Head of Strategic Communications for RAND’s Homeland Security Research Division (HSRD)

Job Type:

The Head of Strategic Communications for RAND’s Homeland Security Research Division (HSRD) is a key member of the division’s leadership team who will provide counsel and execute plans at the intersection of HSRD’s research agenda, operations, and strategic goals. The role involves developing and managing processes to help HSRD maintain agile communications workflows, supporting internal communications initiatives, helping to manage external client communications and relationships, and collaborating with partners in other research divisions, as well as RAND leadership.

The Head of Strategic Communications for HSRD is part of the Research Communications Group, which is comprised of Research Communications Analysts (RCAs) who sit in RAND’s Communications and External Affairs department. CEA’s mission is to help raise the profile and impact of RAND's research and analysis. HSRD’s Head of Strategic Communications will partner directly with division leaders and CEA colleagues to coordinate internal and external outreach to help achieve the research division’s impact and business goals.

This role’s responsibilities include:

• Providing strategic and tactical communications counsel to division leaders by maintaining awareness of relevant matters, e.g., division research projects and agendas, external events, the work of other RAND research divisions, and RAND corporate priorities.

• Tracking the policy impact of HSRD research

• Advising division leadership on external and internal communications relevant to client/sponsor and staff meetings, executive communications, division reviews, board reports, digital and social media, classified products, business planning, and other communication channels

• Collaborating with internal RAND partners, including those within CEA, on the publication process and outreach

• Overseeing development of a range of division-level products, including communications to RAND leadership and the Board of Trustees, contractual deliverables, internal briefings and communications to staff, briefings and communications to external sponsors and policy stakeholders, and other products. As needed, delegating and overseeing execution of products by other Research CAs to ensure successful completion.

Research CAs apply critical thinking and analytical skills to help researchers and RAND leaders present complex ideas and materials via clear, crisp, and compelling communications. These positions utilize excellent audience analysis, writing, editing, visual, and other skills to shape prose, speech, and images into polished presentations or documents that help inform policy and decisionmaking.

To learn more about HSRD, please visit https://www.rand.org/hsrd.html

Qualifications

Required attributes for this position:

• Ability to develop and maintain organizational systems that support the division’s business and policy-impact goals through strategic communications, as well as to manage and execute supporting tactics in close consultation with division leadership

• Superior writing and editing skills displayed across varied forms, media, and formats, especially in public policy or related work, and ability to discern and write in the voice of division leadership

• A firm grasp of the challenges and opportunities of communicating in various channels, including Web-based, interactive, and social media, as well as traditional formats

• Demonstrated skill in analyzing challenging or complex situations, often under tight deadlines, to develop and execute communications plans with a range of tactics

• A great ear and eye in creating, editing, or improving briefings and visual materials (charts, graphs, PowerPoint presentations, informational graphics) and the ability to distill complex research into short, compelling narratives

• Demonstrated advanced knowledge with tools in the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) or their equivalents.

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

• The ability to formulate plans and strategies for an intranet site, including working knowledge of information architecture and content strategy

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

• Knowledge of how AI tools including Large Language Models (LLMs) can be used to develop communications assets

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

Education Requirements

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

Experience

Minimum of 9 years of related experience is required.  Previous experience and/or familiarity with the Department of Homeland Security and/or Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) is preferred.

Work Samples

Candidates must submit two examples of their written work:

• One should reflect their strategic communications capabilities, e.g., a strategic communications plan or an analysis of a strategic communications effort.

• The other should reflect their ability to write clear, compelling prose that effectively communicates research or technical material to a chosen audience.

For each of the two examples, candidates should submit a version that reflects solely their own work (e.g., a draft version of the example), as well as a finished version of the example that can reflect intellectual contributions from others (e.g., a final, edited product).

Security Clearance

The ability to obtain and maintain a United States government security clearance is required for this position, which requires U.S. citizenship.  Candidates with an active security clearance are preferred.

Location

Washington, DC, Pittsburgh, Santa Monica

Salary Range: $117,700 - $175,500

RAND considers a variety of factors when formulating an offer, including, but not limited to, the specific role and associated responsibilities; a candidate’s work experience, education/training, skills, and expertise; and internal equity.  In addition, RAND provides strong benefits, including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, a savings plan, paid time off, and more.  

Equal Opportunity Employer: race/color/religion/sex/sexual orientation/gender identity/national origin/disability/vet