Communications Coordinator - Tisch College

Overview:

This is a limited term position ending December 31, 2024. This is a grant funded position and is not eligible for severance pay.

The Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life is a national leader in civic education, whose teaching, research and community partnerships are setting the standard for higher education’s role in civic engagement. As the only university-wide college of its kind, Tisch engages Tufts students in transformational learning opportunities via hands-on field-based experiences, community building, and public service. These engagements prepare them to become active citizens and community leaders. Tisch research centers conduct groundbreaking research on young people’s civic and political participation and forge innovative participatory action research partnerships with communities.

Tisch College’s North Star—building robust, inclusive democracy for an increasingly multiracial society—seeks to cultivate knowledge, leaders and living experiments that expand possibilities for democratic development in the context of increasing risks to democracy worldwide. Our work supports the University’s efforts to become an anti-racist institution. Our programs and research centers focus on strengthening the political participation and voices of historically marginalized people, especially youth, and on addressing the challenges of building and reviving democratic institutions needed for multiracial/ethnic societies.

CIRCLE is a research-based think tank studying how young people in the United States learn to become active participants in our democracy. CIRCLE studies a broad range of topics, including electoral engagement, K-12 civic education, youth organizing, youth and civic media, and community characteristics that promote civic development. The central focus of its work is expanding access to civic learning and engagement opportunities by illuminating and working with others to address systemic inequalities and marginalization.

What You'll Do:

Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter by January 8th, 2024.

The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University’s Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life seeks candidates for a Communications Coordinator position for a 12-month term with a possibility of renewal pending funding availability and satisfactory performance. It is a full-time, hybrid position on our Medford, MA campus.

CIRCLE at Tisch College is seeking a detail-oriented Communications Coordinator aligned with CIRCLE’s nonpartisan mission and values to join our small team. The successful candidate will play a vital role in supporting the development and execution of strategic communication and impact initiatives across various platforms. The Communications Coordinator will work under the supervision of the Communications Team Lead, Alberto Medina and collaboratively with team members to enhance visibility and engage diverse stakeholders. The successful candidate will play a crucial part in maintaining CIRCLE’s positive online presence and ensuring consistent and accurate messaging across various communication channels.

What We're Looking For:

Basic Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree and 1-3 years Communications experience or equivalent degree.
• Past experience supporting organizational, initiative or department communications.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Basic graphic design skills and experience (Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, etc.) and experience crafting attractive visuals, in various formats, for diverse audiences.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team and independently as needed; take initiative; and work on tight and sometimes shifting timelines.
• Strong technology skills (e.g. PowerPoint, online storage programs).
• Familiarity with civic and political engagement initiatives, preferably in nonpartisan contexts.
• Ability to work collaboratively with CIRCLE colleagues from varied backgrounds and to interact with practitioners of diverse backgrounds, views, and positions .
• Ability to communicate effectively with a range of stakeholders and audiences, including practitioners, reporters, scholars, and young people through various modes of communication.
• Unwavering commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and understanding of how these commitments apply to media and communications work.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong interest in civic and political engagement for young people.
• Experience with website editing and front-end maintenance using content management systems (i.e., Drupal, Wordpress).
• Understanding of best practices in aspects of organizational communications like email marketing, social media strategy, audience management.
• Experience working with groups of people representing diverse social identities and political perspectives and/or in settings where the experiences and voices of marginalized communities are centered.
• Experience with or demonstrable interest in the role of research and data in civic engagement and social change efforts.
• Comfort with multiple projects, delegating and receiving tasks.
• Appreciation of pluralism and perspective diversity in discussions about social issues, project decisions and content.
• These additional responsibilities further emphasize the candidate's role in contributing to a cohesive and effective execution of CIRCLE’s mission and values, as well as Tisch College’s strategic framework.