Freelance Content Researcher Jobs (NOW HIRING)

The Princeton University School of Engineering and Applied Science seeks a talented science writer to lead communications for two of the School's prominent academic departments. Princeton Engineering recently concluded a major growth cycle. Creative and strategic communications are critical to maximizing the impact of that growth.

This is a full-time position with a hybrid schedule and a competitive salary and benefits package.

Reporting to the Office of Engineering Communications and working within a collaborative team, the Engineering Communication Specialist will focus on the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), one of the largest and fastest growing departments on campus, and the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE), a dynamic mid-sized department home to some of Princeton's most prominent researchers and most exciting interdisciplinary initiatives.

With a journalistic approach, the successful candidate will excel at making technical information exciting to a non-specialist audience, including broad non-scientific audiences. Research topics include AI, quantum computing, cybersecurity, robotics, space, advanced materials, energy and the environment, and human health.

The incumbent also will take a strategic approach to identifying and crafting messages that advance the departments' goals, including leveraging traditional and digital media to promote research priorities, teaching activities and brands. The incumbent will also act as liaison for ECE and MAE with broader campus communications networks and interact regularly and closely with faculty, postdocs, staff, administration and students.

Editorial duties will include reporting and writing research news and feature items; brief stories highlighting awards and other accomplishments; and profiles of students and researchers. The incumbent will also help manage and maintain websites and other digital and print materials; direct or produce video content; arrange and art-direct photo shoots; and create, edit and manage social media content. The role may require the skills to hire and supervise freelance content creators.The incumbent will work in a cross-functional team environment with communication specialists serving other departments and centers. We share ideas and best practices and collaborate and support each other's work as opportunities arise. The incumbent must be extremely well organized, exhibit exceptional attention to detail and be able to troubleshoot and multitask.Responsibilities include content strategy, content generation and curation, project management and social media management. Please include 3-5 relevant work samples of published writing that demonstrates your ability to convey technical information to a broad audience.

Content strategyPublicize the departments' activities around research, teaching, news and events, partnerships, and outreach. Evaluate the departments' inventory of existing content. Benchmark peer websites, newsletters and social media. Work with faculty leadership and staff to create workflows that efficiently harness faculty- and student-generated content and other sources of content. Work collaboratively with faculty and staff to produce high-quality written and visual content that reaches key audiences and raises the visibility of departmental activities. Oversee visual communications (posters, banners etc.) in ECE and MAE areas.

Content generation and curationReport and write news items and other web content, or hire freelance to do so. Coordinate with the Office of Engineering Communications on the assignment, use and dissemination of longer research news and feature items. Monitor campus-wide websites for related content and adapt and post to departmental sites as appropriate. With direction from the the Engineering Communications Director, pitch news stories to media outlets and science journalists.

Project ManagementOversee print and email publications (via platforms such as MailChimp), website design, annual reports, select multimedia projects, arrange photography and attend photo shoots to enhance web content, manage and direct work of external writers, videographers, graphic artists, web specialists and photographers. Sample projects include senior thesis videos, hallway media displays, departmental graphic identity, and photography archives.

Social Media ManagementDevelop and maintain up-to-date social media content and foster engagement with stakeholders, with a focus on storytelling. Promote news stories on the social media accounts (LinkedIn). Monitor related institutional accounts and faculty accounts to amplify relevant department news and posts. Propose and develop department-related content for engineering school and University social media accounts.

Required qualifications:

-Bachelor's degree and 3+ years of work experience

-Writing - journalistic approach to making complex topics accessible and engaging to multiple audiences-Manage and edit/create social media content-Ability to work cross-functionally within broad applied science and technology space-Extremely well organized. Ability to work independently while demonstrated team player-Project management experience-Website design and management-Strategic visionary for media creation

Preferred qualifications: 

-Directing / producing video content-Photoshoots / art direction-Management of freelancers -Science or Engineering degree

Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The University considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's qualifications, work experience, education/training, key skills, market, collective bargaining agreements as applicable, and organizational considerations when extending an offer. The posted salary range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate for a full-time position; salaries for part-time positions are pro-rated accordingly.

If the salary range on the posted position shows an hourly rate, this is the baseline; the actual hourly rate may be higher, depending on the position and factors listed above.

The University also offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees. Please see this link for more information.