Brand & Strategic Communications Manager

Job description

Brand & Strategic Communications Manager About the role Sitting within the Cell Press Marketing team and reporting to the Head of Media & Communications, you will help define what stories Cell Press should tell, why they matter, who we need to reach, and how best to reach them. You will identify opportunities to bring the Cell Press brand, mission, vision, values, journals, people, and impact to life through compelling storytelling and integrated communications campaigns that resonate with researchers and authors and build affinity for the Cell Press brand. This is both a strategic and hands-on role. You'll set the strategy and creative direction for campaigns while also rolling up your sleeves to bring them to life. Sometimes you'll write the story yourself; sometimes you'll edit and shape content created by colleagues; and sometimes you'll identify and manage the right freelancer or creative partner to deliver it. You'll collaborate closely with channel owners across web, social, email, and other platforms to build integrated channel strategies and ensure our stories reach the right audiences. You'll also be responsible for demonstrating the impact of this work. You'll identify the metrics that matter, use data and insights to understand campaign performance, and communicate results and recommendations to stakeholders and senior leaders. Responsibilities Shape our strategic brand storytelling Develop and evolve the strategic storytelling approach for Cell Press, connecting communications activity to our brand strategy, mission, vision, values, and business priorities. Identify proactive storytelling opportunities that showcase the people, processes, papers, and initiatives that make Cell Press unique. Turn business and brand priorities into clear communications strategies, campaign concepts, narratives, and content plans. Develop creative approaches to major Cell Press moments, milestones, and editorial initiatives. Maintain a strong understanding of our audiences and the broader scientific and publishing landscape to ensure our storytelling remains relevant and differentiated. Help maintain a consistent Cell Press brand voice and narrative across communications. Create and commission compelling content Write and edit high-quality brand and strategic communications content for external audiences, translating complex ideas into clear and engaging stories. Exercise strong editorial judgment about which stories to pursue, which formats will work best, and how stories should be framed for different audiences. Develop clear creative briefs and commission content from freelancers, agencies, and other creative or brand partners. Manage external contributors from briefing through delivery, providing thoughtful editorial direction and ensuring work meets strategic, creative, brand, budget, and timeline requirements. Collaborate with internal subject-matter experts and stakeholders to uncover strong stories and translate their expertise into accessible, compelling content. Build integrated channel strategies Develop campaign-level channel strategies designed around audience needs and communications objectives. Partner closely with channel owners across social media, email, web, and other channels to translate campaign strategies into coordinated execution. Ensure content is appropriately adapted for different channels and audience segments rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach. Bring channel partners together around clear objectives, audiences, messages, roles, timelines, and measures of success. Apply audience and performance insights to continually improve how Cell Press stories are distributed and amplified. Measure and demonstrate impact Define meaningful KPIs and measurement plans for strategic brand storytelling campaigns, connecting communications metrics to broader brand and business objectives. Using familiarity with tools like HubSpot, Cision, Braze, Adobe Analytics, and other analytics and reporting platforms, track and report on content and campaign performance. Analyze performance across channels and audiences to understand what worked, what didn't, and why, with a strong sense of when to pivot to ensure success. Translate data into actionable insights and recommendations that improve future campaigns and inform our broader storytelling strategy. Develop clear, compelling reports and presentations that demonstrate the impact and business value of strategic communications activity. Lead campaigns and influence stakeholders Own strategic storytelling campaigns from initial ideas through planning, production, activation, measurement, and retrospective. Manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously, establishing clear plans, timelines, responsibilities, dependencies, and deliverables. Build strong working relationships across Cell Press and collaborate effectively with marketing colleagues, editors, journal teams, channel owners, and other stakeholders. Develop high-quality strategic and creative presentations that make complex ideas easy to understand. Personally present campaign strategies, concepts, recommendations, and results to senior leaders and other stakeholders, building understanding, enthusiasm, and alignment around proposed approaches. Manage freelancers and external partners effectively, providing clear direction and maintaining accountability for quality and delivery. Requirements Have 3–6 years of relevant experience in brand communications, strategic communications, content marketing, brand marketing, journalism, or a related discipline. Experience developing strategic storytelling or integrated communications campaigns for external audiences. Display excellent writing, editing, and storytelling skills, with the ability to make complex subjects clear, engaging, and relevant. Have exceptional strategic thinking and editorial judgment, including the ability to identify which stories will advance brand and business objectives rather than simply creating content in response to requests. Display project management skills and experience leading multi-stakeholder campaigns from strategy through execution and measurement. Experience developing multi-channel strategies and collaborating with channel owners or specialists across areas such as web, social media, and email. Display understanding of audience segmentation and the ability to tailor content, messaging, and distribution strategies to specific audiences. Have a data-informed approach to communications, with experience identifying meaningful KPIs, interpreting campaign performance, and translating results into actionable recommendations. Possess excellent presentation and stakeholder-management skills, including experience developing persuasive strategic decks and confidently presenting ideas and recommendations to senior stakeholders. Experience briefing, commissioning, and managing freelancers, agencies, or other external creative partners. Have familiarity with HubSpot and Cision, or comparable communications, marketing automation, and measurement platforms. Able to balance strategic thinking with hands-on delivery and to work effectively across multiple concurrent priorities. Have curiosity, creativity, sound judgment, and a collaborative approach. Valued experience Experience in scientific or scholarly publishing, science communications, or another science-related organization. Familiarity with researchers, authors, and the scientific community as an audience. Experience working with complex scientific or technical subject matter and translating it into accessible, engaging stories. Experience with paid social media campaigns and/or targeted email marketing. Experience using audience insights, segmentation, and targeting to im Work in a Way That Works for You We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working options. Our benefits include wellbeing initiatives, shared parental leave, study assistance, and sabbaticals—supporting both your immediate responsibilities and long-term goals. Working for You We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including: Health benefits: medical, dental, and vision coverage Retirement benefits: 401(k) with match and Employee Share Purchase Plan Wellbeing: wellness platform, Headspace subscription, and Employee Assistance Programs Insurance: short- and long-term disability, life, accidental death, critical illness, and hospital indemnity Family benefits: parental leave, adoption, and surrogacy support Savings accounts: HSA, FSA, dependent care, and commuter benefits Paid time off, plus volunteer and Employee Resource Group participation days About the Business As a global leader in information and analytics, we help researchers and healthcare professionals advance science and improve health outcomes. By combining trusted content with advanced analytics, we support research, education, and clinical practice. At Elsevier, your work contributes to solving global challenges and building a more sustainable future. U.S. National Base Pay Range: $71,600 - $119,400. Geographic differentials may apply in some locations to better reflect local market rates. If performed in New York, the base pay range is $78,700 - $131,400.If performed in New York City, the base pay range is $85,900 - $143,300.If performed in Rochester, NY, the base pay range is $71,600 - $119,400. This job is eligible for an annual incentive bonus. We know your well-being and happiness are key to a long and successful career. We are delighted to offer country specific benefits. Click here to access benefits specific to your location. We are committed to providing a fair and accessible hiring process. If you have a disability or other need that requires accommodation or adjustment, please let us know by completing our Applicant Request Support Form or please contact 1-855-833-5120. Criminals may pose as recruiters asking for money or personal information. We never request money or banking details from job applicants. 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