The Chicago School of Professional Psychology Hiring for Digital Public Relations Manager – Chicago at Chicago, IL Full Time

About the Position

The Chicago School is hiring a Digital Public Relations Manager to support its growing brand and impact in the Chicago, IL market and nationally. This Manager will be responsible for supporting the university’s strategic expansion goals and advancement goals by developing and executing an effective media strategy as well as cultivating and maintaining a network of contacts to advance The Chicago School’s strategic story.

The Chicago School is seeking a Digital Public Relations Manager that is prepared to build on our success establishing the university as a leading educator for mental and behavioral health professionals as well as advancing and preparing a media strategy to promote integrated healthcare as the university prepares to launch a new College of Osteopathic Medicine in Chicago in 2026.

The Chicago School has amazing stories to share about our students, alumni, faculty and staff and we are looking for a Digital Public Relations Manager to successfully use the power of story to generate strategic news media coverage utilizing digital platforms. Successful candidates will have exceptional written and verbal communication skills and demonstrated experience using digital platforms as a news media outreach strategy.

The Digital Public Relations Manager will report directly to the Executive Director of Communications & Public Affairs at The Chicago School. This position will work closely with colleagues on the Communications & Public Affairs team as well as colleagues from Marketing, Advancement, and the Office of the President, as well as students, faculty, and staff from across the university community.

This position is based on the Chicago campus of The Chicago School, with opportunities for regular remote work. Offsite event support and responsibilities across Chicago are expected, and occasional travel to other campuses of The Chicago School may be required.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop an effective digital news media outreach plan to advance the university’s strategic agenda including goals, budget, tactics, timeline, and metrics. Advance an aggressive PR strategy, seeking high-level placements in print, broadcast and digital media; explicitly focused in Chicago but also nationally when appropriate.

• Coordinate all public relations activities, including but not limited to:

• Leveraging existing media relationships and cultivating new contacts within business and higher education media

• Working with non-English speaking and international news media, demonstrating an understanding how differently those outlets function

• Managing media inquiries and interview requests

• Connecting public relations work to the university’s ongoing social media, content production, and public affairs work to engage audiences across traditional and digital media

• Support, cover, and/or manage Chicago-area events that promote the university

• Independently create content that aligns with the university’s strategic goals for news media releases, byline articles, keynote presentations, blogs, social media content, and more

• Provide university spokespeople with preparation support (e.g., speaking points, practice sessions, etc.), media training, and ongoing training support

• Maintain a keen understanding of public relations trends, especially those in Chicago and related to higher education, and make appropriate recommendations and adjustments regarding communication strategy

• Monitor, analyze, and communicate PR results on a quarterly basis with recommendations on how to pivot strategy and tactics to maximize results

• Supervise, support, and/or partner with outside contractors and/or part-time student workers to perform key responsibilities

Basic Qualifications

• At least 5 years of professional experience in public relations, either for an agency or as a member of an established public relations department

• Proven track record designing and implementing successful public relations campaigns, both locally in the Chicago-area market and nationally

• Individual must be based in Chicago, IL or the surrounding area

• Must have established connections in the Chicago-area market

• Experience as a company or organization spokesperson; comfortable and skilled with both broadcast and print media interviews

• Exceptional writing and editing skills

• Experience with social media, particularly with utilizing social media strategies to advance news media outreach

Ideal Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Journalism, Communications or a related discipline

• Bilingual language skills

Compensation & BenefitsThis opportunity is budgeted at $$70,000 – $90,000 annually base compensation. Additional compensation factors may impact total compensation. To learn more about our competitive benefits and additional rewards, including generous paid time-off, medical and dental insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, retirement plan with employer contribution, multiple flexible spending accounts, tuition reimbursement, click the link below.

https://www.thechicagoschool.edu/career-opportunities/

The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Please note: For the protection of faculty, staff, students and all who enter our facilities, The Chicago School requires all employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, with limited exemptions, as a condition of employment.