Communications and Publishing Associate – Institute for the Study of War

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) seeks a Communications and Publishing Associate to assist in the planning and execution of the organization’s communications with external audiences. The Communications and Publishing Associate assists with the dissemination of product via all ISW channels including the website, email, and social media platforms.

ISW is a globally recognized institution regularly cited and engaged by journalists, editorial boards, and newsrooms including the New York Times, Associated Press, the Economist, and the Wall Street Journal. ISW products reach many millions globally and ISW currently has 1.1M followers across social platforms.

ISW Mission

ISW promotes an understanding of war and conflict by providing data and critical analysis to key American political and military leaders. In addition, ISW seeks to educate civilians about war and conflict, thus bridging the gaps between military and civilian decision-makers. ISW aims to improve how the United States formulates and executes its national security policy. ISW is vigilant at monitoring crises around the world. ISW’s publications reach a wide and diverse global audience.

Responsibilities

The Communications and Publishing Associate will support the External Relations Team in the preparation and dissemination of ISW content to its global audiences and the evaluation of ISW’s impact and audience engagement.

Publishing

Publish products on a regular basis on a rotation with other members of the external relations team and staff as directed by the Director of Strategic Initiatives or a designated supervisor. This will require after-hours and weekend work;

Copyedit and publish analyst work to ISW’s website in accordance with ISW brand standards and guidelines;
Maintain ISW’s communications via its website, mailings, and social media platforms;
Prepare, update, maintain, and tag or retag content on the website platform, in conjunction with other key stakeholders and members of the External Relations Team;
Perform regular data curation and maintenance of ISW’s segmented lists;

Composition & Preparation

Write and edit digital copy for website and social media posts as directed by the Director of Strategic Initiatives or the supervisor she designates;
Compose and edit press releases, company literature, talking points and other written materials for internal and external use upon request;
Support the organization’s responses to interview, briefing, and other media requests.

Impact analytics

Analyze media coverage of key national security topics to identify gaps in coverage or key themes relevant to ISW’s work;
Assist with tracking ISW’s public impact through quantitative and qualitative metrics to inform ISW’s communications strategy;
Assist with the collection, structuring, and evaluation of data regarding ISW’s audience engagement across platforms including the ISW website, email, and social media platforms;
Monitor the impact of ISW’s work in the broader national security policy community.

Media Engagement

Support analyst engagements with military decision makers, government officials, members of Congress, and their staffs in order to disseminate timely information and research findings and frame the policy relevance of ISW’s research;
Serve as the primary point of contact for media requests;
Support the facilitation, tracking, and coordination of inbound media requests;
Support the curation and collection of ISW’s Media lists.

Candidates with demonstrated skills and capacity for design, audio-visual, and other specialties are eligible to support these requirements in addition to the duties listed above.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree required; degree in communications, marketing, or related field desired;
Previous journalism/media, strategic communications, or government relations experience desired;
Experience in WordPress with the ability to create, update, and manage website content using WordPress, including basic knowledge of plugins, themes, and SEO best practices;
Experience in design softwares such as Canva, InDesign, or other design softwares;
Proficiency with recording and editing video content for digital platforms using tools such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, or equivalent, with an eye for storytelling, pacing, and brand consistency;
Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to communicate effectively in a fast-paced environment by digital messaging, email, phone, and in person;
Excellent written and verbal communication skills; practiced in proofreading and editing;
Excellent organizational abilities;
Ability to work independently and collaboratively with others;
Excellent judgment under pressure;
Willingness to learn and innovate;
Excellent judgment under pressure;
Creativity, collaborative spirit, great people and problem-solving skills;
Advanced understanding of frequently used computer office & media software and programs, such as Microsoft Office Suite;
Above average knowledge of various social media platforms, including LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

Institute for the Study of War

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Communications and Publishing Associate