Director of External Engagement

About BDI

The Bridging Divides Initiative (BDI) is a non-partisan research initiative that tracks and mitigates political violence in the United States. BDI supports efforts to grow and build local community resilience through elections and other periods of heightened risk, laying the groundwork for longer-term to bridge the divides we face as a nation.

We do this by 1) producing action-oriented and responsive research to fill existing gaps and empower local leaders; 2) enabling cross-sector collaboration, so individuals and organizations are better prepared to mitigate risk and respond to crisis when it does arise; and 3) helping to drive the policy and community response. Over the past three years, BDI played an essential role in supporting a wide range of actors preparing for and responding to political violence and democratic crisis. Our data, analysis, and tools continue to help a diverse coalition of national and local decision-makers better target their interventions. BDI is based at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA), co-hosted by the Empirical Studies of Conflict (ESOC). 

For more information, please visit our website: https://bridgingdivides.princeton.edu/.

Position Overview

BDI is seeking a Director of External Engagement to lead our public communications, editorial strategy, briefings, and external outreach. Moving beyond traditional communications management, this leadership role oversees BDI’s broader external footprint. The Director will synthesize BDI’s rapid-response research and long-term trend analysis into compelling public narratives, interactive tools, and strategic briefings that empower policymakers, practitioners, community partners, and media stakeholders.

The Director will design and execute an integrated external engagement strategy to ensure BDI’s resources reach communities when and where they are needed most. This role manages external representation across national coordination spaces and establishes robust systems for responsive partner engagement.

The role does not include development or fundraising responsibilities. 

This is a full-time, benefits-eligible, 1-year term position with a possibility of extension. Work must be performed within the United States and is fully remote. 

Team Leadership & People Management

• Act as the direct supervisor and manager for external engagement staff, including personnel directly responsible for community safety and de-escalation programming.
• Provide ongoing coaching, performance evaluation, and professional development support to team members, ensuring the team is equipped to handle rapid-response periods.
• Manage the team's internal workflows, project timelines, and task allocations to align day-to-day operations with BDI’s broader programmatic goals.

Strategic Communications 

• Develop and execute an integrated, outcomes-based communications and external engagement strategy that centers BDI’s mission to mitigate risk and build a pluralistic, multi-racial democracy.
• Lead media strategy, manage and expand national and local press relationships, produce press releases, and prepare media resources and talking points.
• Oversee multi-channel digital communications, including newsletters and mass email outreach, social media channels, website development, and public-facing interactive tools.
• Maintain organizational branding, narrative consistency, and visual style guidelines across all public platforms and assets.

• Manage the production pipeline for all public-facing content, establishing clear editorial guidelines and providing editorial support across the organization.
• In coordination with the Research Director and other members of senior leadership, oversee public product development and the drafting, structuring, and positioning of general and targeted audience resources, including annual key trends reports, special analysis, fact sheets, issue briefs, and media guides.

External Representation & Outreach 

• Coordinate external engagement efforts designed to reach and build relationships with key audiences and stakeholders, including policymakers, practitioners, and academics.
• Serve as an official representative and spokesperson for BDI, including conducting media interviews, placing op-eds in external publications, and delivering expert commentary.
• Prepare BDI staff for public speaking engagements, press interviews, and policy outreach, providing messaging guidance, scheduling support, and briefing materials.
• Represent BDI within national coordination spaces focused on public communications and policy engagement.
• Design and execute a comprehensive event strategy to streamline existing briefings and identify new programmatic opportunities.
• Coordinate and host regular and ad hoc national, regional, or issue-specific briefings for public and partner-only audiences, including rapid-response or anticipatory briefings around critical risk periods.

User Engagement, Matchmaking & Responsive Support

• Supervise and optimize institutional communication pathways to process incoming organic inquiries and support requests efficiently.
• Create clear pathways for public and partner engagement with BDI tools, specifically supporting the growth and operational success of portals like the Community Safety and De-Escalation platform.

Qualifications 

Required

• Deep commitment to supporting civil society efforts to address political violence in the U.S. across diverse political affiliations, geographies, and sectors.
• Demonstrated experience designing and executing comprehensive communication or external affairs strategies that drive social change or impact policy.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with a proven track record of synthesizing complex, data-driven research into accessible narratives for policymakers, community leaders, and journalists.
• Established relationships with media outlets and a deep understanding of media relations, digital platforms, and current communication technology trends.
• Strong project management background, with the ability to maintain rigorous systems and deliver high-quality outputs during rapid-response or high-risk operational periods.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in communications, external affairs, media relations, or public policy operations.
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a relevant field (e.g., Public Policy, Communications, International/Public Affairs, Journalism).

Preferred

• Advanced degree in a relevant field.
• Experience leading communication or external engagement strategy within an academic, research-intensive, or policy-oriented organization.
• Design experience, either working with designers or with personal experience.
• Familiarity with spatial data, mapping tools, or public-facing data platforms.
• Experience working effectively within a fully remote, highly collaborative team structure.
• Experience with Mailchimp, Drupal, Canva, Adobe Illustrator, Asana, Slack and G-Suite.

Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The University considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's qualifications, work experience, education/training, key skills, market, collective bargaining agreements as applicable, and organizational considerations when extending an offer. The posted salary range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate for a full-time position; salaries for part-time positions are pro-rated accordingly.

If the salary range on the posted position shows an hourly rate, this is the baseline; the actual hourly rate may be higher, depending on the position and factors listed above.

The University also offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees. Please see this link for more information.