Communications Generalist - Chicago, United States - Skills for Chicagoland's Future

Description

Organization

Skills for Chicagoland's Future (Skills) is a nonprofit organization focused on connecting jobseekers in the Chicagoland area with quality jobs. The biggest barrier to equity in job search is a professional network. Many job seekers are overlooked because they do not have the connections that can help them get through the hiring process. By developing a strong network of trusted employer partners, Skills has created a network that our talented job seekers can tap into.

Our model helps our candidates connect directly to hiring managers, giving them the tools and connections to succeed. Our focus on the south and west sides of Chicago helps us impact economic mobility in Chicago's historically under invested communities. To date, Skills has directly impacted the lives of 12,150+ job seekers.

Position Summary

The External Affairs Generalist is an exciting and impactful opportunity to join the mission-driven team at Skills. The External Affairs generalist is responsible for guiding projects across varied channels in support of internal departments and new sites within the Skills network; working within the Marketing and Development department to support fundraising, drive engagement, grow the brand locally and nationally, and tell the impactful story of Skills' work. This role will focus primarily on written content, digital and social media, and collateral design.

In this role, a passion for our mission and our growth plan is essential as we scale our impact. The ideal candidate will be able to "do" and "learn" in this position and will possess the drive to develop new skills to help propel the organization and themselves forward. Skills is looking for a candidate with excellent writing skills who is data-driven, research-focused, growth-minded, organized, and detail-oriented. The External Affairs Generalist will be based in Chicago with a flexible/hybrid schedule of remote and in-office work, reporting to the Vice President of External Affairs

Responsibilities and Duties

• Develop written content for external audiences, including fundraising materials, blog posts, social media posts, recruitment marketing, e-mails, and candidate success stories.
• Interview candidates, employers, staff, and other stakeholders to develop material for external content to promote Skills mission and programs.
• Support development of promotional and informational collateral for any/all stakeholders across internal teams, job seekers, employer partners, community partners, funders, and other stakeholders.
• Collaborate on the management of a communications calendar and source materials for internal and external messaging.
• Track and report on outreach and engagement strategies.
• Support in the writing and editing of Skills' grant proposal and reports; communicate with VP and internal teams in order to meet all deadlines.
• Support Skills' annual fundraising event by supporting milestones and activities throughout the year (solicitation mailings, event announcements and materials, meeting support, phone calls to secure sponsor information and materials, event logistics and day-of event support).
• Support donor communications (e-news, mailings) including updating lists, preparing materials, sending and tracking communications and response. Includes messaging to the Board of Directors, event sponsors, individual donors, etc.
• Support other marketing and development work, including events, grant writing and prospect research.

Qualifications & Candidate Profile

• 3 to 4 years previous professional experience with significant responsibility to create written content strongly preferred.
• Excellent writing and proofreading skills and ability to tailor messaging to different audiences required.
• Experience engaging audiences and accomplishing communication goals.
• Highly organized and able to work effectively independently as well as in a team environment.
• Ability to balance long-term needs and immediate priorities, manage projects and meet deadlines.
• Ability to synthesize data to tell stories through narrative and visuals.
• Knowledge of Salesforce preferred.
• Prior experience in a nonprofit setting is strongly preferred
• Graphic design experience a plus.

Benefits & Compensation

• $60,000 to $75,000 annual salary. Individual compensation varies based on job related factors, including level of responsibility, experience, and qualifications.
• Full-time, exempt position.
• Health, vision, and dental insurance.
• Employer sponsored STD/LTD/Life Insurance, after applicable waiting periods.
• 15 holidays, 4 personal days (frontloaded at beginning of the year) for full-time employees.
• 20 vacation days and 10 sick days (accrued on an annual basis) for full-time employees.
• 401k and organization match within three months (0.5% up to 3% max for match).

All offers of employment are contingent upon a clear background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude employment. Rather, Skills 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.

Skills is a safe, inclusive workplace for people of all backgrounds and walks of life. We strive to live our values and our mission as role models to our employer partners. Some candidates may see a long list of job requirements and feel discouraged because they don't match every single bullet point – we suggest, please apply anyway. If you believe this is a role that you'll be excited to work in every day, want to be a part of a culture like ours, and will be relentless about pushing boundaries to succeed, please apply.

Skills is an equal opportunity employer, drug-free workplace, and complies with ADA regulations as applicable. All applicants are considered for all positions without regard to race, religion, color, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, national origin, ancestry, physical/mental disability, medical condition, military/veteran status, genetic information, marital status, ethnicity, alienage, or any other protected classification, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. By completing this application, you are seeking to join a team of hardworking professionals dedicated to consistently delivering outstanding service to our customers and contributing to the financial success of the organization, its clients, and its employees. Equal access to programs, services, and employment is available to all qualified persons. Those applicants requiring accommodation to complete the application and/or interview process should contact Human Resources at