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Description

About North Park
Founded in 1891, North Park University is a Christian university affiliated with the Evangelical Covenant Church of over 3,200 students from around the country and the world. Located for over 130 years on the land of the Miami and Potawatomi tribes in what is today Chicago’s northside, NPU is a designated Hispanic Serving Institution and is committed to serving diverse populations. Elevating North Park University’s core distinctives of Christian, city-centered, and intercultural, NPU values diversity among its Faculty and is committed to building a racially and culturally diverse intellectual community, and strongly encourages the nomination and candidacies of persons who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color regardless of gender.

North Park University is located in the Albany Park neighborhood of Chicago, one of the most ethnically diverse zip codes in the United States. It is nine miles from downtown Chicago. The North Park campus has often been referred to as an oasis in the heart of the city – a place where students from urban, rural, and suburban backgrounds alike can call home. And all of this within the major metropolitan backdrop of Chicago: one of the world’s largest and most diversified economies, renowned for its museums and music, and voted best large city in the U.S. for four years in a row by Condé Nast Traveler.

Mission

The mission of North Park University is to prepare students for lives of significance and service through education in the liberal arts, professional studies, and theology.

Vision

Building on our core institutional identity—Christian, city-centered, intercultural—our vision is to create a university of uncommon character and enduring excellence, where faith, learning, and service meet.

Position Summary

The Events and Communications Manager is a strategic member of the Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement, dedicated to providing alumni, donors, and friends with a welcoming and cohesive experience. Through high-impact communications, signature events, and creative community-building, this role cultivates a vibrant network with a primary focus on current students and young alumni (0–15 years post-graduation).

This role provides oversight to diverse alumni groups, identifying innovative opportunities to expand outreach and deepen affinity with the University. By driving pipeline development, career connections, and campus partner alignment, this role is instrumental in increasing the percentage of engaged alumni and achieving key institutional metrics. Working in close collaboration with the Stewardship and Impact Manager, this position ensures a seamless transition for alumni into lifelong strategic partners and donors.

Work Environment: This position is based at our Chicago campus and requires a flexible schedule to accommodate occasional non-traditional hours, with approximately 10%–20% travel annually. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Communications

• Social Media Strategy: Oversee and execute all alumni and donor specific social media channels under the guidance of the Office of Advancement and in alignment with University Marketing and Communications (UMC).
• Multi-Channel Content: Manage print and digital communications, including email campaigns, the Viking Voice, event invitations, and North Parker alumni notes.
• Design & Production: Direct the creative development of promotional materials such as scholarship folders, student calendars, holiday cards, and stewardship video productions.
• Strategic Planning: Collaborate with the Senior Director as well as the Stewardship and Impact Manager to map out a comprehensive communication strategy; develop and track key metrics to demonstrate progress toward engagement goals.
• Cross-Departmental Coordination: Manage University and Seminary web pages and print communications in coordination with UMC to ensure brand consistency.

Event Management

• End-to-End Execution: Plan and execute alumni and stewardship events, ranging from intimate gatherings to large-scale reunions. Work together with the Stewardship and Impact Manager to ensure strategic alignment across all events.
• Logistics Oversight: Lead all event components, including invitations, speaker programming, guest communication, vendor relations, and on-site management.
• Signature Events: Project manage high-profile events such as Homecoming and the Golden Circle; support the Annual Giving Manager in the development of Blue and Gold Day. Work closely with the Stewardship and Impact Manager to support specialized events such as the Festival of Lessons and Carols reception and giving society events.
• Resource Management: Maintain the organization and inventory of alumni engagement supplies, archival materials, and event signage.

Partnership & Collaboration

• Campus Liaison: Serve as a bridge between university departments and student organizations to foster partnerships that support student and post-graduate success.
• Relationship Building: Cultivate relationships with external stakeholders (alumni leaders, donors, and volunteers) and internal partners (faculty, staff, and administrators) to meet annual fundraising and engagement targets.
• Team Support: Actively contribute to department-wide projects and collaborative initiatives as needed. Work in tandem with all advancement team members to ensure event execution is aligned to overarching advancement and alumni goals.

Creative Community Building

• Experiential Engagement: Curate unique, organic, and informal community experiences tailored to diverse alumni stakeholder groups.
• Innovation: Utilize Design Thinking principles to iterate on new engagement ideas and rapidly implement learnings.
• Student Leadership: Collaborate with the engagement team to support student leader/worker programs, facilitating meaningful interaction between current students and alumni.

The salary range for this position is $53,000 - $65,000 depending on experience.

Requirements

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, Business, or a related field.
• 1–3 years of professional or internship experience in a related discipline.
• Proficiency in social media management across multiple platforms and professional experience with Canva and Microsoft Office Suite.
• A clear understanding of and personal commitment to North Park University’s mission of Christian higher education.
• Exceptional organizational skills, attention to detail, and a "growth mindset" regarding new challenges.
• A customer-friendly, hospitable approach with an eagerness to connect with new people.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends during peak event seasons and travel approximately 2–3 times per year.

Desired:

• Experience with (or a readiness to learn) Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge and WordPress.
• A high level of comfort adopting new technologies and graphic design systems.

Benefits

• Medical Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Prescription Coverage
• Flexible Spending Account
• Commuter Benefit
• Retirement Plan (403b)
• Life Insurance
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Personal Days, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Parental Leave
• Training & Development
• Tuition Remission
• Helwig Recreation Center