COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

We are seeking a Communications Specialist to support a Program at Fort Detrick, MD. This is a direct-hire role with our client, an award-winning Management Consulting firm that supports the Federal Government.


Position Summary
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.

Key Responsibilities
Legislative Communications Support

• 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.
• Coordinate with the Senior Communications Specialist and PAO staff to ensure legislative communications are timely, accurate, and aligned with approved messaging.

Written Product Development

• 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.
• Apply DHA R&D-MRDC and PAO standards for tone, formatting, quality, and editorial consistency.
• Incorporate input from technical staff, leadership, laboratories, and other stakeholders into cohesive final products.

Science and Medical Research Translation

• Synopsize 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.
• Ensure technical information is communicated accurately while remaining understandable to congressional staff, decision-makers, and leadership audiences.
• Support leadership decision-making by clearly communicating the impact and significance of DHA R&D-MRDC programs and research activities.

Organizational Tasker Communication Coordination

• 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.

ETMS2 Database Administration

• 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.

Required 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.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting DHA, DoD, Army, military medical research, federal health, or biomedical research programs.
• Familiarity with ETMS2 or similar Government task management systems.
• Experience supporting congressional inquiries, legislative taskers, formal Government responses, or leadership briefings.
• Experience developing slide presentations or briefing materials for senior audiences.
• Familiarity with PAO standards, editorial review processes, and executive-level communication protocols.

Deliverables Supported
This position supports legislative communication summaries, white papers, information papers, executive summaries, briefing materials, slide presentations, congressional taskings, formal responses, science and medical research summaries, tasker coordination products, and ETMS2 tracking records.