Communications Assistant

The Communications Assistant compiles class notes for the Alumni section of Northwestern Magazine. They also write alumni-related print and digital content for the magazine’s print edition and website. This position writes up the class notes for the magazine and fact-checks them, using CATracks, the alumni database. This position also trains and supervises student interns to assist in the fact-checking. The job involves close collaboration with Alumni Relations and Development and the monitoring of ARD’s “Today’s News” and “Today’s Obits” for the most up-to-date information about alumni class notes and deaths.

The Communications Assistant manages and organizes a huge volume of class notes submissions for Northwestern Magazine. The job involves fielding thousands of emails, phone calls and letters from alumni and family members and corresponding with them by email and phone regarding updates, death notices, changes of address and other queries.

One of the most important responsibilities of this job is to keep ARD’s CATracks, the alumni database, and OnBase, ARD’s document-storage site for alumni obituaries and alumni correspondence, up to date. This job plays a critical role in maintaining the accuracy of the alumni database and current address and email contact information for alumni.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Manages and organizes thousands of class notes and deaths submissions for Northwestern Magazine, the University’s flagship alumni magazine
• Compiles and writes class notes and deaths for each issue
• Writes other alumni-related content for the magazine’s print edition and website, including feature obits and alumni close-ups for the Alumni section of the magazine; collects photos for class notes and feature obits
• Independently responds to phone calls and letters from alumni and family members and corresponds with them by email and phone regarding updates, death notices, changes of address and other queries
• Keeps ARD’s CATracks, the alumni database, and OnBase, ARD’s document-storage site for alumni obituaries and alumni correspondence, up to date with alumni-submitted information such as address changes and email contact information
• Trains and supervises student interns to fact-check class notes and deaths
• Reviews email correspondence, bouncebacks and changes of address in response to Northwestern Magazine’s e-newsletter and forward letters to the editor
• Monitors NAA and Northwestern social channels, Google alerts and alumni social media for feature class note and story ideas for the magazine
• Forwards undeliverable returned magazines to ARD; processes requests to stop mailing the magazine
• Monitors NAA and Northwestern social channels, Google alerts and alumni social media for feature class note and story ideas for the magazine
• Forwards undeliverable returned magazines to ARD; processes requests to stop mailing the magazine

Other job responsibilities:

• Write feature obits, alumni close-ups and other alumni related print and digital content and collect alumni photos for feature obits.
• Monitor NAA social channels and alumni social media for feature class note and story ideas for the magazine
• Forward undeliverable returned magazines to ARD; process requests to stop mailing the magazine.
• Review email correspondence, bouncebacks and changes of address in response to Northwestern Magazine’s e-newsletter and forward letters to the editor

Miscellaneous

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• BS in Journalism or Marketing Communications or a related field

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Strong writing, verbal and interpersonal skills
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills
• Ability to work in a professional manner as both a self-starter and team member
• 2 years’ work experience in project management in a content creation or communications capacity
• Ability to communicate effectively with alumni of all ages and temperaments
• Demonstrated ability and efficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel for the Mac

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, marketing or related field
• Two years’ work experience in project management in a content creation or communications capacity

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Excellent writing skills; ability to produce clear and compelling text
• Excellent editing and proofreading skills
• Outstanding organizational and project management skills
• Sensitive communications skills to interact with alumni of all ages; social media savvinessis

The Northwestern campus sits on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho-Chunk nations. We acknowledge and honor the original people of the land upon which Northwestern University stands, and the Native people who remain on this land today.