Communications & Engagement Manager, Chicago

Sportanddev; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 65,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Laureus USA seeks a Communications & Engagement Manager to support Sport for Good Chicago. The role focuses on visibility, engagement, and coordination of the coalition, with responsibilities spanning programming, events, advocacy, grants, and communications to elevate youth voice and community impact.

The position serves as a project manager and connector, collaborating across local and national teams to ensure timely, consistent messaging and stakeholder alignment.

Qualifications

• Passion for the role of sport in youth and community development.
• Familiarity with Chicago’s nonprofit, youth development, education, sports, or community ecosystems strongly preferred.
• Able to communicate clearly, thoughtfully, and effectively across multiple audiences and platforms.
• Understands how storytelling, narrative, and communications can strengthen movements, partnerships, and public engagement.
• Skilled at drafting newsletters, presentations, social content, talking points, event communications, and external-facing materials.
• Experience with email platforms (such as Mailchimp), social media platforms, and website management platforms; familiarity with design platforms like Canva.
• Able to elevate youth voice, partner impact, and coalition stories in authentic and community-centered ways.
• Strong relationship builder with experience engaging nonprofit partners and community stakeholders.
• Comfortable building and maintaining systems, trackers, workflows, and communication processes.
• Ability to navigate fast-moving and evolving environments.
• Able to move projects from idea to implementation with consistency and responsiveness.
• Enjoys working collaboratively in team and coalition environments.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity and inclusion across all forms of diversity and difference.
• At least 4-7 years of relevant experience.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute communications strategies to elevate Sport for Good Chicago and Laureus USA.
• Coordinate development and distribution of newsletters, presentations, impact reports, talking points, event materials, and external-facing communications.
• Support storytelling efforts that highlight youth voice, community impact, coalition successes, and the role of sport-based youth development across Chicago.
• Coordinate collection of stories, photos, videos, testimonials, partner spotlights, and advocacy content.
• Support social media, website updates, and community engagement efforts in partnership with local and national teams.
• Assist in amplifying coalition campaigns, legislative priorities, events, and public engagement opportunities.
• Coordinate communications timelines, approvals, and assets across local and national teams for alignment.
• Support planning and execution of Sport for Good Chicago events, coalition meetings, Leadership Council activities, and working groups.
• Coordinate logistics, scheduling, materials, and stakeholder communications for coalition and program activities.
• Track timelines, deliverables, and action items across coalition and program workstreams.
• Support relationship management and follow-up with coalition partners and external stakeholders.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen coalition participation, partner experience, and operational effectiveness across initiatives.

Skills

Storytelling

Relationship building

Project management

Communications strategy

Stakeholder engagement

Tools

Mailchimp

Canva

Website management platforms

Job description

Communications & Engagement Manager, Chicago

Laureus USA seeks a highly organized, relationship-driven, and execution-oriented professional to serve as Communications & Engagement Manager for Sport for Good Chicago.

Position summary

Reporting to the Associate Director, Chicago Programs, and working in close collaboration with the broader Chicago team, this role will play a key part in supporting the visibility, engagement, and coordination of the Sport for Good Chicago coalition and its initiatives. The position will support implementation across coalition programming, events, advocacy, grantmaking, and communications efforts with a strong emphasis on storytelling, partner engagement, and elevating the impact of the Sport for Good ecosystem.

This role serves as both a project manager and communications connector, helping translate strategy into coordinated action while ensuring coalition members, partners, funders, and stakeholders remain informed, engaged, and connected to the broader vision of Sport for Good Chicago. The ideal candidate is a strong relationship-builder and executor who thrives in collaborative environments, can manage multiple priorities simultaneously, and understands the power of communications and storytelling in building movements and strengthening partnerships.

Key responsibilities

Communications, storytelling & ecosystem visibility

• Support the development & execution of communications strategies that elevate Sport for Good Chicago and Laureus USA, including Chicago coalition initiatives, advocacy priorities, and partner impact
• Coordinate development and distribution of newsletters, presentations, impact reports, talking points, event materials, and external-facing communications
• Support storytelling efforts that highlight youth voice, community impact, coalition successes, and the role of sport-based youth development across Chicago
• Coordinate collection of stories, photos, videos, testimonials, partner spotlights, and advocacy content
• Support social media, website updates, and community engagement efforts in partnership with local and national communications and development staff
• Assist in amplifying coalition campaigns, legislative priorities, events, and public engagement opportunities
• Coordinate communications timelines, approvals, and assets across local and national teams to ensure alignment and consistency
• Support planning and execution of Sport for Good Chicago events, coalition meetings, Leadership Council activities, working groups, and shared learning opportunities
• Coordinate logistics, scheduling, materials, and stakeholder communications related to coalition and program activities
• Track timelines, deliverables, and action items across coalition and programmatic workstreams
• Support relationship management and follow-up with coalition partners and external stakeholders
• Identify opportunities to strengthen coalition participation, partner experience, and operational effectiveness across initiatives

Grantmaking operations & partner support

• Support implementation of grantmaking processes and partner communications across public and private funding initiatives
• Support ongoing communication with grantees and coalition partners
• Support collection and organization of grant reporting materials and partner impact stories that can inform broader coalition communications and advocacy efforts

Cross-functional coordination & organizational support

• Coordinate across Chicago and national teams to ensure alignment between coalition initiatives, marketing, communications, programming, advocacy, partnerships, and grantmaking efforts
• Maintain strong project management systems and documentation across initiatives
• Support strategic planning, special projects, and organizational priorities as needed
• Represent Laureus USA and Sport for Good Chicago at meetings, events, convenings, and community settings as appropriate
• Contribute to a values-aligned team culture that prioritizes connection, collaboration, care, and sustainable impact.

Candidate attributes

• Passion for the role of sport in youth and community development
• Familiarity with Chicago’s nonprofit, youth development, education, sports, or community ecosystems strongly preferred.
• Able to communicate clearly, thoughtfully, and effectively across multiple audiences and platforms
• Understands how storytelling, narrative, and communications can strengthen movements, partnerships, and public engagement
• Skilled at drafting newsletters, presentations, social content, talking points, event communications, and external-facing materials
• Experience with email platforms (such as Mailchimp), social media platforms, and website management platforms; familiarity with design platforms like Canva
• Able to elevate youth voice, partner impact, and coalition stories in authentic and community-centered ways
• Strong relationship builder with experience engaging nonprofit partners and community stakeholders
• Comfortable building and maintaining systems, trackers, workflows, and communication processes
• Ability to navigate fast-moving and evolving environments
• Able to move projects from idea to implementation with consistency and responsiveness
• Enjoys working collaboratively in team and coalition environments
• Demonstrated commitment to equity and inclusion across all forms of diversity and difference
• At least 4-7 years of relevant experience.

Compensation

The expected starting salary range for this role is $65,000 to $70,000, with eligibility for a performance-based bonus and a comprehensive benefits package supported by our corporate partner. Final compensation will be determined based on experience, skills, and alignment with the qualifications and attributes of the role.