Communications Lead, Fusion and Fission Energy and Science Directorate

Requisition Id 16143 

 

Overview:

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is seeking a Communications Lead for its Fusion and Fission Energy and Science Directorate (FFESD). As part of ORNL’s Communications and Community Engagement Directorate (CCED), the selected candidate will advance awareness of the laboratory’s fusion and fission research and development activities across key stakeholders. In guiding a team of communications professionals, the individual will lead the development of strategic, compelling communications products—including web content, social media campaigns, white papers, presentations, and more—to reach internal and external audiences with the latest scientific breakthroughs, partnerships, and other success stories from FFESD.

 

The Communications Lead will be a part of and work closely with the FFESD leadership team and act as ORNL’s primary communications expert for fusion and nuclear energy. The position will report to the External Communications Division Director and collaborate with colleagues across CCED to promote laboratory-level crosscutting initiatives and strategic priorities.

 

Major Duties/Responsibilities:

• Work directly with the FFESD Associate Laboratory Director (ALD) and other leaders, along with CCED colleagues, to ensure the directorate communications strategy is aligned with the organization’s needs, strategies, and priorities and that institutional- and Department of Energy-level strategic messaging and priorities are reflected within the directorate’s communications activities.
• Develop, execute, assess, and adjust strategic communications plans that engage key stakeholders and highlight the impact of FFESD and ORNL’s science.
• Lead a multidisciplinary communications staff—serving as supervisor of science writers and communications specialists and matrixed supervisor of graphic designers and digital communications specialists—assigning daily tasks, managing workflows, tracking progress and quality, providing feedback, executing performance assessments and coordinating feedback with the appropriate line manager, and handling personnel and administrative issues.
• Produce and oversee the creation of high-quality communications materials that are targeted to FFESD’s stakeholders.
• Provide the ALD and other leaders from FFESD executive communications support, including presentation development, internal messaging, speechwriting, and crisis communications.
• Serve as the primary liaison between FFESD and CCED, ensuring that communications align with institutional branding and strategic messaging while effectively representing FFESD in laboratory-wide communications initiatives.
• Collaborate with peers across ORNL to share and adopt best practices, support cross-directorates initiatives, and highlight ORNL’s multidisciplinary and translational research.
• Oversee communications channels for FFESD, including internal and external websites, social media, and other products.
• Coach and train staff and leadership on effective communications and presentation skills.
• Research and benchmark communications best practices from across the fusion and fission energy communities to inform communications decisions and share findings with fellow S&T communications leads.
• Identify communications resource and expertise gaps in staffing and work with FFESD, CCED, and other areas of ORNL to fill needs as necessary.
• Provide writing, editing, event planning, and additional support as identified by FFESD leadership and CCED.
• Align behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote equal opportunity by fostering a respectful workplace – in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.

 

Basic Qualifications:

• BS degree in communications, journalism, public relations, or related field, plus a minimum of 8 years of professional experience in external communications or stakeholder relations, or equivalent.
• Demonstrated experience in managing staff, projects, and resources to deliver high-quality communications products to key stakeholders on time and on budget.
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills, including the ability to accurately translate complex science and engineering concepts into non-specialist language.
• Ability to communicate scientific research to non-scientific audiences.

 

Preferred Quali