Director of Strategic Communications and Outreach

Working at Yale means contributing to a better tomorrow. Whether you are a current resident of our New Haven-based community, eligible for opportunities through the New Haven Hiring Initiative, or a newcomer, interested in exploring all that Yale has to offer, your talents and contributions are welcome. Discover your opportunities at Yale!OverviewThe Tobin Center for Economic Policy at Yale University works to strengthen families, communities, and the nation. We enable research on key challenges facing society and bring the resulting insights to the policy arena for impact. We do this by building purpose-driven partnerships across government, engaging with the media, and training a more diverse and inclusive generation of social scientists and policy leaders. Our work has been credited with making significant contributions to United States law and policy across health, climate, education, and economic opportunity.  The Tobin Center is seeking a Director of Strategic Communications and Outreach to amplify our impact. This individual will build the Tobin Center’s brand, establish an institutional tone and standard for public engagement, help attract new partners as philanthropic supporters, and demonstrate how Tobin’s commitment to rigorous research can move the needle for society.We are looking for candidates with experience turning research insights into compelling content that motivates real-world action. The most competitive candidates will have experience creating, leading, and overseeing inspiring communications content, and a track-record of deploying innovative strategies for engaging key audiences. The Director must also understand economic and social policy issues and possess the unique ability to communicate complex research for non-academic audiences.  Build and lead an integrated communications program, combining online engagement, media relations, digital engagement, events, and outreach with government, nonprofit, business, private philanthropy, and other stakeholders to maximize the influence and impact of Tobin and our faculty’s work.  Create and implement a communications and engagement strategy to share our work with key audiences that includes concrete goals and clear metrics for evaluating progress. Design new and pivotal ways - beyond traditional approaches - to make our work understandable and relevant, including generating core messages and language, developing timely content and analysis, and creating opportunities for engagement. Build and maintain networks and relationships with faculty, media, government, private philanthropy, and partner organizations to inform our communications and outreach strategies and create opportunities. Lead the coordination and execution of events and convenings, including managing team members who are supporting the event, on-site preparations, related communications plans, and general coordination of logistics.Develop content style guidelines for communications activities. Provide coaching and training on media engagement, public speaking, and presentations to staff and faculty.Required Skills and Abilities1. An entrepreneur and team leader who will take the initiative to identify and advance opportunities and provide just-in-time support when opportune moments arise.2. A proven leader who can thrive in a dynamic, collaborative, and lean start-up work environment with the ability to stay focused and nimble in the face of rapid change.3. Ability to think independently and offer constructive upward feedback.4. Sound understanding of requirements for working with sensitive and confidential data.Preferred Skills and Abilities1.A skilled and professional communications leader with a track record of engaging a range of audiences as well as experience building and maintaining relationships with senior staff at relevant media outlets.  2.Rigor and fluency in communicating evidence-based social science research with demonstrated expertise writing about complex economic policy issues for non-academic audiences.3. A thoughtful relationship builder and engaging communicator who has demonstrated an ability to bring, build, and maintain networks with partners from one or more of the following audiences: government, nonprofits, advocacy organizations, private philanthropy, business, and higher education institutions.4.A flexible, resourceful, and well-organized project manager who can coordinate multi-faceted and complex projects, including the ability to anticipate issues, develop proactive solutions, and engage the right stakeholders to support and champion success.5. Ability to engage thoughtfully with issues related to race, class, identity, equity, ethics, and the multi-faceted complexity of relevant policy environments.6. Comfort with quantitative social science research methods and ability to explain them to external audiences.Preferred Education and Experience:10+ years of relevant experience; a deep understanding of economics and social policy; experience communicating quantitative research is strongly desired. Although this position is primarily remote, a minimum of one on-site visit per month may be required.Principal Responsibilities1.  Serve as senior leader of university and/or professional school communications. 2.  Manage key relationships with clients with high degree of professionalism, judgment, and understanding of University initiatives, goals and mission. 3.  Oversee long-range and short-range planning for coordinated communications channels. 4.  Serve as key strategist to improve broad staff and faculty communications initiatives and campaigns; design, mange, and implement communication or marketing plans for key initiatives. 5.  Develop and implement communication strategic plan promoting Yale’s strength to a variety of audiences throughout the globe, using both traditional and digital media. 6.  Direct communications planning for the all internal and/or external announcements, statements and messages on various institution