Job Description
Chicago Lights Digital Communications & Marketing, Manager
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Location: Chicago (Hybrid, in office 3 days a week)
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Reports to: Sr. Director of Communications and Marketing for Fourth Church and Chicago
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Lights with strong oversight, day-to-day alignment, and collaboration with Chicago
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Lights Executive Director and program team.
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About Chicago Lights
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Chicago Lights is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) youth development and adult social services
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organization at Fourth Presbyterian Church that builds brighter futures through supportive
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relationships and life-changing programs. Rooted in the heart of the city, Chicago Lights
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offers long-term, high-impact opportunities through our Tutoring, Summer Day, Urban
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Farm, and Social Service Center programs.
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Position Summary
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The Digital Communications & Marketing Manager for Chicago Lights leads the
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development and execution of content and communications across digital, website, print,
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social and event platforms; supports donor communications and fundraising initiatives;
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and ensures consistent brand voice and visual identity. This role also leads
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communications and creative production for Chicago Lights events, from invitations and
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promotional campaigns through onsite visual communications, video storytelling, and
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speaker materials.
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This role sits inside the central Communications/Marketing team but operates as an
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embedded program partner to elevate the stories and impact of Chicago Lights under the
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shared strategic leadership of central Communications and the Chicago Lights Executive
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Director.
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Essential Functions
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Communications Strategy & Content Development
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• Create and maintain a year-round editorial calendar aligned with program, volunteer
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recruitment, fundraising, event, and Board priorities.
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• Write and edit newsletters, appeals, annual reports, website copy, stewardship
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materials, and other communications.
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• Manage, capture content for, and populate Chicago Lights on social media channels
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(Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube) and the Chicago Lights website.
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• Collaborate closely with Chicago Lights program staff to collect stories, quotes,
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observations, and images that reflect program impact, maintaining a consistent
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presence on-site across all program locations.
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• Lead the Chicago Lights digital storytelling pipeline using asset-based, dignity-first
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messaging; ensure that participants and Program Directors review and formally
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approve any individual participant content prior to publication or print.
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• Support all Chicago Lights programs with appropriately branded, localized collateral
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(flyers, informational materials) to support participation and volunteer recruitment,
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engaging external freelance designers when extensive design work is required.
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• Ensure strict consistency of tone, messaging, and visual identity across all
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platforms, materials, and events.
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Donor Messaging & Collaboration
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• Partner with the Associate Director of Development and other Development staff on
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campaign and donor communications, including strategy, project management of
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appeals, and targeted mail/email/video/social initiatives.
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• Produce donor-focused content for stewardship, recognition, and regular
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touchpoint updates, including donor stories, gift acknowledgments, and initiativespecific proposals.
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• Collaborate with the Evaluation and Impact team to track communication
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outcomes, segmentation, and outreach success metrics within Salesforce and
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other data platforms.
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• Collaborate with Fourth Church communications staff to share stories that
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maximize visibility and highlight Chicago Lights across Fourth Church
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communications.
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• Coordinate directly with the Senior Director of Communications, Executive Director,
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and Program Directors to pitch stories for earned media; ensure leadership
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alignment before media outreach and provide on-site Communications staff
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accompaniment for media visits.
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• Support internal communications for staff, volunteers, and the Board of Directors,
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including drafting remarks and preparing presentations for board meetings.
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Event Communications & Production
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• Lead communications and creative production for Chicago Lights events and
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fundraising initiatives from planning through execution, ensuring a cohesive and
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compelling experience across pre-event, onsite, and post-event communications.
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• Develop and manage event communications, including invitations, promotional
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campaigns, email and social communications, website content, event programs,
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auction and fundraising materials, and other audience-facing collateral.
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• Manage onsite visual communications and event materials, including signage,
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wayfinding, presentation slides, screens, displays, and other branded
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environmental elements.
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• Develop and coordinate event storytelling and video content, including concept
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development, interviews, scripting, production, editing, and final delivery, working
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with internal staff and external videographers/editors as appropriate.
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• Draft and edit scripts, talking points, speaker remarks, introductions, and other
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materials to support speakers, program hosts, Executive Leadership, Board
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members, and other event participants.
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• Partner with Development, program staff, leadership, vendors, and event partners to
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establish timelines, gather content, coordinate approvals, and ensure all
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communications and creative assets are delivered accurately and on schedule.
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• Lead communications and creative support for major Chicago Lights events,
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including the Gala of Hope, Chicago Lights Board of Directors Summer event,
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Associates Board seasonal events, and other special events throughout the year.
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• Direct the concept, vendor selection, interview scheduling, production, and editing
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reviews for the annual Gala of Hope video, ensuring strong storytelling and
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fundraising impact.
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• Coordinate post-event communications and content, including photography, video,
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social content, donor follow-up, and stories that extend the reach and impact of
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each event.
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Project Management & Vendor Coordination
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• Coordinate and manage relationships with external contractors and vendors,
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including freelance graphic designers, writers, photographers,
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videographers/editors, and printers.
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• Develop and manage project timelines, creative briefs, approvals, production
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schedules, and deliverables across communications and event projects.
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• Maintain and systematically organize communications archives and image libraries,
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ensuring up-to-date photo release documentation is secured and verified for all
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utilized assets.
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• Perform other duties as assigned.
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Qualifications
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• Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, journalism is preferred or related
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field
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• 4+ years of nonprofit, mission-driven communications, or agency experience.
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• Highly organized and detail-oriented with the ability to manage multiple priorities in
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a fast-paced environment along with strong project management capabilities.
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• Exceptional writing, editing, and human-interest storytelling skills, with a deep
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understanding of dignified messaging in the nonprofit sector.
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• Ability to use AI tools effectively and responsibly to support communications
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strategy, content development research, workflow efficiency, and audience
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engagement with strong judgment around accuracy, ethics, privacy, and brand
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voice.
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• Experience managing website content management systems, email marketing
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platforms (e.g., Constant Contact, Mailchimp), social media & community
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management.
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• Experience or familiarity with CRM platforms (e.g., Salesforce) and data tracking for
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marketing campaigns is preferred.
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• Basic graphic design skills (Canva, Adobe Creative Suite, etc.) and basic
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photography/content-capture skills
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• Deep commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice.
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Schedule
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This is a full-time position based on a 40-hour work week. The baseline schedule is Monday
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through Friday with a supported hybrid framework (minimum of three days onsite per week;
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remote days negotiable with the supervisor). Note: This role requires flexibility to adjust
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hours, and swap days as needed to facilitate evening and weekend content capture alongside special event deadlines.
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Compensation & Benefits
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This is a full-time salaried position with an annual salary range of $65,000 - $70,000
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commensurate with experience and qualifications. Fourth Church and Chicago Lights offer
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a robust benefits package including:
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• Medical insurance (church pays 85% of employee monthly premium and 75% for
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eligible dependents).
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• Optional dental and vision plans.
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• Generous PTO: 17 days plus 11 paid holidays.
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• 403(b) retirement plan with employer contributions after one year of service.
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• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for medical and dependent care.
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• Transit and commuter parking benefits.
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• Life and short-term disability insurance; optional long-term disability and life
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insurance.
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EEO Statement
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Fourth Presbyterian Church and Chicago Lights are committed to equal employment
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opportunity for all qualified persons, without regard to race, color, citizenship status,
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national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, age,
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creed, physical or mental disability, marital status or familial status, veteran status, military
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status, source of income, political affiliation, or any other factor protected by law. Fourth
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Church and Chicago Lights seek to build and retain a diverse staff and is committed to
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fostering an equitable and inclusive workplace where everyone is treated as a respected
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and valued member of the team.
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Fourth Church and Chicago Lights are committed to elevating the voices of individuals of
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all backgrounds, including but not limited to women and people of color, Native people,
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immigrants and refugees, low-income people, LGBTQ+, and transgender, gender nonconforming, and non-binary people, people with disabilities, and accordingly encourage
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qualified individuals from all communities to apply.