Description

Job Summary

Working jointly with the communications and marketing teams of the Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications, the Senior Public Relations Strategist is a dynamic, self-motivated team player who will leverage their skills, talents, and networks to position the University of Illinois Chicago among the world’s premier academic research institution and health enterprise. The successful candidate will inform, inspire, and engage through compelling storytelling about UIC to reach diverse audiences through events, campaigns, and channels, including local, national, and global media pitches, news releases, talking points, feature stories, social media, earned media, external publications, and broadcasts. In addition, the candidate should have in-depth knowledge and proficiency in leveraging and integrating a multimedia strategy as well as being a spokesperson/host for the university’s newsletter, UIC Today, along with other strategic initiatives and storytelling opportunities, including panels, podcasts, videos, etc.

Reporting to the Associate Vice Chancellor for University Communications, the Senior PR Strategist uses print, digital, and visual storytelling to build target audience affinity and create brand experiences. This role supports the creation, planning, implementation, assessment, and monitoring of an integrated communications plan informed by core messaging, university brand, and strategic initiatives. As a strategic communicator, the person in this role collaborates with a wide variety of campus partners and external constituencies to evaluate, influence, and lift university priorities, gather, interview, and write while managing a content plan and calendar.

This role requires a positive, can-do attitude and team of teams’ mindset, a deep understanding of and passion for media relations, and strong instincts around what it takes to pitch and place a story with top-tier media and organizations.

About UIC

Located in one of the world’s greatest cities, the University of Illinois Chicago is Chicago’s largest university and only public research institution. Its 16 academic colleges serve nearly 34,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. UIC is recognized as one of the most ethnically rich and culturally diverse campuses in the nation, a leader in providing access to underrepresented students. UIC serves over 34,000 students, comprising one of the most diverse student bodies in the nation and is designated as a Minority Serving Institution (MSI), an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPSI), and a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI).

Around 80% of undergraduates receive financial assistance. With one of the largest colleges of medicine in the nation, and colleges of dentistry, pharmacy, public health, nursing, social work, and applied health sciences, UIC is the state’s principal educator of health professionals and a major healthcare provider to underserved communities. UIC students become professionals in fields ranging from business and engineering to education, liberal arts and sciences, urban planning, law, and social work, as well as architecture, design, and the arts. UIC is an integral part of the educational, technological, and cultural fabric of Chicago.
UIC is among the nation’s preeminent urban public research universities, a Carnegie RU/VH research institution, and the largest university in Chicago. Recent “Best Colleges” rankings published by U.S. News & World Report, found UIC climbed up in its rankings among top public schools in the nation and among all national universities. The UIC campus is located just west of Chicago’s loop, integrated into historic residential neighborhoods and the urban environment.

Job Responsibilities

• Serve as the lead PR strategist for the university by elevating UIC Today and other internal channels with multimedia content; ability to write, speak, and digitally curate in a variety of styles and voices, including for pitches, press releases, panels, social media, talking points, internal communications, etc. to facilitate in reaching targeted audiences' interests and needs.
• Serve as a point of contact and coordination for media, social media, and other community interactions, events, panels, etc.
• Organize media events and public appearances including recruitment and preparation of speakers.
• Prep university leadership and stakeholders for media opportunities and presentations of all kinds.
• Build anchored and positive relationships with local and national news media and organizations in, around, and beyond Chicago, including partnerships with other universities/institutions; curates and maintains media and organizational contact lists.
• Strategically generate story ideas and capitalize on events, community efforts, sponsorships, and more as opportunities to tell UIC’s story far and wide locally and nationally.
• Monitor, measure, and report out/document all coverage to deliver and elevate a data-driven, decision-making framework for the team and university; stay current and ahead of news developments/trends to proactively promote, position, and protect UIC’s reputation.
• A team player who can work highly collaboratively and effectively with the Storytelling and Content Strategy, Brand and Creative Communications, Digital Marketing and Engagement, Digital Media and Engagement and Analytics and Alignment teams of Strategic Marketing and Communications along with university communicators, Advancement, Athletics, UI Health and other stakeholders to coordinate communication efforts and ensure consistent cross-channel messaging and amplification.
• Perform other duties as they emerge in an ever-evolving marketing and communications landscape.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, journalism, broadcast, media, or related field.
• Five (5) years of experience in broadcast, marketing, and communications
• Portfolio of work that represents strategic communications plan, media engagement, and storytelling. 

Competencies/Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Demonstrates proficiency and passion for news, media relations, and storytelling.
• Demonstrates excellence in news judgment, communication skills, and a sense of what is best for the UIC brand. 
• Excellent organizational skills with great attention to detail and the ability to steadily handle multiple projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines and not comprising quality.
• Possess a strong commitment to teamwork, creativity, and willingness to learn.
• Flexible about shifting priorities and entrepreneurial and resilient when faced with ambiguity.
• Nimbly adapts to new systems, knowing when it is necessary to ask for help and when it is appropriate to propose better ways of doing things.
• Possesses collaborative and growth mindset and deeply values teamwork.
• Commitment to the mission and values of UIC, including a strong commitment to accessibility and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

For fullest consideration, applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, and 3 references, and upload a portfolio by September 14, 2023. To view full job details and to apply go to the UIC Main Job Board

The University of Illinois Chicago is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer that has a strong institutional commitment to the principle of diversity and is particularly interested in receiving applications from a broad spectrum of people. We are committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.
The University of Illinois may conduct background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer. Background checks will be performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

The University of Illinois System requires candidates selected for hire to disclose any documented finding of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment and to authorize inquiries to current and former employers regarding findings of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment. For more information, visit https://www.hr.uillinois.edu/cms/One.aspx?portalId=4292&pageId=1411899

University of Illinois faculty, staff and students are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. If you are not able to receive the vaccine for medical or religious reasons, you may seek approval for an exemption in accordance with applicable University processes.