Communications Director (THM)

The HistoryMakers; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The HistoryMakers, the nation’s largest African American video oral history archive, seeks a Communications Director to lead strategic public relations and media outreach. The role reports to the Founder & President and collaborates with the Chief of Staff to advance the organization’s mission.

Responsibilities include developing a strategic media plan, increasing public awareness, coordinating communication materials, and creating speeches, press releases, and annual reports.

Qualifications

• Excellent oral and written communications required.
• Editorial and proofreading accuracy is essential.
• Proven media pitching and press relations experience.
• Experience as a speechwriter preferred.
• Experience with editorial boards and letters to the editor.
• Ability to work independently and build stakeholder rapport.
• Ability to work in fast-paced, deadline-driven environments.
• Willingness to travel post-COVID19.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a strategic media plan for the organization, its public programs and events, individual HistoryMakers and the President/Founder.
• Significantly increase public awareness of The HistoryMakers.
• Coordinate all communication materials and activities.
• Develop fact-sheets, briefing papers, speeches, news releases, annual reports, etc.
• Develop national and local media lists.

Skills

Media relations

Pitching press

Speechwriting

Editorial proofreading

Stakeholder management

Deadline-driven

Independent work

Public speaking

Fast-paced environment

Education

Undergraduate degree (Communications, Journalism, African American Studies, History, Education or related)

Job description

Chaloner has partnered with The HistoryMakers on their search for a Communications Director. This position is responsible for the strategic public relations of the organization. The Communications Director will report directly to the Founder & President and work in tandem with the Chief of Staff. He/she must demonstrate a commitment to the mission of The HistoryMakers and the ability to function well in a mission-oriented organization with a sense of urgency and ethics.

This person will:

• Develop and implement a strategic media plan for the organization, its public programs and events, individual HistoryMakers and the President/Founder.
• Significantly increase public awareness of The HistoryMakers.
• Coordinate all communication materials and activities.
• Develop fact-sheets, briefing papers, speeches, news releases, annual reports, etc.
• Develop national and local media lists.

Preferred Skills and Attributes

• Excellent oral and written communications skills.
• Excellent editorial and proof-reading skills and a very high level and attention to detail.
• Proven experience working with the media and “pitching” the press.
• Proven experience as a speechwriter.
• Proven experience with editorial boards and letters to the editor.
• Proven experience working as a solo team.
• Ability to build rapport with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced deadline-driven environment.
• Ability to follow through on requests, queries and pitches and get rapid results.
• Ability to travel (after normalizing of COVID19) and also work outside of normal office hours.

Educational Requirements

• Undergraduate degree required. (Preference for Communications, Journalism, African American Studies, History, Education or related fields).
• 3-6 years of experience in Communications and Public Relations.

About

The HistoryMakers, the nation’s largest African American video oral history archive, is a one-of-a-kind collection, housed permanently at the Library of Congress. Its website accessed by millions worldwide, is sited in Wikipedia and used as a “go to” reference tool. Its digital archive has been licensed by colleges, universities, K-12 schools and public libraries for use by faculty, students and patrons and is growing in popularity in the wake of COVID19 and the focus on online learning. Within the next few years, The HistoryMakers will become the digital repository for the Black experience: providing much needed content, role models, success pathways and frameworks for a 21st century citizenry that has become increasingly less tolerant, divisive and economically and educationally disparate.