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• CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

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• If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete the application process for external applicants.

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.

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POSITION SPECIFICS​

Penn State’s Office of Strategic Communications—the University’s central public relations and marketing division—seeks an experienced Senior Research Writer to help elevate Penn State’s reputation as a leader in national security research.

With a primary focus on supporting Penn State’s Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) and newly created National Security Institute (NSI), the person in this role will also cover national security-related research across other units, providing strategic communications leadership around complex, mission driven research. This position will develop and implement integrated communications strategies, produce high impact storytelling, and position Penn State researchers and programs in national conversations relevant to defense, security, resilience, and applied innovation-driven research.

This role requires close collaboration with ARL and NSI leadership, faculty researchers, research administrators, and communications colleagues across the University. Occasional travel may be required to attend meetings, visit research sites, or conduct in-person interviews.

This is a hybrid position that combines remote and on-campus working.

Key Responsibilities

The person in this position will:

• Participate in strategic planning to promote Penn State’s applied research and national security research strengths, with a particular emphasis on ARL and NSI
• Build trusted relationships with ARL, NSI, and unit leadership to understand research priorities, sponsor expectations, and institutional goals
• Develop and implement integrated communications plans that support reputation building and stakeholder engagement, using multichannel approaches (i.e., news stories, feature articles, multimedia, social media, executive messaging)
• Lead the promotion of peer-reviewed and sponsor-funded research, translating technically complex work into clear, accurate, and compelling narratives for diverse audiences
• Position faculty experts and research leaders in appropriate national conversations, including media, policy, and industry forums, while navigating sensitivities related to national security research
• Collaborate with internal partners to ensure communications align with federal sponsor requirements, export control considerations, and