Senior Manager, Executive Communications & Social Influence

Morningstar; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 121,400 - 186,150; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) match up to 6%

Stock ownership

Life insurance

Health benefits + HSA contributions

Sabbatical program

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Morningstar in Chicago seeks a Senior Manager of Executive Communications and Social to partner with the CEO and senior leaders, shaping and delivering executive narratives across LinkedIn, speaking engagements, and media.

You will own the Chief Storytellers program, develop training and playbooks for analysts and executives, and create social‑first content across digital channels, spanning long‑form, short‑form video, and investor communications.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Economics, Business Administration, Communications, or related field.
• 5–7 years of relevant communications or marketing experience, including executive communications, social media, internal communications, external communications, media relations, or a closely related area.
• Experience developing social‑first content across LinkedIn and other digital platforms, with a strong understanding of what works by channel.
• Demonstrated experience supporting senior executives (C‑suite or equivalent), including coaching leaders on digital presence and preparing leaders for high‑visibility engagements.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and editorial judgment, with a portfolio of executive‑level writing (e.g., speeches, talking points, LinkedIn posts, briefing materials, leadership messages).
• Strong project management skills and ability to manage multiple workstreams, deadlines, and stakeholders in a matrixed environment.
• Strong multimedia content judgment, including experience creating or directing short‑form video, visual storytelling, and platform‑specific content packages.

Responsibilities

• Drive CEO and executive thought leadership across channels: Partner with the CEO and senior executives to shape authentic, high‑impact content across LinkedIn, speaking engagements, earned media moments, employee channels, and owned platforms—ensuring executive voices reinforce Morningstar’s strategy, culture, and reputation. Manage end‑to‑end CEO LinkedIn content—idea generation, drafting, approvals, publishing coordination, and performance review—while advising on best practices across modern channels.
• Write and edit executive‑level content: Draft speeches (including the CEO keynote for Morningstar Investment Conferences globally and other forums), talking points, scripts, Q&As, social posts, and shareholder communications—capturing an authentic voice and high editorial standard.
• Prepare leaders for high‑stakes moments: Create briefings for media, client, and employee engagements; anticipate questions, develop scenarios, and provide recommendations on tone and positioning.
• Own Morningstar’s expert activation and social influence program: Manage and expand the program known as “Chief Storytellers” that helps analysts, executives, and subject‑matter experts share their insights across modern digital channels. Develop training, playbooks, editorial guidance, and content support for digital channels from LinkedIn to Substack and communities where investor conversations are happening.
• Create corporate social content that builds reputation: Develop social‑first content that advances Morningstar’s strategic themes, amplifies earned content and research insights, supports key business moments, and strengthens the company’s corporate profile with investors, clients, media, employees, and industry influencers.
• Support owned content series: Plan and execute monthly Investor First live webinars, including narrative development, scripting, run‑of‑show planning, and post‑event content amplification.

Skills

Executive communications

Social media strategy

Editing/writing

Project management

Multimedia content

Stakeholder coaching

LinkedIn content

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Marketing/Business/Communications

Tools

LinkedIn

Substack

Job description

Team

Morningstar’s Global Communications team protects and strengthens the company’s reputation, amplifies our mission to empower investor success, and helps leaders communicate with clarity and credibility.

Role

As Senior Manager of Executive Communications and Social, you’ll partner directly with Morningstar’s CEO and senior executives to shape and deliver executive communications across earned, owned, and shared channels—turning complex business and market topics into compelling narratives that build trust with investors, clients, and the media.

In this role, you’ll own the program that activates Morningstar’s “employees out in front” approach—helping Morningstar’s broad bench of analysts, executives, and subject‑matter experts share their insights across digital and social channels built for the modern influence landscape. You’ll develop the strategy, training, content, and governance that make it easier for our experts to show up with confidence and credibility across channels from LinkedIn to Substack and short‑form video to engaging communities. You’ll also create corporate social content that advances Morningstar’s strategic themes, amplifies earned media and research insights, and strengthens the company’s corporate profile and reputation.

This senior manager‑level, high‑visibility individual contributor role reports to the Director of Public Relations. It requires exceptional writing and editorial judgment, strong project management, comfort advising senior stakeholders, multi‑media content creation skills, and the discretion to operate in fast‑moving environments.

Responsibilities

• Drive CEO and executive thought leadership across channels: Partner with the CEO and senior executives to shape authentic, high‑impact content across LinkedIn, speaking engagements, earned media moments, employee channels, and owned platforms—ensuring executive voices reinforce Morningstar’s strategy, culture, and reputation. Manage end‑to‑end CEO LinkedIn content—idea generation, drafting, approvals, publishing coordination, and performance review—while advising on best practices across modern channels.
• Write and edit executive‑level content: Draft speeches (including the CEO keynote for Morningstar Investment Conferences globally and other forums), talking points, scripts, Q&As, social posts, and shareholder communications—capturing an authentic voice and high editorial standard.
• Prepare leaders for high‑stakes moments: Create briefings for media, client, and employee engagements; anticipate questions, develop scenarios, and provide recommendations on tone and positioning.
• Own Morningstar’s expert activation and social influence program: Manage and expand the program known as “Chief Storytellers” that helps analysts, executives, and subject‑matter experts share their insights across modern digital channels. Develop training, playbooks, editorial guidance, and content support for digital channels from LinkedIn to Substack and communities where investor conversations are happening.
• Create corporate social content that builds reputation: Develop social‑first content that advances Morningstar’s strategic themes, amplifies earned content and research insights, supports key business moments, and strengthens the company’s corporate profile with investors, clients, media, employees, and industry influencers. This includes short‑form video, visual explainers, quote cards, carousels, audio clips, and other multimedia formats designed for digital engagement and reuse across channels.
• Support owned content series: Plan and execute monthly Investor First live webinars, including narrative development, scripting, run‑of‑show planning, and post‑event content amplification.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Economics, Business Administration, Communications, or a related field, or foreign equivalent
• 5 – 7 years of relevant communications or marketing experience, including executive communications, social media, internal communications, external communications, media relations, or a closely related area.
• Experience developing social‑first content across LinkedIn and other digital platforms, with a strong understanding of what works by channel.
• Demonstrated experience supporting senior executives (C‑suite or equivalent), including coaching leaders on digital presence and preparing leaders for high‑visibility engagements.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and editorial judgment, with a portfolio of executive‑level writing (e.g., speeches, talking points, LinkedIn posts, briefing materials, leadership messages).
• Strong project management skills and ability to manage multiple workstreams, deadlines, and stakeholders in a matrixed environment.
• Strong multimedia content judgment, including experience creating or directing short‑form video, visual storytelling, and platform‑specific content packages.
• High integrity, discretion, and strong judgment with sensitive and confidential information.

Preferred

• Experience in financial services, investing, fintech, or similarly regulated/complex industries.
• Experience building employee advocacy, expert activation, or executive visibility programs.
• Experience partnering with investor relations, corporate affairs, or executive media relations teams.
• Experience using social listening, engagement data, and audience insights to refine content strategy.
• Experience supporting marquee events (keynotes, conferences, leadership forums) including scripting and rehearsal support.
• Familiarity with emerging influence channels such as Substack, Reddit, podcasts, creator‑style video, or niche professional communities.

Compensation and Benefits

• Financial Health
  • 100% 401(k) match up to 6% of salary
  • Stock Ownership Potential
  • Company‑provided life insurance — 1× salary + commission
• Physical Health
  • Comprehensive health benefits (medical/dental/vision) including potential premium discounts and company‑provided HSA contributions (up to $500–$2,000 annually) for specific plans and coverages
  • Additional medical wellness incentives — up to $300–$600 annuallyCompany‑provided long‑ and short‑term disability insurance
• Emotional Health
  • Trust‑Based Time Off
  • 6‑week paid sabbatical program
  • 6‑week paid family caregiving leave
  • Competitive 8‑24 week paid parental leave
  • Adoption assistance
  • Leadership coaching & formal mentorship opportunities
  • Annual flex stipend — $1,000 annually to cover personal education & well‑being expenses
  • Tuition reimbursement
• Social Health
  • Charitable matching gifts program
  • Dollars for Doers volunteer program
  • Paid volunteering days
  • 15+ employee resource & affinity groups

Total Cash Compensation Range

$121,400.00‑186,150.00. Inclusive of annual base salary and target incentive.

Morningstar’s hybrid work environment gives you the opportunity to collaborate in‑person each week as we’ve found that we are at our best when we’re purposely together on a regular basis. In most of our locations, our hybrid work model is four days in‑office each week. A range of other benefits are also available to enhance flexibility as needs change. No matter where you are, you’ll have tools and resources to engage meaningfully with your global colleagues.