Job Description:

• Understands and communicate the mission, values, and goals of the core administrative areas of PME student engagement and support, including the Dean of Students Office, Education & Outreach, Career Development, and Postdoctoral Affairs.
• Partners with senior leadership to develop strategic, mission-aligned student communication and marketing strategy that spans the student life cycle, from prospective students to new alumni.
• Collaborates with the administrative deans and directors in PME student engagement and support to develop area-level promotion strategies for advancing awareness of policies, expectations, and individual events or programs.
• Serves as project lead for quarterly and annual reports of PME student engagement and support and for bi-annual reports to the divisional advisory council.
• Partners with the PME Dean of Students and PME Communications & Marketing teams to help plan and execute PMEâ™s enrollment outreach to prospective students, highlighting UChicago and PMEâ™s distinctive programs.  Serves as the primary nexus between the two functional areas to facilitate consistency, coordination, responsiveness, and information-sharing.
• Partners with PME Communications & Marketing team to utilize market research to make informed and data-driven decisions about how to best identify, target, and enroll prospective students.
• Reviews and edits automated admissions correspondence using the SLATE platform.
• Collaborates with the PME Communications & Marketing team to develop and edit online content, share stories, and integrate messaging for student recruitment, student development, and alumni engagement.
• Manages related area web pages and social media sites, writing and posting content as needed and ensuring update requests are completed.
• Develops digital and print marketing materials for major student events.
• Utilizes Canva and/or Adobe Creative Suite and partner with communications and marketing to create cohesive content visuals that align with PMEâ™s current outreach and branding efforts.
• Supervises social-media/web-page intern(s).
• Contributes to a collaborative, goal-oriented, and positive work environment.
• Develops, plans, and disseminates information designed to keep the public informed of the organization's programs, accomplishments, or point of view.
• Solves moderate to complex problems related to the writing, preparation, and/or delivery of information from or about the unit.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Preferred Qualification

Education:

• Bachelorâ™s degree in marketing, communications, public relations, advertising, or a 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 decentralized organizations is desired.
• Experience communications professional with a demonstrated capacity for multi-tasking, 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 in HTML coding.
• Knowledge of ZeeMee social media platform.
• Knowledge of and experience with Slate CRM technology.
• Knowledge of college admissions and recruitment practices.

Preferred Competencies

• Excellent written and spoken communication 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)
• Writing Sample (Required)
• List of Professional References â“ 3 (Required)

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 the Applicant Inquiry Form.

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