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Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants .
This position is funded for 1 year(s); continuation past 1 year(s) will be based on university need, performance, and/or availability of funding.
POSITION SPECIFICS
The U.S. National Science Foundation National Synthesis Center for Emergence in the Molecular and Cellular Sciences (NCEMS) at Penn State seeks a Marketing and Communications Specialist to lead scientific communications, marketing, and outreach efforts. NCEMS brings together interdisciplinary researchers to apply AI and data science to fundamental questions in molecular and cellular biology.
This position will be filled at the Marketing and Communications Specialist - Intermediate Professional level.
Reporting to the NCEMS Project Manager, this position collaborates with the Director, Principal Staff Scientist, research teams, and partners to communicate Center activities and achievements, promote programs and opportunities, and ensure consistent messaging across NCEMS initiatives. The specialist manages multiple assignments with general supervision and may travel to meetings, conferences, workshops, and other Center events.
Key Responsibilities
Communications, Marketing, and Digital Content
Develop, edit, and publish website content, social media posts, newsletters, announcements, correspondence, research highlights, and other communications for scientific and public audiences.
Create and coordinate branded graphics, presentations, promotional materials, and digital assets aligned with Penn State and NCEMS standards.
Plan and manage communications campaigns promoting Working Groups, fellowships, internships, workshops, funding opportunities, publications, and Center accomplishments.
Collaborate with Center leadership, staff, faculty, trainees, and partners to translate complex scientific and programmatic information into clear, accessible messaging.
Maintain websites, contact lists, and communications assets; monitor engagement metrics and recommend improvements.
Outreach, Events, and Stakeholder Engagement
Coordinate communications with researchers, partner institutions, prospective participants, and other stakeholders, including outreach, invitations, information requests, and follow-up communications.
Support communications for scientific meetings, Working Groups, workshops, conferences, and the annual Summit, including participant communications, presentation materials, signage, registration messaging, and post-event summaries.
Attend designated meetings to document key decisions, updates, action items, and deadlines; prepare meeting summaries and maintain related records.
Coordinate outreach and event deliverables with the Project Manager and Center personnel using established schedules, templates, and procedures.
Center Communications Operations
Prepare leadership communications, briefings, meeting materials, and stakeholder correspondence for the Director and Principal Staff Scientist.
Organize communications files, project materials, trackers, and shared resources; monitor assigned tasks and elevate significant issues as needed.
Provide day-to-day guidance to student employees supporting communications, outreach, documentation, and events, and review work for quality and…