Environmental Health Communications Senior Program Coordinator

Duke University:

Duke University was created in 1924 through an indenture of trust by James Buchanan Duke. Today, Duke is regarded as one of America’s leading research universities. Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is positioned in the heart of the Research Triangle, which is ranked annually as one of the best places in the country to work and live. Duke has more than 15,000 students who study and conduct research in its 10 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. With about 40,000 employees, Duke is the third largest private employer in North Carolina, and it now has international programs in more than 150 countries.

Updated JD 4/26/24

Occupational Summary

The Senior Program Coordinator develops and manages environmental health communication, outreach, and engagement as part of programming and activities associated with the Duke University Superfund Research Center (SRC). The Senior Program Coordinator is responsible for planning, coordinating, administering and reporting on activities within assigned program areas, particularly the Administration and Research Translation Core (ARTC) and Community Engagement Core (CEC) and reports to the Directors of Research Translation and Community Engagement. The position is based at the Duke Campus in Durham, NC and is an onsite position with flexibility for some remote work. 

Work Performed

This position focuses on the communication of environmental health science and research for various audiences including the public, community partners, policymakers, funders, and more, and community engagement related to exposure to chemical contaminants and related health risks. The Administration and Research Translation (ARTC) and Community Engagement (CEC) Cores are based within the Duke University Superfund Research Center (SRC) at the Nicholas School of the Environment, and this position works in close conjunction with SRC researchers and other Center staff. The focus of the RTC and CEC is to effectively communicate research findings of the Center, and to assist affected communities in understanding, preventing, and/or mitigating the impacts of targeted hazardous chemicals. The Senior Program Coordinator makes operational and programmatic decisions that have a significant impact on the successful achievement of science communication and community engagement strategies and objectives within the SRC and is specifically responsible for the activities below:

                        Science Communication and Engagement Programming (85%)

• Develops and manages communication strategy to reach the Duke SRC’s primary audiences: communities impacted by targeted environmental health issues, relevant policy makers and government agencies, and environmental health researchers and funders.
• Writes and edits technical communications that synthesize scientific concepts for these audiences and translates complex scientific research and writing for lay audiences in written, graphic, and oral forms of communication.
• Develops communications products and materials (websites, social media posts, community outreach materials, policy briefs, press articles, video shorts, etc.) and designs and executes campaigns to effectively disseminate to targeted audiences.
• Meets regularly with the ARTC and CEC Directors and staff to strategically plan for research translation and community engagement and then leads the management and execution of planned initiatives and activities.
• Provides guidance and feedback to Duke SRC researchers and students related to communicating their research and/or engaging with impacted communities.
• Collaborates with and maintains partnerships with other Superfund Research Centers to further these programmatic efforts.
• Occasional travel to conferences, events, stakeholder meetings, and community meetings, which may include night and weekend effort.

Coordination, Evaluation and Reporting (15%)

• Serves as the primary coordinator of the information, systems and resources of a small team.
• Tracks and reports on Duke SRC research and activities.
• Monitors and evaluates program effectiveness; investigates trends and recommends and implements modifications to improve program effectiveness.
• Manages financial transactions and provides budget oversight for the ARTC and CEC and meets with program administrators as needed to discuss any financial concerns.

Perform other related duties incidental to the work described herein. The above statements describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this classification. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties required of personnel so classified.

Skills

• Passionate, skilled and experienced at communicating complex scientific topics in engaging and accessible ways for a variety of audiences in written and graphic forms.
• Educational background and/or significant experience in environmental health, public health, or environmental science.
• Experience with and knowledge of program management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, and coordination of people and resources.
• Skills evaluating program performance, summarizing findings, communicating results, and forming an action plan.
• Existing competency or willingness to learn technical skills and software involved in website design and management, basic graphic design and social media management.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Attention to detail and ability to organize and complete tasks independently and also in coordination with a team.
• Skills using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions to problems.

NOTE: Funding for this position is available via grants and is currently only available through June 30, 2027. The position could be extended after this end date if the grant funding is extended.

For further information, please see our websites: [https://sites.nicholas.duke.edu/superfund/] and [https://sites.nicholas.duke.edu/superfundcec/].  

Duke University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, genetic information, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status. *******************************************************

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.

Education

Work requires analytical, communications and organizational skills generally acquired through completion of a bachelor's degree program. Masters or doctoral degree preferred.

Experience

Work requires 4+ years of experience in program management/coordination to acquire skills necessary to plan, coordinate, and implement a variety of program activities and events. Demonstrated experience or equivalent educational background in communicating science and translating research findings to diverse audiences and end-users is required. Previous experience working independently and in coordination with small teams to work toward a common mission and set of goals is preferred.

Minimum Qualifications

Education

Work requires analytical, communications and organizational skills generally acquired through completion of a bachelor's degree program.

Experience

Work requires three years of experience in program administration or OR AN EQUIVALENT COMBINATION OF RELEVANT EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE involving academic, instructional or counseling activities to acquire skills necessary to plan, coordinate and implement a variety of program activities and events.

Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essentialjob functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.