Website The Sycamore Institute
An impartial research center for Tennessee
Position Summary
The Sycamore Institute equips Tennessee’s civic leaders with data-driven resources to identify, understand, and solve big challenges. The External Relations Associate is a critical member of Sycamore’s bipartisan staff, assisting with planning, executing, and growing our community and public relations. This position is ideal for someone passionate about public policy, communications, and program management.
This collaborative but entrepreneurial role engages diverse stakeholders in Sycamore’s work. It is an in-person position reporting to the Director of External Relations and based in Nashville, Tennessee.
Key Responsibilities
Communications
· Creates, schedules, and monitors posts across all social media channels to enhance engagement and grow Sycamore’s audience.
· Writes and distributes compelling press releases with our media partners across Tennessee.
· Creates brand-consistent flyers, graphics, presentations, etc., for events or webinars.
· Tracks and updates surveys, media lists, Google Ads, and KPIs, assisting with collection, tracking, and creating communication reports.
· Promptly responds to public inquiries via phone, email, and social media.
· Authors a quarterly newsletter on relevant criminal fee and fine work and related topics.
· Provides general communications support to the Director of External Relations—which may include assisting with writing, editing, email marketing, website management, and video/podcast production.
Events & Program Management
· Develops, organizes, and promotes events, webinars, and other ways to maintain and increase audience engagement.
· Serves as point of contact for event speakers, from invitation to hosting, whether virtually or in person.
· Works in coordination with relevant staff for events, including communications support, attendee management, and day-of coordination.
· Seeks opportunities for Sycamore to engage with and speak at community events related to Sycamore’s research priorities.
· Attends virtual and in-person events with senior staff to assist with disseminating relevant reports, data, and resources to stakeholders.
· Coordinates Sycamore’s formal community engagement networks, such as our community council and our criminal justice fee and fine policy network—which includes growing, nurturing, and convening groups of diverse stakeholders from across the state and coordinating communication.
· Assists in maintaining the organization’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, including data entry and updates to ensure accurate and up-to-date stakeholder information.
Other Responsibilities
· Participates in internal staff meetings, trainings, and efforts to improve individual and team performance.
· Occasional travel may be required for meetings and events within Tennessee.
· Performs other duties as assigned related to Sycamore’s mission.
Required Qualifications
· Minimum two years of experience in communications or a related field, preferably in a nonprofit context.
· Excellent verbal and written English communication skills.
· Demonstrated interest in public policy at the local, state, or federal level.
· Encourages the expression of opinions and actively listens to diverse viewpoints.
· Productive independently and as a small team member, and maintains performance and self-control under pressure.
Preferred Qualifications
· Bachelor’s degree (or 4+ years of relevant work experience) in marketing, public relations, political science, history, English, or a related field.
· Experience with Photoshop, Canva, or other image/graphics editing software.
· Experience with WordPress.
· History of running Zoom meetings and/or webinars.
· Knowledge and history of running successful Google Ads campaigns.
Working at Sycamore
As a member of the Sycamore team, you can expect to have an impact on policy areas you care about and work with great colleagues who are fun, smart, and mission-driven. Our internal culture is essential to this work: we embrace collaboration, complexity, intellectual honesty, empathy, and disagreement. We reward skill, innovation, and hard work and provide ample flexibility and meaningful opportunities to learn and grow in ways that benefit both you and the organization.
The salary for the External Relations Associate will depend on skill and experience, with a potential range of $55,000-$60,000. We also offer a comprehensive benefits package that meets employees’ needs during the various stages of their life—including generous paid time off, employer-paid medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, paid parental leave, and a 401(k) matching option.
About the Sycamore Institute
Founded in 2015, the Sycamore Institute is an independent, nonpartisan public policy research center for Tennessee. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit with leadership and staff from across the political spectrum, our mission is to provide accessible, reliable data and research in pursuit of sound, sustainable policies that improve the lives of all Tennesseans. For more information, visit sycamoretn.org.
To Apply
Interested candidates should submit a resume, cover letter, and a writing sample of 1,000 words or less through this form. Writing samples should be of the applicant’s work and not that of an AI tool. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. No calls or in-person application submissions please.
The Sycamore Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes qualified candidates from all backgrounds and experience to apply for this position.