Communications Associate/Senior Communications Associate, External Affairs

Thank you for considering a career with the Research Foundation of The City University of New York (RFCUNY).

The team at RFCUNY is made up of dedicated, talented professionals committed to providing the services that allow CUNY researchers, faculty, and staff to focus on their intellectual curiosity and scientific discoveries.

We are pleased that you are interested in exploring opportunities to join RFCUNY.

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CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance (ISLG): About us

The CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance (ISLG) is a good governance think-and-do tank. We are driven by the idea that data-informed approaches can measurably improve the way government and public institutions operate, equitably serve all constituents, and ultimately solve social policy problems. We also provide the knowledge and action needed to fuel those approaches. With the necessary research, policies, partnerships, and infrastructures, we help government and public institutions work more effectively, efficiently, and in the interest of all communities.

Our Goals for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

We strive to foster an office environment and an approach to work that welcomes and respects different perspectives, backgrounds, and life experiences. We are working towards our goal of recruiting and retaining staff and board members who are diverse in terms of race, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, veteran status, socioeconomic status, disability, and justice system involvement.

Who we are looking for

We are hiring an External Affairs Associate to join CUNY ISLG’s growing communications department at either the Associate (4-6 years of relevant experience) or Senior Associate (7+ years of relevant experience) level. This position, which encompasses messaging development, media relations, and digital promotion, will play a critical role in helping the Institute grow its impact by getting its work in the hands of key audiences who need it.

This is an excellent opportunity for an entrepreneurial- and civic-minded professional with experience communicating public policy research and programs to a wide range of audiences. While the substantive duties of this role will entail facilitating the dissemination of project-based reports, briefs, organizational updates, and related materials, the External Affairs Associate will be encouraged to think creatively about how to promote CUNY ISLG and its work to a variety of audiences.

The External Affairs Associate will report to the Communications Project Director (CPD) and will work closely with them as well as other Communications staff, research and policy staff, and colleagues across the organization on a range of tasks. Responsibilities will include:

• Messaging

  • Work with Communications colleagues and project teams to develop key messaging on external-facing publications that reinforce project and organizational priorities.

• External Relations

  • Guide and manage the release planning for CUNY ISLG products, including:

    • Craft talking points aligned with project and organizational messaging.

    • Design outreach plans inclusive of traditional media, new media, events (such as webinars), and government and community partners.

    • Draft press releases.

    • Develop and maintain relationships with relevant outlets, reporters, community partners, and others who can amplify CUNY ISLG’s work.

  • Identify and support speaking, writing, and other opportunities (e.g., events, panels, op-eds) to highlight ISLG’s staff and impact, and work with staff at all levels to prepare.

• Digital Outreach

  • Manage CUNY ISLG’s social media strategies, including developing and posting project-related content, relevant news stories, and other posts promoting CUNY ISLG’s projects and messaging to Bluesky, X, LinkedIn, and Facebook accounts.

    • This may include the creation of graphics (i.e., on Canva) as needed.

  • Monitor and report on analytics data that measures outreach impact.

  • Identify and lead opportunities to improve or refine ISLG’s digital footprint as it relates to messaging reach.

This position is hybrid and based in New York City. CUNY ISLG staff work out of the Midtown office two days a week of their choosing, but overlapping at least one in-office day with the CPD.

Qualifications

We would love to hear from you if:

• You have a BA or higher (or equivalent experience) and 4+ years of demonstrated relevant professional experience in policy communications, public relations, journalism, or a related field.

  • Associate: 4-6 years of relevant experience.

  • Senior Associate: 7+ years of relevant experience.

• You have strong writing skills, including experience drafting press releases and other release-related content.

• You have familiarity with the New York public policy and media landscape and its reporters, outlets, and channels, as well as an understanding of relevant national outlets.

  • Senior Associate: You have demonstrated relationships with and have had placements within relevant outlets.

• You have experience tracking media mentions and measuring the impact of outreach.

• You have experience managing social media accounts, including content planning and creation.

• You have excellent time management skills and experience working in deadline-driven environments.

• You can prioritize and work on a number of tasks simultaneously.

• You have an exceptional commitment to accuracy and attention to detail.

• You are familiar with:

  • Media monitoring tools/platforms

  • Google Analytics

  • Social media planning platforms (Buffer, etc.)

Potential candidates with some, but not all, of the listed experience are strongly encouraged to apply. We welcome a range of traditional and non-traditional backgrounds as well as opportunities to develop skillsets on the job.

This is a full-time position in New York City. The Associate salary range of $65,000-$85,000 and the Senior Associate salary range is $80,000-$100,000. The role offers excellent benefits, including:

• Comprehensive medical/dental/vision insurance

• Paid vacation and personal days

• Paid sick leave

• CUNY tuition reimbursement program

• Pre-tax benefits for transit and healthcare costs

• Family/parental leave

• Life insurance

• A retirement plan with employer contribution.

• Our staff also benefit from:

  • A positive work/life balance.

  • Opportunities for advancement within the organization.

  • Engagement with the broader CUNY network.

  • Working with organizational leadership who have years of significant public sector and policymaking expertise.

How to Apply

You will need to submit a cover letter describing your qualifications and interests and attach your curriculum vitae and links to/attachments of any portfolios or writing samples you’d like to share. Specify whether you are applying to the Associate or Senior Associate position in your cover letter. Questions about the position can be addressed to [email protected]. Application review will commence immediately and continue until the position is filled.
A note on AI usage: While AI-generated content is increasingly being used in the communications fields, we’d like to note to candidates that the hiring process (the cover letter, in particular) is the employer’s first opportunity to gauge the applicant’s unique voice and writing ability.

Pay Range:

Minimum - Maximum: Associate salary range of $65,000-$85,000

Minimum - Maximum: Senior Associate salary range of $80,000-$100,000

RFCUNY Benefits
RFCUNY Employee Benefits and Accruals

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
The Research Foundation of the City University of New York is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Americans with Disabilities Act/E-Verify Employer. It is the policy of the Research Foundation of CUNY to provide equal employment opportunities free of discrimination based on race, color, age, religion, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, national origin, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, domestic violence victim status, arrest record, criminal conviction history, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.