Director of Corporate Communications

Lake Forest, IL

The Director of Corporate Communications will provide leadership on public relations and external outreach, including developing, planning, and strategic oversight. The Director of Corporate Communications will proactively develop and implement strategic plans to generate positive publicity about the Chicago Bears off-the-field and its overall mission and objectives, including to new and more diverse audiences. The person in this position will work closely with all areas of the club to manage press relations and develop messaging. This position will work primarily out of the Bears headquarters in Lake Forest, Illinois.

Who We Are

The Chicago Bears strive to advance our mission of winning championships by conducting ourselves with humility, integrity, and a strong work ethic. We want you to help us achieve our goals and to be part of the one of most storied franchises in all of sport. We offer our employees professional development, competitive salaries, excellent health and retirement benefits, and an environment where our talent and contributions are valued by the club and the community.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

The Chicago Bears organization continues to deepen its commitment to establishing an inclusive, equitable work environment that reflects the diversity within our communities and fan base. We value, respect and appreciate diversity at all levels, on and off the field, and are guided by a vision of success that includes integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion into our club's DNA and culture.

Responsibilities

Strategy:

Create and maintain the club’s corporate communication strategy based on business priorities and long-term planning. This includes the continual review of the plan and adjusting priorities as needed due to the ever-changing landscape.
Promote the Chicago Bears in all off-the-field matters, including but not limited to Community Relations, Bears Care, Partnerships, Ticket/Suite Sales, Marketing, etc.
Continually explore new ways to broaden reach, including more diverse audiences.
Actively research and pitch media to increase visibility and extend the Bears brand beyond traditional sports coverage, including smaller markets across the state, niche media publications and alternative/new media sources.
Establish and foster relationships with local and national sports, business, technology, philanthropy, and lifestyle media, including radio, TV and print outlets.
Serve as primary contact for any Bears Fit media inquiries, assist with interview prep, and manage media promotion of the gym, in addition to coordinating and approving newsletters, social posts and more with the Bears Fit content team.
Assist HR with various initiatives, including the quarterly staff meetings and managing the club’s LinkedIn page to showcase company culture on and off the field.
Leads coordination of Chicago Sports Alliance communication efforts.

Execution:

Responsible for writing and editing press releases and talking points for all off-the-field matters.
Coordinate with HR on internal staff speaking engagement requests and preparation.
Work with internal departments to serve as a liaison with corporate and community partners to develop and execute communications strategies for announcements and events.
Track and analyze off-field media coverage to determine value for Bears and external partners.
Serves on the players’ social justice committee and help to identify potential grant recipients, coordinate communication and complete matching grant paperwork.
Maintain relationships with PR/corporate communications staff from local teams and across the league, in addition to Soldier Field staff.
Attend community and partner events to manage on-site internal and external coverage.

Managerial:

Supervise, support, and manage expectations for corporate communications staff with a focus on formal and informal performance feedback.
Assign and delegate responsibilities to corporate communications staff.
Regularly conduct performance reviews. Play active role in professional development of staff.
Actively participate in leadership development opportunities provided by the club.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations, Communications, or related field.
5-7 years of full-time experience in public relations.
Previous experience directly managing people and processes as well as building communications strategies.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills including the ability to talk and write with confidence, charisma, and competence for a wide variety of audiences. An emphasis is placed on writing and editing.
Strong time management, organizational and creative problem-solving skills.
Must be able to effectively work in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment and demonstrate the ability to juggle multiple projects while keeping key constituents informed.
Strong local and national media contacts (non-sports) is required.
Must excel in group environment and be a self-starter for special projects.
Ability to connect business and sport through media with placement and coverage in non-traditional outlets.
Must have strong traditional and social media skills, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, etc.
Critical thinker and communicator who works well with cross-functional teams.
Must be dependable, willing to take initiative and able to adapt to a variety of situations.
Ability to work non-traditional hours in non-traditional settings including nights, weekends, and holidays.
Able and willing to travel as needed (select road games, events, etc.).
Demonstrated ability to make independent decisions and exercise sound judgment.

This list of position functions is not all-inclusive and may be supplemented or modified.