Public Affairs & Communications Associate

The Public Affairs & Communications Associate will be passionate about telling the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center’s (MLSC) story and promoting our mission of supporting the growth and development of the life sciences in Massachusetts.
In particular, this individual will serve as a voice of the MLSC brand by contributing and optimizing to the MLSC’s online newsroom and other communications channels. This position will also contribute to the MLSC’s government relations activity and work closely with our Senior Director of Marketing and Corporate Relations and Senior Digital Marketing and Communications Associate on developing and executing e-communications, social media campaigns, and uncovering new ways to enhance our digital presence, storytelling prowess, and reporting techniques.
Responsibilities
The day-to-day responsibilities of this role include but are not limited to the following:
•Contribute to the writing, editing, and/or design process for the organization’s publications, including blogs, newsletters, and annual reports.
•Contributing and maintaining the MLSC’s online newsroom, including posting content, mining for new story ideas, writing press releases, original pieces and sharing results in monthly/quarterly reports.
•Assist in drafting communications to and organizing meetings and engagements with elected officials, trade associations, industry partners, academic/research institutions, non-profit groups, and other external stakeholders to promote the impact of MLSC funding.
•Assist in the development of communications to support government relations strategies, including internal and external communications, background memos, and PowerPoint presentation materials.
•Help maintain the team’s editorial calendar and present new ideas for external/internal promotion.
•Partner with colleagues across the MLSC to identify and tell stories that highlight key aspects of the MLSC’s work and the voices of the people, places, and organizations it serves.
•Assist in the planning and execution of events and conferences.
•Support internal communications activities as needed.
•Supporting other areas of marketing, communications, and community relations as necessary.
Requirements
Education and Experience
•One to three (1-3) years of experience in communications.
•Experience developing and executing strategies in media and public relations.
•Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, public relations, journalism, or related field a plus.
•Experience working with website content management systems (e.g. WordPress) a plus.
•Media relations/crisis communications experience a plus.
•Government relations or public affairs experience a plus.
Skills
•Strong passion for writing and storytelling.
•Exceptional writing skills, both technical and creative, a must, with capacity to write and edit for a variety of mediums.
•Strong attention to detail, excellent organization skills, ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and strong problem-solving skills.
•Outstanding communication skills, including writing, listening and personal presence.
•Capable of thinking “outside the box” and applying a creative mindset to amplify our channels.
•Availability to work outside normal business hours when needed, either remotely or on-site.
•Ability to collaborate with multiple teams and stakeholders simultaneously.