Public Relations, Social Media & Strategic Partnerships Manager

About the Role

Make an impact by shaping how Modern Woodmen’s story is shared and experienced. The Public Relations, Social Media & Strategic Partnerships Manager leads creative, integrated strategies that elevate our brand, strengthen our reputation, and build meaningful connections with key audiences. From driving media and social engagement to activating sponsorships, navigating high-profile communications, and expanding community partnerships, this role brings our mission and values to life. The ideal candidate is a strategic storyteller, trusted relationship builder, and collaborative leader who turns insights into action and inspires a high-performing team.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and manage integrated public relations, social media, sponsorship, community engagement, and reputation strategies that align with organizational goals and brand standards.
• Promote and protect the organization’s brand by identifying storytelling opportunities, monitoring reputation signals, and supporting proactive and responsive communication efforts.
• Lead crisis communications and issues management support, including message development, scenario planning, media monitoring, stakeholder coordination, and timely response recommendations.
• Write, edit, and coordinate distribution of press releases, media statements, talking points, executive messages, articles, social media content, sponsorship materials, and other external communications.
• Build and maintain relationships with media contacts, community organizations, sponsorship partners, influencers, internal leaders, and other external stakeholders.
• Lead social media strategy across appropriate platforms, including editorial planning, publishing, community management, engagement monitoring, trend response, and performance optimization.
• Manage sponsorship strategy and activation, including evaluation of opportunities, partner alignment, deliverable coordination, budget tracking, on-site or campaign support, and post-activation analysis.
• Coordinate public relations, sponsorship, and community outreach activities that increase visibility, strengthen relationships, and support the organization’s mission and values.
• Serve as a key communications partner between enterprise marketing and field communications, helping translate PR, social media, sponsorship, and reputation initiatives into clear, actionable messaging that supports field engagement and aligns with organizational priorities.
• Partner with internal departments and leaders to ensure communications are timely, accurate, audience-appropriate, and aligned with broader organizational initiatives.
• Use analytics, social listening, media monitoring, sentiment insights, and campaign results to evaluate effectiveness, identify trends, and recommend improvements.
• Maintain awareness of public relations, crisis communication, social media, sponsorship, creator/influencer engagement, and communication trends, tools, and best practices.
• Lead, coach, and develop assigned team members to promote effective service delivery, professional growth, and alignment with department priorities. Foster a positive, professional, and high-performing work environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in public relations, communications, marketing, journalism, business, or a related field required; equivalent related experience may be considered.
• Minimum of seven years of progressive experience in public relations, communications, social media, sponsorships, marketing, crisis communications, or a related field preferred.
• Previous leadership or supervisory experience.

Skills

• Connect PR, social media, and sponsorship strategies to organizational priorities and measurable outcomes.
• Build strong relationships with leaders, media, community and sponsorship partners, and other stakeholders.
• Manage multiple priorities with creativity, attention to detail, and follow-through.
• Use communication metrics, media coverage, sentiment, and campaign results to guide recommendations.
• Demonstrate discretion, sound judgment, and professionalism in sensitive or high-profile matters.
• Excellent writing, editing, presentation, and message-development skills.

Pay

The annual salary range is $105,000-$120,000. The specific rate will depend on the successful candidate’s qualifications and prior experience. Candidates outside of the range are encouraged to apply and will be considered based on experience, skill, and education.

Benefits

• Company-paid retirement plan
• Matching 401(k) plan
• Medical, Dental, and Prescription Drug Insurance (100% of employees’ health insurance premiums and 50% of employee dependents’ premiums paid by the company)
• Group term life insurance
• Long-term and short-term disability
• Employee Impact Bonus
• Voluntary benefits: vision, flexible savings accounts (FSA), accident insurance

Work Arrangements

This is a full-time, office-focused, salaried position. Office-focused positions work on-site due to the nature of the work and have limited remote days.

About Modern Woodmen of America

Modern Woodmen of America is one of the nation’s largest fraternal benefit societies, with over $18 billion in assets. Fraternals are unique membership organizations that pair the “member-owned” characteristic of a mutual insurance company with the “social mission” characteristic of a service organization. They unite individuals with common bonds, provide a variety of life insurance and investment products, and form one of the nation’s most effective volunteer networks.

Location

Our home office is located in downtown Rock Island, IL, offering a beautiful plaza overlooking the Mississippi River. The Quad Cities area provides an idyllic Midwestern lifestyle with a high quality of life and cost of living, along with a vibrant arts and cultural scene.