Manager of Marketing & Communications

LINK Unlimited Scholars (LINK) is where hard work meets heart work. The work is demanding and fast-paced, but deeply rewarding. We push ourselves because our Scholars deserve nothing less. If that doesn’t scare you AND you’re adaptable, driven, and ready to invest in changing the trajectory of our Scholars lives and our city’s future, then we invite you to join our team!

We LINK students who have been historically underrepresented in higher education, especially Black students, with the resources and support needed for success as they advance to, through, and beyond college.

Chicago’s educational system amplifies persistent inequities, creating a significant college completion gap for historically underrepresented students, particularly Black students. LINK’s goal is to mitigate the effect of these systemic and structural forces by improving and increasing access to educational opportunities and college completion for students who have been historically underrepresented in higher education, especially Black youth in Chicago. By equipping our Scholars with the knowledge, skills, resources, and social equity that further college completion and career placement, we are increasing the economic mobility and stability of historically underrepresented students and cultivating a diverse leadership pipeline for our city.

Since 1966, we have successfully supported over 2,500 low- to moderate-income students. In the 2025-2026 academic year, we will serve 300+ Scholars (Jr. LINK, High School & Collegiate Scholars). Our Scholars represent more than 60 Chicagoland neighborhoods, with a focus from ten South and West Side communities.

Position Summary

The Manager of Marketing & Communications leads the day-to-day execution of our marketing, communications, and brand storytelling efforts. This role ensures our work, impact, and voice are communicated clearly and consistently across platforms to engage stakeholders, strengthen brand visibility, and support fundraising and advancement efforts. This role manages our comprehensive communications and social media calendar, ensuring that programs, milestones, events, and impact are consistently reflected across platforms. The Manager of Marketing & Communications works closely with staff across departments to identify stories, capture program highlights, and translate our work into compelling communications.

The ideal candidate is someone who loves writing and creating content and sees storytelling as a powerful tool to elevate impact. This role requires a creative and strategic thinker who can look across our organization holistically, identify meaningful stories, and translate our work into compelling communications that inspire engagement, strengthen visibility, and support fundraising and resource development. This is a hands-on communications role for a professional who enjoys both strategy and execution, from writing stories and designing graphics to creating video content and analyzing engagement performance.

Brand Marketing & Social Media Strategy

• Manage LINK’s brand presence across all digital platforms (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, etc.).
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive monthly social media calendar that reflects our organizational priorities, program activities, events, and Scholar achievements across departments.
• Create and design social media graphics, marketing materials, and digital content using Canva or similar design platforms, ensuring alignment with the LINK brand & guidelines.
• Schedule and publish posts regularly across social media platforms to maintain a consistent and engaging digital presence.
• Create short-form video content for social media and organizational storytelling (e.g., program highlights, Scholar stories, event recaps, and promotional content).
• Identify opportunities to capture and produce video content that elevates our impact and strengthens audience engagement.
• Develop content strategies that ensure posts are substantive, mission-driven, and impactful, rather than simply maintaining activity.
• Monitor social media platforms daily and respond appropriately to comments and messages.
• Identify opportunities to elevate Scholar voices, program milestones, donor engagement, and organizational impact.

Content Development & Storytelling

• Identify, develop, and write compelling stories that highlight the experiences and achievements of Scholars, Mentors, and the broader LINK community.
• Translate program updates, milestones, and outcomes into engaging narratives that communicate our impact to diverse audiences.
• Proactively gather stories, updates, and program highlights from staff across departments to ensure communications reflect the full scope of our work.
• Build strong working relationships with colleagues to capture timely content and follow up when information is needed to meet communications timelines.
• Think holistically about communications across the organization, ensuring messaging across social media, newsletters, website content, and campaigns is cohesive, strategic, and consistent.
• Create thoughtful content that reflects the depth and impact of our work and resonates with diverse stakeholders.

Organizational Communications & Email Marketing

• Develop and distribute organizational newsletters and mass communications to stakeholders.
• Manage email campaigns using platforms such as Mailchimp, including drafting content, designing templates, scheduling distributions, and monitoring engagement.
• Translate program updates provided by staff into compelling written communications.
• Draft communications for events, announcements, campaigns, and organizational updates.
• Collaborate with the Advancement team to develop communications that support fundraising campaigns, donor engagement, and sponsorship outreach.

Website Management

• Collaborate with our external website consultant to ensure our website remains current, accurate, visually aligned with our brand, and regularly updated with program information, stories, and organizational content.
• Identify opportunities to refresh website content and improve storytelling across the site.
• Monitor website analytics and recommend improvements to strengthen engagement and visibility.

Analytics, Strategy & Engagement Growth

• Monitor social media engagement, communications performance, and audience growth using platform analytics and reporting tools.
• Understand and support our social engagement and reach goals, using data to inform strategies that increase visibility and audience growth.
• Evaluate which types of posts, stories, and videos generate the strongest engagement and refine content strategies accordingly.
• Recommend new storytelling formats, campaigns, and digital strategies to strengthen audience engagement and organizational visibility.
• Stay informed of best practices and emerging trends in marketing, digital communications, and storytelling, particularly for nonprofits.

Federal Work Study Student Leadership

• Provide leadership and guidance to 1–3 Federal Work Study students annually who support marketing and communications work.
• Assign and manage projects such as content creation, research, and marketing collateral development.
• Provide coaching and feedback to support students’ professional growth and development.
• Ensure student work aligns with the LINK brand, standards and communications priorities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relative field REQUIRED.
• Minimum of 3–5 years of professional work experience in marketing, communications, or digital media.
• At least two years of experience managing social media strategy, digital marketing, and organizational communications.
• Exceptional writing and storytelling ability, with demonstrated experience creating compelling content across multiple platforms.
• Experience designing social media graphics and marketing materials using Canva or similar design tools REQUIRED.
• Experience creating and managing email newsletters and campaigns using platforms such as Mailchimp REQUIRED.
• Experience creating short-form video content for social media platforms.
• Strong understanding of social media engagement strategies, platform analytics, and techniques for increasing reach and audience engagement.
• Experience collaborating on website updates using content management systems (e.g., WordPress) preferred.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent time management skills with proven ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to work at a rigorous pace, prioritize multiple projects/assignments, communicate about challenges, plan, and follow through to meet deadlines and objectives.
• Strong experience using data systems to monitor outcomes.
• Ability to independently plan and execute without the need for detailed oversight or step-by-step direction.
• Problem Solving and Critical Thinking: Ability to break down tasks into manageable sections to make informed decisions to tackle larger challenges.
• Proven ability to operate with an entrepreneurial mindset, including ownership, accountability, efficiency, and hustle to achieve results in evolving environments.
• Ability to function well in a high-paced and at times stressful environment.
• Self-starter with an ability to work independently as well as on a team.
• Proficiency in project management tools (preferably Basecamp) and email platforms (Mailchimp).
• Advanced skills with Microsoft Office Suite, Google Workspace, or similar software with the ability to learn new tools.

Characteristics

• Mission Driven: Exemplifies and COMMITTED to the LINK Unlimited Scholars’ mission, vision, and values and acts in accordance with all policies and procedures of the organization. LINK Unlimited Scholars is seeking a commitment of at least two years.
• Cheerful and welcoming demeanor.
• Strong work ethic.
• A self-starter, creative, and forward thinker.
• Demonstrates an entrepreneurial mindset: resourceful, proactive, and innovative.
• Operates with a solution-oriented, can-do attitude and proactively addresses challenges.
• Flexible and adaptable, thrives in fast-paced environments and comfortable working with ambiguity.
• Scholar-centered: prioritizes the needs and outcomes of Scholars above personal convenience.
• Resilient and growth-minded: seeks feedback, learns quickly, and continuously improves.
• Collaborative and community-minded; builds strong relationships with staff, Scholars, families, and partners.
• Creative and forward-thinking; unafraid to pivot when necessary.
• Passionate about storytelling and content creation, with the ability to identify meaningful narratives and communicate them in ways that inspire engagement and support.
• Exercises sound judgment and discretion, with an unwavering commitment to excellence.

Work Schedule

Full-Time, Monday through Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm, but at times requires upwards of 50 hours per week. Hybrid schedule: remotely twice a week (Mondays & Fridays) and in-office Tuesday through Thursday. This role requires regularly attending programming and events, including occasional evenings and Saturdays to gather stories, photos, and video content that authentically capture Scholar experiences and the impact of our programs. LINK Unlimited Scholars is seeking a commitment of at least two years.

Compensation

Salary range $55,000-$65,000; to be determined based on experience and skills. Full-time employees are eligible for health, dental, and vision insurance, Retirement, PTO days, 11 Holidays, and a holiday shut down from Christmas Eve through New-Year’s day.

To Apply

Submit a cover letter, resume, and salary requirements. Cover letters without salary requirements will not be considered.

LINK Unlimited Scholars is an equal opportunity employer.