Communications Specialist

North Park University; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 63,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Prescription Plan

Flexible Spending Account

Commuter Benefit

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

Retirement Plan

Tuition Remission

Helwig Recreation Center

Job summary

North Park University is seeking a Communications Specialist to shape how the university's stories reach prospective students, alumni, donors, and the public. You will develop, edit, and collaborate on content representing North Park across print and digital channels, upholding the university's editorial and branding style.

You will drive the editorial calendar, lead the North Parker alumni magazine, and gather information through interviews with faculty and students.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent experience.
• Two to four years of professional experience in public relations, journalism, or a similar role.
• Exceptional writing and editing skills with attention to quality and style.
• Experience developing communication strategies for an organization.
• Experience writing feature-length articles, scripts, and marketing materials.
• Proficiency with Excel, Word, newswires, media monitoring tools, CMS, and project management software.
• Ability to manage multiple projects with strong prioritization.
• Ability to take direction and work independently with minimal oversight.
• Team player with professional demeanor and stakeholder relationship skills.
• Willingness to evolve with new applications and technologies.

Responsibilities

• Drive UMC's editorial calendar, including planning, writing, editing, and publishing press releases via newswire and stories to www.northpark.edu.
• Serve as the lead writer and copy editor for the North Parker alumni magazine.
• Gather information through interviews with faculty, staff, students, and subject matter experts.
• Attend university events for journalistic coverage and photography as needed.
• Write and edit marketing copy for signature university materials across print, digital, and outdoor channels.
• Ensure the content's quality, accuracy, and relevance across channels.
• Collaborate with communications, marketing, and design teams within established workflows.
• Implement and shape the university’s editorial style guide, brand voice, and messaging.
• Assign and manage student writers as needed.
• Manage media monitoring and track the North Park brand and news.
• Maintain media lists and connect journalists with North Park experts.
• Analyze data quarterly and report on media relations effectiveness.

Skills

Editing

Writing

Interviewing

Media monitoring

CMS management

Project management

Word

Excel

Newswires

WordPress

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Word

Excel

WordPress

Newswires

Media monitoring tools

Job description

Position Summary

The communications specialist is part of the UMC communications team and shapes how North Park's stories reach prospective students, alumni, donors, and the broader public. The role's primary responsibility is to develop, edit, and collaborate on all written content representing North Park University in publications and projects the UMC office develops and manages—including marketing materials, press releases, the North Parker alumni magazine, website content, internal communications, and admissions and enrollment communications, across print and digital channels. The role requires expertise regarding North Park's editorial and branding style guides.

Essential Responsibilities

• Drive UMC's editorial calendar, including planning, writing, editing, and publishing press releases via newswire and stories to www.northpark.edu.
• Serve as the lead writer and a copy editor for the annual North Parker alumni magazine.
• Gather information through interviews with faculty, staff, students, and subject matter experts.
• Attend university events for journalistic coverage—and photographic coverage as needed.
• Write and edit marketing copy for signature university materials that build demand for North Park through print, digital, and outdoor channels.
• Ensure the effectiveness, quality, accuracy, and relevance of the content UMC produces.
• Collaborate with UMC team members within the communications, marketing, and design teams within established workflows to ensure high-quality products are delivered within the communicated timeframes.
• Implement and shape the university’s editorial style guide, brand voice, and brand messaging.
• Assign and manage student writers as needed.
• Manage media monitoring, tracking the North Park brand, competition, and relevant news.
• Maintain media lists and target journalists, connecting them with knowledge experts at North Park.
• On a quarterly basis, analyze data, draw actionable insights, and report on the effectiveness of North Park’s media relations in achieving strategic communications goals.
• Other duties as assigned.

Salary Range: $63,000-72,000 per year

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in advertising, public relations, marketing, communications, English, or a similar field (or equivalent experience) required.
• Two to four years of professional experience in public relations, journalism, or a similar role with demonstrated success.
• Exceptional writing and editing skills, including the ability to connect with various audiences, strict attention to detail, concern for high-quality work, and high standards of grammar, spelling, and style.
• Experience developing communication strategies and writing for an organization.
• Experience writing feature-length articles, video scripts, and print and digital marketing materials.
• Proficiency with Excel, Word, newswires, media monitoring tools, project management software, and content management systems.
• Ability to handle multiple projects at once, with a built-in sense for what should be prioritized.
• Ability to take verbal and written instruction, then execute independently with minimal oversight.
• Team player with professional demeanor and strong stakeholder relationship skills.
• Eagerness to work in an evolving environment and develop new skills as new applications emerge.
• Personal commitment to North Park University’s mission of Christian higher education.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience working in higher education.
• Experience using media monitoring tools (Meltwater or similar).
• Comfortable updating and maintaining content in a CMS (WordPress or similar).
• Familiar with The Chicago Manual of Style.
• Experience with project management tools (Jira or similar).
• Experience in video creation.
• Understanding AI and LLMs and how to implement them into their work.

Benefits

• Medical Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Prescription Plan
• Flexible Spending Account
• Commuter Benefit
• Life Insurance
• Disability Insurance
• Retirement Plan
• Tuition Remission
• Helwig Recreation Center