• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $73,000 to $80,000

Position Summary

The Center for Smart Streetscapes (CS3) is a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center located at Columbia University that is engaged in research, education, and innovation to develop real-time, hyper-local streetscape applications. Key research areas include edge-cloud technology, wireless-optical engineering, visual analytics, privacy preservation, data security, and social science.

Reporting to the Managing Director of the NSF Engineering Research Center for Smart Streetscapes and working closely with the CS3 Innovation Ecosystem Director, the CS3 Engagement and Communications Manager will be responsible for increasing engagement with industry, community, and other partners primarily through coordination and strategic communications. The incumbent will lead external stakeholder analysis, create tailored engagement and communication strategies, and foster relationships with key partners. The Engagement and Communications Manager will coordinate with CS3 faculty members and other personnel, including the Chief Social Impact Officer, to use communication in ways that promote an inclusive, collaborative work environment. The incumbent will also oversee drafting of CS3 reports and other deliverables by managing development schedules and creating templates.

Responsibilities

• (45%) Stakeholder Analysis and Engagement:

  • Establish and maintain a central dashboard of industry, community, and other partner relationships and activity across key focus areas for CS3;

  • Conduct prospecting research to identify potential partners and draft research reports;

  • Support the creation of industry affiliate programs around CS3 research areas;

  • Convene and synthesize the outcomes of periodic meetings with Columbia University industry relations, public affairs, and communications teams as well as experts from partner institutions to identify opportunities and coordinate the joint strategy to pursue major industry partnerships;

  • Maintain and update a library of university policies and how-to guides around academic/industry/community partnerships

  • Research, develop, and implement benchmarks and best practices for engaging with industry, federal, and philanthropic organizations for strategic partnerships and federally-funded research centers.

• (25%) Strategic Communications:

  • Establish and maintain marketing materials and communications channels (website, pitch decks, marketing one-pagers, databases, newsletter, mailing list, etc.);

  • Develop and manage strong relationships with faculty members and other researchers who will drive the content creation process;

  • Present the results of critical meetings with senior industry executives to CS3???s Leadership and Executive Committee;

  • Develop effective means of communication with stakeholders and other key partners to raise awareness of CS3 activities and impact; and

  • Create and maintain a customer relationship management (CRM) database or comparable solution.

• (10%) Events:

  • Create and host events, panels, and advisory councils of interest to industry;

  • Liaise with university IT & facilities personnel to set up and secure CS3 engagement event A/V equipment/resources for both virtual, hybrid, and in-person events, including securing venues, coordinates technology needs, sets up of events, reserves equipment and services as needed;

  • Manage marketing and advertisements for upcoming events and projects; and

  • Manage registration and event communications.

     

• (15%) Reporting and Other Deliverables:

  • Fulfills reporting needs related to industry, community, and other partnerships;

  • Support CS3 leadership by creating schedules and templates for major reports and deliverables; and

  • Collaborates with CS3 personnel to ensure timely and high-quality deliverables.

     

• (5%) Related duties and projects as assigned

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree

• At least 3 years of related experience in engagement and communications, including writing for multiple types of media

• Effectively drive projects from start to completion

• Outstanding organizational skills and detail-orientation satisfactory to an executive-level audience (i.e., company executives, senior university leadership)

• Self-starter able to work both independently and in a team-oriented, collaborative environment

• Appreciation of the different cultures and priorities of varied stakeholder audiences including academic institutions, investors, industry, community organizations, and government agencies

• Adapt to evolving priorities as necessary

• Interact respectfully and engagingly in oral and written form with a wide variety of stakeholders, including Columbia???s project administrators, faculty, and external academic and industry representatives

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.

About Columbia University

Columbia University is one of the world's most important centers of research and at the same time a distinctive and distinguished learning environment for undergraduates and graduate students in many scholarly and professional fields. The University recognizes the importance of its location in New York City and seeks to link its research and teaching to the vast resources of a great metropolis. It seeks to attract a diverse and international faculty and student body, to support research and teaching on global issues, and to create academic relationships with many countries and regions. It expects all areas of the university to advance knowledge and learning at the highest level and to convey the products of its efforts to the world.

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