Communications Specialist II

About the Role

At NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, we seek individuals driven to discover and inspire lasting impact through science and innovation. JPL operates on a 177-acre campus fostering creativity, collaboration, and excellence. We aim to ask the biggest questions and uncover answers that propel humanity forward.

Position Summary

The Communications Specialist II will support NASA's scientific domains in Planetary, Earth, and Astrophysics by coordinating multidisciplinary communications efforts from initiation through delivery. This role acts as the vital bridge connecting mission communication leads and creative production teams to uphold timelines and ensure alignment with mission objectives and program needs.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the communications team to generate innovative content, messaging strategies, and campaign ideas.
• Take full responsibility for project concepts provided by leads, bridging creative gaps and making tactical decisions to advance delivery without compromising quality or scientific accuracy.
• Serve as the central coordinator between technical leads and creative production teams such as graphic designers, videographers, and web developers to realize the communication vision.
• Manage inbound requests from managers, mission leads, and program offices by asking pertinent questions to clarify stakeholder goals amid limited guidance.
• Ensure a continuous feedback process balancing scientific accuracy and creativity between content creators and scientists.
• Identify and overcome creative or technical challenges independently to maintain timely delivery in a fast-paced work environment.
• Support creation of website content, social media posts, outreach events, and other communication materials as required.
• Convert complex technical milestones into engaging narratives that resonate with diverse audiences.
• Develop key performance indicators and reports that demonstrate the impact and value of strategic communications initiatives across projects.
• Continuously research industry best practices to recommend enhancements to communication programs and outputs.

Required Qualifications

• A minimum of three years’ professional experience delivering communication projects in dynamic and demanding environments.
• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Marketing, Journalism, Fine Arts, Science, or a related discipline.
• Proven expertise in dissecting ambiguous requests into smaller actionable tasks, delivering impactful results within tight timeframes.
• Experience managing the end-to-end production of diverse assets including video, graphics, articles, and experiential content.
• Strong attention to detail with excellent storytelling and design judgment; ability to elevate good work to exceptional quality while guiding creative teams.
• Deep alignment with NASA's mission to innovate and inspire through space exploration and scientific discovery.
• Exceptional punctuality, resourcefulness, self-motivation, and collaboration skills.
• Outstanding verbal and written communication abilities suitable for teamwork and outreach.

Preferred Qualifications

• Background working in scientific, technical, or aerospace sectors.
• Portfolio demonstrating capability to translate complex topics into visually appealing and compelling stories.
• Proficient in crafting messaging copy, long-form science articles, and other professional content.
• Skills in brand management: conceptualizing and leading impactful campaigns to boost NASA and JPL’s reputation and projects.
• Familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Premiere Pro), Airtable, and social media platforms.

Benefits

JPL offers a comprehensive benefit package including health, dental, vision, wellbeing programs, retirement plans, paid leave, learning opportunities, childcare, flexible schedules, parental leave, rideshare options, and more—all aimed at promoting work-life balance and health.

Compensation

The salary range for this Pasadena, CA position is $87,360 to $107,432 annually, with offers based on skills, experience, knowledge, and relevant education.

Equal Opportunity

JPL is an equal opportunity employer committed to inclusive hiring, free from discrimination based on numerous legally protected characteristics. It is also a VEVRAA federal contractor.

Additional Information

As a federal facility, JPL imposes restrictions on applicants’ citizenship according to NASA regulations. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or otherwise legally protected under federal law. Specific designated countries’ citizens are not eligible to apply.