Communications Associate

Position Title: Communications Associate

Location: Chicago, IL (Hybrid)

About Citizen Action Illinois

Citizen Action/Illinois (CA/IL) is a progressive policy advocacy and political coalition that works for social, economic, and racial justice in Illinois. CA/IL has led campaigns for policies that benefit working families, including a progressive income tax, expanding access to high-quality, affordable healthcare, and protecting voting rights.

Position Summary

We are seeking a motivated and creative Communications Associate to support our advocacy and voter mobilization efforts. The ideal candidate will have experience managing social media, email campaigns, websites, press relations, and creating digital content. This role offers the opportunity to contribute to strategic communications across multiple platforms while working in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Social Media & Content Creation: Develop and execute social media strategies to promote Citizen Action Illinois’s campaigns, events, and advocacy efforts. Create visually engaging content for digital platforms using tools like Canva (Photoshop is a plus). Manage social media calendar. Draft letters to the editor and advocacy content to support campaign efforts.
• Email Campaigns & Fundraising: Draft and manage email communications, including fundraising emails, advocacy alerts, and newsletters. Ensure email campaigns align with broader organizational goals, particularly voter mobilization and legislative advocacy.
• Press & Media Relations: Write press releases, pitch stories to journalists, and manage media outreach. Respond to media inquiries and cultivate relationships with key press contacts to raise awareness of Citizen Action/Illinois’ work.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Experience: 2+ years of experience in communications, public relations, or a related field. Experience in advocacy or the non-profit sector is a plus.
• Strong Writing Skills: Proven ability to write clear, engaging content in both long and short formats, tailored to different audiences and platforms.
• Media Savvy: Experience interacting with media, pitching stories, and handling inquiries is preferred.
• Technical Skills: Proficiency with Canva is required; knowledge of Photoshop or other design tools is a plus.
• Creativity & Strategy: Ability to think creatively about messaging and content while maintaining alignment with organizational goals.
• Collaboration: Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work well across teams.
• Detail-Oriented: Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines.

Competitive salary, commensurate with experience. Employer-paid health care and dental coverage, and employer-matched 401K benefits provided. Flexible work schedule with paid holidays and vacation time. Salary range $55-65K, depending on experience.

Apply here: citizenaction-il.org/jobs.

Citizen Action/Illinois is committed to building a culturally diverse staff and strongly encourages applicants from underrepresented communities to apply. Citizen Action/IL is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer which does not and shall not discriminate on the bases of race, religion, creed, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status in any of its activities or operations.