Manager of Marketing and Communications - Chicago, United States - Illinois Humanities

Description

Job Title:
Manager of Marketing and Communications

Status:
Full Time, Exempt


Reports to:
Director of Development


Location:
Chicago Metropolitan Area


Supervises:
Interns, contractors


Close working relationships:
Executive Director, Digital Communications and Database Manager; select contractors and vendors; occasional interns

Illinois Humanities, the Illinois affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, is a statewide nonprofit organization that activates the humanities through free public programs, grants, and educational opportunities that foster reflection, spark conversation, build community, and strengthen civic engagement.

We provide free, high-quality humanities experiences throughout Illinois, particularly for communities of color, individuals living on low incomes, counties and towns in rural areas, small arts and cultural organizations, and communities highly impacted by mass incarceration.

We envision an Illinois where the humanities are central to making the state more just, creative, and connected.


Our values:

• Center
  people's experiences, histories, and cultures.

-
Actively promote equity, uplift diversity, and ensure inclusion.
-
Make and protect space for the exchange of challenging ideas, meaningful dialogue, and personal reflection.

• Intentional,
  partnercentered relationships that build social capital and strengthen social cohesion, particularly for underserved and historically disenfranchised communities.

***: This position is a member of a Communications team composed of the Executive Director, Senior Director of Development and Communications, Digital Communications and Database Manager, intern(s), and external consultants in advertising, design, marketing, and PR. The Manager frequently collaborates with Illinois Humanities' Programs staff to support programmatic communications needs and support external partnerships.

The Manager is a proactive, creative thinker with a knack for being able to clearly synthesize complex ideas and stories and make them engaging and accessible to diverse audiences.

The position requires proven expertise with:

implementing data-driven communications plans; project management for branding, digital media, and copywriting initiatives; the ability to prioritize short-and long-term projects; and experience working collaboratively with multiple stakeholders inside and outside of an organization.

Experience with design and design platforms is a plus.


ESSENTIAL REPSONSIBILITIES:


Strategy and Messaging (15%)

• Collaborate with the Senior Director of Development and Communications to refine communications priorities, goals, and metrics that advance the organization's strategic goals and messaging.
• Takes a datainformed and collaborative approach to developing and managing the organization's annual communications work plan, editorial calendar, institutional campaigns, monthly newsletters, and budgets.
• Strengthens existing relationships with consultants, content creators, and other creatives to increase capacity and impact for communications and marketing efforts.
• Work with vendors and contractors on PR and advertising strategies. In partnership with PR consultants, drafts press releases, communicates with media outlets and journalists, and creates press/media kits.
• In partnership with Digital Communications and Database Manager, leads the communications team in continuing to develop success metrics, regularly collecting, tracking, and reporting on these metrics.

Communications Management (40%)

• Work with communications team and Programs staff to develop content for marketing campaigns to meet institutional, programmatic, and fundraising and cultivation goals.
• Work with interns, consultants, and support staff to project manage communications' campaigns and projects and manage crossdepartmental workflows.
• Manage contracts with vendors and contractors supporting communications projects
• Help the communications to innovate, refine processes and systems, and reach/exceed goals and success benchmarks.
• Develop materials to educate staff on communication practices.

Content production and digital media management (35%)

• Manages production of creative content such as video, photo, writing, and other media for inbound campaigns, collaborating with internal stakeholders, interns, and projectbased contractors when relevant.
• Produces or sources digital media to support communications campaigns and editorial calendar.
• Supervise Illinois Humanities social media channels in partnership with consulting contractors/other staff;
• Maintain oversight and approvals of social media content produced by communications staff, interns, and support staff;
• Oversee the moderation of IH social media channels, including engaging with followers and network building.
• Manage IHowned web properties in partnership with the Digital Communications and Technology Systems Manager and Pr