Director of Public Information National Bureau of Economic Research – Cambridge, MA
Job Information
ID :
#10521039
# of Positions :
1
Minimum Education Level :
Bachelor’s Degree
Experience Required :
none
Duration :
Full Time Regular
Shift :
First Shift (Day)
Hours per week :
35
Start Date :
6/15/2013
Job Description
Director of Public Information National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge,MA
The Director of Public Information is responsible for communicating the findings of NBER research to various audiences: academics, policy-makers, journalists, and interested members of the public. The main vehicles that are currently used for this purpose are the monthly NBER Digest, the quarterly NBER Reporter, and content on the NBER’s website. Prospectively, the NBER may expand its social media presence as a complement to its existing media outreach.
The Digest summarizes several newsworthy Working Papers each month. The summaries are in a prose style that is accessible to the intelligent general reader. To produce the Digest, the Director manages the flow of working paper assignments, often using freelance writers and editing their work, makes sure that each issue’s content includes varied topics, and works with the NBER’s president who approves final drafts of all articles. The Director also oversees the layout/design process and the printing process including mailing and web posting of the piece.
The Reporter summarizes the various research activities that take place at the NBER. It is a quarterly record of program and project meetings, and it also includes research summaries on the recent work of particular researchers. It is written for readers with a serious background in economics. The Director edits the research summaries provided by NBER-affiliated researchers, writes the publication’s other content, and oversees print and web production and distribution.
The NBER’s website features a “Paper of the Day.” This is a several-sentence of a recent working paper. The Director writes these brief summaries using working paper abstracts and in some cases material from the body of the paper. The NBER President works with the Director to select the featured papers.
One near-term task is reviewing the current suite of NBER publications to determine whether they are achieving their objectives and whether any modifications or steps to reposition are appropriate. A longer-term opportunity involves considering ways to exploit digital technologies to better advance the NBER’s research and educational mission.
The Director is also responsible for communicating the decisions of the NBER’s Business Cycle Dating Committee to the media community and to the broader public. This involves releasing the committee’s memos and announcements via the webpage and electronically, serving as an official spokesperson for the Committee and fielding questions concerning the Committee’s decisions and statements.
The Director serves as the primary press contact for occasional NBER conferences that are designed for broad public participation and responds to requests for information about the NBER, its research, and its business cycle dating function. Such questions may be answered directly or forwarded to an appropriate NBER researcher.
Candidates for the Director position should have excellent writing and editing skills, at least a B.A. in economics or substantial experience working in economics, finance, or related fields, and should be prepared to submit writing samples. A graduate degree in journalism, economics, or public relations is also very desirable, along with experience in economic journalism or a related role involving public dissemination of economic research. Other important skills are an ability to extemporize with press and public, knowledge of public relations, communications, marketing, and/or journalism, facility with Microsoft Office and various web-based research tools, familiarity with publication design tools, and experience with and interest in social media.
Candidates should assemble a cover letter outlining relevant experience, a resume, and either a writing sample or links to writing samples if available, into a single pdf that can be uploaded to the online application located at this link: https://home.eease.adp.com/recruit/?id=5151131
For more information about the NBER, please visit the NBER website at http://www.nber.org/.
The NBER is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or disability.
The NBER will make reasonable accommodation for any disabled applicant, and will provide assistance to disabled applicants as needed during the application process.
The Director of Public Information is responsible for communicating the findings of NBER research to various audiences: academics, policy-makers, journalists, and interested members of the public. The main vehicles that are currently used for this purpose are the monthly NBER Digest, the quarterly NBER Reporter, and content on the NBER’s website. Prospectively, the NBER may expand its social media presence as a complement to its existing media outreach.
The Digest summarizes several newsworthy Working Papers each month. The summaries are in a prose style that is accessible to the intelligent general reader. To produce the Digest, the Director manages the flow of working paper assignments, often using freelance writers and editing their work, makes sure that each issue’s content includes varied topics, and works with the NBER’s president who approves final drafts of all articles. The Director also oversees the layout/design process and the printing process including mailing and web posting of the piece.
The Reporter summarizes the various research activities that take place at the NBER. It is a quarterly record of program and project meetings, and it also includes research summaries on the recent work of particular researchers. It is written for readers with a serious background in economics. The Director edits the research summaries provided by NBER-affiliated researchers, writes the publication’s other content, and oversees print and web production and distribution.
The NBER’s website features a “Paper of the Day.” This is a several-sentence of a recent working paper. The Director writes these brief summaries using working paper abstracts and in some cases material from the body of the paper. The NBER President works with the Director to select the featured papers.
One near-term task is reviewing the current suite of NBER publications to determine whether they are achieving their objectives and whether any modifications or steps to reposition are appropriate. A longer-term opportunity involves considering ways to exploit digital technologies to better advance the NBER’s research and educational mission.
The Director is also responsible for communicating the decisions of the NBER’s Business Cycle Dating Committee to the media community and to the broader public. This involves releasing the committee’s memos and announcements via the webpage and electronically, serving as an official spokesperson for the Committee and fielding questions concerning the Committee’s decisions and statements.
The Director serves as the primary press contact for occasional NBER conferences that are designed for broad public participation and responds to requests for information about the NBER, its research, and its business cycle dating function. Such questions may be answered directly or forwarded to an appropriate NBER researcher.
Candidates for the Director position should have excellent writing and editing skills, at least a B.A. in economics or substantial experience working in economics, finance, or related fields, and should be prepared to submit writing samples. A graduate degree in journalism, economics, or public relations is also very desirable, along with experience in economic journalism or a related role involving public dissemination of economic research. Other important skills are an ability to extemporize with press and public, knowledge of public relations, communications, marketing, and/or journalism, facility with Microsoft Office and various web-based research tools, familiarity with publication design tools, and experience with and interest in social media.
Candidates should assemble a cover letter outlining relevant experience, a resume, and either a writing sample or links to writing samples if available, into a single pdf that can be uploaded to the online application located at this link: https://home.eease.adp.com/recruit/?id=5151131
For more information about the NBER, please visit the NBER website at http://www.nber.org/.
The NBER is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or disability.
The NBER will make reasonable accommodation for any disabled applicant, and will provide assistance to disabled applicants as needed during the application process.
Company Information
Description :
The National Bureau of Economic Research is the nation’s leading non-profit economic research organization. For more than 75 years the NBER has developed and disseminated impartial information on a wide range of issues that are important for public and private decision makers. The NBER coordinates research by more than 6000 economics professors at leading universities and business schools throughout the United States. NBER is located near Harvard Square in Cambridge, and offers a congenial working environment and excellent benefits.
Type :
Direct Employer
Address :
1050 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02138-5398
Application Information
Online :
Job Posting Entered On :
5/21/2013
Job Posting Expires On :
6/20/2013
