Assistant Director, Presidential Communications

About The Department The Office of the President supports the work of President Paul Alivisatos, providing leadership, coordination, and administrative support to strategic initiatives, programs, and activities that advance the mission and eminence of the University of Chicago. The Office also undertakes a broad range of activities that support the ongoing work of the president. Information about the Office of the President is available at https://president.uchicago.edu/about-the-office. Department Office of the President: Communications Job Summary The Assistant Director for Presidential Communications plays a critical role within the Office of the President, advancing the President’s and University’s strategic priorities through the planning, development, and execution of high‑impact presidential communications and projects. Reporting to the Senior Director of Presidential Communications and operating under the guidance of the Vice President and Chief of Staff, this position oversees and manages a wide array of communications, projects, and related workstreams, while also contributing to administrative initiatives across the office. This role offers a unique opportunity to support core correspondence and communications in the Office of the President. The successful candidate will support messaging strategy, manage cross-unit input, and drive projects to completion, while also contributing to operational and administrative initiatives that may include quantitative analysis, visual data reporting, web and content management, and the design and tracking of internal systems. Success in this position requires a strong understanding of the university’s history, priorities, key issues, and institutional values, as well as the ability to clearly interpret and communicate that context to a range of audiences. The role also calls for a flexible, collaborative team player who is comfortable operating in a fast‑paced environment with a high tolerance for ambiguity, and who can serve as a trusted communications partner to colleagues across the University. The ideal candidate will demonstrate exceptional attention to detail, sound judgment, discretion, and strict confidentiality. Responsibilities Support the planning, coordination, and execution of presidential priorities and Office of the President initiatives, including complex communications, operational, administrative, and analytical workstreams and using best practices and institutional knowledge to improve outcomes. Work with minimal guidance to draft, edit, and prepare high‑impact communications; including messages, invitations, award letters, and briefing materials, for internal and external audiences, ensuring clarity, consistency, and alignment with presidential and institutional strategy. Provide research and administrative support for the development of messaging related to major announcements. Contribute to efforts to promote alignment and consistency across presidential, central, and unit‑level communications. Serve as primary message deployer and point of contact for the role out of institution or unit‑wide announcements. Lead assigned projects and deliverables by establishing and monitoring timelines, gathering and synthesizing materials, driving follow‑up with contributors, overseeing approvals, and ensuring projects move forward on schedule; design and maintain project trackers, shared documents, and tools that strengthen planning and execution. Maintain a comprehensive understanding of activities scheduled in the Office of the President to support itinerary planning and event coordination. Serve as a backup and/or triage point for calendaring requests when/as directed, ensuring seamless support and execution. Conduct quantitative analysis and develop visual data summaries (e.g., dashboards, charts, presentation slides) to support decision‑making, track progress on priorities, and inform communications and operational planning. Manage updates to the Office of the President website with minimal guidance, maintaining content so it is current, clear, accessible, and strategically aligned with broader institutional messaging, and recommending improvements based on best practices in web communications. Lead efforts to organize, archive, and retrieve presidential communications and related files, designing and refining systems that support long‑term accessibility, compliance, and effective knowledge management. Conduct background research and advanced fact‑checking to ensure the credibility and accuracy of presidential communications. Contribute to the preparation of recurring briefing materials and provide logistical and communications support for meetings and events as needed. Attend meetings when requested to capture information, track follow‑up items, and support next steps. Develops, plans, and disseminates information designed to keep the public informed of the organization’s programs, accomplishments, or point of view. Solves moderate to complex problems related to the writing, preparation, and/or delivery of information from or about the unit. Performs other related work as needed. Education Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in a related field. Work Experience Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5–7 years of work experience in a related job discipline. Certifications None specified. Experience Experience supporting senior executives through high‑stakes communications as well as cross‑functional operational, analytical, and strategic projects in a complex organization. Demonstrated success leading communications projects from strategy through execution (planning, stakeholder management, approvals, delivery, and post‑launch refinement). Experience translating technical/academic/organizational content into clear narratives and visuals for varied audiences. Familiarity with institutional communications in higher education or mission‑driven organizations. Demonstrated ability to draft, edit, and distribute various forms of professional correspondence. Experience in conceptualizing, researching, and writing a diverse range of content. Adept at planning and tracking multiple writing projects, ensuring timely and successful execution while maintaining the president's voice and style in all communications. Preferred Competencies Exceptional writing and editing skills; familiarity with the Chicago Manual of Style and ability to enforce editorial standards. Sound judgment, discretion, and comfort handling confidential and sensitive information. Advanced research and fact‑checking capabilities; high attention to detail. Stakeholder management and collaboration skills; ability to build trust with senior leaders and partners across the University. Strategic thinking: ability to connect communications decisions to institutional goals, audience needs, and reputational considerations. Strong project management skills with experience managing multiple deliverables. Application Documents Resume (required) Cover letter (required) References (3) (required) When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application. Job Family Communications Role Impact Individual Contributor Scheduled Weekly Hours 37.5 Drug Test Required No Health Screen Required No Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required No Pay Rate Type Salary FLSA Status Exempt Pay Range $81,000.00 – $94,000.00 The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting. Benefits Eligible Yes The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook. Posting Statement The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University’s Notice of Nondiscrimination. Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773‑702‑5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form. All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case‑by‑case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position. 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 http://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. #J-18808-Ljbffr