Content Manager, Communications

Summary

Job Description

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is one of the nation's largest independent foundations. The Foundation supports creative people, effective institutions, and influential networks building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world.

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation supports creative people, effective institutions, and influential networks building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world. MacArthur invests in solving some of the world’s most pressing social challenges, including advancing global climate solutions, promoting local justice reform in the U.S., revitalizing local news, expanding who creates, uses, and benefits from artificial intelligence, and strengthening the well-being of Native communities. In addition to the MacArthur Fellows Program and the global 100&Change competition, the Foundation continues its historic commitments to the role of journalism in a responsive democracy as well as the vitality of our headquarters city, Chicago. The Foundation also maintains offices in Nigeria and India.

The Communications team collaborates with program teams and other colleagues across the Foundation to create and implement strategic communications plans that enhance the impact of MacArthur’s work and the work of grantees. The team is responsible for the Foundation's strategic efforts to communicate with the press, public, and policymakers, including media relations, web and social media efforts, printed materials, and events. The team also provides communications support and advice to MacArthur’s leadership, staff, and grantees.

Team members include the Vice President, Director; three Communications Officers, who lead program communications; three Associates, respectively focused on Web, social media, and writing/research projects; a Coordinator; and outside consultants/firms as needed. The Associate to the Vice President provides administrative support to the Vice President, Communications, and other team members; assists with vendor contracts, bill processing, and budget tracking; and edits and proofreads information to be distributed internally and externally.

The Content Manager is an experienced, organized, project manager who will oversee the logistics of content creation and be responsible for supporting a team of communications officers in bringing communications plans to life; an entrepreneurial and collaborative colleague; and a results-oriented team player who gets things done.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Oversee and facilitate the creation of content, including e-mail campaigns, grantee stories, blogs, and evaluations and prepare them for distribution on the appropriate platform
• Share oversight of quality control process for all web/digital production
• Facilitate the process of posting news releases, statements, blogs, and other content to the organization’s website
• Manage a shared repository of team documents and resources; archive project materials
• Create content calendars and integrated project timelines
• Maintain centralized project management tool for content production and publication processes
• Produce or work with contract graphic designer on creation of designed materials for website and social media
• Manage and maintain photo/video archive for more than 35,000 existing assets and grows the archive over time
• Collaborate with the Manager, Digital Communications and Content Strategy and the Social Media Associate on development of visual assets; experience with Adobe Express, Photoshop, and/or Illustrator preferred
• Ensure all visual assets are optimized for accessibility
• Serve as Salesforce liaison for day-to-day Communications needs
• Lead e-mail campaign formatting and distribution and support publishing of website content
• Collaborate with the Manager, Digital Communications and Content Strategy on launch of new website projects
• Handle other responsibilities and projects, as assigned
  
  

Qualifications

• At least six-eight years of full-time experience working in strategic communications, preferably for social impact
• A track record of successful project management facilitating and executing comprehensive communications strategies, preferably in complex, multi-layered, intellectually charged work environments
• Experience working in or with the nonprofit sector and an understanding of the sector’s role in social change is preferred
• A strategic and creative thinker
• The ability to demonstrate grace under pressure while handling multiple competing demands and meeting tight deadlines
• Awareness and general understanding of targeted email, social media, and analytics tactics and strategies
• Demonstrated knowledge and implementation of AP style
• Significant experience writing and talking about social challenges and public issues in a style that respects their depth and complexity but is accessible to a well-educated, general audience
• An effective communicator and listener with superb organizational and interpersonal skills
• An agile, self-motivated, team player
  
  

The position is hybrid and based in Chicago, Illinois.

Annual salary for this role will start at $98,800. We offer a generous total compensation package that emphasizes both base salary and a comprehensive benefits package to support your life, health, and well-being.

Physical Requirements And Work Environment

The work environment is an office setting. Intermittent physical activities will include bending, reaching, sitting, and moving around the office during working hours. Requests for reasonable accommodations will be considered to enable a person with disabilities to perform the job. Reasonable accommodations are also available during the interview process.