Job Description

The Strategic Communication Outreach Specialist will develop and execute integrated communications, marketing, stakeholder engagement, and outreach strategies that promote FHWA RD&T initiatives, TFHRC research, Public Roads magazine, and related research communications products. This senior-level role combines strategic planning, campaign management, digital marketing, content creation, audience analysis, stakeholder engagement, event support, and performance measurement.

The successful candidate will be able to translate complex transportation research, highway policy, engineering, and technical information into clear, accessible, high-impact communications for both technical and non-technical audiences.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute comprehensive strategic communications and outreach plans.
• Design promotional campaigns to increase awareness, engagement, readership, subscriptions, and stakeholder participation.
• Support FHWA RD&T and TFHRC communications initiatives across digital, print, web, email, social media, newsletter, event, and outreach channels.
• Develop messaging strategies, campaign briefs, content calendars, audience engagement plans, and marketing materials.
• Lead marketing efforts to increase Public Roads magazine readership, digital reach, and subscriptions.
• Coordinate quarterly promotions and issue-specific outreach for Public Roads magazine.
• Write, edit, and develop social media posts, electronic newsletter content, web copy, feature promotion materials, briefing materials, key messages, job aids, and stakeholder communications.
• Conduct market research, audience analysis, reader surveys, stakeholder analysis, and campaign performance assessments.
• Use analytics to evaluate outreach effectiveness and recommend data-informed improvements.
• Develop stakeholder engagement plans and support engagement with transportation stakeholders, State DOTs, industry partners, associations, academia, FHWA offices, and research audiences.
• Support internal communications and employee engagement initiatives.
• Provide outreach, branding, marketing, and communications support for tradeshows, conferences, webinars, and internal/external events.
• Develop event-specific materials and strategies to engage attendees and increase stakeholder participation.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, Journalism, Public Affairs, or a closely related field.
• 6–10 years of progressively responsible professional experience in strategic communications, digital marketing, public affairs, outreach, or stakeholder engagement.
• Experience developing and executing communications campaigns across multiple channels.
• Experience creating social media campaigns, digital marketing content, newsletters, web content, and marketing collateral.
• Experience conducting market research, audience analysis, reader surveys, campaign measurement, or social media analytics.
• Strong writing, editing, messaging, and presentation skills.
• Ability to translate complex technical, policy, research, or transportation information into accessible public-facing content.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a federal, transportation, infrastructure, research, science, or technical communications environment.
• Experience supporting FHWA, USDOT, TFHRC, State DOTs, or transportation industry stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success increasing readership, subscriptions, digital engagement, or stakeholder participation.
• Experience with GovDelivery, social media platforms, web content systems, analytics tools, and email marketing platforms.
• Familiarity with Section 508, federal style requirements, branding standards, and public affairs review processes.