Celebrating its centennial anniversary in 2022, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs is where your world and the world meet. The Council is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that empowers more people to help shape our global future. Through content and engagement experiences that offer diverse, fact-based perspectives and in-depth analysis, we foster dialogue on the world’s most critical issues. We are committed to building an inclusive community of globally conscious people who want to actively participate in global affairs and gain the knowledge that can help them make a tangible impact – big or small – in the world.

As the Council enters its second century, we are embarking on an ambitious digital transformation and growing our Public Programs & Engagement team to reach and engage more people in Chicago and beyond.

The Role

The primary responsibility of the Officer, Digital Programs, is to oversee 1-2 digital public programs per month. Programs in this portfolio are visible applications of the Council’s goal of public engagement on global issues and strive to reach a wide digital audience both in Chicago and throughout the country. Along with conceptualizing, developing, and executing programs, other weekly projects include support for the Weekly Update, Program Summary, and audience data collection and analysis. Further, this position supervises one intern, including interviewing, training, and being the primary day-to-day point of contact.

The Officer position is a hybrid role and requires some in-person attendance at our Downtown Chicago location based on work activities and peak seasons.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Under the direction of the Assistant Director (AD), serve as project manager for a portfolio of Council digital programs ranging from 1-3 a month

  • Including pitching content identifying and inviting speakers, managing digital assets (website, and working within all Council scheduling and technical templates)

  • Manage aspects of the communications strategies on portfolio projects: duties include developing content-focused social media materials, pull quotes following the program, and other digitally-focused initiatives aimed to increase event registrations, post-event views, and overall digital audience engagement

  • Manage and write program announcements and other written products, including web material, draft remarks, moderator questions, speaker biographies, etc.

• Within the 2-3 projects a month capacity, work with the leadership team in developing new virtual programmatic streams

• Serve as a key project manager in the Public Programs & Engagement (PPE) team’s data strategy as the digital transformation takes shape. This includes management of the Program Summary, guiding team usage of reports in Salesforce, and supporting the development of the Weekly Update in the Assistant Director’s absence

• The individual in the position works directly with the Production, Communications, and Development teams regularly and is expected to maintain strong relationships with all teams

• Edit the Program Summary with the Managing Director maintaining the list of upcoming and completed programs, audience, formats, and content

• Seek out digital partnerships for audience generation (including working with Communications on media partnerships)

• Support the Assistant Director in managing the internship program, including selection, training, and ongoing supervision of at minimum one intern/semester, and adapting intern tasks and overall program regularly to ensure this meets team needs, as well as intern candidates’ expectations and expertise

• Support ongoing initiatives related to digital public programming through research, database tracking, and writing, as required

• Participates collaboratively with the PPE team’s diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies

• Occasionally assist at the front desk in meeting/greeting Council constituents and answering or routing incoming calls

• Occasionally provide support at Council in-person events (registration, ushering, etc.), requiring some evening and early morning hours

• Perform other projects as assigned

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 2+ years experience managing multi-faceted, high-profile events or other related experience.

• Knowledge of and experience with global issues, international work, and/or study experience suggested.

• Familiarity with the production of digital content across multiple platforms.

• Keen attention to detail; excellent organizational and time-management skills.

• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively and professionally in a creative, fast-paced, intellectual team environment.

• Superior verbal and written communication skills.

Council Benefit Highlights 

There are many benefits to working at the Council, including a flexible remote/in-office work environment, half-day summer Fridays, paid parental leave, employer-subsidized medical/dental/vision insurance, generous paid time off, retirement match, mobile phone stipend, commuter accessible, fitness center membership, and more.