Research Communications Analyst - National Security

Job Type:

Position Description 

RAND’s department of Communications and External Affairs (CEA) has an exciting opportunity in its Research Communications Group for a communications professional who is looking to use their expertise and skills to support RAND’s mission of helping improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. This Research Communications Analyst (RCA) role will support RAND’s National Security Research Division (NSRD), helping to ensure its rigorous research attains maximum impact.

RCAs play a key role in collaborating with researchers and RAND leaders to present complex policy analysis in crisp, clear, and compelling formats to audiences ranging from high-level decisionmakers to general audiences. RCAs help RAND researchers improve the logic, structure, clarity and accessibility of primary research documents, summary products, graphics, and slide presentations. Working with researchers they gain understanding of diverse topics and methods and then, either through diplomatic editorial critique or the drafting of written and visual products, translate those ideas into products that policymakers, advocates, and the public can understand and act upon. In doing so, they hone science communications skills across multiple disciplines. They also create or help create diverse communications products including research reports, report summaries, newsletters, text for internal and external web sites, graphics, and internal corporate documents and reports.

Success as an RCA requires excellent audience analysis capability, highest-quality writing and editing skills, and visual and graphic skills to shape prose, speech, graphics, and presentations that help inform policy and decisionmaking.
 

Qualifications 

Required attributes for this position:

• Superior writing and editing skills, as displayed across varied forms and formats, especially in public policy research or related work. Ability to express complex ideas with simplicity and verve.

• A firm grasp of the challenges of communicating in the various channels available today, including print, Web, interactive, and social media

• Demonstrated skill in analyzing challenging or complex topics and situations, often under tight deadlines, to develop and execute communications tactics with creativity and polish

• A proven track record in creating, editing, or improving briefings and visual materials (charts, graphs, slide presentations, informational graphics)

• Demonstrated ability to distill complex research into short, compelling narratives

• High proficiency with tools in the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and basic proficiency with graphics tools including the Adobe Suite (PhotoShop, Illustrator, inDesign) or their equivalents

• Excellent project management skills and the ability to navigate organizational complexities to ensure projects meet deadlines at high levels of quality

• Flexibility, ingenuity, creativity, diplomacy, and a willingness to learn and adapt to rapidly changing circumstances

• Capacity to exercise editorial judgment, self-direction, and independence on multiple projects; also, the ability to work well with and within teams

• Ability to contribute throughout the life cycle of a research project with communications analysis, strategy, execution, writing and graphics

Preferred attributes for this position:

• Experience in or familiarity with policy research related to the Department of Defense

• Experience in or familiarity with academic peer review

Education Requirements 

Bachelor’s degree required in English, communications, public policy, or another related field. An advanced degree in a related field is preferred.
 

Experience

Minimum of 6 years of related experience is required.  Previous experience with academic or policy research communications and familiarity with the Department of Defense and/or Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) is preferred.
 

Security Clearance 

A successful candidate must be able to obtain and maintain a United States government security clearance. U.S. citizenship is required for a Department of Defense security clearance.

Location 

This position will be located at one of the following RAND offices: Arlington, Va.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; or Santa Monica, Calif. This position is eligible for RAND’s hybrid work environment, which enables a blend of on-site and remote work. Some on-site presence will be required to meet business needs, including on an ad-hoc basis; onsite needs will vary f