At Easterseals of Chicagoland and Greater Rockford, we are committed to two – often interconnecting - pillars of work……early learning and disability. Through these pillars, we transform the lives of early learners and individuals of all abilities through access to expert educational, family, and community support. As an affiliate of America’s largest nonprofit healthcare organization, we have proudly served the communities and families of Chicagoland and Greater Rockford since 1936.

For more information about our organization, please visit us online at www.eastersealschicago.org.

The Senior Communications Associate will be responsible for the development and implementation of a broad range of ECR communications and public relations activities, including story mining, writing, and editing for print and digital communication platforms, media outreach and engagement, and measuring the effectiveness of ECR’s marketing and communications efforts. 

The Senior Communications Associate must also build relationships with many key ECR constituents, including ECR leaders and program managers, clients, employees, funders, the media, and partner organizations. Ultimately, they will play a pivotal role in elevating ECR’s visibility through a knack for storytelling and keen editorial eye—an awareness of key issues and trends related to ECR’s work and ability to recognize the storytelling opportunities with the greatest potential to engage key audiences in and generate support for ECR’s work.

This position is based at our Easterseals Chicago location at 1939 W. 13th Street, Chicago, IL 60608.

FUNCTIONS/ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Communications Planning & Public Relations:

• Collaborate with ECR leadership, program managers, and staff to develop communication and outreach plans designed to broaden awareness of and increase engagement in ECR programs: Partner with ECR program managers to brainstorm around and develop story ideas that can be translated into impactful, meaningful content for key audiences; develop an annual editorial calendar outlining communication plans related to key ECR events and initiatives as well as opportunities to exhibit or amplify thought leadership.
• Develop marketing/public relations strategies that will support Easterseals leadership in cultivating or enhancing meaningful relationships with external audiences, including the media, key influencers, and prospective funders: Actively engage, cultivate, and manage relationships with media to foster coverage of ECR programs, special events, and other initiatives; provide timely, newsworthy content to key media outlets; track conversations/trending news stories of relevance to ECR’s work to identify opportunities to exhibit thought leadership and mitigate reputational risks.

Content Production:

• Write and edit short- and long-form content for a variety of channels including the ECR website and blog, social media channels, newsletters, print publications, annual appeal campaigns, and so forth.
• Serve as a creative partner in the production of multimedia content—videos, podcasts, graphics, etc.—play a lead role in developing video storyboards and scripts and podcast episode angles, copywriting and editing for ECR promotional materials, etc. 
• Ensure all ECR communications adhere to Easterseals’ brand voice and guidelines.
• Regularly update ECR content—collateral, webpages, cases for support, and other materials—with fresh stats and stories demonstrating the impact of ECR programs.

Measurement/Reporting and Content Optimization:

• Monitor and regularly report on the effectiveness of ECR communications to identify areas of opportunity for refinement and/or further story development: Contribute to building out ECR’s communications dashboard; develop quarterly reports for ECR leadership and Board illustrating website, social media, newsletter, and podcast performance
• Employ A/B testing and new media technologies designed to help ECR gauge the effectiveness of and optimize its communications in real-time.
• Spearhead search engine optimization efforts to ensure ECR is maximizing its visibility and website traffic via organic search.

Education/Certification and Experience Required:

• A Bachelor's degree in journalism, marketing, communications, or a related field. 
• A minimum of five years experience in communications, marketing, or journalism.

Skills/Abilities:

• Extensive writing and editing experience for print and online communication platforms.
• Creative and thoughtful on how new media technologies can be utilized.
• Innovative thinker, with a track record for translating strategic thinking into communication plans and compelling content.
• Excellent judgment and creative problem-solving skills.
• Strong 
• Skill and comfort in proactively building relationships and positioning subject matter experts for high-impact placements (e.g. speaking opportunities, media appearances, etc.).
• Energetic, flexible, collaborative, and proactive: a willingness to step in at any point in the creative development and execution process.
• Exceptional written, oral, and interpersonal skills—an ability to effectively interface with senior management, program managers, and 
• Ability to operate as an effective tactical as well as strategic thinker.
• Excellent organization skills—an ability to prioritize and manage concurrent projects.
• A commitment to detail, accuracy, and quality of work.
• An understanding of the use of metrics to gauge the effectiveness of communications strategies and content.

ADA: Easterseals will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disability Act of 1990. Unless exempted by the Americans with Disabilities Act, all persons hired for this position are required to possess the ability to perform the physical tasks necessary to treat clients, i.e., bending, floor-sitting, etc., as well as to have the ability to lift up to 50 pounds frequently.