RTI's Communication Practice Area seeks a Senior Communication Science Researcher with experience researching, designing, delivering and evaluating communication messages, interventions, programs, or campaigns. RTI is a non-profit, mission-driven organization that tackles critical problems in health, environment, education, justice and equity.

Communication Practice Area works across the communication lifecycle, conducting research to understand an audience's information needs and engaging communities for whom key messages are intended. Using human-centered design and plain language principles, we develop communication messages and products that help people make everyday decisions. As leaders in evaluation, we help our clients evaluate the delivery and impact of communication efforts. With expertise in all quantitative and qualitative methods, we design rigorous, comprehensive evaluations that focus on measuring key outcomes, such as knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, including informed decision-making. Our communication scientists and strategists work on behalf of domestic, public sector clients to research, design, deliver and evaluate evidence-based solutions to address real-world challenges across the domains of health, education, justice and climate.

We are looking for an experienced and motivated communication research scientist to build and lead a portfolio of project work, cultivate meaningful and sustainable relationships with clients, mentor and develop staff, represent RTI externally at conferences and professional meetings, and disseminate the team's work by leading the development of peer-reviewed publications, professional conferences, and through other mechanisms. Success in this role requires demonstrated experience successfully leading large-scale, complex proposals and projects for domestic, public sector clients; designing and implementing qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research studies and evaluations; and working collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams. This person will be a thinker and a doer, who takes initiative; values research and evidence while also embracing innovative methods, processes and approaches to solve complex problems; and perseveres in delivering the promise of science for global good.

This position is open to individuals interested in working from our headquarters in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, Atlanta, Georgia, Washington, D.C., or Waltham, Massachusetts. Remote workers will be considered, but must be in the eastern time zone -some travel is likely

Responsibilities to include, but not be limited to:

• Leading large-scale, complex proposals focused on communication science and strategy in the areas of public health, climate, education, justice and equity for domestic, public sector clients.
• Serving as Project Director or Principal Investigator on large-scale projects focused on communication science and strategy for domestic, public sector clients.
• Mentoring and developing staff on proposal and project teams.
• Increasing practice area visibility by disseminating our work, including but not limited to publishing papers in peer-reviewed journals and presenting at professional meetings and conferences.
• Communicating effectively with multidisciplinary team members (e.g., researchers, designers, developers, writers, subject matter experts) to successfully manage proposal and project activities.
• Additional duties identified in collaboration with supervisor.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree and 15 years of experience, Master's degree and 12 years of experience, PhD and 8 years of experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Degree in a Social Science, Communication, Public Health or related field.
• Proven success leading complex, large-scale proposals and securing contracts or grant funding from public sector clients, including federal agencies (e.g., NIH, CDC, FDA), PCORI, states, or foundations.
• Proven success managing large-scale, complex projects and working closely with clients to ensure that contractual requirements (deliverables, timelines and budget) and client expectations are met using the highest standards of quality and collegiality.
• Experience managing multiple project teams of senior, mid-level, and junior staff, and bringing in expert consultants and/or subcontractors as needed, to meet client expectations and contractual requirements, including the financial and administrative aspects of ongoing projects.
• Demonstrated expertise in researching audiences and engaging diverse community members for the purpose of segmenting and identifying key insights to inform communication message, product, intervention or campaign development.
• Excellent written communication skills, including the ability to produce clear, concise reports and presentations of complex data and concepts for professional and lay audiences.
• Demonstrated leadership in contributing to communication, behavioral science, or public health literature and mentoring of team members in developing scientific stature.
• Excellent oral communication skills, including negotiation, compromise and building consensus within and between groups.
• Approaches situations with a growth mindset.

• Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States and should not require now, or in the future, sponsorship for employment visa status.

Desired Skills

• Experience with climate change communication
• Experience with the intersection of communication science and strategy with responsible generative artificial intelligence (AI)
• Multicultural or bilingual communication skills
• Experience in a contract research environment

Please include a cover letter in your application. You can include the cover letter and the resume in the same document.

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For San Francisco, CA USA Job Postings Only: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. Further information is available .

The anticipated pay range for this role is listed below. Our pay ranges represent national averages and may vary by location as a geographic differential may be applied to some locations within the United States.

RTI considers multiple factors when making an offer including, for example: established salary range, internal budget, business needs, and education and years of work experience possessed by the applicant. Further, salary is merely one element to our offer.

At RTI, we demonstrate our commitment to rewarding individual and team achievement through a total rewards package. This package includes (among other things) a competitive base salary, a generous paid time off policy, merit based annual increases, bonus opportunities and a robust recognition program. Other benefits include a competitive range of insurance plans (including health, dental, life, and short-term and long-term disability), access to a retirement savings program such as a 401(k) plan, paid parental leave for all parents, financial assistance with adoption expenses or infertility treatments, financial reimbursement for education and developmental opportunities, an employee assistance program, and numerous other offerings to support a healthy work-life balance.