About the role
Organization
- overview
- Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research in the areas of U.S. politics and policy views; media and journalism; internet and technology;
- science and society;
- religion and public life;
- race and ethnicity ; global attitudes and U.S. social and demographic trends. Pew Research
Center
does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts.
The
- Center’s work is carried out by a staff of
- about
- 1 80 .
Position
summary
Pew Research Center is expanding how we connect our research with the people who use and amplify it.
We’re
hiring a
Communications Manager for Stakeholder Engagement
.
This position is
- a t wo -year, limited-term role
- to test, pioneer and deepen relationships with key audiences — decisionmakers, practitioners and others who apply our data in real-world contexts.
- (The position will
- conclude
October 31, 2028.)
- This is a new role
- at
- the juncture of communications,
- events
- and audience strategy. The focus
- isn’t
- on reaching millions of people via social or website traffic —
- it’s on
- meaningfully seeking out and drawing in
- people who can most use our research
- for real-world impact.
You’ll
- help design and deliver a growing portfolio of live and interactive experiences that bring our research to life and create direct connections between Center experts and the communities they inform. In this role, you will work across the Center to pilot different stakeholder models,
- monitor
- results
- and operationalize the best approaches. Success in this role means helping ensure the Center's research not only reaches key audiences, but is understood,
- discussed
- and applied in circles that strengthen its real-world impact. The role of this position is to test and measure innovative approaches that will help
- determine
- future
- strategy . Success in this role is as much about what we learn as it
- is delivering
- wins.
This is a
- term-limited, grant-funded position expected to last approximately
- 2
- years .
Primary
r esponsibilities
Communications
- s trategy
- and
- l eadership
Under the guidance of
- t he c ommunications
- d irector
- and
- associate director ,
- d evelop and oversee execution
- of
- communications plans
- for
- major research
- studies
- to build reach,
- influence
- and impact for the Center’s work.
Identify
- target audiences, goals and dissemination strategies and tactics for major priorities
- while working within the overall institutional brand strategy.
- B uild
- strong relationships with
- the
- managing director s
- and staff of the
- research teams ; digital producers and designers on the beat; and other research ers and staff across the
Center
.
Develop deeper relationships with priority audiences:
Work with Strategic Communications and Research staff to
- identify
- and prioritize key stakeholder groups (policy professionals, civic leaders, educators, etc.).
- Build and manage targeted outreach and invitation strategies
- Track engagement over time (attendance, repeat participation, follow-up actions)
- Grow the addressable stakeholder audience for the Center
Lead stakeholder engagement through live experiences:
- Plan and execute virtual, hybrid and/or in-person events, including webinars,
- briefings
- and small-group discussions in consultation with Strategic Communications colleagues.
- Partner with research leaders and communications designers in the Center to shape compelling, accessible presentations of findings
Moderate or
- facilitate
- live sessions that encourage participation and dialogue
- Help the Center build repeatable formats of engagement (series, office hours, stakeholder briefings)
- Ensure follow-up with stakeholders after convenings and internal teams on learnings
Create new ways to connect research to practice:
Pilot digital, hybrid or in-person formats around:
Small convenings or roundtables
“Ask a researcher” sessions
Sector-specific briefings
- Training-style sessions (how to use Center data)
- Explore partnerships with organizations, associations or networks that
- convene
- key stakeholders in partnership with Strategic Communications colleagues
Collaborate across the organization
- Serve as a connector across research,
- communications
- and audience teams to
- identify
- engagement opportunities and ensure stakeholders receive coordinated outreach
- Work with communications colleagues to build internal relationships that help surface the right experts,
- stakeholders
- and opportunities at the right time
- Serve as a key partner to research teams in translating findings into experiences for stakeholders
- Work with Strategic Communications colleagues to align stakeholder engagement with broader outreach strategies
Measure and refine impact
Help build a digital events tech stack to manage attendees and host live experiences
Track engagement metrics beyond reach (e.g., registrations, attendance quality, repeat participation) in partnership with communications analysts
Identify
- what drives meaningful interaction and adjust strategy accordingly
- Help set the pace for what “success” looks like for stakeholder engagement at the Center
- Gather feedback and insights from stakeholders to inform future engagement strategies and help the Center better understand audience needs
Identify
emerging audience interests and opportunities to connect the Center research with real-world conversations and challenges
Knowledge and
- skills requirements
- A strong communicator who can translate complex ideas into clear, engaging live experiences
- A builder who can visualize pilot approaches and turn them into repeatable flows
- A strategist who can also be hands-on to test tools and produce events
- Experienced in planning and running virtual and in-person events, webinars, and facilitated discussions
- Comfortable working both in partnership with fellow communications colleagues
- and also
- directly with senior stakeholders and subject-matter experts
- Skilled at building relationships—not just audiences
- Curious, creative, and eager to test
- new approaches
- Education/ training / experience requirements
Bachelor's
- in public relations, communications, mass media,
- or related
- field .
- 5-8+ years in communications, events, audience engagement, or related roles
- Experience working in media, research, nonprofits, or mission-driven organizations
- Familiarity with virtual event platforms and engagement tools
- Experience building partnerships or networks and
- maintaining
- stakeholder relationships
- Strong project management skills and ability to coordinate across multiple teams and priorities
Experience engaging and
- facilitating
- discussion with professional or policy-oriented audiences is a plus
- FLSA Status: Exempt
Compensation
The typical starting salary for this position is $ 91,035
annually.
Hybrid Work Schedule
Pew Research Center staff
are required to
be present in the Center’s Washington, D.C., office three core days weekly (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday)
.
Staff may work
virtually from
remote locations on other days in a typical work week
.
Application Procedure
- Click on the Apply button, and complete required fields. Both cover letter and resume are
- required .
- When requested, please upload a copy of your resume/cv, as well as a copy of your cover letter in the section labeled Resume/Cover Letter. If the documents have successfully
- uploaded , you should see 2 attached files beneath the “Drop files here” box. Please make sure you have uploaded a resume AND a cover letter before moving on to the next page. Total Rewards
- In addition to competitive pay, Pew Research Center’s employees enjoy a robust total rewards package
that includes:
Affordable, comprehensive health care that includes medical, dental (including adult orthodontia) and vision b