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Overview
The Tobin Center for Economic Policy at Yale University works to strengthen families, communities, and the nation. We enable research on key challenges facing society and bring the resulting insights to the policy arena for impact. We do this by building purpose-driven partnerships across government, engaging with the media, and training a more diverse and inclusive generation of social scientists and policy leaders. Our work has been credited with making significant contributions to United States law and policy across health, climate, education, and economic opportunity.
The Tobin Center is seeking a Director of Strategic Communications and Outreach to amplify our impact. This individual will build the Tobin Center’s brand, establish an institutional tone and standard for public engagement, help attract new partners as philanthropic supporters, and demonstrate how Tobin’s commitment to rigorous research can move the needle for society.
We are looking for candidates with experience turning research insights into compelling content that motivates real-world action. The most competitive candidates will have experience creating, leading, and overseeing inspiring communications content, and a track-record of deploying innovative strategies for engaging key audiences. The Director must also understand economic and social policy issues and possess the unique ability to communicate complex research for non-academic audiences.
Build and lead an integrated communications program, combining online engagement, media relations, digital engagement, events, and outreach with government, nonprofit, business, private philanthropy, and other stakeholders to maximize the influence and impact of Tobin and our faculty’s work.
Create and implement a communications and engagement strategy to share our work with key audiences that includes concrete goals and clear metrics for evaluating progress.
Design new and pivotal ways - beyond traditional approaches - to make our work understandable and relevant, including generating core messages and language, developing timely content and analysis, and creating opportunities for engagement.
Build and maintain networks and relationships with faculty, media, government, private philanthropy, and partner organizations to inform our communications and outreach strategies and create opportunities.
Lead the coordination and execution of events and convenings, including managing team members who are supporting the event, on-site preparations, related communications plans, and general coordination of logistics.
Develop content style guidelines for communications activities.
Provide coaching and training on media engagement, public speaking, and presentations to staff and faculty.
Required Skills and Abilities
1. An entrepreneur and team leader who will take the initiative to identify and advance opportunities and provide just-in-time support when opportune moments arise.
2. A proven leader who can thrive in a dynamic, collaborative, and lean start-up work environment with the ability to stay focused and nimble in the face of rapid change.
3. Ability to think independently and offer constructive upward feedback.
4. Sound understanding of requirements for working with sensitive and confidential data.
Preferred Skills and Abilities
1.A skilled and professional communications leader with a track record of engaging a range of audiences as well as experience building and maintaining relationships with senior staff at relevant media outlets.
2.Rigor and fluency in communicating evidence-based social science research with demonstrated expertise writing about complex economic policy issues for non-academic audiences.
3. A thoughtful relationship builder and engaging communicator who has demonstrated an ability to bring, build, and maintain networks with partners from one or more of the following audiences: government, nonprofits, advocacy organizations, private philanthropy, business, and higher education institutions.
4.A flexible, resourceful, and well-organized project manager who can coordinate multi-faceted and complex projects, including the ability to anticipate issues, develop proactive solutions, and engage the right stakeholders to support and champion success.
5. Ability to engage thoughtfully with issues related to race, class, identity, equity, ethics, and the multi-faceted complexity of relevant policy environments.
6. Comfort with quantitative social science research methods and ability to explain them to external audiences.
Preferred Education and Experience:
10+ years of relevant experience; a deep understanding of economics and social policy; experience communicating quantitative research is strongly desired.
Although this position is primarily remote, a minimum of one on-site visit per month may be required.
Principal Responsibilities
1. Serve as senior leader of university and/or professional school communications. 2. Manage key relationships with clients with high degree of professionalism, judgment, and understanding of University initiatives, goals and mission. 3. Oversee long-range and short-range planning for coordinated communications channels. 4. Serve as key strategist to improve broad staff and faculty communications initiatives and campaigns; design, mange, and implement communication or marketing plans for key initiatives. 5. Develop and implement communication strategic plan promoting Yale’s strength to a variety of audiences throughout the globe, using both traditional and digital media. 6. Direct communications planning for the all internal and/or external announcements, statements and messages on various institutional issues and initiatives and oversee their dissemination to the media and other parities. 7. Direct communication strategies based on user and audience preference; analyze and understand various communication preferences of client group. 8. Establish standards and protocols for best practices in communications. 9. Act as executive producer of content including articles, video and photo galleries. 10. Arrange interviews on various issues and provide briefing and background materials, message points, content and training.
Required Education and Experience Bachelor’s degree in Communications, English, Journalism or related field and eight years of experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Required License(s) or Certification(s) Required License(s) or Certification(s):
Physical Requirements Physical Requirements:
Job Posting Date
06/22/2026
Job Category
Manager
Bargaining Unit
NON
Compensation Grade
Administration & Operations
Compensation Grade Profile
Leader (M7)
Salary Range
$120,000.00 - $225,000.00
Time Type
Full time
Duration Type
Staff
Work Model
Remote
Background Check Requirements
All candidates for employment will be subject to pre-employment background screening for this position, which may include motor vehicle, DOT certification, drug testing and credit checks based on the position description and job requirements. All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of the background check. For additional information on the background check requirements and process visit "Learn about background checks" under the Applicant Support Resources section of Careers on the It's Your Yale website.
Health Requirements
Certain positions have associated health requirements based on specific job responsibilities. These may include vaccinations, tests, or examinations, as required by law, regulation, or university policy.
Posting Disclaimer
Salary offers are determined by a candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education in relation to the position requirements, along with the role’s grade profile and current internal and external market conditions.
The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the essential functions that will be required of the position and should not be construed as a declaration of specific duties and responsibilities of the position. Employees will be assigned specific job-related duties through their hiring department.
The University is committed to basing judgments concerning the admission, education, and employment of individuals upon their qualifications and abilities and seeks to attract to its faculty, staff, and student body qualified persons from a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives. In accordance with this policy and as delineated by federal and Connecticut law, Yale does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment against any individual on account of that individual’s sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, disability, status as a special disabled veteran, veteran of the Vietnam era or other covered veteran.
Inquiries concerning Yale's Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment may be referred to the Office of Institutional Equity and Accessibility (OIEA).
Note
Yale University is a tobacco-free campus.
