Communications Specialist III

Responsibilities

• Own communications activities, deliverables, and results for multiple JPL-managed NASA missions in the planetary portfolio.
• Liaise with stakeholders across NASA, JPL, and outside organizations to ensure alignment and communications success.
• Work with the Mission Communications Manager, Planetary Communications Lead, and the broader communications team to brainstorm new content, product ideas, and messaging campaigns.
• Take ownership of project concepts and drive them to completion, filling in creative gaps and making tactical decisions to keep the project moving without sacrificing product impact or scientific integrity.
• Act as the "creative glue" between technical leads and production teams (graphics, video, web), providing clear, inspired direction to ensure the vision is realized.
• Field requests from managers, mission leads, projects, and program offices, then ask the right questions to navigate stakeholder goals with limited guidance.
• Facilitate the feedback loop between creators and scientists, ensuring that technical accuracy and creative flair are perfectly balanced.
• Identify and clear creative or technical roadblocks independently, finding efficient paths to delivery in a fast-paced environment.
• Contribute to the creation of website and social content (writing, editing, producing), outreach events, and other communications products, as needed
• Translate complex technical milestones into compelling, creative narratives that resonate with audiences.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, Marketing, Journalism, Fine Arts, Science, or a related field with a minimum of 6 years of related work experience; Masters in a related job discipline with a minimum of 4 years of related work experience; PhD in a related job discipline with a minimum of 2 years of related work experience.
• Be able to work in a fast-paced environment with responsibility for delivering concepts from inception through delivery.
• Proven ability to field undefined requests and action them in smaller tasks, and a track record of delivering impactful products on tight deadlines.
• Experience overseeing the production of varied assets including video, graphics, articles, experiential content, and others.
• Relentless focus on detail and strong design and storytelling instincts. Must be able to distinguish between "good" and "exceptional" products and know how to guide a creative team to get there.
• Genuine interest in and alignment with NASA’s mission to explore the unknown in air and space, innovate for the benefit of humanity, and inspire the world through discovery.
• Punctual, detail oriented, resourceful and a self-motivated individual.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills and ability to work in a team environment.

Preferred

• Experience working at NASA or a similar agency, and/or in planetary science.
• Experience working within a scientific, technical, or aerospace environment.
• A portfolio of work that demonstrates your ability to take a complex topic and make it visually and narratively compelling.
• Ability to write messaging copy, long-form science articles, and other content at a professional level.
• Ability to think like a brand manager, concepting and driving impactful campaigns to elevate NASA and JPL projects and programs in the information environment.
• Familiarity with common creative and project management tools such as Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Premiere Pro), Airtable, and social media platforms.

Benefits

• JPL has a catalog of benefits and perks that span from the traditional to the unique. This includes a variety of health, dental, vision, wellbeing, and retirement plans, paid time off, learning, rideshare, childcare, flexible schedule, parental leave and many more.
• For benefits eligible positions, benefits are effective the first day of the month coincident with or immediately following the employee’s start date.