Communications and Publishing Associate

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 1.6M 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 their 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 new website platform, in conjunction with other key stakeholders and members of the External Relations Team, as directed by Director of Strategic Initiatives or their designated supervisor;
• 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 their designated supervisor;

• 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;
• 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.

Impact analytics

• Analyze media coverage of key national security topics to identify gaps in coverage or key themes relevant to ISW’s work;
• Create compelling infographics and data visualizations that translate complex information and research findings into clear, accessible visual formats for diverse audiences;
• 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;
• Utilize industry-standard design and visualization tools to produce publication-ready graphics for assessments, social media, and other organizational communications.

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. ISW is scaling its External Relations Team and related functions in order to meet global demand for ISW work and to respond to the real-world challenges that US and allied leaders face. For high-performing members of the ISW team, opportunities for professional development, new responsibilities, and advancement will be available.

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 data visualization, supporting the distillation and creation of visually captivating storylines;
• Experience using narrative techniques to turn data into compelling visuals;
• 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, Adobe Creative Cloud or other design softwares;
• Experience with Constant Contact, Mail Chimp, or other email subscription providers a plus;

• 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.