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CIRES Communications Director
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Position Number: 5939946
Location: Boulder, CO
Position Type: Communications - Media & Communication Studies

CIRES Communications Director

Requisition Number: 61388
Location: Boulder Colorado
Employment Type: Research Faculty
Schedule: Full Time
Posting Close Date: 31-Jan-2025
Date Posted:

Job Summary

The CIRES Communications Director will lead CIRES' internal and external communications efforts and will serve on the CIRES Director's Senior Management Team, supporting and leading institute-wide and other projects as requested by the Director. This individual will work closely with strategic partners at CU Boulder, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and other institutions, planning and implementing essential communications efforts that serve all. Overall, they will work collaboratively to ensure that diverse audiences recognize, celebrate, and value CIRES and CU Boulder research accomplishments. By recognizing and celebrating research accomplishments, their work will foster a culture of excellence at CIRES and the broader University. This position will report to the CIRES Director.
The University of Colorado Boulder is committed to building a culturally diverse community of faculty, staff, and students dedicated to contributing to an inclusive campus environment. We are an Equal Opportunity employer, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

At CIRES, more than 950 environmental science professionals work to understand the dynamic Earth system, including people's relationship with the planet. CIRES has partnered with NOAA since 1967, and our areas of expertise include weather and climate, changes at Earth's poles, air quality and atmospheric chemistry, water resources, solid Earth sciences, and much more. Our vision is to be instrumental in ensuring a sustainable future environment by advancing scientific and societal understanding of the Earth system.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

(55%) Management, Planning and Execution of CIRES Communication's Office Activities:

Supervise and prioritize work flow for a full-service team of 3.5 FTE including:

1 half-time designer
1 managing editor / multimedia producer
1 writer/content producer
1 writer, social media lead, and technical expert (web and marketing apps)

Oversee and manage internal communications (newsletters, posters, award notifications, Town Halls, events etc.)
Oversee and manage external communications (media engagement, news stories, social media, annual magazine, web content, etc.)
Ensures consistent, reliable collaboration and communication with key partners, especially NOAA and CU Boulder

Overseeing Annual Report to NOAA

Ensure regular communication and outreach to CIRES faculty and researchers to understand their work and ensure its impact is publicized appropriately
Review and update (as needed) new & existing communications vehicles (social media, video, illustration/design, photography, advertising/marketing, etc.)
Maintain ongoing awareness of CIRES scientific strengths and achievements.
Occasionally produce communications products themselves: stories, illustrations, video storyboarding, etc.
Oversee CIRES branding efforts and ensures consistency of CIRES and CU brands across the institute's many centers and programs.

(25%) Direct support of the CIRES Director and Senior Management Team:

Participate on the Senior Management Team, representing the communications perspective
Develop communications strategy and content, internal and external (talking points, ppts, internal memos, review of high-level documents, etc.)
Recruitment/advertising for events, programs
Share responsibility for smooth administrative functioning of CIRES, including cross-team collaborations with:

IT (web, publications tracking and other Annual Report duties)
Finance (annual reporting)
HR (internal communications, creation/maintenance of employee and/or group lists)
Associate Director for Science (extensive collaboration on science opportunities, tasks related to identifying scientific strengths, proposals, awards)

Engagement across CU Boulder campus related to CIRES' research expertise:

Research and Innovation Office
Office of Strategic Relations and Communications
Chancellor's Office
Office of Advancement
Government affairs

Engagement beyond campus, with strategic partners including NOAA, the National Science Foundation (NSF), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the American Geophysical Union (AGU), the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and other university and institutional press offices.

(20%) Support or leadership of large ad-hoc projects, as defined by Director

This position, in consultation with the CIRES Director, performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope and nature of this communications role. This can include support of proposals, coordination of VIP visits, among others.

What You Should Know

This position allows for some remote work with a minimum of three days in-person.
Visa sponsorship is not offered for this position. Candidates needing visa sponsorship now or in the future will not be considered.
This position will be rostered in CIRES at the University of Colorado Boulder, in Boulder, CO. The Director of Communications will be expected to sit at the David Skaggs Research Center NOAA federal facility one day a week. Selected finalists will be required to pass a federal background check for site access to the DSRC.
This position may travel out-of-state to 1-2 annual meetings per year, as needed.

What We Can Offer

CIRES offers a generous compensation package. The annual hiring salary range for this position is $103,404 - $150,000.
Salary will be commensurate with education and years of experience and determined based on our CIRES internal career track classification.
Some relocation funds are available for this position to off-set moving expenses following CIRES and the University of Colorado's relocation processes and procedures.
This position can accommodate a hybrid work modality in accordance with project needs.
CIRES and the University of Colorado Boulder offer a robust training curriculum, opportunities for professional development and a Mentorship Program.
Boulder is a vibrant community with access to mountain parks, dog parks, miles of trails, rivers, lakes, cafes, restaurants, boutiques, theaters, museums, and sports venues. Boulder was recently ranked as one of the top places to live in the U.S. by U.S. News.
As an employee at CU Boulder, you receive a pass allowing free access to the regional public transit system, which is an outstanding network of buses and light rail systems that provide service within Boulder and connect to Denver, the Denver airport, and surrounding communities.

Benefits

The University of Colorado offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO Pass. The University of Colorado Boulder is one of the largest employers in Boulder County and offers an inspiring higher education environment. Learn more about the University of Colorado Boulder.

Be Statements

Be diverse. Be inclusive. Be Boulder.

What We Require

Bachelor's degree in Communications, Environmental Science, or related field required AND at least 8 years of experience in Science Communications or related areas required,

Master's degree in Communications, Environmental Science, or related field required AND at least 6 years of experience in Science Communications or related areas required,

PhD in Communications, Environmental Science, or related field AND at least 4 years of experience in Science Communications or related areas.

For All Candidates:

Experience or familiarity with environmental science, itself.
Strong science writing and editing skills.
Experience in social media, multimedia, and Adobe Creative Suite.
Prior experience working in a research organization.
Experience building relationships internally and externally to an organization.
Demonstrated leadership capabilities, including leading and managing cross-functional teams or projects, with a focus on fostering a collaborative and inclusive work environment.

What You Will Need

Proven ability to mentor and support team members in their professional development.
Relationship building skills as well as strong collaboration, leadership, mentoring, and team-building skills.
Ability to communicate with scientists as well as with the general public.
Desire and ability to work in an inclusive and collaborative work environment.
Enthusiasm for scientific research and appreciation for its value and impact on society.
Excellent technical skills including fluency in Microsoft Office Suite, Google Suite, web and marketing applications.

Special Instructions

To apply, please submit the following materials:

Resume or CV.
Cover letter addressed to the Search Committee briefly describing your qualifications, professional goals, and specific interest in this position.
Although not needed at the time of application, if you are identified as a finalist for this role, the hiring committee will request scientific writing and editing samples at a later time.
Although not required at the time of application, please be prepared to submit contact information for 5 professional references (2 of whom must be managers or supervisors). If you are selected as a finalist, we will ask you to contact your references so that they can complete a Crosschq questionnaire on your behalf. Crosschq is an online automated reference check solution. This information will be kept confidential and viewable only by the search committee.

Posting will close January 31, 2025.

If you are selected as the finalist, your degree will be verified by the CU Boulder Campus Human Resources department using an approved online vendor. If your degree was obtained outside of the United States, please submit a translated version as an optional attachment.

If you have questions regarding this position, Christine Wiedinmyer (christine.wiedinmyer@colorado.edu) or cireshr@colorado.edu Attn: Jimena Ugaz

Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, applications must be submitted through CU Boulder Jobs

In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.

To apply, visit https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail/CIRES-Communications-Director/61388