Jewish United Fund
Reporting to the Senior Associate Vice President, Marketing and Communications, the
Director of Communications
is responsible for writing and elevating timely and compelling institutional news and content across media platforms, generating coverage and public awareness of JUFs priority issues and initiatives, engaging donors and other key stakeholders, and growing the audience interested in JUF and its work. The salary range for this role is $90,000 - $100,000. What youll be doing: Become conversant in critical issues, current events, institutional initiatives, and related data/success stories. Cultivate relationships across departments and agencies to identify opportunities for sharing news and information about issues, events, and initiatives relevant to donors, community members, and stakeholders. Develop content for internal audiences to share externally, working in partnership with campaign donor officers and staff. Support communication needs for the Campaign department, including writing institutional content for donor outreach, meetings, and events. Transform institutional news into compelling, digestible content for media platforms, collaborating with the social media team and other departments. Write/edit messaging, media materials, news releases, stories, posts, talking points, and other communications for internal and external audiences. Respond calmly and clearly during crises to guide messaging and tone, creating communications for specific audiences. Plan and execute emergency campaigns across platforms for the Marketing and Communications department. Identify opportunities for JUF leadership visibility in media and community forums, both online and in person. Monitor, analyze, and report media coverage, developing responses as needed. Extract and synthesize content from data to highlight impact and significance. Manage relationships and ensure compliance in sharing relevant data with philanthropic and civic watchdogs, aggregators, and information services (e.g., Charity Navigator, GuideStar, BBB). Oversee institutional content on the JUF website. Ensure the Jewish voice is represented in Chicagos broader community media. Support ongoing JUF Campaign and mandatory activities related to campaigns.
What you need to succeed: BA in journalism, public relations, integrated marketing communications, marketing, or related field. 10-12 years of professional experience. Knowledge of the Jewish community. Superior interpersonal, organizational, written, and verbal communication skills. Excellent critical thinking and analytical skills. Ability to develop outreach strategies for new audiences. Proven experience cultivating media relationships and securing coverage. Understanding of multi-media platform engagement. Ability to prioritize, multitask, and manage time effectively. Deadline-driven with the ability to work swiftly under pressure. Discreet, professional, and poised in interactions with staff and leaders, handling sensitive issues appropriately. Passion for the institutional mission.
What youll love about us: At JUF, you can be part of one of Illinois largest non-profit social welfare organizations. We provide food, refuge, healthcare, education, emergency assistance, and essential services to 500,000 Chicagoans of all faiths and millions of Jews worldwide. Benefits include medical, dental, vision insurance, 401(k) with matching, wellness benefits, professional development, tuition reimbursement, paid family leave, and more. We offer flexible scheduling, with core hours and options for remote work on a hybrid basis. Equal Opportunity Employer This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For more information, review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor. #J-18808-Ljbffr
Director of Communications
is responsible for writing and elevating timely and compelling institutional news and content across media platforms, generating coverage and public awareness of JUFs priority issues and initiatives, engaging donors and other key stakeholders, and growing the audience interested in JUF and its work. The salary range for this role is $90,000 - $100,000. What youll be doing: Become conversant in critical issues, current events, institutional initiatives, and related data/success stories. Cultivate relationships across departments and agencies to identify opportunities for sharing news and information about issues, events, and initiatives relevant to donors, community members, and stakeholders. Develop content for internal audiences to share externally, working in partnership with campaign donor officers and staff. Support communication needs for the Campaign department, including writing institutional content for donor outreach, meetings, and events. Transform institutional news into compelling, digestible content for media platforms, collaborating with the social media team and other departments. Write/edit messaging, media materials, news releases, stories, posts, talking points, and other communications for internal and external audiences. Respond calmly and clearly during crises to guide messaging and tone, creating communications for specific audiences. Plan and execute emergency campaigns across platforms for the Marketing and Communications department. Identify opportunities for JUF leadership visibility in media and community forums, both online and in person. Monitor, analyze, and report media coverage, developing responses as needed. Extract and synthesize content from data to highlight impact and significance. Manage relationships and ensure compliance in sharing relevant data with philanthropic and civic watchdogs, aggregators, and information services (e.g., Charity Navigator, GuideStar, BBB). Oversee institutional content on the JUF website. Ensure the Jewish voice is represented in Chicagos broader community media. Support ongoing JUF Campaign and mandatory activities related to campaigns.
What you need to succeed: BA in journalism, public relations, integrated marketing communications, marketing, or related field. 10-12 years of professional experience. Knowledge of the Jewish community. Superior interpersonal, organizational, written, and verbal communication skills. Excellent critical thinking and analytical skills. Ability to develop outreach strategies for new audiences. Proven experience cultivating media relationships and securing coverage. Understanding of multi-media platform engagement. Ability to prioritize, multitask, and manage time effectively. Deadline-driven with the ability to work swiftly under pressure. Discreet, professional, and poised in interactions with staff and leaders, handling sensitive issues appropriately. Passion for the institutional mission.
What youll love about us: At JUF, you can be part of one of Illinois largest non-profit social welfare organizations. We provide food, refuge, healthcare, education, emergency assistance, and essential services to 500,000 Chicagoans of all faiths and millions of Jews worldwide. Benefits include medical, dental, vision insurance, 401(k) with matching, wellness benefits, professional development, tuition reimbursement, paid family leave, and more. We offer flexible scheduling, with core hours and options for remote work on a hybrid basis. Equal Opportunity Employer This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For more information, review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor. #J-18808-Ljbffr