The Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) produces data-driven research that advances society’s understanding of the global energy challenge and translates research insights into real-world impacts through strategic outreach and training for the next generation of global energy leaders.

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Focus: Mitigation or Adaptation

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Driving global energy solutions through research, outreach, and training for future energy leaders.

Job Summary
The Communications Associate will play a central role in executing EPIC communications and student engagement. This work will include managing communications strategy and implementing education, student, and campus programming. The Communications Associate will report to the Senior Director of Communications and External Engagement and work closely with the Communications and Digital Marketing and Campus Engagement Managers. The Communications Associate will join a passionate team at an exciting moment of significant growth and development for EPIC.
Responsibilities
<ul>
<li>Develops and plays a central role in executing strategies to amplify the program&rsquo;s education and student programming through all forms of media (print, social, video, etc.), in coordination with the Digital Media Manager and Multimedia Designer.</li>
<li>Writes news stories about new faculty, researchers, students and their classes and activities in order to spread awareness of the educational and student offerings as well as campus life.</li>
<li>Manages Chicago-based promotion for programming. This includes managing promotional efforts across various mediums, engaging key student groups and other organizations on and off campus, and capturing real-time content for digital applications.</li>
<li>Creates social media campaigns geared toward the promotion of campus life and educational programming.</li>
<li>Maintains the scholar, education and student portals and student event pages on the website, this includes identifying and adding news, events and opportunities on and off campus.</li>
<li>Compiles a weekly newsletter geared to students and a monthly newsletter highlighting campus life geared to an outside audience.</li>
<li>Monitors the online presence, websites and social media, of associated schools and centers, as well as the University of Chicago&rsquo;s news pages, for climate-related updates that would be appropriate for cross-promotion.</li>
<li>Works with the Campus Engagement Manager in engaging new students and student groups in programming.</li>
<li>Plans, develops and disseminates information designed to keep the public informed of the organization&rsquo;s programs, accomplishments, or point of view, with moderate levels of guidance and direction.</li>
<li>Solves a range of straightforward problems, as work assignments are difficult and broad in nature, usually requiring originality and ingenuity.</li>
<li>Continues to build higher level knowledge of the University, processes and customers.</li>
<li>Performs other related work as needed.</li>
</ul>
Minimum Qualifications
Education:
Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
&mdash; Work Experience:
Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.
Preferred Qualifications
Education:
<ul>
<li>Bachelor&rsquo;s degree in communications, public relations, journalism, marketing or a related field.</li>
</ul>
Experience:
<ul>
<li>Minimum of two years of experience working in a communications role.</li>
<li>Background managing websites, email marketing and social media accounts in a professional capacity, as well as maintaining stakeholder lists.</li>
<li>Education and/or student life communications.</li>
<li>Background in energy/environmental issues strongly desired and encouraged to apply.</li>
</ul>
Technical Skills or Knowledge:
<ul>
<li>Proficiency with MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and web-based communication methods and tools such as MailChimp, Hubspot, WordPress, and Google Analytics or similar platforms.</li>
<li>Proficiency with MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and web-based communication methods and tools such as MailChimp, WordPress, and Google Analytics or similar platforms.</li>
<li>Knowledge of best practices in digital engagement and their applications to communication strategies, including through web, email, and social media.</li>
</ul>
Preferred Competencies
<ul>
<li>Exceptional interpersonal skills and work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team.</li>
<li>Manage and prioritize diverse job tasks, perform effectively in a fast-paced environment, and meet deadlines in a timely manner while maintaining professionalism and product quality.</li>
<li>Excellent organizational skills, flexibility, and attention to detail.</li>
</ul>

Communications Associate

Job Summary
The Senior Communications Associate will play a central role in executing the Institute&rsquo;s communications and digital strategy. This work will include advancing the rapidly expanding digital portfolio of the Institute and its associated programs and expanding its stakeholder reach.&nbsp;
Responsibilities
<ul>
<li>Maintains digital communications efforts for the Institute, in coordination with the Communications and Digital Marketing Manager. These activities include managing multiple Institute-run websites; composing and executing social media campaigns and maintaining daily social media activities across the Institute; conducting strategic social media mapping for direct messaging and advertising campaigns; and creating email marketing campaigns to promote Institute research and programming.</li>
<li>Conducts strategic stakeholder and media mapping in preparation for new programming or research with the goal of properly targeting and engaging the most appropriate audiences. This includes a specific focus on developing regional stakeholder and media lists in key countries relevant to the Institute&rsquo;s strategic goals and those of its associated programs. Maintains robust stakeholder and media lists.</li>
<li>Manages large mailings of reports and other collaterals, which involves coordinating efforts across the team and with outside vendors to streamline contacts, print materials, and execute the mailing.</li>
<li>Creates a content calendar and writes news stories and other content under tight deadlines.&nbsp;&nbsp;This includes profiles of researchers and other initiatives.</li>
<li>Monitors, tracks and reports on media coverage of the Institute&rsquo;s scholars and issues of topical interest. Manages daily news digests.</li>
<li>Records and monitors monthly analytics for the Institute&rsquo;s websites, social media and email marketing accounts. Reports to the communications team with relevant data to inform strategies.</li>
</ul>
Preferred Qualifications
Education:
<ul>
<li>Bachelor&rsquo;s degree in communications, public relations, journalism, marketing or a related field.</li>
</ul>
Experience:
<ul>
<li>Three to five years of experience working in a communications role.</li>
<li>Managing websites, email marketing and social media accounts in a professional capacity, as well as maintaining stakeholder/media lists.</li>
<li>Agency experience highly valued.</li>
<li>Experience or interest in media relations.</li>
<li>Background in energy/environmental issues strongly desired and encouraged to apply.</li>
</ul>
Technical Skills or Knowledge:
<ul>
<li>Proficiency with MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and web-based communication methods and tools such as MailChimp, WordPress, and Google Analytics or similar platforms.</li>
</ul>
Preferred Competencies
<ul>
<li>Knowledge of current trends and best practices in digital engagement and their applications to communication strategies, including through web, email and social media.</li>
<li>Some knowledge in working with reporters and within the media landscape.</li>
<li>Exceptional interpersonal skills, and work both independently with initiative and collaboratively as part of a team.</li>
<li>Manage and prioritize diverse job tasks, perform effectively in a fast-paced environment, and meet deadlines in a timely manner while maintaining professionalism and product quality.</li>
<li>Excellent organizational skills, flexibility and attention to detail.</li>
</ul>

Senior Communications Associate

Job Summary
The Data Journalism/Multimedia Designer will lead in the conceptualization, design, and production of all visual content for the Institute, including data visualizations, videos, and other visual communication products for our web, email, social media, and print platforms. As the visual and graphic design lead on the communications team, the Data Journalism/Multimedia Designer will work with the team to develop visual and multimedia strategies and work to build brand awareness and maintain brand consistency through all products. Successful candidates will excel at using data, design, and multimedia to explain complex concepts and tell compelling stories. The ideal candidate will have a combination of creative, technical, and strategic communication skills and experience, as well as an eye for detail and aesthetics.
Responsibilities
<ul>
<li>Conceptualizes, leads, and carries out the visual strategy for the Institute by building and maintaining a compelling and consistent visual brand and identifying concepts and stories best told through visual, interactive, and multimedia products.</li>
<li>Translates complex research and data into compelling visual stories and interactives. This could include producing individual charts, maps or infographics, as well as visual stories and features or interactive dashboards. The visualizations could come in the form of web pages, social graphics/videos, presentations, interactive reports, etc.</li>
<li>Leads in the design, development, and production of digital and print materials. This includes marketing and fundraising resources, reports, research briefs, program collateral, promotional flyers, social graphics/videos, and other assets. Coordinates with external printers.</li>
<li>Produces compelling and professional highlight videos of the Institute&rsquo;s research, education, and outreach efforts. Leads the start-to-end production of video content, including developing content ideas, coordinating, conducting and taping interviews with an eye towards staging, and artfully incorporating appropriate B-roll and visual elements.</li>
<li>Coordinates with the communications and research teams to identify and comprehend relevant data and facilitates conversations to develop visual stories. Provides visual, technical, and editorial guidance and support.</li>
<li>Contracts, manages and provides technical and aesthetic oversight of audio, video, livestream, lighting and photography vendors that may be needed for Institute events or other projects, working in coordination with the Events and Operations Manager. Video records full events and produces highlight reels.</li>
<li>Manages the Institute&rsquo;s digital asset library, providing an organization system for easily accessing assets through multiple online systems and cloud-based platforms for the team&rsquo;s use.</li>
<li>Advises on new software and online platforms to best produce cutting-edge and customizable visual materials.</li>
<li>Oversees the Institute&rsquo;s multimedia equipment, ensuring its proper maintenance, care, and repair. Advises on updated equipment as needed.</li>
</ul>
Preferred Qualification
Education:
<ul>
<li>Bachelor&rsquo;s degree in communications, journalism, graphic design, or a related field.</li>
</ul>
Experience:
<ul>
<li>Background in data, visual or multimedia journalism, in a multifaceted position as part of a creative agency, strategic communications firm or digital news media outlet, or a related role.</li>
<li>Producing professional data visualizations and videos with a strong design aesthetic.</li>
<li>Professional graphic design experience.</li>
<li>Those with some knowledge or interest in climate change, energy and environmental topics encouraged to apply.</li>
</ul>
Technical Skills or Knowledge
<ul>
<li>Proficiency in Canva, Adobe Cloud (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects, and Premiere), and data visualization tools such as Flourish and Datawrapper.</li>
<li>Experience or familiarity with front-end web development (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Svelte or other development frameworks), cartography (QGIS, Mapbox, etc.), and data science programming (R, Python, etc.).</li>
<li>Knowledge of current trends and best practices in data visualization techniques, video production, and graphic design.</li>
</ul>
Preferred Competencies
<ul>
<li>Exceptional visual skills, including demonstrable design knowledge (layout, typography, color, interaction design, etc.).</li>
<li>Highly skilled at using and translating complex data into visual forms.</li>
<li>Quickly learn, comprehend, and translate complex ideas into compelling visual content.</li>
<li>Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to work both independently with a high degree of initiative and collaboratively as part of a team.</li>
<li>Manage and prioritize job tasks, perform effectively in a fast-paced environment, and meet deadlines in a timely manner while maintaining professionalism and product quality.</li>
<li>Strategic and creative thinking, project management, and planning skills.</li>
<li>Excellent organizational, problem-solving and decision-making skills, creativity, flexibility and attention to detail.</li>
</ul>

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Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago

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