ABOUT US:

Illinois Action for Children (“IAFC”), a local, state, and national leader in the early childhood care and education sector for over 50 years. IAFC programs, services, and advocacy improve learning and life outcomes for children and families, including reducing the effects of poverty. IAFC works to ensure that every child in Illinois – particularly those in need – have access to the necessary resources to succeed in school and in life.

Along with our mission, IAFC is committed to building and maintaining a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and anti-racist culture. We are dedicated to this pledge through our hiring practices and our focus on creating a culture and environment where diverse perspectives, ideas, and identities are valued and integrated into our way of working and servicing our staff and clients. IAFC staff represent a wide diversity of racial, socio-economic, gender, religious, and national identities. We welcome all applicants who share our mission and vision to join us in our essential work.

SUMMARY

Under the supervision of the Director Marketing & Communications, the Assistant Director of Strategic Content & Communications (ADSCC) creates, implements, tracks, and optimizes marketing content and communications strategy and tactics that produce a variety of compelling messages to position the IAFC brand accurately and effectively for impact and success. This content will advance IAFC’s ability to communicate and engage with partners, donors, parents and families, lawmakers, community stakeholders, and the general public. A self-motivated storyteller, this ADSCC must be able to write engaging content to lead the organization’s effort to create connections between the community and the resources, services, and supports IAFC provides. The person in this position drives the development and publication of content—both online and offline, and can write both short, shareable content and longer editorial pieces. This position is also responsible for developing a content strategy to magnify the reach, impact, and influence of all campaigns. All work to be completed with minimum supervision and in accordance with organization standards

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES :

• Lead development of the year-round content marketing communications strategies across the organization to elevate our brand at a tactical level to ensure a consistent voice and perspective that is unified across communication channels
• Create compelling, data-driven content for the website, intranet, email campaigns, videos, newsletters, case studies, white papers, brochures, direct mail, external blogs, press releases, and for social media platforms
• Understand the logistical elements of narrative writing and how to write for—and share information on—different digital platforms for a matrixed audience including creation and maintenance of content roadmaps and editorial calendars.
• Demonstrate the impact of IAFCs mission via compelling storytelling (testimonials, human-interest profiles, etc.) about the communities and families we serve.
• Collaborate with IAFCs Director of Marketing & Communications and Assistant Director of Digital Marketing & Communications to ensure written content aligns with related visual elements. e visually and how it aligns with written content.
• Act as managing editor for the production of agency-wide newsletters.
• Enforce editorial governance across the team to ensure a consistent tone, voice and perspective that is unified across communications channels.
• Steward the Illinois Action for Children brand both internally and externally to ensure all materials reflect our brand standards.
• Assist team members with editing, providing constructive feedback as needed.
• Performs other related duties as assigned by the supervisory personnel.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum 5 years of editorial and marketing experience
• Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, English, Communications, Marketing, or related degree, or equivalent work experience
• Minimum 3 to 5 years back-to-back content and communications experience.
• Portfolio of writing samples
• Act as brand guardian to ensure that all IAFC content is consistent and on brand across all assets
• Skilled and proficient writer across content types: web, video, articles, press releases, marketing/sales collateral, award submissions.
• Strong proof reading and editorial skills.

OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Exceptional writing and editing skills.
• Expert knowledge of Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) writing style.
• Understanding of journalistic writing principles.
• Ability to develop long-form content, and to create immediate content/articles via creative storytelling.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills.
• Experience interviewing internal and external stakeholders from all demographics.
• Ability to prioritize multiple assignments with potentially conflicting timelines.
• Strategic mindset for how content can be used and repurposed across the organization and with varying audiences.
• Flexibility adjusting to unexpected assignments, difficulties, and deadlines.

Benefits of Working at IAFC:

• Working with passionate team members that are driven by our Mission: Illinois Action for Children is a catalyst for organizing, developing and supporting strong families and powerful communities where children matter most.
• We strive to foster and implement a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion across our organization. We know it is not only critical to the success of diversity initiatives - but instrumental in creating an unbiassed and inclusive workplace! It not only relates to the diverse clients we serve but also creates a positive employee experience.
• We offer an extensive benefits package that adds value to your total compensation. Our benefits include:
• Health, dental and vision insurance plans with company contribution of 95% for single coverage
• 401k with company match
• Generous PTO – first year-23 days, the second year-28 days, the third year and on - 35 days
• 11 Paid Holidays and 1 Floating Holiday
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Flexible Spending Account
• STD & LTD insurance
• Company paid Life Insurance

Location: Uptown, Chicago, IL

Illinois Action for Children offers a hybrid work model, including days onsite and remote

Illinois Action for Children is EEO/M/F/V/D employer

While we desire for this job posting to be comprehensive, all aspects of the position may be amended at any time at the discretion of IAFC including job duties, work location and/or work schedule.

As established by the Illinois Action for Children Board of Directors, all employees are required to receive a vaccination against COVID-19, unless a medical or religious reasonable accommodation is approved. If offered a job, the candidate must be able to prove that they have been vaccinated with one of the CDC-authorized vaccines, including either Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson / Janssen.