Job Description:

Unit-Specific Responsibilities

1) The Assistant Director, External Relations and Communications for the Polsky Center is responsible for raising the external brand awareness of the Polsky Centerâ”locally, nationally, and globally.

2) Given the nature of Polsky Centerâ™s work, this position requires the ability to promote technological and scientific innovations to a variety of audiences.

3) The position engages regularly with campus partners, media outlets, and external organizations in the entrepreneurial, science, technology, and business community and is responsible for planning and managing all logistics for external brand-building opportunities and events that are hosted either by other organizations or by the Polsky Center-this includes organizing high profile, public-facing events that offer joint marketing benefit with selected ecosystem partners.

4) Important components of this position include leading the Polsky Centerâ™s external visibility and thought leadership strategies through communications, science storytelling, hosted events, award submissions, speaking engagements, conference participation, original content, press releases, as well as proactive media outreach.

5) This position will work across the entire Polsky Center team, supporting the Centerâ™s thought leaders and collaborating with other University of Chicago communications, media relations departments, and partnerships teams to align all external marketing and partnership efforts.

6) Serve as the dedicated marketing resource to support the Polsky Science and Technology team.; attend all weekly meetings and work in close collaboration with that team to advance the lead generation, branding, and partnership development functions of that office.

7) Champion new marketing initiatives to increase engagement with faculty, researchers, venture capitalists, and corporate partners.

8) Develop profiles on faculty inventors and research-based startups and find new ways to share these commercialization stories across digital channels (e.g., website, video, social media, etc.)

9) Support the development and implementation of high-profile, public-facing events, including web-based events, that will raise the brand awareness of the Polsky Center and its science portfolio.  

10) Proactively seek out opportunities for the Polsky Center and affiliated startups/innovators/inventors to win awards, present at conferences, and receive other recognition.

11) Support the media relations operations of the Polsky Center by working to identify and develop strong relationships with key media contacts at local, regional, and national media outlets, and work with these contacts to garner coverage of the Polsky Center.

12) Create PowerPoints for the Polsky Center, and play an active role in managing the Polsky Marketing Toolkit ensuring participation and usage across the organization and equipping team members with the most relevant talking points, slides, and presentations. 

13) Support content creation for communications vehicles including: press releases, featured stories, partnership announcements, IP technology milestones, awards submissions, speaker proposals, speaker presentations, blog posts, and thought leadership projects, etc.

14) Be a willing resource to support ad hoc requests, related to programs, events, and non-marketing Polsky Center projects, as needed.

15) Create and deliver presentations on the Polsky Center's activities to various audiences, as needed.  

Unit-Preferred Competencies

1) Proficiency in Microsoft office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel). 

2) Excellent written and verbal communications skills. 

3) Resourcefulness, creativity, detail-orientation, and ability to work independently. 

4) Effectively multi-task under deadlines, ask questions as necessary. 

5) Work effectively and collaboratively across all levels of the organization.

6) Demonstrated excellent customer service skills.

7) Willingness to take on additional duties, as assigned.

8) Understanding of the Polsky Centerâ™s programs, resources, mission and goals.

9) Ability to travel between Hyde Park, downtown Chicago, and 53rd Street, and flexibility to occasionally work late or start early for the Polsky Center events; majority of time in Hyde Park.

Preferred Qualifications

Education

1) Masterâ™s degree.

Experience

1) A minimum of three years of public relations, marketing, sales, journalism, or partnership relations/development experience.

2) Experience writing about science, technology, entrepreneurship, and/or innovation topics.

3) Experience managing large-scale or high-profile events.

4) Experience pitching ideas and news stories to media.

Required Documents

1) Resume

2) Cover letter

NOTE: When applying, all required documents MUST be uploaded under the Resume/CV section of the application.

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via the Applicant Inquiry Form.

The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: securityreport.uchicago.edu. Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.