Communications Manager, Stakeholder Engagement

The Pew Charitable Trusts; Washington; Hybrid; USD 77,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work schedule

Competitive pay & benefits

Job summary

Pew Research Center in Washington, DC, is seeking a Communications Manager for Stakeholder Engagement for a two-year term. The role focuses on testing and deepening relationships with decision-makers, practitioners and others who apply our data in real-world contexts, with a hybrid work schedule and core in-person days in the office.

The position requires leading communications plans, stakeholder outreach, and live events; coordinating with research and design teams; and measuring engagement to

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s in public relations, communications, mass media, or related field.
• 5-8+ years in communications, events, audience engagement, or related roles.
• Experience working in media, research, nonprofits, or mission-driven organizations.
• Familiarity with virtual event platforms and engagement tools.
• Experience building partnerships or networks and maintaining stakeholder relationships.
• Strong project management skills and ability to coordinate across multiple teams and priorities.
• Experience engaging and facilitating discussion with professional or policy-oriented audiences is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Develop and oversee execution of communications plans for major research studies to build reach, influence and impact.
• Identify target audiences, goals and dissemination strategies and tactics for major priorities while working within the overall institutional brand strategy.
• Build relationships with the managing directors and staff of the research teams; digital producers and designers on the beat; and other researchers and staff across the Center.
• Plan and execute virtual, hybrid and/or in-person events, including webinars, briefings and small-group discussions.
• Partner with research leaders and communications designers in the Center to shape compelling, accessible presentations of findings.
• Moderate or facilitate live sessions that encourage participation and dialogue.
• Help the Center build repeatable formats of engagement (series, office hours, stakeholder briefings)
• Ensure follow-up with stakeholders after convenings and internal teams on learnings.

Skills

Strong communicator

Relationship-building

Event planning

Strategic thinking

Project management

Education

Bachelor's in PR

Tools

Event platforms

Engagement tools

Job description

Organizationoverview

Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research in the areas of U.S. politics and policy views; media and journalism; internet and technology;science and society;religion and public life;race and ethnicity; global attitudes and U.S. social and demographic trends. Pew ResearchCenterdoes not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts.TheCenter’s work is carried out by a staff ofabout180.

Positionsummary

We’re hiring a Communications Manager for Stakeholder Engagement. This position is ** a two-year, limited-term role ** to test, pioneer and deepen relationships with key audiences — decisionmakers, practitioners and others who apply our data in real-world contexts.(The position willconcludeOctober 31, 2028.)

This is a term-limited, grant-funded position expected to last approximately2years.

Primaryresponsibilities

Communicationsstrategyandleadership

• Under the guidance ofthe communicationsdirectorandassociate director,develop and oversee executionofcommunications plansformajor researchstudiesto build reach,influenceand impact for the Center’s work.Identifytarget audiences, goals and dissemination strategies and tactics for major prioritieswhile working within the overall institutional brand strategy.

• Buildstrong relationships withthemanaging directorsand staff of theresearch teams; digital producers and designers on the beat; and other researchers and staff across theCenter.

Develop deeper relationships with priority audiences:

• Work with Strategic Communications and Research staff toidentifyand prioritize key stakeholder groups (policy professionals, civic leaders, educators, etc.).

• Build and manage targeted outreach and invitation strategies

• Track engagement over time (attendance, repeat participation, follow-up actions)

• Grow the addressable stakeholder audience for the Center

Lead stakeholder engagement through live experiences:

• Plan and execute virtual, hybrid and/or in-person events, including webinars,briefingsand small-group discussions in consultation with Strategic Communications colleagues.

• Partner with research leaders and communications designers in the Center to shape compelling, accessible presentations of findings

• Moderate orfacilitatelive sessions that encourage participation and dialogue

• Help the Center build repeatable formats of engagement (series, office hours, stakeholder briefings)

• Ensure follow-up with stakeholders after convenings and internal teams on learnings

Create new ways to connect research to practice:

• Pilot digital, hybrid or in-person formats around:

• Small convenings or roundtables

• “Ask a researcher” sessions

• Sector-specific briefings

• Training-style sessions (how to use Center data)

• Explore partnerships with organizations, associations or networks thatconvenekey stakeholders in partnership with Strategic Communications colleagues

Collaborate across the organization:

• Serve as a connector across research,communicationsand audience teams toidentifyengagement opportunities and ensure stakeholders receive coordinated outreach

• Work with communications colleagues to build internal relationships that help surface the right experts,stakeholdersand opportunities at the right time

• Serve as a key partner to research teams in translating findings into experiences for stakeholders

• Work with Strategic Communications colleagues to align stakeholder engagement with broader outreach strategies

Measure and refine impact:

• Help build a digital events tech stack to manage attendees and host live experiences

• Track engagement metrics beyond reach (e.g., registrations, attendance quality, repeat participation) in partnership with communications analysts

• Identifywhat drives meaningful interaction and adjust strategy accordingly

• Help set the pace for what “success” looks like for stakeholder engagement at the Center

• Gather feedback and insights from stakeholders to inform future engagement strategies and help the Center better understand audience needs

• Identifyemerging audience interests and opportunities to connect the Center research with real-world conversations and challenges

Knowledge andskills requirements

• A strong communicator who can translate complex ideas into clear, engaging live experiences

• A builder who can visualize pilot approaches and turn them into repeatable flows

• A strategist who can also be hands-on to test tools and produce events

• Experienced in planning and running virtual and in-person events, webinars, and facilitated discussions

• Comfortable working both in partnership with fellow communications colleaguesand alsodirectly with senior stakeholders and subject-matter experts

• Skilled at building relationships—not just audiences

• Curious, creative, and eager to testnew approaches

Education/training/experience requirements

• Bachelor’sin public relations, communications, mass media,or relatedfield.

• 5-8+ years in communications, events, audience engagement, or related roles

• Experience working in media, research, nonprofits, or mission-driven organizations

• Familiarity with virtual event platforms and engagement tools

• Experience building partnerships or networks andmaintainingstakeholder relationships

• Strong project management skills and ability to coordinate across multiple teams and priorities

• Experience engaging andfacilitatingdiscussion with professional or policy-oriented audiences is a plus

FLSA Status: Exempt

Compensation: The typical starting salary for this position is $91,035annually.

Hybrid Work Schedule:

Pew Research Center staffare required tobe present in the Center’s Washington, D.C., office three core days weekly (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday).Staff may workvirtually fromremote locations on other days in a typical work week.

Total Rewards

In addition to competitive pay, Pew Research Center’s employees enjoy a robust total rewards package that includes:

• Affordable, comprehensive health care that includes medical, dental (including adult orthodontia) and vision benefits.

• Generous paid annual leave plan, including a winter break between Dec. 25 and Jan. 1

• Employer-paid disability, life insurance and paid family leave plans

• Up to a 12% employer 401(k) contribution, with vesting at the end of the first year.

• A 37.5-hour workweek.

• Health savings or flexible spending account options with employer funding component.

• Flexibility to telework a portion of each week, with an additional four telework “flex weeks” each year for most staff.

EEO

Pew Research Centermakesemployment decisionswithout regard to age, sex, race, ethnicity, religion, disability, marital status, sexual orientation or gender identity, military/veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. We encourage applications from candidates who representa variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills.