Communications Specialist (Ft. Detrick, MD)

About the role

The Communications Specialist will provide full-time legislative information, written communications, research translation, and tasker coordination support within the Public Affairs Office. The position will execute day-to-day congressional communication functions and work in close coordination with the Senior Communications Specialist, PAO staff, DHA R&D-MRDC stakeholders, subordinate laboratories, and other Government personnel.

This position requires an experienced communicator with familiarity in the science, medical, biomedical research, defense, or federal health environment. The Communications Specialist must be able to draft, edit, coordinate, and finalize high-quality written products that communicate complex medical and biomedical research topics in clear, accessible language for non-technical audiences, including congressional staff, decision-makers, and senior leaders.

Responsibilities

• Support legislative communication activities that advance DHA R&D-MRDC congressional engagement priorities.
• Monitor legislative developments, relevant committee activities, congressional updates, and published information related to DHA R&D-MRDC interests.
• Draft summaries of legislative communication activities for internal distribution.
• Collaborate with the Senior Communications Specialist and PAO staff to ensure legislative communications are timely, accurate, and aligned with approved messaging.
• Draft, edit, and finalize congressional communication products, including white papers, information papers, executive summaries, briefing materials, slide presentations, congressional taskings, and formal responses.
• Ensure written products are clear, concise, professionally formatted, easy to read, and error-free.
• Incorporate input from technical staff, leadership, laboratories, and other stakeholders into cohesive final products.
• Synopsis published complex medical, biomedical, and scientific research into clear, accessible formats suitable for non-technical audiences.
• Develop executive-level written products that explain research relevance, outcomes, operational impact, and value to the warfighter.
• Support leadership decision-making by clearly communicating the impact and significance of DHA R&D-MRDC programs and research activities.
• Coordinate Government-approved communications related to taskings originating from congressional or legislative sources.
• Collaborate with subordinate laboratories, DHA R&D-MRDC staff sections, and other stakeholders to collect accurate and timely information.
• Consolidate and edit stakeholder input into cohesive, professionally written final communication products.
• Communicate tasker suspense dates, status updates, and coordination requirements to relevant stakeholders.
• Notify the Contracting Officer’s Representative of at-risk items, delayed inputs, or potential schedule impacts as appropriate.
• Ensure approved responses are submitted on time and in the required format.
• Support data entry and administrative tracking within the Enterprise Task Management Software Solution, ETMS2.
• Track congressional data requests, legislative taskings, status updates, and completion milestones.
• Maintain accurate records of congressional engagements, responses, and related communications activities within the system.
• Support reporting and accountability for tasker completion, suspense management, and response coordination.

Qualifications

• Experience drafting, editing, and coordinating formal communications products for Government, defense, federal health, medical, science, or research-related audiences.
• Familiarity with legislative communications, congressional taskings, or public affairs support functions.
• Ability to translate complex scientific, medical, or biomedical research information into clear, concise, non-technical language.
• Strong writing, editing, research, coordination, and task management skills.
• Ability to manage deadlines, suspense dates, stakeholder inputs, and multiple concurrent communications products.
• Experience preparing executive summaries, briefing materials, formal responses, white papers, or information papers.
• Ability to work collaboratively with senior communicators, PAO staff, technical subject matter experts, laboratories, and Government leadership.

Benefits

We offer competitive benefits including:

• Generous medical, dental, and vision plans.
• Opportunities to work in various sectors with stability.
• Flexible work arrangements to balance work and personal life.

Pay

Compensation details are confidential and not specified in the job posting.

Schedule

The schedule is not specified in the job posting.