Marketing & Communications Associate

Caltech is a world-renowned science and engineering institute that marshals some of the world''s brightest minds and most innovative tools to address fundamental scientific questions. We thrive on finding and cultivating talented people who are passionate about what they do. Join us and be a part of the diverse Caltech community.

Job Summary

The Science Engagement Lab at IPAC (SELab) is seeking a Marketing and Communications Associate. This occasional position is for a candidate with a solid understanding of the Caltech environment, strategic and digital communications, and the ability to develop and lead communications and engagement campaigns for the science community and/or the general public. This position can support either a fully remote or hybrid work environment.

IPAC, part of the Physics, Math, and Astronomy Division at Caltech (www.caltech.edu), provides science operations, user support, data and archive services, and scientific vision to maximize discovery with observatories both in space and on the ground. SELab works with researchers at IPAC, JPL, and international partners to develop, document, and communicate mission stories and general science education via press releases, imagery, audio, video, and VR experiences. IPAC has stories to tell, and we invite you to be a part of the team that finds and tells these stories!

Essential Job Duties

• As Marketing and Communications Associate, you will work collaboratively in an active, creative, and strategic environment with SELab team members, as well as scientists and project members from the missions and projects with IPAC involvement.
• This role offers the possibility to use your vision, strategic planning skills, technical acumen, and science knowledge to define and create a vision for communications campaigns to engage and inform the general public and/or the science community.
• Your campaigns will be developed and implemented for a variety of platforms: digital communications, social media, multimedia, and more.
• Your experience with evolving social media platforms will enable you to plan, develop, and create fun, engaging, and informative campaigns around science content themes and educational experiences.
• You will develop multimedia products for different areas of science education, outreach, and communications. The media will incorporate a blend of graphics, and live-action / interview videos, and animations. These will visually communicate complex scientific ideas in clear and concise ways, to help people to understand and be engaged by astronomy and the sciences.
• This is an occasional position (<20 hrs/wk) within an active, creative, and strategic team. Work hours are flexible. The ability to receive feedback as well as work both independently and in a close-knit team environment is essential.

Basic Qualifications

If you have the following in your background, then we want to hear about your interest in joining our team:

• Degree in space studies and/or science communication.
• Science communications experience for technical and general public audiences.
• Multimedia development and general graphic design, UI/UX development, knowledge of Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Final Cut Pro, or other similar tools.
• Experience and demonstrated success on social media platforms: Brand development, platform architecture design, and content creation, utilizing understanding of best practices and strategies.

Preferred Qualifications

Beyond these basic qualifications, there are a set of skills and experiences which will add to your ability to contribute to the roles and responsibilities of an IPAC/SELab Marketing and Communications Associate. The following might give you a head start here, but even if these do not describe you or your experience, we would still like to hear from you:

• Familiarity with NASA Astrophysics missions and research.
• Ability to multitask and work independently on non-routine, complex projects.
• Experience working with scientists to develop content for the general public.
• Strong teamwork, collaboration, verbal and written communication, along with demonstrated creativity and problem-solving capabilities.
• A passion for science communication.

Required Documents

• Resume.