Communications Assistant

Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about various social issues. The Communications Assistant provides essential support to the Strategic Communications team, focusing on maintaining the outreach database, managing media inquiries, and assisting with day-to-day communications operations.

Responsibilities

• Maintains and updates the Center’s outreach database, including systematic review of media contacts to ensure relevant outreach
• Conducts recurring updates to inactive media contacts and adds new contacts as priority audiences evolve
• Works closely with communications managers and associates to ensure the database serve the Center’s overall priorities
• Ensures media contacts who engage with the Center (via info@ or direct outreach) are entered into the database
• Manages incoming media, stakeholder and public inquiries and provides timely, accurate responses
• Assists and supports communications managers and associates during research release activities (e.g., list-building, coverage tracking)
• Provides logistical support for presentations, briefings, and other outreach events
• Serves as backup for the Enterprise team’s assistant when needed, including assisting with daily media clips tracking
• Participates in special projects and new initiatives in support of the Center’s mission
• Upholds the Center’s core values of independence, objectivity, accuracy, rigor, humility, transparency and innovation

Skills

• Excellent attention to detail and commitment to accuracy
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including written communication, with a customer service mindset
• Strong ability to adopt and improve efficient, logic-based workflows
• Demonstrated strength in process-oriented problem solving
• Strong contact research skills
• Good organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities
• Ability to work well both independently and collaboratively
• Good judgment, accountability, and willingness to learn
• Familiarity with Microsoft productivity tools (Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Bachelor's degree required; fields emphasizing systems thinking, data management, or process optimization preferred (e.g., information science, business administration, data analytics, mathematics, or related disciplines)
• 0-2 years of relevant experience; internships or entry-level roles in data management, operations, information systems, project coordination, or other process-oriented fields welcome
• Experience with databases or CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and collaborative platforms (e.g., Asana, Trello) is a plus
• Interest in current events, global media landscapes and evolving news consumption trends a plus

Benefits

• Affordable, comprehensive health care that includes medical, dental (including adult orthodontia) and vision benefits.
• Generous paid annual leave plan, including a winter break between Dec. 25 and Jan. 1
• Employer-paid disability, life insurance and paid family leave plans
• Up to a 12% employer 401(k) contribution, with vesting at the end of the first year.
• A 37.5-hour workweek.
• Health savings or flexible spending account options with employer funding component.
• Flexibility to telework a portion of each week, with an additional four telework “flex weeks” each year for most staff.

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