Senior Associate Director, Media Relations and External Communications

Department

Booth Polsky Center: Marketing

About the Department

The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation advances innovative ideas and technologies from the University of Chicago ecosystem to the world. We are dedicated to supporting students, faculty, staff, and alumni, as well as other entrepreneurs and community-based small business owners in navigating the complex process of bringing new products, services, and research to market. For more information, visit polsky.uchicago.edu.

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business is the second-oldest business school in the U.S. and second to none when it comes to influencing business education and business practices. Since 1898, the school has produced ideas and leaders that shape the world of business. Their rigorous, discipline-based approach to business education transforms students into confident, effective, respected business leaders prepared to face the toughest challenges.

Chicago Booth has the finest set of facilities of any business school in the world. Each of the four campuses (two in Chicago, one in London, and one in Hong Kong) reflects the architectural traditions of its environs while offering a state-of-the-art learning environment.

Chicago Booth is proud to claim:
-an unmatched faculty.
-degree and open enrollment programs offered on three continents.
-a global body of nearly 56,000 accomplished alumni.
-strong and growing corporate relationships that provide a wealth of lifelong career opportunities.

As part of the world-renowned University of Chicago, Chicago Booth shares the University's core values that shape the distinctive intellectual culture. At Booth, they constantly question and test ideas, and seek proof. This extraordinarily effective approach to business leads to new ideas and innovative solutions. Seven of the Booth faculty members have won Nobel Prizes for these ideas - the first business school to achieve this accomplishment.

For more information about the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, please visit: http://www.chicagobooth.edu/.

Job Summary

The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago is seeking an experienced and strategic Senior Associate Director of Media Relations and External Communications to lead efforts in elevating the Polsky Center’s local, national, and global profile through proactive media engagement, thought leadership, and strategic external communications.

This individual will serve as the primary media relations expert for the Polsky Center, working closely with internal leadership, University communications teams, faculty, entrepreneurs, and industry partners to position the Polsky Center and its stakeholders as leaders in innovation, research commercialization, venture creation, and entrepreneurial education.

Responsibilities

• Develops and leads a proactive media relations strategy to position the Polsky Center as a premier hub for entrepreneurship, innovation, and science commercialization.
• Cultivates, manages, and owns relationships with local, national, and industry media outlets, journalists, and influencers.
• Identifies and pitches newsworthy stories related to Polsky Center programming and events, startups, faculty research commercialization, and major institutional milestones.
• Actively monitors all media coverage and mentions of the Polsky Center and provides summaries and key metrics of performance.
• Crafts high-impact press releases, media advisories, op-eds, briefing materials, and executive communications.
• Supports external-facing communications initiatives, including speaking opportunities, partnerships, and events.
• Manages, collects, curates, and compiles content for Polsky Center ongoing reporting, including quarterly and annual reports.
• Maintains a master list of all talking points that is updated with new stats and messaging. Plays an active role in managing the Polsky Marketing Toolkit and equipping team members with the most relevant talking points, slides, and presentations. 
• Ensures consistency of messaging and brand voice across all external communications.
• Develops and implements crisis communication strategies when needed.
• Supports leadership and faculty in building visibility as subject matter experts through media placements, bylined articles, and conference opportunities.
• Collaborates with the University’s Central Communications team to amplify content and institutional positioning.
• Leads one or more of the following marketing functions: marketing communications and advertising, web blogs or other digital marketing,