Staff Writer

Jewish United Fund; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) match

Paid time off

Sick days

Paid holidays

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Tuition reimbursement

Paid family leave

Job summary

Jewish United Fund (JUF) seeks a Staff Writer to tell compelling stories for Jewish Chicago: JUF Magazine. You will report, write feature stories, and craft content with curiosity, creativity, and insight, highlighting community news and the transformative work of JUF.

This role thrives on a nuanced understanding of Jewish life and resonates with the community. This position requires a journalism/communications background, 3–5 years of writing experience, and the ability to collaborate with

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, English, communications, or another relevant field.
• 3–5 years of professional writing experience.
• Exceptional storytelling ability and a strong editorial voice.
• Ability to handle sensitive or nuanced topics with discretion.
• Deep knowledge of Chicago’s Jewish community, culture, heritage, traditions, and Jewish communal organizations.

Responsibilities

• Pitch and develop original story ideas and news topics, staying attuned to the pulse of both local and global Jewish communities.
• Conduct interviews, research, and reporting with professionalism, accuracy, and creativity.
• Write feature stories, profiles, and news coverage with a versatile, engaging editorial voice.
• Meet deadlines and work effectively under pressure while maintaining high quality.
• Collaborate with editors, designers, and other team members within the Marketing and Communications department and across JUF departments to create content that integrates seamlessly with the magazine and related media.
• Participate in monthly content aggregation for regular sections such as calendar listings.
• Build and maintain vibrant community connections to inform your reporting and deepen editorial perspective.
• Create and manage a centralized Jewish Chicago magazine content repository.
• Represent Jewish Chicago professionally in interactions with colleagues, lay leadership, and members of the community.
• Assist the Executive and Managing Editors with copy editing.
• Support JUF Campaign and mandatory campaign-related activities on an ongoing basis.

Skills

Storytelling

Editorial judgment

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in journalism, English, communications, or another relevant field

Job description

Are you looking for a mission-driven non-profit where your skills can help people in need around the world? At the Jewish United Fund (JUF), we take pride in our mission and in having a work culture that fosters a sense of belonging and feels rewarding, supportive, and inclusive. We have a hybrid schedule and offer generous benefits including a 401(k) match, up to 22 days of paid time off (starting with 15), up to 11 sick days (starting with 7), and up to 21 paid holidays. The salary range for this role is $55,000-$65,000.

What you’ll be responsible for:

The Staff Writer is a key storyteller for Jewish Chicago: The JUF Magazine, reporting and writing wide-ranging, compelling stories with curiosity, creativity, and insight. You will bring the magazine to life with original, eloquent narratives that engage readers, spotlight community news, and share the transformative work of JUF. This role thrives on a sophisticated understanding of Jewish life in all its nuances and sensitivities, paired with the ability to craft content that resonates deeply with the community. The Staff Writer should be detail-oriented, committed to producing work that is clear, accurate, and engaging.

What you’ll be doing:

• Pitch and develop original story ideas and news topics, staying attuned to the pulse of both local and global Jewish communities.
• Conduct interviews, research, and reporting with professionalism, accuracy, and creativity.
• Write feature stories, profiles, and news coverage with a versatile, engaging editorial voice.
• Meet deadlines and work effectively under pressure while maintaining high quality.
• Collaborate with editors, designers, and other team members within the Marketing and Communications department and across JUF departments to create content that integrates seamlessly with the magazine and related media.
• Participate in monthly content aggregation for regular sections such as calendar listings.
• Build and maintain vibrant community connections to inform your reporting and deepen editorial perspective.
• Create and manage a centralized Jewish Chicago magazine content repository.
• Represent Jewish Chicago professionally in interactions with colleagues, lay leadership, and members of the community.
• Assist the Executive and Managing Editors with copy editing.
• Support JUF Campaign and mandatory campaign-related activities on an ongoing basis.

What you need to succeed:

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, English, communications, or another relevant field.
• 3-5 years of professional writing experience, ideally in journalism, marketing, public relations, or related fields.
• Exceptional storytelling ability and a fresh, engaging editorial voice.
• Strong editorial judgment and the ability to handle sensitive or nuanced topics with discretion.
• Deep knowledge of Chicago’s Jewish community, culture, heritage, traditions, and Jewish communal organizations.
• Outstanding interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills.
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to pivot and multitask regularly.
• Self-motivated, deadline-driven, and able to work independently while also thriving in a collaborative team environment.

What you’ll love about us:

At JUF, you can be part of one of the largest non-profit social welfare institutions in Illinois. We provide food, refuge, healthcare, education, emergency assistance, and essential services to 500,000 Chicagoans of all faiths and millions of Jews around the world. We offer medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k) with base contribution and match, additional health and wellness benefits, financial benefits, professional training, tuition reimbursement, paid family leave, and much more.

Our Hybrid Schedule:

We have a hybrid work policy to allow staff the flexibility to work from home / remotely on Mondays and Fridays. Tuesdays-Thursdays, the standard work location is 30 South Wells Street in Chicago, and staff are expected to work in person. We have a 36.5 hour work week, not a 40 hour work week. Our work hours are 8:30am-5pm Monday-Thursday and 8:30am-4pm Friday with a daily 1 hour lunch break.

Job Category: Union Eligible