About Our Organization Youth Guidance creates and implements school-based programs that enable children to overcome obstacles, focus on their education, and ultimately, to succeed in school and in life. We believe that no matter what challenges a young person faces, they are more likely to succeed when they have caring adults in their lives. Our highly trained staff guides kids to overcome the life and academic challenges facing the youth. We meet kids where they are — physically and emotionally — to help them focus on their education, make positive choices, and remain on the right path toward life success.

Founded in 1924 and celebrating 100 years of impact this year, Youth Guidance is a leading provider of outcomes-driven programs serving more than 18,000 youth around the country. For more information, visit www.youth-guidance.org.

About You:

You have the passion and desire to work in a dynamic non-profit organization, you have the talent and skills to perform the job, and now you’re looking for just the right opportunity. At Youth Guidance you’ll have the chance to use your passion and skills working alongside a team of talented individuals who share the same values. 

Position Summary:

The Youth Guidance marketing and communications Director fuels the strategy and storytelling that inspires our communities to connect with the unique role that the organization plays in supporting and empowering young people. The Director leads the communications team to develop creative written and visual content responsive to a variety of audiences and leverages data to inspire deeper engagement and contributions from our partners. The team also supports Youth Guidance sites around the country to provide marketing and communications resources and guidance.

We are looking for a creative, data-driven, and results-oriented leader to oversee the strategy, implementation and management of Youth Guidance’s marketing and communications team. This role is responsible for building public awareness and support of our school-based programs, including the nationally recognized BAM (Becoming A Man) and WOW (Working on Womanhood) group counseling programs, to drive philanthropy, public revenue, and community support. The Director will provide leadership, strategic vision, and direction to a small team of marketing and communication professionals while also being a key hands-on contributor. The successful candidate will have a proven track record of success in leading strategic communications and marketing initiatives that help meet the goals for fundraising, branding, and visibility for an organization. The ideal candidate is a thoughtful leader, strategic thinker, an experienced and effective writer, creative problem-solver and supportive manager who can thrive in a fast-paced work environment.

Essential Duties/Responsibilities:

• Oversee the planning, development, and implementation of an effective, integrated communications strategy that includes leveraging website, print and digital content, social media, email newsletters and marketing collateral, to increase public awareness of the organization locally and nationally, particularly among the philanthropic community, potential donors, and public sector stakeholders.
• Promote a compelling brand for Youth Guidance that communicates the agency’s mission, vision, programming and impact on Chicago’s youth through powerful storytelling.
• Foster a culture of measuring, tracking and analysis of digital marketing results that inform strategic communications.
• Serve as the organization's lead writer and editor for a range of internal and external communications, including communications for the CEO. Oversee content distribution strategy.
• Manage a staff of two, a MarCom Associate and a MarCom Manager; set performance goals and conduct annual performance reviews.
• Lead Public Relations efforts on behalf of the organization as the main liaison with a PR firm to secure strategic and key media coverage for the organization.
• Provide current board members, advisory council members, and staff in all of our sites around the country with the communications tools, templates and resources needed to effectively champion the agency’s mission.
• Further advance BAM & WOW’s practice leadership in the youth development field and continued local and national recognition of Youth Guidance for this work.
• Oversee and manage MarCom workstreams with the development team and various event committees to produce invitations, signage, videos, event collateral and promotional materials for all agency events.
• Ensure that signature and key Youth Guidance events are documented (photography, video, print as appropriate) and that documentation is fully leveraged in marketing vehicles.
• Build strong relationships across the organization to stay current on our wide range of programs and to infuse an awareness of marketing and messaging in all of our work.
• Support the Senior Director of External Affairs in the development and implementation of departmental and organizational strategic goals and objectives.
• Assist with and/or oversee other projects and activities as assigned by the Senior Director of External Affairs.

Minimum Qualifications

• Commitment to the mission and programs of Youth Guidance.
• Bachelor’s degree in communications or related field, Master’s preferred, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Minimum 7 years in managing marketing and communications to advance an organization's mission and goals. Experience in complex, multi-layered organizations with multiple services and geographic sites is a plus.
• Excellent writing, storytelling, editing, proofreading, and verbal communication skills.
• Strong team collaboration skills and an ability to work proactively and effectively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience overseeing the design and production of email and print materials and publications, website management, digital/social media content creation and management, and public relations.
• Experience in building, mentoring, and coaching a small team of marketing and communications specialists.
• An ability to work independently and responsibly while also managing numerous projects and a team of two; exceptional attention to detail.
• An interest in and commitment to Youth Guidance’s mission; Commitment to cultural sensitivity and respect for differences.
• Strong computer skills (Microsoft Office, Publisher, Adobe, Email Marketing Management System, Photo Shop)

Demonstrates Youth Guidance Core Competencies:

• Communication: Uses effective written and oral communication with staff and stakeholders; demonstrates empathy and listening
• Equity mindset: Understands and is committed to goals of equity; consistently brings an equity mindset to the organization’s work and workplace
• Growth mindset: Views growth as important for personal and professional development; seeks out opportunities to expand skills, even if change is required; demonstrates curiosity and eagerness to learn
• Mission driven: Demonstrates commitment to the mission of the organization as a whole and alignment with organizational values

Demonstrates Youth Guidance Leadership Competencies:

• External representation and relationship building: An ability to form and maintain strong, trusting relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Manages with data: Understands data; analyzes data and identifies insights and implications
• Strategic thinking and resource management: Considers the future of the organization proactively and responsively; weighs diverse inputs to inform strategies; identifies innovative opportunities when relevant; makes and communicates decisions that effectively balance tradeoffs.
• Team-building: Builds strong relationships with teams and colleagues; fosters effective collaborative efforts.

Available Benefit Offerings:

• Medical, Dental, Vision and Pharmacy Plans
• FSA: Medical, Dependent and Transportation/Parking Plans
• Paid Holidays, Vacation, Personal and Sick Time
• Basic Life Insurance Coverage
• Basic AD&D Coverage
• Wellness Program
• Employee Assistance Programs
• Employee Discount Programs
• 401k Participation
• Voluntary Benefit Plans
• You may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to frequently talk and hear.
• The employee frequently is required to sit and stand for sustained periods of time; walk; use hands and fingers to handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms.
• The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Mobility to visit school sites as needed.
• Work in the downtown office at least one day a week.
• COVID-19 vaccination is required.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines. Occasional local travel.

DEI Statement

At Youth Guidance, we understand that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) are fundamental to realizing our vision of bright and successful futures for all young people. We celebrate the diversity of youth and recognize them as empowered leaders, problem-solvers, and experts of their own experiences. At the same time, we acknowledge that many systems and institutions meant to support youth are inequitable and unjust.

As such, we are committed to advancing DE&I through our words and our actions, both internally and externally, by:

• Strengthening cultural competence as well as policies, practices, and organizational structures that foster belonging and leverage the unique backgrounds and talents of staff;
• Offering youth-centered programs that are accessible and responsive to people from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, abilities, sexual identity, gender identity and expression, language, and cultural and religious beliefs and practices;
• Influencing systems that youth, their families, and communities are impacted by, such as schools, organizational networks, governmental bodies, researchers, and the funding community, to apply approaches that embrace DEI in addressing the needs and supporting the aspirations of young people.