GAP Initiative Communications Manager

Job no: 535053

Work type: Administrative & Professional

Senior management: Agriculture & Life Sciences

Department: CALS Global

Location: Hybrid

Categories: Communications / Public Relations / Marketing, Agriculture / Life Science

The Global Agricultural Productivity (GAP) Initiative is a growing public-private platform dedicated to providing the systems intelligence and coordinated action support necessary to accelerate sustainable productivity growth at all scales of production, and to generate meaningful returns for producers, society, the environment, and the economy. A core pillar of CALS Global in the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the GAP Initiative brings together expertise from universities, the public and private sectors, civil society, and global research institutions to accelerate agricultural productivity growth worldwide.

The annual GAP Report™ is the heart of the GAP Initiative. Founded in 2010, the GAP Report™ uses publicly available data to interpret global trends in agricultural total factor productivity growth—a system-wide measure of efficiency and innovation. The Initiative is now entering a strategic growth phase, leveraging its global reputation to expand its influence, develop new research and policy capabilities, and elevate TFP growth as a unifying strategy for creating sector-wide impact.

The GAP Initiative Communications Manager develops and executes a sophisticated, integrated communications strategy to amplify the GAP Initiative’s reach and influence. In addition to the design of the annual GAP Report, its launch event, and year-round activation, this role is responsible for developing educational and advocacy campaigns, creating research translation products, executing events, supporting the launch of the new GAP IQ™ data intelligence platform, and coordinating with 20+ global partners.

This role seeks a digital-native communications professional who combines strong content creation skills with strategic thinking, excels at visual storytelling, understands audience segmentation, and is comfortable translating technical content for non-specialist audiences. It reports to the Director of the GAP Initiative and closely collaborates with the GAP Initiative Senior Research Manager.

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Marketing, Journalism, or significant related professional experience
• Proven track record of developing and executing a communications strategy
• Exceptional written communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical content into accessible narratives for diverse audiences
• Digital marketing and social media expertise with demonstrated success in growing engagement and driving action across platforms
• Visual communication and graphic design skills – proficiency with InDesign, Canva, and Adobe Creative Suite
• Website content management expertise – familiar with Squarespace
• Event planning and execution experience (in-person and virtual)
• Experience coordinating with multiple partners, stakeholders, or external organizations
• Project management skills with a track record of managing complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively across teams and organizations

• Master’s degree in communications or related field
• Comfortable with managing analytics to measure performance and optimize campaigns
• Photography and videography skills
• Experience developing educational or training content
• Familiarity with AI tools for content creation and optimization
• Published work in professional or trade publications
• Strong interpersonal skills and comfort presenting to senior audiences
• Agricultural sector exposure and experience
• The incumbent will be located in Blacksburg, VA or the greater Washington, DC area

Exempt:
Not eligible for overtime

Restricted

$65,000 - $70,000; commensurate with experience

January 12, 2026

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

Please upload a writing sample for the search committee's review.

Dedicate…