Communications Manager, Client Services & External Affairs - Hybrid Chicago Loop Office

About the position NORC at the University of Chicago is seeking a Communications Manager to join the Client Services and External Affairs team within Strategic Communications. This role is ideal for someone who believes rigorous, independent research can help make the world a better place, and wants to help get that work into the right hands. This is a highly collaborative role serving as the External Affairs Lead. You’ll be the primary media point of contact, while also helping lead and project manage select external corporate initiatives. You’ll partner closely with research and project teams and work day-to-day with colleagues across Digital, Editorial, Creative, and Events teams to keep projects on track, contribute to content development, and deliver external communications that are clear, timely, accessible, and aligned with NORC’s brand voice. Location: Hybrid role based in either Chicago Loop or Washington, D.C. office, with a minimum of six days per month in the office. Travel: Limited, with occasional travel (for example, an annual team retreat). DEPARTMENT: Strategic Communications The Strategic Communications department drives NORC’s brand, reputation, and visibility across every channel and audience. The department brings together expertise in corporate communications, creative services, digital communications and marketing, internal communications, and project-level communications support. We manage NORC’s social media presence, email marketing, and website properties, and we partner with project teams on dissemination strategies that help NORC’s research reach the people who need it. NORC partners with government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world to inform the critical decisions facing society, and we ensure that work gets seen, understood, and used, both for our clients and for broader public impact.

Responsibilities

• Lead NORC’s external affairs work as the primary media contact by developing and executing an ongoing media strategy; triaging and coordinating responses to inbound media inquiries; and supporting staff who will be speaking to media.
• Provide crisis communications and reputation/risk support to help protect NORC’s brand as an objective, nonpartisan research organization.
• Draft, edit, and distribute press releases and other external-facing media materials, applying strong editorial judgment to ensure accuracy, plain language, and alignment with NORC’s brand voice and editorial standards before release.
• Maintain External Affairs systems and infrastructure by managing NORC’s PR firm; monitoring the media landscape and identifying opportunities; building media relationships; developing and refining media lists; supporting thought leadership efforts; and producing monthly media reports and timely media alerts for senior leadership and key stakeholders.
• Project manage select external-facing corporate initiatives and client-funded projects (particularly those with a media component) by supporting intake and requirements gathering, contributing to dissemination planning, coordinating resources, and using project management tools to track timelines, owners, progress, and communications from kickoff through completion.
• Use AI tools thoughtfully and strategically to enhance media backgrounders, writing and planning, and press list generation, while maintaining human quality control and accountability.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, journalism, public relations, English, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• At least 5 years of relevant communications, PR, marketing, or agency experience (including internships).
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment, solve problems, and coordinate cross-functional stakeholders (including senior leaders) to meet deadlines and handle shifting priorities.
• Experience handling media relations, press outreach, and/or reputation communications with strong judgment and discretion.
• Strong writing and editing skills, especially for press releases, spokesperson support materials, and executive-ready messaging.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including clear, professional communication and a strong client-service mindset.
• Team-oriented approach and commitment to a collaborative work environment, both virtually and in person.
• High attention to detail, especially for accuracy, formatting consistency, and alignment with NORC’s visual brand and messaging standards.
• Experience in media monitoring, media list development, and coverage reporting tools (MuckRack or similar).
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 tools (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint).

Nice-to-haves

• Experience in a project management platform (Wrike or similar).
• Familiarity with SharePoint and Microsoft Teams.
• Interest in and commitment to social science research and mission-driven work.
• Comfort using AI tools (such as ChatGPT or Claude) to support writing and planning, with strong editorial judgment.

Benefits

• Generously subsidized health insurance, effective on the first day of employment
• Dental and vision insurance
• A defined contribution retirement program, along with a separate voluntary 403(b) retirement program
• Group life insurance, long-term and short-term disability insurance
• Benefits that promote work/life balance, including generous paid time off, holidays; paid parental leave, bereavement leave, tuition assistance, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

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