Communications Assistant, Economic Policy Studies

The American Enterprise Institute seeks a full-time, in-person communications assistant to work in the Economic Policy department. The anticipated start date for this position is as soon as possible. Soon-to-be graduates are welcome to apply.

The position’s primary responsibility is to manage the department’s communications and marketing activities, including email newsletters, social and digital media, public and private events, and external relations. The role will also serve as an internal liaison and point of contact between the Economic Policy department and communications departments within AEI (including Coalitions, Government Relations (GR), Editing Services, Video, Design, and Digital Strategy). Other duties include posting to AEI.org, measuring the impact of the department’s communications activities, and assisting the program manager with any needed organizational support for the department.

This position requires excellent writing, research, communication, and organizational skills. The ideal candidate for this position will combine an outstanding academic record with strong project-management and communications abilities. Creativity and an ability to multitask are essential, and a degree in economics, political science, communications, English, journalism, or a similar field is required.

Qualified candidates should submit a resume, a cover letter demonstrating their interests in AEI’s mission, an academic transcript, and a 500-word writing sample on any topic.

• Promotional strategy: Develop and oversee promotions strategies for the Economic Policy department’s publications and initiatives.
• Email marketing: Write and send out each issue of the weekly economics newsletter, the Ledger, and work with the email marketing team to evaluate metrics and optimize open and click rates and target audience reach.
• Social media: Manage the economics department Twitter account, @AEIecon, and oversee advertising campaigns to grow the department’s social media reach.
• External communications: Assist the program manager in drafting and editing department and institutional promotional materials.
• Digital media: Edit and update the economics homepage of AEI.org. Assist with posting scholar publications to AEI.org and updating the AEI Economics Working Paper Series and the AEI Economic Perspectives series. Maintain the department’s cross-posting guidelines and style guide.
• Events: Assist scholars and AEI’s Events team with organizing public events. Responsibilities include advising on key audiences, event marketing, and follow-up.
• External relations: Manage the department database of contacts and interest lists in Salesforce to target audiences for events and email campaigns. Assist AEI’s GR, coalitions, and communications teams with marketing scholar output and building relationships between scholars and contacts.
• Media: Work with AEI’s media team to market department research and commentary to the press. Gain familiarity with department output and track the media cycle for opportunities to promote.
• Internal: Attend internal communications strategies and report on department workflow and promotion strategy.
• Department Organization: Continuously update internal tracking documents on scholars’ output, primarily to assist AEI’s outreach teams in staying up-to-date on the department’s publications and initiatives.

Physical requirements and working conditions at AEI:

• The employee is regularly expected to stand, sit, talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer, telephone, and keyboard. This job requires close vision abilities due to computer work.
• The employee must be able to lift up to 30 pounds at times.
• The employee must be able to work in a confined area.
• Moderate noise (e.g., from computers, phone, printers, and light traffic) is expected.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential responsibilities associated with this position.

• Bachelor’s degree in economics, political science, communications, English, journalism, or a similar field preferred
• 0 – 2 years of previous applicable full-time work experience; previous internship experience strongly preferred
• Experience in communications with an emphasis on social media or marketing, familiarity with economic policy and the work of the American Enterprise Institute, and strong writing skills
• Strong organization skills, attention to detail, and the demonstrated ability to multitask
• Commitment to AEI’s foundational principles of advancing democracy, strengthening free enterprise, limiting government, and bolstering American strength and global leadership

Benefits

AEI offers generous benefits, including 18 days of paid leave (15 days of paid annual leave and 3 personal/floating holidays); 12 days of paid sick leave; paid family leave; medical and dental coverage, in addition to a health savings account; medical and dependent care FSA; a tuition assistance program of up to $5,200; life and disability insurance at no cost to employees; and a 403b retirement plan with a 12% contribution from AEI, among other benefits. For more information, you can see a full summary of our benefits here.

Compensation is based on a number of factors, including but not limited to: scope and responsibilities of the position; a candidate's full-time, applicable work experience; key skills and qualifications; as well as internal and external market considerations. The salary range for this full-time, exempt position is $50,000 - $54,000. Salary is just one component of AEI’s total compensation package for employees.