Job Opportunities

Job Description Summary & Additional Information

Organization's Summary Statement:

This position is responsible for implementing communication activities for a department or college. 

• Conducts and transcribes interviews, writes and edits news and feature stories, crafts and posts social media content, designs flyers and other collateral, and produces e-newsletters.
• Serves as a website content manager.
• Coordinates department or college events.
• Under the supervision of the Director of Communications, develop and implement robust social media and web strategies to increase the Center’s visibility and its research output.
• Develop content and digital strategies that will increase community engagement among CGS stakeholders and key audiences.
• Improve traffic across the Center’s website and all social platforms.
• Creates and edits digital/social content and toolkits, including for social media accounts, newsletters, webpages, and blogs.
• Oversees SEO strategy for web content and produces a weekly internal newsletter and launch an external newsletter.
• Manages the design, production, and effective multichannel distribution of CGS’s research products and messaging.
• Produces or manages the design of impactful graphics and other images for the web, social media, publications, and presentations.
• Tracks and measures the ongoing performance of CGS web and social accounts, assessing the performance and engagement of CGS’s brand, research, thought leadership, products, and advocacy efforts.
• Uses data-driven and other analytical strategies to help determine web and social media as well as program and initiative success.
• Make recommendations for improving the center’s web and social media performance on an ongoing basis.
• Develop promotion and awareness campaigns to elevate the visibility of CGS research and publications.
• Maintain consistent brand messaging and style for all web and social media content.
• Establish a strong online presence that connects with audiences locally, nationally, and internationally.
• Coordinate with the School of Public Affairs’ digital and web team. Build out the Center’s contact database.
• Other duties as assigned

Physical Demands: Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer

Preferences:

• Developing content for digital media platforms (websites and social media platforms).
• Designing visuals for social media and other digital platforms
• Establishing a strong online presence and in building an organization’s voice and audiences locally, nationally, and internationally.
• Developing digital media promotion and awareness campaigns.
• Generating effective digital analytics to assess web and social media performance.
• Using Canva, ShutterStock, Sprout Social, Constant Contact, Google Analytics, or similar platforms.
• Demonstrated commitment to expanding multicultural knowledge, awareness, and skills as evidenced through displaying self-awareness, understanding, and valuing others.

Required Application Materials: Resume and cover letter

Best Consideration Date: 03/03/2025

Minimum Qualifications 

Education: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. 

Experience: Three (3) years of professional communications experience. 

Other: Additional work experience as defined above may be substituted on a year-for-year basis for up to four (4) years of the required education.  

• Knowledge of writing, editing and public relations.
• Knowledge of interviewing, content editing, copy editing, and proofreading. Skill in oral and written communication.
• Skill in the use of Microsoft Office products.
• Ability to interpret and apply policies, procedures, regulations, and laws.
• Ability to multitask while demonstrating a commitment to customer service and sensitivity to a culturally and ethnically diverse community.

Department: PLCY-Center for Global Sustainability

Salary Range: $65,000-$74,000

Benefits Summary: For more information on Staff Contractual CII benefits, select this link.

Apply here!

Background Checks

Offers of employment are contingent on completion of a background check. Information reported by the background check will not automatically disqualify anyone from employment. Before any adverse decision, the finalist will have an opportunity to provide information to the University regarding disclosable background check information. The University reserves the right to rescind the offer of employment or otherwise decline or terminate employment if the information reported by the background check is deemed incompatible with the position, regardless of when the background check is completed.

Employment Eligibility 

The successful candidate must complete employment eligibility verification (on Form I-9) by presenting documents that establish identity and work authorization within the timeframe required by federal immigration law, and where applicable, to demonstrate renewed employment authorization.  Failure to complete employment eligibility verification or reverification within the timeframe set forth by law may result in suspension or termination of employment.

EEO/AA Statement

The University of Maryland, College Park is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer; all qualified applicants, including veterans and people with disabilities, will receive consideration for employment. UMD is actively engaged in recruiting, hiring, and promoting underrepresented communities. Please read the entire University of Maryland Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Statement of Policy.

Women, Minorities, Disabled, Veterans, and LGBTQ+ Welcome!

Diversity Statement

The University of Maryland, College Park, an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, age, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, creed, marital status, political affiliation, personal appearance, or on the basis of rights secured by the First Amendment, in all aspects of employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

Title IX Non-Discrimination Notice

The University of Maryland (UMD) does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race, color religion, national origin, ethnicity, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, age, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law in its programs and activities. Specifically, Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in UMD programs and activities, including with respect to admission and employment.

The Center for Global Sustainability (CGS, cgs.umd.edu) at the University of Maryland is looking for research assistant(s) with excellent research, coordination, and communication skills. The mission of CGS is, through our research and policy engagement, to change the way that governments, diverse organizations, and people around the world envision and implement new possibilities for ambitious climate action. Our team has significant and diverse experience in both delivering field-leading research and informing, supporting, and implementing policy in national and international contexts. 

These will be paid hourly positions up to 40 hours/week over the fall. The research assistants will work with CGS and our collaborators, as appropriate, to apply robust and innovative research approaches to understanding national climate ambition, energy transition, climate finance, nonCO2 mitigation, and other topics at the center of climate policy and sustainability debates. 

Specific projects may include but are not limited to the following:

• Near- and long-term low carbon development strategies of key countries
• All-of-society climate mitigation strategies in the United States
• Accelerated fossil transition pathways in key countries, potentially including but not limited to subnational strategies
• Co-benefits of climate change mitigation, such as air quality and human health, economic development, and other national priorities
• Scenarios for analyzing climate and transition risks to the economy and financial system
• Decarbonization strategies for industry, transportation, and other sectors
• Methane and other non-CO2 reduction strategies at national or subnational levels
• Agricultural and other land-related mitigation options

Specific tasks may include the following:

• Conduct background research and analysis of climate, energy, environment, and sustainable development policies
• Collect, analyze and visualize data
• Contribute to writing reports and potential research papers
• Support research communications, data visualization, and content creation for all of CGS’s digital mediums

Specific required skills are:

• Knowledge in climate, energy, and sustainability issues and policies
• Excellent English language proficiency required, particularly written
• Dedication and strong ability to learn quickly
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work in a team environment
• Background in quantitative analysis, data collection and management

Specific preferred skills include:

• Coding skills in R, Python and/or STATA
• Geospatial analysis and/or econometric skills
• Ability to read and interpret legislation

INTERESTED IN JOINING THE 2024 FALL PROGRAM? APPLY NOW! Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the positions are filled. The priority deadline for the Fall is August 9, 2024. 

The Research Assistant will work with CGS and our collaborators to develop and apply robust and innovative research approaches to better understand pathways to reach challenging and ambitious climate and sustainability goals at international, national, and/or sub-national levels. Such research approaches may include integrated quantitative analysis and modeling, empirical methods, qualitative and mixed methods, or other approaches to understanding energy systems, land use, non-CO2 climate forcers, and other topics at the center of climate policy and sustainability debates.

Primary duties and tasks of this position may include:

• Conduct background research and analysis of climate, energy, environment, and sustainable development policies.
• Conduct background research on energy technology trends.
• Collect and synthesize data for use in quantitative, integrated modeling.
• Process, analyze, and visualize data.
• Modify and run an integrated assessment model (GCAM) to produce different policy and technology scenarios.
• Process and downscale model outputs to needed resolution.
• Contribute to developing reports and research papers.
• Support policy engagements with key local, national, and international stakeholders.
• Use a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods to address key research questions.

Education:

• A bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline from an accredited college or university.

Preferences:

• Excellent English language proficiency.
• Degree in Public Policy, Engineering, Economics, or related field, with knowledge in climate, energy and sustainability issues.
• Background in quantitative analysis, data collection and management.
• Excellent writing skills.
• Coding skills in R and/or Python.
• Dedication and strong ability to learn quickly.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work in a team environment.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. If interested, apply here.