GENERAL SUMMARY/ OVERVIEW STATEMENT:

The Ragon Institute is a highly unique, innovative and collaborative research center at the forefront of biomedical science. Founded by Massachusetts General Hospital, MIT, and Harvard, the Ragon vision is a bold one: to harness the power of the immune system to prevent and cure human disease on a global scale. This vision is pursued and advanced every day by a group of highly motivated individuals. The Ragon Institute, at every level, depends upon collaboration, compassion, dedication, and innovation. It is a results-oriented organization that seeks people who not only embrace these values, but who thrive in teams and want to work in a dynamic environment.

At the Ragon Institute, people are our greatest asset. The Internal Communication Specialist will be an integral part in the evolution of our organization. The Communication Specialist will have a direct impact on our company culture, employee satisfaction, and institutional engagement. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who wants to make a critical impact during a critical time in our Institute's growth.

The Communication Specialist will support the overall mission of the Ragon Institute by managing and driving internal communication to foster an understanding of the diverse work underway in every corner of the organization. The incumbent is directly responsible for planning, implementing, and sustaining the institute's multi-faceted internal communication efforts including providing news, information, announcements and achievements to employees, staff, volunteers, and other internal audiences. The successful candidate will be responsible for gathering news and information by building effective relationships with faculty and staff throughout the organization and keeping abreast of and tracking the various ongoing and upcoming efforts, activities, awards, honors, and events.

This position will work closely with personnel at all levels of the organization, including scientific and administrative leadership, faculty, support staff, and trainees. The Internal Communications Specialist must maintain the highest level of integrity and confidentiality and be able to work and thrive in a demanding, fast-paced environment with the highest standards of excellence.

Ultimately, the goal of the Internal Communication Specialist will ensure that people throughout the organization have access to the information, resources, tools, and vehicles to understand how each and every person, department, lab, program, and function collectively contributes to, supports, embraces, and advances the mission of the Ragon Institute.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop, pilot and implement strategies for internal communication across the Ragon Institute.
• Create, manage, and update internal communication vehicles, including an internal newsletter, the Ragon Connect intranet, town hall meetings, recognition events and other means of recognizing, informing and inspiring staff. craft, edit, present, and disseminate compelling copy for internal audiences.
• Support the development of materials for town halls, meetings, presentations and other efforts.
• Participate in the development and management of brand guidelines and standards for Ragon communication materials; work with team members to support the use of appropriate graphics for templates, newsletters, and other Ragon Institute communication.
• Support internal leadership communication by drafting copy and presentations and identifying appropriate stories and images to enhance the messages.
• Create messages for the leadership team to help disseminate key information and strategies across the organization (e.g., policy updates, procedure changes, general announcements, current event acknowledgements, etc.).
• Provide communication support to various projects, committees. events and efforts.
• Oversee and guide the strategy, day-to-day operations, evaluation, maintenance, and evolution of Ragon Connect, the Ragon Institute intranet, and ensure it continues as an essential, trusted, useful and meaningful communication tool for the Ragon community; oversee the visual design, site navigation and site content of the intranet, and help train the organization around its use.
• Develop a Ragon At-a-Glance fact sheet and other overview materials that offer a meaningful glimpse of the attributes, work, and achievements that make the Ragon Institute a special scientific resource.
• Use standard analytical tools to assess audiences and content reach.
• Form and foster relationships and collaborate closely with staff and faculty across the Ragon Institute to gather news and identify story opportunities.
• Develop strong and effective relationships with communication staff of other founding and affiliated organizations that are essential to the success of the Ragon Institute, including but not limited to MIT, Harvard, MGB, MGH, MGH Research Institute.
• Help plan, coordinate and carry out special events for the Ragon as needed.
• Participate in Ragon Institute Board meetings to synthesize key messages and develop reports.
• Work with the External Communication Specialist in the Office of Strategic Initiatives to support the editorial process by sharing digital stories effectively across social media platforms and developing content for social media and digital initiatives.
• Focus on internal communication
• Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree
• 3-5 years relevant professional communications experience, with a focus on internal communication

SKILLS/ ABILITIES/ COMPETENCIES REQUIRED:

• Ability to work with senior leaders both internally and externally.
• Strong collaboration skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to translate between technical and non-technical colleagues.
• Familiarity with AP style.
• Ability to copyedit and synthesize information for clarity and comprehensibility.
• Strong administrative, problem-solving, workload planning and organizational skills.
• Ability to meet deadlines, manage multiple projects, and shift priorities quickly.
• Attention-to-detail, results-oriented, accountability-driven, and outstanding work ethic.
• Demonstrated expertise and ability to gather, develop and amplify messages and reach key internal audiences to inform, inspire, motivate and recognize.
• Ability to treat sensitive, confidential and proprietary information with great discretion.
• Strong understanding of and ability to respect and abide by embargoes and restrictions.
• Strong team player who can work collaboratively and cooperatively with many others, as well as work independently and be productive and a self-starter.
• Skilled in or able to learn and adapt to common communication programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Mailchimp, WordPress, Microsoft Office suite, Hootsuite.
• Familiar and comfortable with the use of major social media sites as an important tool by which to disseminate information and messages.
• Sound judgment, solid decision-making skills, and an understanding of strategic communication priorities.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Normal office conditions. Some off-hours and weekend work may be required.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY:

• None

FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY:

• Prudent fiscal use of resources (e.g., supplies).