Communications Coordinator

Introduction

We’re seeking a highly organized, detail-oriented Communications Coordinator to support the execution of our communications strategy across digital platforms. This junior-level role is ideal for someone who thrives on managing timelines, collaborating across teams, and making sure that content gets where it needs to go—on time and on brand.

The Communications Coordinator will be a key player in keeping our brand, marketing, and communications projects running smoothly, with responsibilities ranging from website updates and email production to social media scheduling and basic project management. You don’t need to create all the content—but you’ll need to be comfortable working with writers, editors, designers, and multimedia producers to bring it to life across platforms.

Key Responsibilities

The selected contractor will be responsible for the following

• • Project Coordination
  • Create and manage project timelines, task lists, and deliverables across brand, marketing, and communications campaigns, initiatives, and content projects.
  • Maintain and update internal calendars for email, web, and social media content.
  • Liaise with internal stakeholders and vendors (e.g., designers, developers, printers) to move projects forward and meet deadlines.
  • Digital Content Production
  • Publish and update content on our websites using a content management system (CMS).
  • Coordinate, format, and deploy email campaigns using Mailchimp and Salesforce Marketing Cloud.
  • Schedule and post content to social media platforms (e.g., Instagram, LinkedIn, X), based on approved copy and assets.
  • Quality Control & Optimization
  • Proofread and check formatting of content before it disseminates.
  • Ensure brand consistency across channels.
  • Track performance metrics for campaigns, projects, and initiatives and support the creation of simple reports.
  • Administrative & Team Support
  • Help document processes and maintain shared resources, storytelling databases, and content libraries.
  • Support media and event logistics as needed (e.g., compiling press kits, supporting webinars).
  • Perform other communications-related tasks as assigned.

Qualifications

• • 1–3 years of experience in a communications, marketing, or digital production role.
  • Strong organizational and project management skills; able to juggle multiple deadlines and competing priorities.
  • Familiarity with content management systems (e.g., WordPress), email platforms, and social media tools (e.g., Buffer, Hootsuite, Meta Business Suite).
  • Basic familiarity with creative tools such as Canva, Adobe Acrobat, or photo editing software a plus.
  • Attention to detail and a commitment to producing high-quality, error-free content.
  • Strong interpersonal skills and a collaborative, can-do spirit.

Bonus Experience (Not Required, But Great to Have)

• • Experience with project management tools like Asana
  • Light HTML/CSS experience or comfort editing content in a CMS
  • Interest in communications strategy, design, or writing
  • Passion for civic renewal, democracy, higher education, and Gen Z activation

Budget

The budget range for this work will be between $30,000 and $32,000. All direct, related expenses, including but not limited to printing, postage, mail house, and email platform fees, will be paid separately and directly by Citizens & Scholars above and beyond this contractual fee. Payment terms and invoicing schedule will be negotiated with the selected contractor.

Institute for Citizens & Scholars

Since our founding in 1945 originally as the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, the Institute for Citizens & Scholars has prepared new generations of American citizenry by opening doors to higher education, supporting visionary thinkers, scholars, and teachers, and creating the thoughtful space for innovation. In 2020, we changed our name to the Institute for Citizens & Scholars and declared an expanded mission to cultivate a critical mass of young people who are civically well-informed, productively engaged for the common good, and committed to democracy.

WHAT WE DO

The recent presidential election wasn’t just a political milestone—it was a stress test for American democracy. With economic insecurity on the rise, artificial intelligence transforming industries, and climate crises accelerating, the forces reshaping our society demand new approaches to leadership. Yet the divisions in our nation—compounded by deep polarization—threaten our ability to meet these challenges.

What America needs most right now is a new generation of problem-solvers. Gen Z is ready to step up, but they need support to engage effectively in their schools, workplaces, and communities.

Citizens & Scholars helps young people build the civic skills they need to work across divides on complex issues like climate change, global conflicts, reproductive rights, and economic inequality.

We focus on three real-world civic skills needed to thrive in today’s polarized America:

• • Have Difficult Conversations across divides
  • Access diverse sources of Reliable Information
  • Use Collaborative Problem-Solving to tackle community issues

How we do it: We build authentic partnerships with leaders in higher education and workplaces to co-design programs and tools that can rapidly accelerate the civic preparedness of millions of young people. We also invest directly in the next generation of civic leaders, supporting their bold projects to drive change in their communities.

We work in three areas: higher education, workplaces, and community:

Higher Education

Facing growing skepticism from large segments of the public, colleges and universities—viewed by many primarily as pathways to employment—must rise to a greater purpose. This broader mission is rooted in the original promise of higher education: to foster critical thinking, free inquiry, and the ability to engage constructively with those who see the world differently.

• • College Presidents for Civic Preparedness is a coalition of over 125 campus leaders from diverse ideologies, backgrounds, and institutions nationwide, all dedicated to preparing students for active civic engagement in a complex and divided country.
  • The Faculty Institute has helped dozens of interdisciplinary educators nationwide gain the skills and confidence to redesign or create new courses that promote civil discourse and become champions of this work on their campuses.
  • The Mellon Fellowships broaden the range of perspectives and understandings offered on college campuses and create opportunities for crucial new scholarly voices to be heard in disciplines and institutions.

Community

We’re equipping young leaders with funding, mentorship, and resources to tackle urgent challenges in their communities.

• • Carnegie Young Leaders for Civic Preparedness recruits 100 corps leaders annually, who will lead teams of peers in addressing community challenges they have identified. We equip these leaders with real-world civic skills and dispositions through an immersive yearlong experience as they implement their community projects.
  • The Youth Civic Solutions Competition invites young adults to present innovative ideas to boost civic knowledge, engagement, and trust in their communities, with winners receiving $1,000 for their projects and opportunities to connect with civic leaders.
  • The Our Voices Summit empowers emerging youth leaders to present bold, youth-driven solutions for local challenges to seasoned civic leaders. The summit amplifies youth voices, positioning them as equal partners and problem-solvers in the civic field.

Workplaces

Division doesn’t end at the office. In collaboration with the nation’s largest business association, we’re piloting a groundbreaking program to train emerging professionals in civic skills that benefit both organizations and democracy.