Associate Director, University Communications

About the role

The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) is seeking an Associate Director, University Communications to join the Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications team. This position is intended to be eligible for benefits, including Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, a Retirement Plan, Paid Time Off, and Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.

Responsibilities

• Seek, prepare, write, review, and effectively disseminate media relations and crisis/issues management content for the hospital, OVCHA and/or the health sciences colleges, programs, and specialties through diverse media channels including print, broadcast, and multimedia.
• Function as the key point of contact for the hospital and/or health sciences colleges, facilitating external news contacts and collaborations for both current and emerging news coverage.
• Contribute to communication efforts and support as a vital part of the UIC’s emergency response team.
• Identify and foster relationships with local, national, and international news entities and organizational representatives, ensuring a consistent stream of positive coverage for the health science colleges and/or UI Health.
• Develop and maintain ongoing connections with media sources, faculty, staff, and students.
• Proactively write and pitch UIC and UI Health research, clinical stories, events, and major grants/funding; pitch and place UIC and UI Health experts and faculty for topical, breaking, and trending news stories.
• Respond to news media inquiries, schedule, and negotiate interviews and written content.
• Cultivate and curate an aligned and collaborative landscape of storytelling across all channels and media.
• Advise university and hospital leadership along with faculty and staff on media responses and strategies for protecting and stewarding the reputation of the institution.
• Provide crisis communications support and media training.
• In-depth ability to research and communicate complex information, such as medical research, clinical innovations, or health policy issues, to a broad audience, using knowledge of concepts within a specialized field.
• Plan and prepare stories; write, edit, proofread, and copy-edit a variety of technical articles, reports, brochures, and manuals for wide dissemination.
• Coordinate activities with audio/video specialists, graphic designers, digital media, and others to activate and support multiplatform storytelling.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, Media, Public Relations, Advertising, Marketing, Science, or a related field.
• Five (5) years of professional experience in media relations, communications, public relations, journalism, or a related field, including issues management, crisis communications, and storytelling.
• Demonstrated knowledge of federal, state, and local healthcare laws and regulatory requirements, including privacy and confidentiality standards for healthcare communications.
• Strong written communication skills, including professional experience writing, editing, and proofreading content for internal, external, media, or public audiences.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree preferred.
• Demonstrated experience identifying, developing, and prioritizing news stories; conducting interviews; and gathering information from multiple sources to produce accurate and engaging communications materials within a higher educational institution or healthcare setting.
• Experience working in highly collaborative environments requiring effective interpersonal skills, cultural awareness, and the ability to maintain positive, solution-orientated relationships.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, prioritize competing deadlines, adapt to changing priorities, and maintain a high level of accuracy, attention to detail, and quality.