Job Opportunity: Communications Manager
CORE MANDATE: Turn complex science, the people behind it, and the pathway from discovery to the field into credible stories that build understanding, inspire ownership, and spark new relationships.
Scientific storytelling that connects discovery, people, partnerships, and impact
About 2Blades
2Blades is a nonprofit organization working to protect the world's food crops from preharvest losses. We advance scientific discoveries into practical solutions that make crops more resilient, reduce yield losses, and strengthen food security. Our model connects cutting-edge plant science with real-world delivery. We work with leading researchers, agricultural companies, and public agencies so advances in crop disease and pest resilience can benefit major agricultural systems as well as smallholder farmers in food-insecure regions. We are science-driven, but our purpose is fundamentally human: helping farmers achieve more reliable harvests and improving access to nutritious food.
The Opportunity
2Blades seeks an exceptional scientific communicator who can make frontier plant science understandable, relevant, and exciting to a broad range of audiences. Working closely with the senior leadership team, R&D leaders, scientists, and business development colleagues, the Communications Manager will translate discoveries in molecular plant pathology, host-microbe interactions, genetics, and gene editing into accurate and compelling stories. These stories will connect scientific insight to field translation, farmer impact, food security, and opportunities for collaboration across agriculture and other relevant industries.
What You Will Lead
Communications strategy and positioning: Lead a communications strategy aligned with 2Blades’ mission, research programs, partnerships, fundraising priorities, and growth objectives. Strengthen the organization's position as a trusted leader in crop resilience, agricultural biotechnology, translational plant science, and food security.
Scientific storytelling: Develop clear, engaging narratives about cutting-edge molecular biology, discovery, gene editing, crop disease, and related areas of innovation. Preserve technical accuracy while making the significance accessible to donors, partners, policymakers, scientists, farmers, media, and the broader public.
Impact and global relevance: Show why the work matters, what is required to move it forward, and how practical outcomes can strengthen crop resilience, farmer livelihoods, nutrition, and global food security. Tell human-centered stories that explain how resilient crops can protect harvests and support smallholder farmers in food-insecure regions, as well as large-scale agriculture and global food systems.
Partner and industry engagement: Create high-impact content that demonstrates to private and public sector partners 2Blades’ capabilities and opportunities for collaboration. Use communications to spark interest, open doors, and support relationship development.
Integrated narrative: Work with 2Blades leadership team to develop a coherent story for each priority discovery or platform: the scientific problem, breakthrough, evidence, differentiation, potential application, development pathway, partner value, and anticipated impact.
People profiles and editorials: Communicate the expertise, leadership, personal commitment, and passion of 2Blades scientists, staff, board members, collaborators, and partners. Develop profiles and first-person stories that help audiences connect with the people behind the science and encourage engagement, pride, and shared ownership of the mission. Write and edit feature stories, scientific explainers, impact stories, press releases, backgrounders, website content, newsletters, social posts, reports, announcements, presentations, donor materials, partner briefs, executive talking points, and grant-support materials.
Digital channels and brand stewardship: Manage and regularly update 2Blades’ website on Squarespace, produce quarterly newsletters on Constant Contact, publish email communications, social media, publications, and digital assets. Ensure accuracy, clarity, visual quality, consistent voice, and audience-appropriate presentation.
Events and thought leadership: Coordinate communications for public events, including approximately one to two in-person or virtual panel discussions per year. Identify opportunities that advance the 2Blades mission and prepare speakers with clear messages, presentations, talking points, scientific context, and audience insight.
Masterclass communications: Lead logistical and communications support for the 2Blades’ masterclass on leadership and entrepreneurship for scientists, helping communicate its purpose, participant experience, and broader value.
Measurement and execution: Establish practical measures of reach, engagement, influence, and effectiveness. Manage editorial calendars, timelines, vendors, approvals, digital assets, and multiple deadlines with excellent judgment and attention to detail.
What Success Looks Like
Highly technical science is communicated accurately, clearly, and with a sense of possibility, without overstating evidence or impact.
Priority discoveries have compelling narratives that connect scientific insight, development strategy, partner opportunity, and farmer or food-system value.
2Blades leaders and scientists are visible as credible, passionate experts whose profiles deepen trust and engagement.
Communications actively support fundraising, business development, collaboration building, scientific reputation, and organizational ownership.
Diverse audiences can understand both the sophistication of the science and the practical importance of translating discoveries to the field.
Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate combines a capacity for technical fluency with exceptional writing, editorial judgment, and audience awareness. This person is intellectually curious, energized by mission, and able to earn the confidence of scientists and non-scientific audiences through stories that engage potential partners.
Education and experience: Bachelor’s or advanced degree and at least five years of experience in science communications, journalism, public relations, marketing, scientific publishing, biotechnology communications, or a related field.
Translation capability: Demonstrated ability to understand and accurately communicate advanced concepts in molecular biology and agriculture. Proven ability to move from technical data and expert interviews to clear narratives that explain discovery, evidence, differentiation, development pathways, field relevance, and real-world impact.
Writing and editorial excellence: Exceptional writing, editing, interviewing, verbal communication, and storytelling skills across technical and nontechnical formats.
Relationship orientation: Ability to work effectively with scientists, R&D leaders, business development professionals, executives, donors, partners, farmers, and external stakeholders, and to draw out the ideas and personal stories that make their work meaningful.
Digital and project leadership: Experience managing websites, newsletters, email campaigns, social media, publications, events, vendors, communications projects, and approval processes.
Judgment and integrity: Strong organization, scientific accuracy, discretion, attention to detail, and the ability to manage competing deadlines. Sound judgment about confidential, unpublished, or partner-sensitive research is essential.
Mission: Commitment to food security, agriculture, science, and global development.
Why 2Blades
2Blades offers a collegial, entrepreneurial, and mission-driven working environment grounded in trust, accountability, creativity, and excellence. Its headquarters are in Evanston, Illinois, with laboratories in Norwich, United Kingdom, and St. Paul, Minnesota. The role may involve domestic and international travel of up to 25%. Benefits include comprehensive health insurance and generous 401(k) benefits.
Application Process
Interested candidates should submit a one-page cover letter and resume by email to cm@2blades.org. Please include two to three relevant communications samples and a description of a communications project, campaign, publication, website, newsletter, social media initiative, scientific story, or event that you helped lead, including a brief description of your contribution.
Equal Opportunity Statement
2Blades is committed to building an inclusive workplace and welcomes applicants with diverse professional, personal, and geographic perspectives. Employment decisions are based on organizational needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications without regard to characteristics protected by applicable law.