The Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic schools serve more than 40,000 students in 154 elementary and high schools in Cook and Lake counties. It is one of the largest private school systems in the United States. Its schools have received 96 Blue Ribbon awards from the U.S. Department of Education over the past 10 years.
The Communications Director is a professional who is responsible for creating, organizing, planning, and implementing effective communications messages and strategies for/with parish, school, and community audiences across a wide breadth of media. This individual collaborates with and supports parish, school, and ministry leaders in conveying their vision and communications priorities to appropriate audiences.
This position provides support in many aspects of running the parish, from day to day administrative tasks, to being an integral contributor on the steering committees of large parish initiatives, advisory boards, organizations, and committees, to organizing and coordinating a wide array of special projects.
Responsibilities:
- Weekly Parish Bulletin - creation, reinvention, distribution via various media, upload/liaison with bulletin company – currently LPi; tools – Publisher, Adobe Acrobat, WeCreate – LPi, LPi Express, plus other design tools as needed
- Parish Website - creation/design/redesign, regular updates and upgrades as necessary, sole program Admin authority/owner; tool – WordPress
- Flocknote (Super Admin) – communicate with the parish via weekly eNewsletter (The Little Way), Sunday Mass information, and ad hoc messages as needed; maintain and troubleshoot contact database; set up new ministry accounts and assign/”train” Group Admins; liaison with Flocknote Help Center.
- Social Media - set up/maintain and post information using current appropriate social media platforms.
- Communications TV – update running slide show of current events weekly (in Gathering Space and Reception); “install” via thumb drive
- Graphic Design – create ads and graphics for various communications streams via Publisher, Canva, Adobe products
- Advertising - Daily Herald Ads for Christmas, Easter, Worship Section, Special Features (Chicago Catholic, Daily Herald, Palatine Journal & Topics)
- Media Liaison with Chicago Catholic, Daily Herald, and other media – contact and coordinate press at special events/Masses
- Press Releases and Articles in local periodicals
- Print Materials – Banners; Posters; Special Liturgy, Mission & Program Booklets; QR code stickers for in-pew donations; prayer cards; special projects; other items as requested by staff or parish ministries
- Envelope Company – Christmas and Easter booklets/Letter from Pastor; create artwork for new envelope designs
- Set up and manage various email inboxes (bulletin, scheduling, webmaster, social media, service hours, communications, others as needed)
- Collaborate with Pastoral Staff on special projects
Other Duties
- Parish Scheduling – daily maintenance of the parish calendar; annual set-up of the fiscal year calendar with inputs from all pastoral staff, advisory boards, organizations and ministries.
