Full-Time/Part Time: Full-Time

Overview:

Position Summary:

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Serve as a member of the leadership team of the Foundation, providing strategic direction for the division and across academic and administrative units in support of Northern Illinois University's strategic and capital campaign goals.
• Provide vision, leadership, planning, management, and evaluation of all aspects of communications and marketing strategies for the Foundation.
• Utilize findings, study national trends, and adapt best practices to assist in the development of programs and messaging to cultivate life-long relationships between Northern Illinois University and the multifaceted Foundation constituents.
• Advise senior leadership on communications and marketing tools and innovations required to achieve strategic goals.
• Provide input on organization-wide matters and take shared responsibility for the success of the Foundation at large.
• Develop Communications' goals and manage its annual budget with advisement from the President and CEO.

• Create a cohesive communications and marketing strategy that includes support for the university's comprehensive campaign, which will require a close working partnership with colleagues in a matrixed environment.
• Support every department at the Foundation to host memorable, well-run events that bring audiences to more deeply understand the Foundation's work, and that build stronger relationships with our partners.
• Oversee content production including newsletters, annual reports, quarterly updates, websites, email blasts, social media, announcements, invitations, and event materials.
• Ensure that Foundation leaders have the communication tools (talking points, presentations, website pages, and other supports) to meet their highest objectives across the community.
• Guide the execution and evaluation of all aspects of marketing, data and analytics, communications and event strategies for the Foundation.
• Champion internal strategies that create transparency and that offer clear messaging and concise positioning of the Foundation that make adoption easy for internal constituents.

• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including donors, alumni, faculty, students, and community members. Develop strategies to effectively engage with these groups and communicate the Foundation's impact and achievements.
• Work closely with University leadership and other senior administrators to align communication efforts and support the overall mission and goals of the University and the Foundation.
• Activate staff and colleagues to generate innovative ideas and solutions that engage donors, alumni, supporters, and friends.

• Coach, mentor, and guide the team to increase the capabilities and effectiveness of this group, including setting clear performance management objectives, and aggressively evaluating the structure, resources, and capabilities to provide a proactive, flexible, client-focused resource for the Foundation.
• Responsible for the direct oversight of up to two Foundation positions.
• Lead a high-impact and exceptionally performing team as well as a portfolio of outstanding and high performing contractors and consultants to achieve all departmental and organizational goals.
• Design, implement, and evaluate the Foundation's communications strategies and activities including, but not limited to:
  • Brand management
  • Media relations / public relations
  • Collaborative communications partnerships
• Provide a work environment that values diversity and inclusion and establishes belonging among all community constituents including staff and volunteers regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, age, veteran status, or disability.

Specialty Factors (Civil Service):

Minimum Required Qualifications (Civil Service):

Minimum Required Qualifications (SPS):

• Minimum of seven to ten years' experience, including supervisory responsibilities, with a proven upward trajectory of varied marketing, communications and event planning roles. Ideal to have exposure to a range of disciplines and functions inherent in marketing, communications and event planning.
• Demonstrable knowledge of marketing and communications platforms and the most current technologies available with the ability to be creative in utilizing it to lead a staff to technical solutions is ideal.
• Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, journalism or related field.

Salary: Starting salary of $175,000, commensurate with experience and position includes a robust benefits package

Application Procedure:

• Cover Letter – Please include your interest in employment with the NIU Foundation and fit for the role for which you are applying
• Current Resume
• List of Three Professional References

EEO Statement Summary:

About Northern Illinois University

Northern Illinois University's vision is to be an engine for innovation to advance social mobility; promote personal, professional and intellectual growth; and transform the world through research, artistry, teaching and outreach.The mission of Northern Illinois University is to empower students through educational excellence and experiential learning as we pursue knowledge, share our research and artistry, and engage communities for the benefit of the region, state, nation and world.

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