The University of Chicago

Department

Civic Engagement Associate Director Pool

About the Department

At the University of Chicago, civic engagement is an institution-wide commitment that encompasses our contributions to the enrichment of human life through research and education, our work to increase economic opportunities on the South Side, and our support for the open exchange of ideas with our broader community. Our relationship and engagement with the City of Chicago was of critical importance at the time of our founding and continues to guide the University’s contributions to the city and the South Side today. The University approaches civic engagement in a comprehensive and deliberate way: we approach civic engagement as a University-wide commitment that furthers our core mission of research and education and reflects our core values; we build meaningful, mutually-beneficial partnerships that increase civic participation, expand educational access, and create economic and social opportunity; we apply an interdisciplinary approach that brings our best thinking across multiple domains to advance innovative initiatives that enrich human life in our city; we solve real world problems with rigor by supporting our faculty, students, staff, and alumni to engage with the community and the world around them as they address the most pressing urban challenges and build evidence-based solutions; and we measure and communicate our impact, sharing what we are doing and learning as we partner with others to contribute to the public good.

Job Summary

The Associate Director of Communications will support the planning and execution of a digital marketing strategy that reaches families, nonprofit organizations, small businesses, job seekers, and community leaders on the South Side of Chicago to drive awareness of and participation in the opportunities and resources available to them through the University of Chicago and the Office of Civic Engagement (OCE), as well as to deepen their overall engagement with the University.

The Associate Director of Communications will be a member of the OCE Communications team and report to the Senior Director of Communications. This position will play an integral role in advancing a communications strategy for OCE that reaches families, nonprofit organizations, small businesses, job seekers, and community leaders on the South Side of Chicago to drive awareness of and participation in the opportunities and resources available to them through the University of Chicago and the Office of Civic Engagement, as well as to deepen their overall relationship and engagement with the University.

Responsibilities

• Works closely with OCE’s Senior Director of Communications and Assistant Director of Communications to execute a communications strategy that increases visibility of core initiatives and deepens engagement with key external stakeholders and influencers.
• Collaborates with Senior Director of Communication to develop and execute content strategy for OCE and its programs.
• Leads content writing for OCE and its programs, featuring community partners and program participants.
• Collaborates with Senior Director of Communications to develop and execute earned media strategy for OCE programs, initiatives, and leaders, identifying and tracking earned media opportunities, developing key messages, crafting pitches, and building relationships with journalists.
• Provides communications support for VP for Civic Engagement speaking engagements and internal communications.
• Leads collateral materials development for OCE and its programs.
• Partners on creation of video content highlighting program impact and opportunities.
• Collaborates with Assistant Director of Communications on content of email communications and efforts to expand reach.
• Conducts outreach to internal stakeholders.
• Secures opportunities to highlight OCE programs and events at community forums.
• Attends occasional evening and weekend events on campus and in community to represent office and advance other responsibilities of position.
• Manages and mentors seasonal interns.
• Participate in and contribute to evaluation and strategic planning processes.
• Makes contributions to the media interface, including writing press releases, planning and organizing media coverage for major events, and crafting responses to sensitive or controversial issues.
• Solves moderate to complex problems related to the writing, preparation, and/or delivery of information from or about the unit.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, public relations, journalism, or related field.

Experience:

• Professional work experience in communications or a related field.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Experience working with email marketing platforms (i.e. Emma).
• Experience building presentations with PowerPoint.
• Experience with email marketing programs, specifically Emma, and use of segmenting to target email communication.

Preferred Competencies

• Experience in managing the complete life cycle for communications in a complex environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
• Strong news judgment.
• Editing and proofreading skills, including knowledge of grammar, punctuation, spelling, and style.
• Ability to act as a liaison between the Office of Civic Engagement and staff at various external agencies, organizations, and institutions with whom the office may collaborate.
• Experience with video production and editing.
• Experience with event planning.
• Experience with graphic design.
• Keen understanding of traditional, digital, and social media outlets and their audiences and reach, and the ability to adapt organizations’ key messages to those formats.
• Strong interest in civic engagement and issues affecting communities on Chicago’s South Side.
• Ability to engage thoughtfully with issues related to race, identity, and equity and work across difference.
• Demonstrated experience working with communities that have experienced segregation and disinvestment.
• Strong judgment, ability to work independently with a high degree of initiative, maintain confidentiality, and problem solve.
• Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously, set priorities, and meet deadlines.
• Comfort working across and learning to navigate new digital and content platforms.
• Organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to work a non-traditional schedule including some evenings and weekends.

Application Documents

• Resume (required)
• Cover Letter (required)
• References (3) (required)

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Communications

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

FLSA Status

Exempt

Pay Range

$79,000.00 - $102,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu. Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.

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