Posting TitleCommunications Manager: Writing Section
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LocationCO - Golden
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Position TypeRegular
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Hours Per Week40
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Working at NRELThe National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado is the nation's primary laboratory for research and development of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.
From day one at NREL, you’ll connect with coworkers driven by the same mission to save the planet. By joining an organization that values a supportive, inclusive, and flexible work environment, you’ll have the opportunity to engage through our ten employee resource groups, numerous employee-driven clubs, and learning and professional development classes.
NREL supports inclusive, diverse, and unbiased hiring practices that promote creativity and innovation. By collaborating with organizations that focus on diverse talent pools, reaching out to underrepresented demographics, and providing an inclusive application and interview process, our Talent Acquisition team aims to hear all voices equally. We strive to attract a highly diverse workforce and create a culture where every employee feels welcomed and respected and they can be their authentic selves.
Our planet needs us! Learn about NREL’s critical objectives, and see how NREL is focused on saving the planet.
We invite all interested candidates to apply for this opportunity. While we recognize that job seekers may hesitate if they don’t meet every requirement, we encourage dedicated individuals who meet all the basic and additional required qualifications of the role to submit an application. We value the opportunity to consider those who believe they have the necessary skills and ambition to succeed at NREL.
Job Description
NREL’s Communications Office has an opening for a manager to lead the Writing Section in the Creative Services Communications Group. In this role, you will lead and manage professional writers who work as strategic partners both internally across the lab as well as externally with clients such as the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to produce engaging, audience-focused communications products that meet writing processes and best practices and amplify scientific accomplishments. The section writes content for publications, websites, and other communication products, including news articles, newsletters, annual reports, fact sheets, brochures, and more.
We’re looking for an inspiring, collaborative, and strategic leader who is comfortable managing staff at various levels, serving as an experienced supervisor to direct reports, and forming strong partnerships with colleagues and clients. This position will manage approximately 8–10 dedicated writers who support clients and colleagues with a wide range of content-related deliverables, including technical reports, proposals, presentations, conference papers, annual reports, newsletters, news stories, award nominations, and more. As the writing section manager, you will also serve as a functional writer.
Your primary responsibilities will include:
- Manage a group of direct reports, including overseeing hiring, performance management, and reward and recognition.
- Coach and mentor direct reports on professional development; provide best practices and guidance, resolve conflicts, and help navigate challenging client requests.
- Set and communicate goals for employee performance in alignment with the laboratory’s strategic plan and office strategy and objectives.
- Work with the Communications Office leadership team to set and execute strategies, priorities, goals, policies, and practices.
- Share relevant information among employees and the Communications Office leadership team to increase awareness and foster connections among people and processes.
- Facilitate collaboration, information sharing, and learning across employees, group, and office; ensure adherence to relevant communications standards and best practices and provide recommendations on adjustments as needed.
- Establish rapport broadly to ensure positive influence across the organization and a foundation for problem solving.
- Provide support to and collaborate with peers and leaders.
- Manage budgets; provide informed contribution to group and office budget conversations.
- Build relationships, develop new business, negotiate with clients, and interact with cross-disciplinary teams (within the office and across the laboratory).
- Provide backup and coverage for employees, peers, and/or leadership as needed.
- Lead complex, multi-dimensional projects/initiatives related to an area of skill, expertise, and/or experience as needed.
- Monitor, coordinate, organize workflow, and allocate staff resources to balance workloads with forecasted projects and work volume.
- Seek, receive, and address feedback from employees and clients; resolve conflicts.
- Stay abreast of the latest industry trends, technologies, tools, and methodologies and develop strategies on when and how to implement them.
- Remove barriers that impede workflows, workloads, and development of products or services.
We're looking for someone who has these qualities:
- Ability to quickly become familiar with NREL programs, procedures, and legal guidelines of the field
- Ability to manage writers who support a variety of research areas and have diverse skillsets
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Outstanding organizational and leadership skills
- Technical writing, editing, and publishing expertise
- Highly accountable
- Continuous learner
- Trusted mentor
- Results-driven thinking
- Excellent delegation and prioritization skills
- Ability to motivate and influence others
- Conflict resolution skills
- Tact and discretion
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Basic QualificationsPrevious management and budget adherence experience may be required. Degree in appropriate field is required. Demonstrated knowledge of legal and ethical management issues and practices. In-depth knowledge of the issues and best practices in the applicable field of expertise. Generally viewed as subject matter expert for group or work units. Excellent organization, project management, budgeting, interpersonal and communication skills. Proven problem-solving and negotiation skills. Demonstrated ability to make appropriate decisions regarding work activities and projects. Demonstrated ability to effectively lead and direct personnel with diverse skills, work styles and values.
* Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.
Additional Required Qualifications
- Previous management, budget development and/or significant leadership in an individual contributor role.
- Excellent organization, project management, budgeting, interpersonal and communication skills.
- Proven problem-solving and negotiation skills.
- Ability to collaborate with individuals at all levels of the organization.
- Demonstrated ability to effectively lead and direct personnel with diverse skills, work styles and values, both directly and through subordinate management.
- Demonstrated ability to make appropriate decisions regarding work activities and projects.
- Proven track record of business development and managing healthy pipelines of projects, and funding.
- Strong analytical, communication, and coaching skills required to listen, coach, solve problems, and manage conflicts in dynamic and stressful environments.
- Proven ability to leverage internal resources, including Finance, Legal, HR, cross-departmental communications partnerships, and other support staff.
Preferred Qualifications
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Job Application Submission Window
The anticipated closing window for application submission is up to 30 days and may be extended as needed.
Annual Salary Range (based on full-time 40 hours per week)Job Profile: Manager II / Annual Salary Range: $95,500 - $171,900
NREL takes into consideration a candidate’s education, training, and experience, expected quality and quantity of work, required travel (if any), external market and internal value, including seniority and merit systems, and internal pay alignment when determining the salary level for potential new employees. In compliance with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, a potential new employee’s salary history will not be used in compensation decisions.
Benefits SummaryBenefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; short*- and long-term disability insurance; pension benefits*; 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match*; life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance; personal time off (PTO) and sick leave; paid holidays; and tuition reimbursement*. NREL employees may be eligible for, but are not guaranteed, performance-, merit-, and achievement- based awards that include a monetary component. Some positions may be eligible for relocation expense reimbursement. Limited-term positions are not eligible for long-term disability or tuition reimbursement.
* Based on eligibility rules
Badging RequirementNREL is subject to Department of Energy (DOE) access restrictions. All employees must also be able to obtain and maintain a federal Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card as required by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12), which includes a favorable background investigation.Drug Free Workplace
NREL is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace in accordance with the federal Drug-Free Workplace Act and complies with federal laws prohibiting the possession and use of illegal drugs. Under federal law, marijuana remains an illegal drug.
If you are offered employment at NREL, you must pass a pre-employment drug test prior to commencing employment. Unless prohibited by state or local law, the pre-employment drug test will include marijuana. If you test positive on the pre-employment drug test, your offer of employment may be withdrawn.
Submission Guidelines
Please note that in order to be considered an applicant for any position at NREL you must submit an application form for each position for which you believe you are qualified. Applications are not kept on file for future positions. Please include a cover letter and resume with each position application.
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EEO Policy
NREL is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard basis of age (40 and over), color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, domestic partner status, military or veteran status, national origin/ancestry, race, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding), sexual orientation, and any other applicable status protected by federal, state, or local laws.
EEO is the Law | Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination | Reasonable Accommodations
E-Verify www.dhs.gov/E-Verify For information about right to work, click here for English or here for Spanish.
E-Verify is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This business uses E-Verify in its hiring practices to achieve a lawful workforce.
What We Do
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), a Department of Energy national lab, is #TransformingEnergy as the nation's primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development.
NREL's Mission: NREL develops renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies and practices, advances related science and engineering, and transfers knowledge and innovations to address the nation's energy and environmental goals.
NREL's Strategy: NREL has forged a focused strategic direction to increase its impact on the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) and our nation's energy goals by accelerating the research path from scientific innovations to market-viable alternative energy solutions
