Communications Manager

AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC) mobilizes communities to create equity and justice for people living with and vulnerable to HIV or chronic conditions. We envision a world in which people living with HIV or chronic conditions will thrive, and there will be no new HIV cases. Our work focuses on advancing health equity, preventing new cases of HIV, serving as a collaboration and knowledge center, being a bold voice for change and strengthening our organizational excellence.

We are seeking an individual to serve as our Communications Manager. The Communications Manager serves as the managing editor for AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC), Getting to Zero Illinois (GTZ-IL) and Center of Housing and Health (CHH) original and owned channels. This person is responsible for developing practices for storytelling that supports the dissemination and documentation of communities, calls to action, events/fundraising and stories from AFC’s communities via original content development.
This person also extends AFC’s stories beyond owned media into the earned media realm by building relationships with reporters and strategically pitching stories in key media outlets and managing relationships with PR consultants. The Communications Manager also manages a variety of marketing and communications projects and works alongside internal clients to develop and execute project plans. This position is part of AFC’s Communications team. The Communications Manager oversees the Policy Communications Specialist role.

The salary range for this role is $47,000-$53,000 annually. 

Principle functions and responsibilities of this position include the following:

Content creation

• Lead the creation of written and video communications that support amplification of AFC, GTZ & CHH communication priorities and web domains.
• Organize, propose and review submissions and updates to AFC Communications Style Guide and Public Statement Guide, to ensure a well-researched, and client-informed updates.
• As managing editor and lead content creator, coordinate the content schedule for Inside Story, AFC’s and GTZ’s blog, and report on key engagement data.
• Provides direct supervision and mentorship to editorial interns, and the Policy Communication Specialist.
• Partner with the Graphic design to support the development of both the Center for Housing and Health and AFC’s annual reports.
• Speechwriter for President/CEO for major events and as needed.

Earned media engagement

• Drafts, edits and approves media pitches; develop regular and on-going media summaries
• Work with the Policy Communication Specialist to develop communication strategies that support the mobilizing of people to the Mobile Action Network and dissemination of information via web, social, email and media.
• Work with the digital communication specialist to support ongoing media monitoring as it relates AFC core communications priorities. Support the sharing of tools and information to involved practice and development of data in-formed insights.
• Build relationships with new media contacts and maintain relationships with existing contacts.
• Organize, schedule and prepare key leaders for press interviews and press conferences.
• Plan and coordinate press conferences as needed with the support of the teams of communication specialists.

Project management

• Serve as portfolio manager between Policy and Advocacy team and Communications team on communication priorities, special projects and initiatives for AFC, including Getting to Zero-IL and Center for Housing and Health (CHH)
• Manage project timelines to ensure that all projects are delivered on time, within scope and within budget.
• Assist in the definition of project scope and objectives for large and complex projects.

Other

• Serve as an editor for AFC’s core written communications including digital, web and annual print publications of stories, news, and actions.
• Serve as support on communications team processes.
• Research and understand policy priorities and project goals.
• Support emergency, on-the-ground, and in community -policy and advocacy events and actions that may occasionally take place outside of Chicago and outside of regular business hours.
• Provide communication support and service with department and agency-wide activities as directed, including Advocacy Days, AFC’s Annual Meeting, AIDS Run/ Walk Chicago, Team to End AIDS, World of Chocolate, and other events, and initiatives. 

QUALIFICATIONS
Minimum Qualifications

• Four or more years of on-the-job experience producing feature stories, interviewing subjects, and leading an editorial team to refine written and/or video-recorded work.
• Experience writers or reporters on HIV/AIDS, social movements, LGBTQ+ rights and issues and people of color.
• Supervisory experience of interns or staff members.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Video Production or related field.
• Three years+ of experience working within a fast-paced communications, marketing or development environment for a media, nonprofit and/or corporate enterprise. 
• Multilingual including Spanish and English speaking and writing.
• Two years+ of experience managing a content channel, reporting on engagement and making recommendations based on qualitative feedback and data.
• Two years+ of experience managing projects involving multiple deliverables, client interaction and use of a project management tool.
• One year+ of supervisory experience of interns or staff members.
• Experience collaborating across teams, relaying information in an easily digestible way to clients, understanding client needs, and assigning tasks to teammates.
• Experience leading campaigns or other communications projects with various stakeholders and deliverables to timely and effective completion.
• Experience interviewing and developing stories featuring members of diverse communities.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• The ability to provide excellent service to internal clients and external stakeholders (e.g., vendors). 
• Strong attention to detail including the ability to accomplish a task with concern for all areas involved, no matter how small. 
• The ability to work without close supervision, taking ownership of work activities and ensuring tasks meet AFC’s standards.
• The ability and willingness to respect and value the differences and perceptions of different groups/individuals. 
• The ability to review written, video or photographic content and provide feedback to the creator to support the development of communication that reflects our voice, tone and guiding frameworks. 
• The ability and willingness to generate new ideas to improve work efficiencies, productivity, and customer service.  This includes “thinking outside of the box” to explore new ways to complete work activities within company guidelines.
• The ability to develop and maintain professional, trusting, and positive working relationships with mangers, supervisors, staff, co-workers, partner agencies, and vendors. 
• The ability to build rapport with a person that has a story to share or information to provide.  This includes the ability to gather and capture information in a way that is conducive to building compelling content.
• The ability to write and speak purposefully, creatively, and succinctly, with proven experience composing a variety of written work in multi languages and formats (Spanish and English).