Communications Officer

American Association for the Advancement; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation leave

Paid sick leave

Health insurance

Retirement benefits

Job summary

AAAS in Washington, DC seeks a Communications Officer to oversee project planning and execution, manage timelines and budgets, and guide cross‑unit communications aligned with AAAS priorities. You will supervise day‑to‑day and strategic messaging for the Alliance and CSEW initiatives.

The role splits time between the STEMM Opportunity Alliance (60%) and the Center for STEMM Education and Workforce (40%), developing communication strategies and supporting engagement with Partners and AAAS

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with 4+ years’ experience or Associate’s with 6+ years’ experience on multi-year projects.
• Ability to initiate streamlined communication processes for complex projects.
• Experience with monitoring platforms and social media management tools.
• Coalition communications management and strategic messaging experience.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for multiple audiences.

Responsibilities

• Develop, manage, monitor, and optimize content across social media, newsletters, blogs, and STEMMOpportunity.org.
• Analyze content performance and use insights to improve Alliance communications.
• Support refreshes of STEMMOpportunity.org and AAAS.org content.
• Develop multimedia content including graphics, newsletters, videos, and web content.
• Provide input on messaging and support speech development.
• Develop toolkits and resources for Alliance Partners and projects.
• Serve as communications contact for Partners on campaigns and content.
• Coordinate with the Office of Communications on priorities and deliverables.
• Support engagement strategies with AAAS members and participants.
• Coordinate with public relations partners and information officers on announcements and events.

Skills

Streamlined communication

Monitoring platforms

Social media management

Coalition communications

Written and verbal communication

STEMM education knowledge (preferred)

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Associate's degree or equivalent

Tools

Social media management tools

Content management systems

Job description

Washington D.C.
Washington, DC 20005, USA

Description

The Communications Officer will oversee the planning and execution of projects, ensuring alignment with organizational goals. They manage timelines, budgets, and stakeholder engagement while identifying and addressing challenges to maintain project success. This role will split their time between the STEMM Opportunity Alliance (60%) and the Center for STEMM Education and Workforce ie CSEW (40%), leading day-to-day and strategic communications for the Alliance, developing communication strategies to expand engagement and visibility, and providing communications support and guidance to CSEW’s 20+ STEMM education initiatives. The role will also support CSEW thought leadership and serve as the primary liaison with the AAAS Office of Communications, integrating CSEW and Alliance efforts into AAAS-wide communications processes, platforms, and priorities.

What You’ll Do

• Develop, manage, monitor, and optimize content across social media, newsletters, blogs, and STEMMOpportunity.org.
• Analyze content performance and use insights to improve Alliance communications.
• Support refreshes and overhauls of STEMMOpportunity.org and SOA content on AAAS.org.
• Develop multimedia content, including social media graphics, newsletters, videos, slide decks, and web content.
• Provide input on overarching and audience‑specific messaging and support speech development.
• Develop communications toolkits and resources for Alliance Partners and critical projects.
• Serve as a key communications contact for Partners on campaigns, announcements, multimedia content, newsletters, blogs, and websites.
• Guide Partners in establishing communications priorities and developing deliverables in collaboration with the Office of Communications.
• Help design and implement Alliance engagement strategies in partnership with the Office of Communications.
• Develop communications plans and strategies in collaboration with CSEW project teams.
• Support centralized CSEW communications processes, resources, and analytics to improve efficiency and impact.
• Manage content for the CSEW newsletter, LinkedIn, Bluesky, and other communications resources.
• Develop strategies to engage program participants, stakeholders, and AAAS members in communities of learning and practice.
• Serve as the primary liaison between CSEW and the Office of Communications and project‑manage communications support requests.
• Coordinate with the Office of Communications, public relations partners, and public information officers on announcements, events, external affairs, and other communications efforts.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 4+ years’ professional work experience OR an Associate's degree or equivalent and 6+ years of professional work experience providing communications support for multi-year projects with multiple audiences, partners, and deliverables.
• Ability to initiate streamlined communication processes and resources to increase effectiveness and efficiency while managing complex communications projects with multiple partners.
• Knowledge of monitoring platforms, social media management tools, and other online platforms with an ability to track, assess program impact, and manage deliverables.
• Experience in coalition communications management, strategic messaging, and narrative change, including developing or supporting the development of communications assets for stakeholder groups (e.g., education, workforce, government).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a particular ability to synthesize clear and concise information from a wide array of sources via multiple communication channels.
• Preferred: Knowledge of STEMM education or workforce policies, concepts, and communities.

Application Process

Submit a resume and cover letter outlining qualifications and interest in the position by October 29 th , 2026. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis from October 16 th to October 29 th ;applying early is recommended. A Recruiter will contact you with next steps if you are selected for an interview.

The anticipated initial rate of compensation for this position is $80,000 - $90,000 per year. AAAS currently provides the following benefits for this position: paid vacation leave, paid sick leave, paid holidays, health insurance, flexible spending account, dental insurance, life insurance, vision insurance, retirement benefits, short- and long-term disability, each subject to the terms of the applicable program. Additional benefits may apply.

Any actual offer of employment, reflecting the total compensation package and benefits, will be made in the sole discretion of AAAS and will be based on a variety of factors, including years of

experience, depth of experience, and other relevant factors. AAAS reserves the right to amend or modify its employment benefits and compensation structure at any time.

AAAS is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or other protected category. AAAS uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. No visa sponsorship is available for this position.

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.