Senior Communications Specialist

Department

ESA Deputy Director - Direct Reports 2

About the Department

Career Advancement serves a student population of approximately 7,000 arts and sciences undergraduate students, in addition to alumni who have graduated within the last five years. Career Advancement plays a vital role in ensuring our students’ success after graduation. Career Advancement offers innovative and comprehensive career development services with a focus on pre-professional preparation, experiential education, and opportunities. Through career advising, programs, and comprehensive resources, Career Advancement supports undergraduate students and alumni as they develop the skills necessary to manage their career development, while working with alumni and employers to provide students with meaningful opportunities. For more information, please visit the Career Advancement website at careeradvancement.uchicago.edu .

Job Summary

The Senior Communications Specialist, Career Advancement will independently lead strategy to create content to keep both internal and external audiences informed of UChicago students’ career success and the University’s leadership in career services. This team member will leverage best practices and deep knowledge of the University to serve as the lead copywriter for the department and contribute to communications across a variety of platforms, including e-mail, print, web, and social media.

The Senior Communications Specialist will work closely with senior leadership and campus partners to recommend best practices to advance strategic goals and ensure a consistent editorial voice across all departmental communications. This position requires creative storytelling skills and the ability to communicate effectively across a range of channels with a highly diverse audiences, including undergraduate students, alumni, parents, staff, and employers. The ideal candidate will be an energetic individual contributor with a record of success in complex and collaborative fast-paced environments.

Responsibilities

• Independently develops strategy for original content for career-related communications, including memos, agendas, newsletters, web content, presentations, and general email outreach.
• Provides communications support for senior leadership team, recommending best practices to advance strategic goals and solve complex communications challenges.
• Oversees content for 190+ page department website, careeradvancement.uchicago.edu .
• Reviews and edits communications drafted by colleagues, ensuring a consistent brand and voice across the Department.
• Serves as Department liaison with key partner offices, including College Admissions and College Communications.
• Trains new staff on communications best practices.
• Manages University of Chicago Career Advancement LinkedIn account.
• Advises undergraduate students on professional resumes, cover letters, interview preparation, graduate school applications, and general career guidance.
• Supports University fundraising efforts by contributing content on career programs to donor proposals and other communications.
• Acts as a strategist or project lead to plan, develop and disseminate information designed to keep the public informed of the organization's programs, accomplishments, or point of view.
• Solves complex and unique 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 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience:

• Expertise in copywriting and editing developed through professional experiences.
• Working in a higher education setting, preferably in strategic communications.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Proficient with Contentful or a similar web content management system.
• Skilled with LinkedIn or similar social media platforms.
• Familiarity with the University of Chicago.

Preferred Competencies

• Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills, demonstrated initiative, and work both independently and collaboratively, with flexibility and adaptability.
• Deep commitment to customer service, prioritize and balance different work streams, meet deadlines, and work successfully in a fast-paced environment.
• Communicate to large groups as well as one-on-one with students, employers, senior leadership, campus partners, donors, and alumni.
• Strategically drive independent work to align with senior leadership vision and broader organizational goals.
• Demonstrated success in maintaining collaborative relationships with diverse constituencies.
• Strong attention to detail.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (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

$102,000.00 - $132,000.00

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 Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, 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 .

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.

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