Communications Manager, Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative (AMC)

Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL)’s Office of Institutional Planning and Communications is seeking an experienced and visionary Communications Manager for the Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative (AMC), a new and dynamic facility designed to operate as a national hub for technological innovation. In its startup phase, the AMC is designed to become a premier national innovation hub—operating at the intersection of advanced manufacturing, fusion energy, critical minerals development, AI-driven environmental solutions, and workforce training for emerging mission needs.

An essential aspect of AMC’s mission is its cross-functional research model, requiring extensive collaboration across SRNL’s Science and Technology (S&T) directorates. AMC serves as a conduit for interdisciplinary innovation, bringing together diverse research capabilities—from materials science and robotics to environmental technology and national security—to create groundbreaking solutions aligned with Department of Energy (DOE) mission priorities. The role of the Communications Manager is to communicate AMC’s cross-disciplinary research in a way that supports SRNL’s broader mission and strategic priorities. The position will report directly to the Senior Manager for External Communications with matrixed accountability to the AMC Director. 

Why This Role is Unique

At its core, AMC is built on the power of collaboration. Unlike traditional research facilities, AMC is designed to operate across SRNL’s S&T directorates, industrial partnerships, and academic collaborations, unlocking synergies in innovation. Whether advancing fusion energy technologies, developing critical minerals, or applying artificial intelligence to environmental challenges, AMC’s greatest strength is its ability to integrate disciplines to serve as a catalyst for innovation.

This crucial role calls for a seasoned communications professional who can strategically weave SRNL’s branding and communication with AMC’s cross-disciplinary successes and partnerships into narratives that resonate with scientific, industrial, academic, and public audiences. This role offers a rare opportunity to shape the public narrative of a modern innovation hub from the ground up, creating the communications architecture to ensure AMC becomes a force in research and partnership development in the coming years.

The Communications Manager will play a vital role in telling the story of this collaboration—highlighting how AMC’s approach accelerates groundbreaking discoveries while fostering workforce development and economic growth.

Strategic Communications Leadership

• Ensure all AMC communications activities align with SRNL’s corporate communications strategy, brand standards, and media engagement policies in coordination with internal, external, protocol, and executive communications functions. 
• Develop and execute a cohesive communications strategy that highlights AMC’s innovative cross-functional research across SRNL’s S&T directorates, underscoring the collaborative approach required to tackle DOE’s most pressing challenges.
• Collaborate with principal investigators, program leads, communication team members, and researchers across directorates to translate complex, interdisciplinary projects into engaging narratives for external and internal audiences.
• Position AMC as a hub for interdisciplinary partnerships by showcasing how its research seamlessly integrates technical strengths in areas such as fusion energy, materials development, robotics, AI, and process optimization.

Collaboration-Focused Content Creation

• Lead the creation of targeted technical and non-technical content—press releases, white papers, case studies, videos, and digital campaigns—that showcases collaborative breakthroughs achieved by leveraging expertise from multiple SRNL directorates.
• Highlight synergies between AMC and S&T directorates, conveying how AMC acts as a bridge to bring innovative expertise from distinct disciplines into unified, mission-critical solutions.
• Promote projects that effectively merge advanced manufacturing with fields such as fusion energy, critical minerals, grid resiliency, or artificial intelligence for environmental challenges.
• Provide strategic oversight for AMC-related communications with external vendors, ensuring deliverables align with SRNL’s mission, branding, and goals while ensuring quality and timely execution.

Stakeholder Engagement for Interdisciplinary Impact

• Communicate the value of AMC’s collaborative, cross-directorate research structure to stakeholders, including DOE leadership, industry partners, and academic institutions, illustrating how this approach maximizes innovation potential.
• Foster external engagement by showcasing how collaboration across SRNL’s directorates creates opportunities for technology transfer and real-world applications for industrial partners.
• Work with the workforce development teams to highlight AMC’s role in creating practical training opportunities for students and researchers working within cross-disciplinary teams.

Internal Communication Across Directorates

• Act as a critical liaison between AMC and S&T directorates, working in partnership with the S&T communication leads, to ensure consistent, transparent communication about ongoing collaborations and project milestones.
• In coordination with the communication team, develop messaging and communication tools that facilitate seamless information flow across directorates for cross-functional programs, promoting a culture of shared purpose and collaboration.
• Capture and share best practices from AMC-led interdisciplinary partnerships to foster future opportunities for collaboration across SRNL.

Operational Oversight and Strategic Growth

• Expand AMC’s communications strategy in alignment with the organization’s growth and maturity, ensuring the storytelling of cross-functional research adapts to reflect evolving priorities and milestones.
• Collaborate closely with the S&T communications team to ensure consistency in messaging, amplify cross-directorate projects, and craft a unified narrative showcasing AMC’s collaborative achievements and contributions to DOE mission goals.
• Establish and track performance metrics to measure the effectiveness of messaging campaigns, using insights to refine strategies and identify new opportunities to increase AMC’s visibility.
• Collaborate with SRNL’s external communications team to cultivate relationships with media outlets, funding agencies, and key stakeholders to elevate AMC’s profile, securing national recognition for its innovative and interdisciplinary approach to solving critical challenges.

Required Experience

• Master’s degree in communications, public relations, strategic communication, or a related field, OR a bachelor’s degree with substantial, demonstrated external communications experience.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive leadership experience in communications, public relations, or strategic communication, with a proven ability to lead and deliver results in high-profile organizations.
• Exceptional skills in writing, editing, and presenting, with a proven ability to translate complex technical or scientific concepts into clear, accessible messaging for diverse audiences.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with the ability to confidently interact with senior leaders, public figures, media representatives, and key external stakeholders.
• Extensive experience utilizing a variety of communications channels, including digital platforms, social media, traditional media, events, and marketing campaigns, to maximize engagement and visibility.
• Self-motivated and highly organized, with strong verbal and written communication expertise and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Proven ability to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, and lead teams effectively in a deadline-driven environment. Capable of working both independently and collaboratively across all organizational levels.
• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify challenges, propose solutions, and implement strategies to achieve communications goals.

Key Skills and Competencies

• Strong understanding of how cross-disciplinary research programs operate, with the ability to align messaging with mission-driven, collaborative outcomes.
• Exceptional writing and storytelling skills across a variety of formats, with demonstrated expertise in making technical content accessible to non-technical audiences.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), with expertise in creating professional presentations, developing graphics for visual enhancement, and utilizing Adobe Acrobat Pro for PDF management and document accessibility.
• Proficiency in communication tools and platforms, including digital marketing strategies, multimedia campaigns, and content management systems.
• Leadership acumen with experience in delivering impactful campaigns for multi-agency or multi-disciplinary projects.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in communicating large, sophisticated, and complicated national or international research efforts; experience working in a research or scientific project environment; and ability to translate complex technical concepts into language easily comprehensible to nonspecialists. 
• Familiarity with advanced manufacturing, environmental, and energy technologies, or DOE programs and facilities is strongly preferred.
• Previous experience with federal agencies is preferred with preference given to DOE and the National Laboratory System. 
• Previous experience in science writing is highly valued and strongly preferred.

"We put science to work!" 

Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) is a multi-program laboratory applying state of the art science and practical, high-value, cost-effective solutions to complex technical problems to protect the nation. Located at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS) in Aiken SC, the laboratory develops and deploys innovative technologies to address some of the nation’s environmental, energy, and national security challenges.

Battelle Savannah River Alliance (BSRA) is constantly assessing trends to provide the best possible benefits to our workforce. We also negotiate cost effective premiums that will meet the needs of our evolving workforce. 

Some of the *Benefits offered to employees include:

*Benefits vary based upon employment status

• Highly competitive Medical, Dental, and Vision options including HSA options with company provided seed
• Short- & Long-Term Disability (company paid)
• Life Insurance Non-Contributary 1X salary (company paid)
• AD&D Non-contributary 1x salary (company paid)
• Savings & Investment plan:
• • Qualified Non-Elective Company Contribution of 5% each pay period with immediate vesting
  • Company match 50 cents/dollar up to 8% (5 yrs. vesting in company match)
• Contributory Life Insurance up to 5x Salary with $1M Cap
• Contributory AD&D (employee, spouse and children)
• Paid Time Off
• Employee Assistance Plan
• SRNL offers a competitive relocation package to ease the transition process. Domestic and international relocation assistance is available for certain positions. 

For more information about our benefits, working here, and living here, visit the “About” tab at www.srnl.doe.gov.

BSRA is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. BSRA is also committed to making our workplace accessible to individuals with disabilities and will provide reasonable accommodations, upon request, for individuals to participate in the application and hiring process. Please email us at SRNLRecruiting@srnl.doe.gov with any questions regarding the hiring process or to request an accommodation.