Senior Researcher-Task Lead (Pentagon)

Description

Vistra Federal seeks a Senior Researcher to support the Department of the Army's Communications and Outreach Office (ACOO) (formerly Office of the Chief of Public Affairs (OCPA)). The Senior Researcher will provide strategic research and insights to inform Army communication efforts across various media channels and community outreach activities. This role involves leading audience analysis, conducting comprehensive media research, and developing actionable reports for Army communication campaigns. The Senior Researcher uses advanced media analysis and social listening tools to provide the ACOO with data-driven insights, ensuring optimized messaging and impact across Army's traditional and digital platforms. This position is full time onsite at the Pentagon.

Metrics Development and Campaign Analysis

• Collaborate with communication campaign leads to establish, track, and assess appropriate metrics for evaluating Army communication efforts.
• Work with Communication Strategist to develop measurable communication objectives, as well as evaluation of communications.
• Participate in the development of communication strategies to improve message deployment effectiveness across Army-owned platforms and mainstream media.
• Advise on and utilize industry best practices in communication metrics, including data from mainstream media, social media, and other digital platforms.

Media and Social Media Monitoring Oversight

• Collaborate with digital management and media monitoring experts in the analysis and monitoring of content on mainstream media outlets and Army platforms (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) to optimize messaging and enhance campaign performance.
• Provide expert recommendations to identify key Centers of Influence (COI), relevant media outlets, and social media influencers to support ACOO communication objectives.
• Conduct detailed regular analyses of traditional and social media performance, delivering a comprehensive report including thematic analysis, trends, tone, and engagement metrics.

Social Listening and Advanced Analytical Expertise

• Utilize advanced social listening tools (e.g., Sprinklr, Talkwalker, Meltwater, Google Analytics) to monitor and analyze social media trends, engagement metrics, and communication campaign buzz.
• Provide periodic reports and in-depth assessments of social media performance, trends, and sentiment analysis to support ACOO's strategic goals.

Comprehensive Data Analysis and Reporting

• Utilize business intelligence tools to compile multimodal reports that assess media content and Army messaging effectiveness, ensuring both quantitative and qualitative insights are auditable and replicable.
• Oversee monthly, quarterly, and annual communication assessment reports, integrating insights on short- and long-term trends to guide Army's strategic communication planning.
• Design a message map to visually depict the dissemination of Army narratives across social media, tracking demographic and geographic engagement.

Database and Knowledge Management

• Maintain a robust database for capturing, storing, and accessing communication-related data, ensuring usability for both human and machine analysis.
• Archive all collected data to be available for up to three years or as required under NARA and DoW guidelines
• Collect, evaluate, and maintain a database of public opinion poll data from reputable, secondary sources, providing analysis and recommendations on relevant findings.

Collaboration and Communication Recommendations

• Collaborate with ACOO's divisions to ensure alignment on communication efforts and strategy.
• Communicate findings and strategic insights to ACOO leadership, advising on adjustments to messaging strategies based on collected data and media analysis.

Additional Responsibilities

• Maintain awareness of industry best practices, making recommendations for analysis methodologies, presentation formats, and visualization techniques.
• Ensure all data, analyses, and reports are compatible with Microsoft Office Suite programs and prepared for streamlined access.
• Provide analytical expertise on trends and alerts to ACOO leadership, with timely reports that aid in decision-making and response planning.

Requirements

Education: Master with 5 years demonstrated social science or behavioral research experience. Degree in Communications, Public Relations, Data Analytics, or a related field. Advanced degree in Media Analysis, Data Science, or a similar field preferred.

Experience:

• Extensive experience in media research, social media metrics, and data-driven communication strategy.
• Proficiency in using industry-recognized tools for social listening and media monitoring (e.g., Sprinklr, Talkwalker, Meltwater, Google Analytics).

Skills:

• Technical Expertise: Skilled in data analysis, visualization, and reporting, with experience using business intelligence tools.
• Analytical Thinking: Ability to interpret complex data sets, producing clear insights to inform Army messaging.
• Communication: Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate data findings into actionable recommendations for ACOO leadership.
• Project Management: Able to work in MS Planner to create and manage timelines and tasks.
• Collaboration: Able to collaborate with team members and take feedback/direction from leadership.

Additional Requirements

• Proven ability to respond to evolving Army communication needs in a high up-tempo environment.
• In-depth knowledge of Army and DoW communication policies, media landscapes, and trends in public opinion and digital communication.

About Vistra: Vistra Communications, doing business as Vistra and Vistra Federal Solutions, is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) headquartered in Tampa, FL with an office in Alexandria, VA providing professional support serviced to Defense, Federal, and Civilian Agencies. Approximately 25% of our "team member" employees work in the National Capital Region, providing communications, outreach, and organizational transformation services to our public sector customers. Vistra provides medical, dental, and vision benefits, life and disability insurance, employer matching 401(k) retirement plan, Paid Time Off, Parental and Bereavement Leave, and Professional Development, among other benefits.

US Citizenship Required: Due to the requirements of the federal contract that this position supports, U.S. citizenship is required. Citizenship will be confirmed via I-9/E-Verify at the start of employment.