Back Communications & Engagement Specialist, WRI Ross Center Prize for Cities

This is a hybrid position which requires 8 days/month in the office. You can be based in our office in Washington DC. Existing work authorization is required at the time of application submission as WRI is unable to sponsor any visa work sponsorship for this position. To be eligible for this position in US, you must be a resident of DC, Maryland or Virginia at the start of employment.

About the Program:

The decisions that national leaders, local officials, developers, and planners make today will determine how billions of people in urban centers will thrive over the next century. Already, half the global population resides in cities. That figure is set to increase to 70% by 2050. Traditional models of city development can lock us into congestion, sprawl, and inefficient resource use. However, compact, connected, and efficient growth can help ensure more competitive cities, and provide a better quality of life for citizens. WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities (WRI Ross Center) works to ensure cities create economic opportunity while sustaining natural resources. We use technical expertise, cutting-edge research, and on-the-ground partnerships to design solutions that enable sustainable city growth.

Our analysis and tools allow cities to manage their natural resources and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Working across our network, we develop and help implement research-based solutions in sustainable mobility, urban development, as well as urban efficiency & climate that reduce pollution, improve health, and create safe, accessible public spaces for all people to succeed. WRI Ross Center builds on WRI’s global and local experience in urban planning and mobility, and uses solutions to increase building and energy efficiency, manage water risk, encourage effective governance and make the fast-growing urban environment more resilient to new challenges. Aiming to influence 200 cities with unique research and tools, WRI Ross Center focuses on a deep cross-sector approach in selected megacities on two continents, and targeted assistance to additional 50 urban areas, bringing economic, environmental and social benefits to people in cities around the globe.

Job Highlight:

You will be responsible for integrating equity into your work.

The WRI Ross Center Prize for Cities (https://prizeforcities.org/) (‘the Prize’) is a global competition supported by Stephen M. Ross to celebrate transformative projects that have ignited citywide change. The inaugural Prize was awarded in April 2019, following a deep evaluation by WRI’s experts and a deliberation among a Jury of high-profile leaders in urban affairs. Our vision is that the Prize receives recognition in media and society as a vehicle for celebration, research and expertise on urban transformation. Through the Prize and related activities, we hope to grow a global network of urban change-makers.

You will be an integral member of the core Prize team, supporting programmatic aspects of the Prize, major Prize milestones throughout the award cycle, and related learning and engagement activities. You will play an integral part in the core Prize team to support the development and implementation of comprehensive, high-impact communications and engagement activities that support the milestones in each cycle and help drive cycle-to-cycle engagements of key target groups to realize the longer-term vision of the Prize. This will involve applying experience and skills in designing and delivering a range of communications and engagement activities, including high-impact communications assets, such as videos, graphics, presentations, email, web and print materials, as part of tailored approaches for different target audiences. In this role, you will also develop and execute engagement strategies to foster a global network of urban change-makers, cultivate and manage relationships with key stakeholders, and advance the Prize’s mission through a variety of public events, conferences, and publications.

Reporting to the Global Lead for the Prize and works closely with the WRI Ross Center’s Global Communications team and, because of the high-profile nature of the Prize, additional programmatic and institutional strategy and partnerships teams.

This is a hybrid role in which you will work with many different teams. It requires a dynamic and versatile individual with interest in inclusive urban development and possessing a range of skills including, but not limited to, knowledge management, project management, learning, communications and engagement skills. You will also be required to provide on-the-ground support at key moments of the Prize cycle, including jury deliberation, awards celebration, and learning events.

What will you do:

Communications & Engagement (60%):-

• Develop and drive implementation of a communications and engagement strategy for the Prize, in close partnership with the WRI Ross Center Global Communications team as well as programmatic and institutional strategy and partnership teams
• Develop and manage the Prize’s major communications and engagement assets, including CRM, website, social media, email marketing, brand and messaging, videos, celebration and learning events, and blog series at specific Prize milestones and throughout the Prize cycle, in close partnership with the WRI Ross Center Global Communications team
• With support from the Prize team, write, edit and manage internal and external communications about the Prize, working with the Cities Comms team to deliver on blogs, press releases, slide presentations, newsletters, email campaigns, messaging, brochures, op-eds, infographics, web content, social media, and more; and managing translation in non-English languages
• Develop and implement communication and engagement activities to drive submissions to the Prize that are high quality and geographically diverse and elevate past and present winners and finalists
• Develop and implement tailored approaches and an engagement calendar for target stakeholder groups, including Jurors, Advisory Council, finalists, and other experts and potential partners of the Prize within and beyond the WRI Ross Center’s annual calendar of international convenings
• Cultivate and manage relationships with key stakeholders, including the Prize Jury, Advisory Council, research institutions, non-profits, and businesses, leveraging these connections to expand the Prize's global impact
• Cultivate a cohort of urban changemakers through targeted and strategic engagement of previous Prize finalists, stakeholders, and friends
• Help build a community of change makers and maintain a cohort of Prize finalists, working closely with the Global Lead, and the Cities’ Communications and Strategy and Partnerships teams to define the vision and goals for such a group
• Support the WRI Ross Center Global Communications team in developing, tracking, and analyzing performance metrics for communications activities (web traffic, blog and social media) and community engagement
• Advance the Prize's mission through public events, conferences, and publications, effectively communicating Prize research messages to diverse audiences

  Project Support & Implementation (40%):

  • Lead management of vendors for the Prize’s various communication needs, including for digital, video, brand and design, social media and analytics
  • As a core member of the team, contribute to strategy development and performance tracking, participate in weekly team meetings and provide updates on key activities
  • Support Prize Lead by responding to inquiries, fielding requests, organizing meetings, and tracking progress on towards key performance indicators
  • Liaise and coordinate with various external partners including high-profile individuals, urban thought leaders, and practitioners
  • Work with team to develop creative solutions to unexpected challenges during the prize cycle
  • As a core member of the team, contribute to strategy development and tracking, participate in weekly team meetings and provide updates on key activities

    What will you need:

    • Education: You have a completed a bachelor’s degree in sustainable urban development, international studies, environmental science, public policy/administration, urban planning, economics, geography, political science, history, or related. Relevant work experience in lieu of degree is accepted
    • Experience: You have a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in supporting activities related to research and engagement, e.g., at university departments, think tanks, or other international organizations
    • Strong research skills and the ability to synthesize and interpret case study information
    • Ability to organize large datasets and complex assets
    • Strong writing, database management, and proofreading skills a must
    • Excellent skills in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, and a range of presentation and project management tools
    • Demonstrated creativity, resourcefulness and ability to take initiative
    • Detail-oriented, organized and able to juggle multiple priorities and problem-solve
    • Demonstrated knowledge of and interest in key issues in urban development, planning, and urban sustainability
    • Highly motivated, proactive, and collaborative work style
    • Excellent inter-personal communication skills, including the ability to work well in a team and with international colleagues in high-level situations
    • Ability to work both independently as well as part of a team, including actively contributing to team discussions
    • Adaptable to rapidly changing priorities and able to manage multiple deadlines and deliver high quality work products
    • Strong English written and verbal communications skills
    • Experience in or some knowledge of UX/UI design
    • Languages: Fluency in English is required. Additional language skills are a plus, especially in languages of WRI offices: Spanish, Portuguese, Turkish, Chinese, French, or Hindi
    • Requirements: Existing work authorization is required where this position is based. WRI is unable to authorize visa work authorization

      Potential Salary: US salary range is between 84,000 and 95,000 USD. Salary is commensurate with experience and other compensable factors.