Track news coverage of BKC and/or specific projects
• Other duties as needed

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism or related field, or equivalent of education plus experience. Minimum 3 years in journalism and/or communications writing in a variety of formats for a variety of audiences.

Additional Qualifications

Proficient command of English required. Successful experience writing in a variety of formats for a variety of audiences, familiarity with social media platforms and content management systems, including Drupal, are essential; competence with project planning and balancing multiple priorities are critical. Experience in web design and content production desirable; experience with photo, audio, and/or video-editing is a plus. Curiosity, interest in and capacity for quickly learning about topics related to technology, law, and society are expected. Must be comfortable working with a broadly diverse global community of scholars, researchers, teachers, and activists.

Additional Information

Organization: The Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University is dedicated to exploring, understanding, and shaping the development of the digitally-networked environment. A diverse, interdisciplinary community of scholars, practitioners, technologists, policy experts, and advocates, we seek to tackle the most important challenges of the digital age while keeping a focus on tangible real-world impact in the public interest. Our faculty, fellows, staff and affiliates conduct research, build tools and platforms, educate others, form bridges and facilitate dialogue across and among diverse communities. More information at www.cyber.harvard.edu.

Commitment to Diversity: The work and well-being of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University are strengthened profoundly by the diversity of our network and our differences in background, culture, experience, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, and much more. We are an equal opportunity employer and actively seek and welcome applications from all applicants, including people of color, women, the LGBTQIA community, and persons with disabilities, as well as applications from researchers and practitioners from across the spectrum of disciplines and methods.

This is a term appointment currently expected to extend to June 30, 2019, continuation expected but subject to funding and departmental need.

All offers to be made by HLS Human Resources.