Development Communications Specialist

Development Communications Specialist
Full Time
About the Adler Planetarium
The Adler Planetarium connects people to the universe and each other. Whether it is introducing a guest to the Ring Nebula, a neighborhood school to a community partner, a research team to a network of citizen scientists, or one staff member to another, Adler’s focus on meaningful connections dates back nearly a century.
Today, the museum hosts more than half a million visitors each year and reaches millions more through youth STEM programs, neighborhood skywatching events, online citizen science, and other outreach projects. With Adler’s support, people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities gain the confidence to explore their universe together and return to their communities ready to think critically and creatively about any challenge that comes their way.
The Position
The Adler Planetarium is seeking a Development Communications Specialist to join our dynamic team located on Chicago's Museum Campus. The Development Communication Specialist is the primary content creator for Adler’s fundraising team. They are responsible for creating donor communications and fundraising materials, including grant proposals and reports, digital campaign appeals, and event invitations. This role will work cross-departmentally to create informative and engaging content to support the cultivation and stewardship of foundation, corporate, and individual donor audiences. This individual will also be responsible for:

• Creating donor communications, cultivation, and stewardship materials that are fresh, persuasive, and communicate the Adler’s vision and mission
• Drafting content for grant proposals and reports for corporate and foundation donors
• Developing stewardship touchpoints, including newsletters, blogs, and acknowledgments
• Collaborating with team members to ensure gifts and donor information are accurately communicated and recorded in the donor database

FT The Compensation & Benefits

Base Pay: range: $23.68 to $27.71/hour

Work-Life Balance

• 35-hour workweek
• 3 sick days as of date of hire (can accrue up to 6.5 days per year)
• 7 Adler paid holidays
• 4 Personal Holidays (Prorated for new hires starting after January 1st)
• Paid Family Bereavement Leave & Jury Duty
• Eligible to accrue up to 12 vacation days per year to start
• Flexible work arrangements

Competitive Health Coverage

• Medical, Dental, & Vision insurance
• Healthcare, Dependent Care & Commuter flexible spending accounts
• Adler Paid Short-Term Disability insurance

Retirement Savings Plan

• 403B plan with Adler match
• Adler match is 100% vested immediately
• Eligible to enroll as of the date of hire

Network of Support through our EAP programs

• Resources to help address emotional, legal, and financial issues
• Face-to-face, telephonic, and web-based services
• Free subscription to the Calm Premium app

Discounted Onsite Parking Passes

Free Entrance to Chicago area museums and cultural institutions

The Person

The Development Communication Specialist will partner closely with subject matter experts, leadership, and the marketing team. The ideal candidate will be an excellent communicator with a passion for writing and storytelling for donor audiences.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree or 5+ years of professional work experience
• Two to three years in a nonprofit fundraising setting, as well as basic knowledge of fundraising techniques and strategies
• Outstanding communicator and writer
• Strong written communication skills, primarily the ability to write clear, structured, articulate, and persuasive appeals, proposals, and reports
• Ability to handle sensitive information with discretion
• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously
• Proactive self-starter that is organized and incredibly detail-oriented
• Quick worker. Balancing the desire for perfection with the understanding of expectations and deadlines. Ability to juggle multiple tasks effectively
• Ability to work flexible hours, including occasional evenings and weekends

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in a writing and/or editing position in a science, museum, or academic setting
• Proficiency in Google Suite, Raiser's Edge, Salesforce, Adobe, and InDesign
• Experience managing projects

The Adler Planetarium is dedicated to complying with its obligations as an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact the Human Resources Department by email at and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Requests for accommodation will be considered on a case-by-case basis.