External Communications Specialist

What You’ll Get To Do

Write and edit media pitches, announcements, web copy, talking points, social content and other external communications. 
Support day-to-day media relations, including reporter research, media lists, pitching, inbound requests, follow-up and monitoring. 
Work with the Communications team and people across Venus to identify the stories behind our technology, programs, people, tests and milestones. 
Help develop and execute owned storytelling around those stories, from individual posts and web content to broader editorial themes and recurring content. 
Interview engineers, technical leaders, executives and other subject-matter experts and turn complex work into clear, accurate, compelling storytelling. 
Help shape the editorial cadence across Venus-owned channels and connect day-to-day content to broader communications priorities. 
Support communications around testing, flight, partnerships, launches, events and other major Venus moments. 
Research reporters, outlets and media opportunities and help develop thoughtful, targeted pitches tied to the stories Venus has to tell. 
Build familiarity with relevant reporters and take on increasing ownership of media relationships over time. 
Track media coverage and relevant industry conversations and surface useful opportunities or insights to the team. 
Maintain media materials, messaging resources and other communications tools that support the function. 
Capture basic photo and video when useful for day-to-day storytelling and work with the broader team on larger creative needs. 

What We’re Looking For

Writing is the most important skill for this role.  We want someone who likes to write and cares about getting the language right. You should be able to take complicated information, understand what matters and make it accessible without losing the substance. 

Approximately 3–5 years of experience in communications, public relations, journalism, content or a related field. 

Strong writing and editing skills across different formats and audiences. 

Good editorial judgment and an instinct for what makes something interesting, relevant or newsworthy. 

An interest in media relations and a willingness to pitch reporters. 

Curiosity and an eagerness to learn technical subject matter. 

Comfort asking questions and working with engineers, executives and other subject-matter experts. 

Good judgment around accuracy, messaging and when to ask for guidance. 

Strong organization and follow-through across multiple projects and deadlines. 

An interest in both earned media and owned storytelling.

The ability to work on-site in Houston. 

What Makes You A Good Fit

How you work matters just as much as what you have done before. 

You are curious, eager to learn and willing to ask questions until you really understand the work. 

You are a strong teammate who is low ego, dependable and willing to jump in where needed. 

You are a creative problem solver who brings ideas and is comfortable figuring things out when there is not already a playbook. 

You take feedback well, care about getting better and are excited to grow into more responsibility over time. 

You can adapt when priorities shift without losing track of the details. 

You take the work seriously, but bring a sense of humor and enjoy working with other people. 

You are excited by the opportunity to help build something and have a hand in shaping how the Communications function grows. 

Helpful Experience

You do not need to check every one of these boxes, but experience in any of the following would be useful: 

Pitching reporters or supporting an earned-media program. 

Journalism or newsroom experience. 

Communicating aerospace, defense, engineering, science or other technical subject matter. 

Writing across both earned and owned channels. 

Basic photography, video or digital-content skills. 

Working in a growth-stage environment where teams, processes and ways of working are still being built. 

How The Role Can Grow

This role will start broad across writing, media relations and owned content. As you learn Venus and build experience, there will be room to take on deeper ownership of earned media, reporter relationships, editorial storytelling and other parts of our external communications work. 

The goal is for the role to grow with the person in it and with the needs of Venus, with increasing responsibility as experience and judgment develop.