Laboratory Schools: Associate Director of Development Communications

Department

Lab School Alumni Relations & Development

About the Department

At the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, students in Nursery through Grade 12 experience a world-class educational journey. Founded in 1896 by John Dewey as a place for educators to develop and explore novel approaches to pedagogy and curriculum, Lab continues to provide excitement and imagination in learning to this day. Academic rigor, experiential learning, and intellectual discourse are hallmarks of a Lab education. Lab educators are recognized for excellence in teaching and pride themselves on innovation in the classroom. Students in every grade have access to unparalleled resources, and all members of the Lab community benefit by partnerships and connections with the University of Chicago. Families who choose Lab care deeply about curiosity, inquiry, and creativity.

No less than scholarship, Lab’s mission prioritizes honoring diversity and exhibiting kindness. We are committed to building and supporting a teaching and learning community where young people see aspects of their backgrounds and identities reflected around them, where they feel a deep sense of belonging, and where they discover and use their voices to full effect. Today, 53-59 percent of Lab’s student body are students of color. Families report speaking nearly 40 different languages in their homes. Approximately 60 percent of Lab families are also affiliated with the University of Chicago. Half of our families live in Hyde Park, and the rest come from across Chicago, the suburbs, and northwestern Indiana. Inclusion is a fundamental value at Lab, such that we celebrate every facet of community members’ identities, and even where we disagree, we emphasize respect, civility, and maintaining a spirit of community.

Lab seeks the finest employees to join our vibrant learning community. We employ people with a wide range of skills and training in many different disciplines, who have in common a love of learning and the wish to inspire that same love of learning in young people. We seek candidates for employment who thrive in an educational environment. We provide a great professional home for those committed to collaboration, ongoing personal and professional growth, and cultivating positive relationships. We strongly encourage applications from candidates of color, LGBTQ+ identified candidates, candidates from historically marginalized or underrepresented backgrounds, and candidates with a demonstrated commitment to a deepening diversity, equity, and inclusion practice. In turn, we strive to ensure that Lab is a joyful, welcoming, and inspiring place to work. Through our connection to the University, faculty, staff, and administrators enjoy benefits and opportunities that would be nearly impossible to match in any other environment.

Job Summary

The Alumni Relations and Development (ARD) department at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools (Lab) is recruiting talented and energetic advancement professionals at an exciting moment in the Schools’ history. Alumni and Parents are proud to be affiliated with the 127-year school and eager to support its world-class programs through philanthropic investment.

The Associate Director of Development Communications will consult on the strategy, project management, and implementation of Lab’s department-wide engagement and fundraising communications to parents and families, alumni, faculty and staff, and donors. The Associate Director will collaborate across the Lab ARD office, the Lab Communications office, and the Central ARD department to maximize the impact for all public facing written, print, and digital communication that serve the Laboratory Schools’ philanthropy, stewardship, and community engagement goals.

The Associate Director will report to the Director of Alumni Relations & Development in Lab’s ARD department and participate in planning and departmental meetings, accept assignments, and perform other ARD duties and special projects as assigned.

A successful candidate for this role will have demonstrated success in direct mail, telephone, and social media fundraising. The ideal candidate will be entrepreneurial, curious, enthusiastic, and will help build a broad understanding of Lab’s philanthropic value to donors and prospective donors.

Responsibilities

• Act as project manager and editorial lead on all Lab ARD communications, from project kick-offs to execution.

• Supports Lab’s efforts in the University of Chicago Giving Day program. 

• Consultas as a strategic thought partner for communication deliverables including, but not limited to, emails, letters, print collateral, social media, digital content, remarks, presentations, and storytelling pieces.

• Serves as depar