Communications Manager

Department
 

PME Communications

About the Department
 

The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) was established in May 2019 and evolved from the Institute for Molecular Engineering, which was founded in 2011. The PME integrates science and engineering to address global challenges from the molecular level up. The PME’s rigorous academic and research programs are made possible through the University of Chicago’s unique partnership with Argonne National Laboratory. The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering is the first new school at the University of Chicago in three decades and the first school in the nation dedicated to molecular engineering. In the next phase of growth as a School, the PME will continue to expand its team of world-class faculty researchers and empower students from diverse backgrounds to collaborate with faculty in cutting-edge facilities. The PME aims to bring solutions for urgent societal problems to the forefront while training the next generation of scientific leaders and entrepreneurs.

Job Summary
 

The Communications Manager will help the school sustain and build a strong presence by serving as a key liaison to PME’s themes for communications projects, programs, and initiatives, overseeing updates to the Pritzker Molecular Engineering website, and managing other properties such as newsletters, campaign content, and digital marketing campaigns. The manager will take a primary role in digital marketing efforts and managing analytics for the website, social media channels, newsletters, and other digital properties, including developing monthly, quarterly, and yearly analytics reports and providing actionable insights on trends and best practices. They will help manage asset creation such as photography, videography, articles, printed materials, and other projects as requested for PME. This position takes a lead role in training users on PME’s content management system and serves as a consultant to faculty and staff regarding website best practices.

Responsibilities

• Leads, edits and helps create & curate content for the PME website, social media channels, newsletters, and digital marketing campaigns that drive results.
• Helps maintain social media and editorial calendars and execute social media strategies under the direction of the exec director and director.
• Manages interns or social media staff under the guidance of the exec director or director as assigned.
• Supervise the social media content coordinator.
• Manages and develops ROI marketing analytics for executive review and philanthropic prospecting.
• Provides actionable metrics on all digital assets, including the website, social media, and internal newsletter.
• Assists in the development of marketing collateral, including annual reports, brochures, etc.
• Stays current to industry trends, identify, and provide up-to-date recommendations based on industry best practices in website design, marketing strategies, and multimedia production.
• Manage multiple projects, including assigning freelancers, coordinating with partners, and setting timelines.
• Develops, plans, and disseminates information designed to keep the public informed of the organization's programs, accomplishments, or points of view.
• Facilitates and manages 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.
• Collaborates with the Executive Director to identify opportunities to enhance audience engagement.
• Updates and maintains the PME website, including content development and information architecture, in accordance with SEO best practices and ADA compliance.
• Serves as a key liaison to PME themes, partners, and the school for communications projects, programs, and initiatives.
• Serve as the lead liaison to update PME’s Sharepoint intranet with communications content.
• Support other PME marketing and communications efforts as needed.
• Solves moderately to complex problems related to the writing, preparation, and/or delivery of information from or about the unit.
• Assists in the development and distribution of internal communications.
• Responsible for training users on PME’s content management system
• Develops one or more of the following marketing functions: marketing communications and advertising, web blogs or other digital marketing, and market research. Reviews and updates marketing infrastructure which may include one or more database systems, the intranet, and external web sites.
• May assist managing relationships with external sales agencies.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications
 

Education:

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

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Work Experience:

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

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Certifications:

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Preferred Qualification

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, public relations, advertising, or related field.

Experience

• Minimum 5 years of Communication experience in higher education, at a non-profit or marketing and communications agency.
• Experience in building awareness through strategic communications in science, engineering, or technology.
• Experience demonstrating success in developing and implementing media relations strategies with secured placements.
• Experience establishing contacts and cultivating new media relationships.
• Experience working cross-functionally within an organization to develop and implement high-impact communication strategies.
• Experience writing and editing for media, generating ideas, managing processes, stakeholder input, and content calendars.
• Experience interviewing, brainstorming, and collaborating, putting quality over quantity and expedience.
• Experience working with content creators to adapt stories for owned channels.
• Experience in higher education, non-profit, government, or a decentralized organization desired.
• Experience communications professional with a demonstrated capacity for multi-tasking, with good political judgment, excellent communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Experience with creative direction and design principles to provide direction for internal marketing projects and campaigns.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Proficient and functional knowledge of M.S. Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook), along with standard PR measurement tools and analytics.
• Proficient in the following software: Canva, Google Suite, Microsoft Suite, and Adobe Creative Suite.
• Experience with analytics and listening tools including CrowdTangle, SocialFlow, Buffer, Facebook Insights, Twitter Analytics, Google Analytics, Parse.ly, and other tools.
• Familiarity and experience with image editing tools, such as the Adobe creative suite, InDesign, Photoshop, and InCopy.
• Background with video production tools and processes.
• Familiarity and experience with Microsoft Office Suite, Submittable, WordPress, Zoom, Slack, and Google Docs as well as Hootsuite and Mailchimp.
• Fluent in a non-English language, particularly Spanish, is a plus.

Preferred Competencies

• Excellent written and spoken communications skills (including knowledge of correct English usage, Chicago and AP style guides).
• Effective strategic professional who can clearly communicate complex issues to a variety of audiences.
• An understanding of and passion for the sciences, including experience working with research.  
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
• Organized self-starter, able to work strategically and independently.
• Effective bridge-builder, able to work across communities and keep critical stakeholders informed and engaged.
• Ability to successfully manage a workload that balances long-range planning with the unanticipated daily demands of managing publicly visible projects.
• Must be able to handle multiple tasks simultaneously and under tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated success in building collaborative relationships with diverse constituencies.

Application Documents

• Resume (Required)
• Cover Letter (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

FLSA Status
 

Exempt

Pay Frequency
 

Monthly

Scheduled Weekly Hours
 

37.5

Benefits Eligible
 

Yes

Drug Test Required
 

No

Health Screen Required
 

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
 

No

Posting Statement
 

Employees must comply with the University’s COVID-19 vaccination requirements. More information about the requirements can be found on the University of Chicago Vaccination GoForward .
The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

 

Staff 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.

 

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.

 

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.