Director of Communications

Chicago Public Media Inc; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 104,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision benefits

Vacation and holidays

Life insurance

Disability coverage

Retirement savings

Job summary

Chicago Public Media seeks an experienced and strategic Director of Communications to lead external communications for its brands, including WBEZ, the Chicago Sun-Times, chicago.com, and Vocalo. Reporting to the VP of Marketing & Communications, the role will craft proactive strategies to enhance reputation, visibility, and influence through earned media, executive communications, and storytelling.

The Director will write and execute high-impact initiatives, cultivate journalist

Qualifications

• Exceptional writing, editing, storytelling for diverse audiences.
• Proven success securing earned media coverage and building journalist relationships.
• Experience developing and executing communications strategies that boost reputation.
• Strong executive communications, including speechwriting and messaging.
• Experience guiding organizations through high-profile or sensitive issues.
• Ability to collaborate across departments and senior leadership.
• Discretion and judgment in fast-paced environments.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a comprehensive external communications strategy for Chicago Public Media and its brands.
• Lead proactive media outreach, build strong relationships with journalists and outlets.
• Write and distribute press releases, advisories, statements, talking points, FAQs, and other materials.
• Advise senior leadership on messaging and reputation; prep executives for media interviews.
• Monitor coverage and identify opportunities to amplify priorities and address issues.
• Collaborate with marketing, editorial, development, legal, HR, and leadership for coordinated messaging.

Skills

Exceptional writing

Media relations

Strategic communications

Executive communications

Crisis communications

Cross-functional collaboration

Discretion

Job description

Chicago Public Media is one of the nation’s largest local nonprofit news organizations. Home to WBEZ 91.5FM, the Chicago Sun-Times, and Vocalo. Chicago Public Media reaches more than 3.3 million people weekly across broadcast, print, and digital platforms. As a mission-driven organization, we aspire to be the most trusted news source Chicagoans turn to for understanding the people, events, and ideas shaping our community.

Chicago Public Media is a 100% community-funded newsroom powered by nearly 97,000 members whose support makes our journalism possible. This sustained community investment helped drive nationally recognized work in 2025, including 29 awards from esteemed organizations, including the Public Media Journalists Association, the Edward R. Murrow Awards, and the National Association of Black Journalists.

We believe independent journalism is essential to a healthy democracy and that access to objective, fact-based news is a right for every citizen. We serve the public interest by creating diverse content that informs and enriches our community, supported by a dedicated staff of approximately 250 professionals.

For more information, please see the Chicago Public Media Annual Report .

The Opportunity

Chicago Public Media is seeking an experienced and strategic Director of Communications to lead external communications for our portfolio of trusted local media brands, including WBEZ, the Chicago Sun-Times, chicago.com, and Vocalo.

Reporting to the Vice President of Marketing & Communications, the Director of Communications will develop and execute a proactive communications strategy that advances the reputation, visibility, and influence of Chicago Public Media and its brands. Through earned media, executive communications, thought leadership, and strategic storytelling, this role will shape how the organization, its journalism, and its leaders are understood by audiences, partners, and stakeholders locally and nationally.

The Director of Communications is both a strategist and an executor. They will develop communications strategy while personally writing, pitching, and executing high-impact communications initiatives. They will cultivate relationships with journalists, position our reporters and leaders as trusted voices, and advise senior leadership on messaging and reputation. Working closely with colleagues across the organization, they will help ensure that Chicago Public Media tells a clear, compelling, and consistent story about its mission, journalism, and impact.

Responsibilities

Communications Strategy

• Develop and execute a comprehensive external communications strategy that advances the reputation, visibility, and influence of Chicago Public Media and its portfolio of brands.
• Partner with Marketing & Communications leadership to develop and maintain a clear, compelling, and consistent narrative across all external communications.
• Develop communications strategies for major organizational initiatives, partnerships, fundraising campaigns, product launches, and other strategic priorities.
• Establish goals, key performance indicators, and reporting to measure the effectiveness of communications efforts and continually refine strategy based on results.

Media Relations & Storytelling

• Serve as the primary point of contact for media inquiries and cultivate strong relationships with local, national, and industry reporters, editors, producers, and influencers.
• Lead proactive media outreach that elevates Chicago Public Media, its brands, its journalism, and its civic impact.
• Identify and secure opportunities for Chicago Public Media journalists, editors, and executives to appear in broadcast, print, digital, podcast, and live media.
• Write and distribute press releases, media advisories, statements, talking points, FAQs, and other external communications materials.
• Monitor media coverage and identify opportunities to amplify organizational priorities, respond to emerging issues, and strengthen the organization’s public profile.

Executive Communications & Thought Leadership

• Partner with executive leadership to strengthen the organization’s public profile through strategic communications and thought leadership.
• Collaborate on developing speeches, talking points, opinion pieces, award nominations, executive messaging, and other communications materials as needed
• Identify and secure speaking engagements, interviews, conferences, awards, and other opportunities that position organizational leaders as trusted voices on journalism, civic engagement, and the future of local media.
• Prepare executives for media interviews and public appearances through message development and media coaching.
• Advise senior leadership on communications strategy and messaging during sensitive organizational issues.
• Serve as the primary liaison to the organization’s external crisis communications consultant, coordinating planning, messaging, and response efforts as needed.
• Support communications planning and execution during high-profile or time-sensitive situations, ensuring alignment among leadership and external communications partners.
• Consult on sensitive internal communications to help ensure alignment between internal and external messaging.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner closely with colleagues across marketing, editorial, development, legal, human resources, and executive leadership to ensure coordinated and effective communications.
• Provide strategic communications counsel on messaging, positioning, and audience impact across the organization.
• Represent communications in cross-functional planning for major organizational initiatives and announcements.

Qualifications

• Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills, with the ability to translate complex topics into clear, compelling communications for diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated success securing earned media coverage and building strong relationships with journalists and media outlets.
• Experience developing and executing communications strategies that strengthen organizational reputation and visibility.
• Strong executive communications experience, including speechwriting, messaging, media preparation, and thought leadership.
• Experience supporting organizations through high-profile or sensitive communications challenges.
• Strong judgment, discretion, and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Highly collaborative, with the ability to build trusted relationships across departments and with senior leaders.
• Passion for local journalism, civic engagement, and the mission of public service media.

Compensation

The expected pay range for this position is $104,000 to $130,000 per ANNUM. Chicago Public Media provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what the organization reasonably expects to pay for a position. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographical location, and external market pay for comparable jobs.

Working at Chicago Public Media

At Chicago Public Media, we care deeply about our employees as we know attracting, developing, and growing talent is key to our success and enhancing our impact.

Our culture is one where collaboration, diversity of ideas, and innovation are encouraged. We value colleagues who will enhance our culture by bringing new ideas, divergent experiences, and talents to our dynamic workplace.

At Chicago Public Media we believe dedication to a great workplace includes supporting our employees and their families. As a result, we provide a broad and generous benefits package for employees at hire and in the years to come.

Our benefits include

a competitive salary and benefits package which includes medical, dental, vision, vacation, holidays, life insurance, disability coverage, retirement savings, and a commuter benefits plan.

Chicago Public Media is an Equal Opportunity Employerand we actively seek and welcome people from all backgrounds, orientations, and life experiences to join our team.

The essential functions described above are not all-inclusive and are not intended to create any contractual or other legal commitment. Chicago Public Media may change the content or format of this job at any time in its sole and exclusive discretion without notice.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in Chicago Public Media’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.