Director of Public Relations

Are you a PR pro and social media maven interested in sharing environmental stories? The Morton Arboretum is hiring a Director of Public Relations.

Play a key role in building awareness with a diversity of audiences, while positioning the Arboretum as a leading center of tree expertise, conservation, and education.

This hybrid role oversees the Arboretum's earned and social media strategies, serves as a key spokesperson, and manages a PR team of three employees.

Do not wait to apply after reading this description a high application volume is expected for this opportunity.Position Summary :

Advance The Morton Arboretum's mission by developing and implementing earned and shared media strategies. Heighten the reputation of the Arboretum as a leading center of tree expertise, science, conservation, and education.

Grow awareness and participation with a diversity of audiences through effective public relations, communications, and social media strategies.

Essential Functions : Develop integrated earned and shared media plans to advance organizational reputation, awareness, and participation with a diversity of audiences.

Generate outbound mission-aligned story ideas, write and edit content, pitch stories to local, national, and international media outlets, and report on results.

Collaborate with colleagues throughout the Marketing and Guest Experience department to create integrated plans and ensure aligned communications.

Serve as the primary media contact and spokesperson for the Arboretum. Build and foster effective working relationships with the media.

Secure media coverage for the Arboretum across a wide variety of platforms and media types, including both English and Spanish-language outlets.

Provide media training and targeted message development for staff spokespeople. Ensure spokesperson preparation and guidance is provided by the Public Relations team for all interviews.

Develop communications that advance the Arboretum as a leading center of tree expertise, emphasizing work in science and conservation, plant collections, and education.

Distill complex topics for target audiences. Collaborate with Arboretum teams to surface stories that underscore the Arboretum's mission.

Oversee the Arboretum's social media platforms and content strategy, and drive continued innovation and experimentation in reaching new audiences.

Position Arboretum thought leadership and craft institutional messages for internal and external use. Guide editorial strategies and contribute to a variety of types of writing including press releases, social media content, op-eds and executive communications, fact sheets, and messaging documents.

Support the development of internal and executive communications, working with the vice president of marketing and guest experience.

Manage crisis communications and collaborate with the vice president of marketing and guest experience on crisis preparedness.

Update and distribute the Crisis Communications Plan to internal contacts annually. Contribute as a member of the Emergency Operations Team.

Report comprehensively on earned and shared media metrics, providing consolidated reports and dashboards. Share insights with management, team members, and contribute to the formation of quarterly reports to the Board of Trustees.

Manage the annual Public Relations budget.Demonstrate alignment with the Arboretum's employee core values to be inclusive, take ownership, work together, keep learning, and make the Arboretum exceptional.Other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities : Serve in a supervisory capacity of one or more employees, providing leadership guidance and communicating the organization's goals. This includes :

Hiring, training, coaching and developing team members, by providing recognition and feedback, and evaluating performance.

Ensuring that team members adhere to the Arboretum's policies and procedures, and maintaining a safe and compliant work environment.

Building and maintaining positive working relationships with team members, colleagues, and other partners to foster a collaborative and supportive work environment.

Qualifications :

Bachelor's degree in journalism, public relations, English, Spanish, communications, or related field required. 8+ years of relevant professional experience required.

Ability to work with diverse audiences required. Bilingual English-Spanish fluency preferred. Requires excellent writing, grammar, and speaking skills.

Supervisory or management experience required. Demonstrated experience in media relations, social media management, message development, and related measurement required.

Experience in a science-based organization working to translate complex topics to the public strongly preferred. Chicago area media relations experience preferred.

SEO experience beneficial. Proficiency with Google applications beneficial.

Success Factors :

Earnest appreciation for the mission and work of an arboretum. Proactive, hands-on professional with a collaborative style and strong service mentality.

Strong communication, presentation, and leadership skills with the ability to motivate a team and drive multiple initiatives simultaneously.

Ability to translate complex topics into clear communications. Positive attitude and strong work ethic. Open to input and a lifelong learner.

Physical Demands and Work Environment :

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.Physical Demands : Work requires some physical activity : walking over uneven terrain in all seasons, carrying and lifting (up to 25 lbs.

and limited local and national travel.Work Environment : Fast-paced office environment. Work is performed primarily indoors.

Equipment : General office equipment.Schedule : Work requires periodic extended and nonroutine work hours, including early mornings, evenings, some holidays, and weekends.

The expected hiring range for this exempt position is $95,000-$105,000 based on experience that will be evaluated during the candidate selection process.

We believe in the importance of pay equity and consider the internal equity of our current team members as a part of the final offer.

This position is also eligible for a competitive benefits package.For full consideration, please include resume and cover letter with application.

The Morton Arboretum is a champion for diversity, supporting a culture of inclusion that attracts, inspires, and engages people to achieve success.

The Arboretum is committed to hire and develop employees based on job-related qualifications irrespective of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, or veteran status.

To increase diversity in professions related to the public garden realm, we encourage applications from underrepresented minorities, persons with disabilities, and veterans.

The Morton Arboretum is dedicated to complying with our obligations as an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer.

All applicants are guaranteed equal consideration for employment.#J-18808-Ljbffr