Visiting Scientific Outreach Specialist

SciLine a program of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is accepting applications for a bilingual (English Spanish) Visiting Scientific Outreach Specialista full-time two-year-long opportunity to contribute to the organizations mission of connecting journalists to scientific expertise. This individual will play a central role researching identifying vetting and recruiting scientific experts to participate in SciLines flagship Expert Matching Service for journalists including by identifying Spanish-speaking scientists to add to SciLines database of media-ready experts. A competitive candidate will have fluency in both English and Spanish a concrete understanding of the principles methods and culture of science; familiarity with current research trends; excellent research data analysis and time management skills; and a well-calibrated ability to communicate effectively with busy peers in the science communityall within the context of a bustling deadline-driven newsroom-like shop. Familiarity with the news media landscape is a plus.

This is a two-year term-based position with the possibility of extension. The position may be especially attractive to individuals with a Masters or PhD degree in a field of science who are considering science communication journalism public relations or other non-academic career options.

Help us ignite the next era of science.

What Youll Do

• Identify scientific experts from SciLines internal database and when necessary from other sources and vet those experts scientific expertise and communication skills for possible referral to journalists seeking sources on deadline;
• As a peer-to-peer science professional reach out to scientific experts to recruit them to participate in interviews with journalists from local and national media outlets for specific stories;
• Partner with SciLines Scientific Outreach Managers to expand SciLines database of experts including through recruitment of scientific experts who are bilingual and/or who come from a diversity of personal and professional backgrounds;
• As time allows help analyze quantitative and qualitative data collected by SciLine to assess the efficacy and value of its services for journalists and scientists; and
• Depending on the skills and interests of the successful candidate and the needs of the organization there may also be opportunities to participate in other SciLine activities such as organizing media briefings arranging one-on-one interviews with scientists teaching media communication to scientists or science to reporters or other activities.

Minimum Qualifications

• Masters degree or Ph.D. in a scientific discipline in social sciences a plus;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in both English and Spanish;
• Excellent research skills and commitment to scientific rigor;
• Ability to build trusting relationships with scientists research institutions and scientific organizations;
• Ability to read digest and quickly extract meaning from scientific and technical papers across a wide range of scientific domains;
• Ability to identify and assess scientific communications skills using a diverse range of potential resources;
• Ability to clean analyze and extract conclusions from large qualitative and quantitative datasets; proficiency with Tableau Power BI R and/or Salesforce a plus;
• Ability to balance short- and long-term deadlines simultaneously;
• Ability to work independently but appreciative of collaborative inputs;
• Commitment to diversity equity and inclusion across the scientific and journalistic enterprisesthemes central to SciLines mission and success;
• Sensitivity to social and ethical issues relevant to science science communication and journalism;
• Appreciation for SciLines overarching mission of enhancing journalism with scientific expertise and context and leveraging journalism in support of evidence-based decision-making.

Location

SciLine is a fully remote team. The person in this role has the option of working fully remotely or hybrid or full-time from the Washington D.C. headquarters of AAASwhere a few local SciLine team members retain offices. Remote job candidates must be located in or willing to relocate to a state where AAAS has a business presence. Please review the approved states list below to confirm eligibility. If you have any questions please contact our Talent Team at.

Application Process

Submit aresume and cover letteroutlining qualifications and interest in the position by August 22 2026.Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. A Recruiter will contact you with next steps if you are selected for an interview.

AAAS is aware of fraudulent messages from individuals and entities falsely claiming to represent our organization. Please note that all official recruitment communications will come from an @ email address and all open positions are posted on our Careers page ( AAAS will never ask applicants to provide payment financial information including credit card numbers or Social Security numbers during the hiring process via an email. If you receive an email claiming to be from AAAS that looks suspicious do not click on any links or open any attachments. Instead please contact us at before responding or sharing any personal information.

The anticipated initial rate of compensation for this position is between $80000 and $90000 per year. AAAS currently provides the following benefits for this position: paid vacation leave paid sick leave paid holidays health insurance flexible spending account dental insurance life insurance vision insurance retirement benefits short- and long-term disability and life insurance each subject to the terms of the applicable program. Additional benefits may apply.

Any actual offer of employment reflecting the total compensation package and benefits will be made in the sole discretion of AAAS and will be based on a variety of factors including years of experience depth of experience and other relevant factors. AAAS reserves the right to amend or modify its employment benefits and compensation structure at any time.

AAAS is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race color religion sexual orientation gender gender identity national origin age disability veteran status or other protected category. AAAS uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. No visa sponsorship is available for this position.

Search Firm and Employment Agency Disclaimer
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Any unsolicited resumes sent to AAAS from a third party such as an agency including unsolicited resumes sent to an AAAS mailing address fax machine or email address directly to AAAS employees or to the AAAS resume database will be considered AAAS property. Verbal or written communications from any employee of AAAS shall not be considered binding obligations. AAAS Human Resources is the only AAAS representative authorized by AAAS enter into any employment agreements with any third party. AAAS will not pay a fee for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited resume.

*Approved States

• California
• Colorado
• District of Columbia
• Florida
• Georgia
• Illinois
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• New Jersey
• New York
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Pennsylvania
• Texas
• Virginia
• Washington

Required Experience:

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