Education Next: A Journal of Opinion and Research seeks a communications consultant. Education Next is a quarterly journal of the Program on Education Policy and Governance (PEPG) located at Harvard University’s Kennedy School and published by the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. The journal, which specializes in education policy, may be seen online at www.educationnext.org. The position will be available beginning May 1, 2013. The communications consultant will work closely with the managing editor and with the senior web editor and other members of the Education Next staff.
Qualifications
We seek someone with excellent writing, editing, communication, and organizational skills; a familiarity with school reform issues and an appreciation for the journal’s mission. In particular, we seek individuals with a background covering education; experience with social media; an interest in working collaboratively; and an ability to keep to schedule and to work under deadline pressure.
Primary duties
• Develop media marketing plans for 20-25 articles per year, which will include writing press releases (5-6 per issue), tweets, and blog entries and communicating with journalists, policymakers, practitioners, and parents about Education Next articles and studies.
• Establish a dynamic social media presence, including regular outgoing communications and interactions using Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, Google+, Pinterest, etc.
• Coordinate media outreach efforts for PEPG and Education Next.
• Maintain and update media contact lists.
• Track and analyze media impact using Google and Vocus, and compile quarterly reports on press activity/media impact.
• Measure and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different traditional media and social media strategies and suggest innovations to strengthen impact.
• May be asked to travel on behalf of the journal.
Location
• Although no specific location is required, we prefer that the communications manager be located in the Boston area.
• Interested candidates should send a cover letter and resume to Carol Peterson, Managing Editor, at peterson@fas.harvard.edu.
