Internal Communications Manager_

Internal Communications ManagerMarketing Chicago, ILApplyDescriptionSmithbucklin, a 650-person, employee-owned professional services company with more than 70 years of success serving the association market, is seeking anInternal Communications Managerto join the Corporate Marketing team in our Chicago office.At Smithbucklin, we embody a culture driven by optimism, ambition, expertise, and thoughtfulness, where every team member is empowered to exceed expectations and deliver exceptional results for our clients. Join us in shaping the future of association management, where our values serve as the cornerstone of our success.This role will work closely with the Director of Internal Communications, the Chief Marketing Officer, the Chief People Officer, and other company leaders to support and help implement strategic, multi-faceted internal communications programs to build and strengthen our company’s brand, culture, and connection to employees.Successfully building relationships and collaborating with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and responsibilities to deliver key organizational information to a variety of employee audiences is critical. Acting as a brand ambassador is crucial to ensuring all communications are consistent with our brand identity and in alignment with our Vision and Values. The candidate for this role must love storytelling and possess strong writing skills, with an emphasis on brevity.What You Will DoThe Internal Communications Manager plays a crucial role in fostering a cohesive corporate culture and ensuring effective communication within the organization. Key responsibilities include:+ Craft comprehensive communication strategies that align with the organization's objectives and ensure consistent messaging across all internal channels.+ Produce and manage content for various internal communication platforms such as newsletters, intranet, emails, and internal social media. This includes writing, editing, and curating content that engages employees and keeps them informed.+ Serve as project-management lead on initiatives that boost employee engagement, including organizing town hall meetings, an annual two-day conference of approximately 200 senior managers, roundtable discussions, and feedback sessions to enhance employee involvement and satisfaction.+ Build and foster collaborative relationships with HR, business and service units, and employee-driven councils, groups, and communities to provide internal communication expertise and support for change management, culture building, and continuous Improvement.+ Draft messages, talking points, and presentations on behalf of Smithbucklin senior leaders for internal communications.+ Collaborate on the development of new tools, including the Intranet and a Viva Engage community.+ Oversee editorial calendar for internal communications, working with multiple channel leads to coordinate content creation and dissemination.+ Monitor and evaluate key metrics and results of internal communications initiatives to gauge effectiveness, identify opportunities, and ensure continuous improvement.This Role Might Be for You If …+ You have a track record of developing and delivering effective internal communications.+ You have exceptional written and verbal communication skills with an understanding of Associated Press style guidelines; solid writing and editing skills, and active-listening skills.+ You have strong project-management skills with the ability to manage all aspects of a project from start to finish.+ You thrive in a results-oriented and rapidly changing environment and are comfortable switching gears quickly, managing evolving priorities, and working on multiple projects simultaneously.+ You have the necessary critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills to enable you to present solutions, rather than problems. While you follow established communication processes and procedures, you think creatively “out of the box” and apply new ideas, perspectives, and approaches to current practices.+ You can confidently and professionally interact with and influence senior executives and stakeholders who have a variety of communication styles, perspectives, and priorities.Education & Experience Qualifications:+ Bachelor’s degree in a field of study in Communications, English, or Journalism is preferred.+ Five to seven years of related strategic internal communications, journalism, public relations, or marketing communications experience required, with a focus on business vision/strategy, employee engagement, and culture.+ Some formal supervisory experience is required.+ Proven competence with Microsoft 365 suite (including Teams and Viva Engage), as well as PowerPoint and Excel; experience with other platforms and tools including mailers, surveys, and basic design tools.Where Do You Fit?Whether you are just beginning your career or are a mid- or senior-level professional, working at Smithbucklin will offer you countless opportunities to develop transferrable skills, acquire meaningful knowledge and gain rich experiences at an accelerated pace. By working collaboratively with smart, ambitious, multi-talented, genuine and hardworking colleagues, you will build meaningful, deep and enduring relationships that will serve you well throughout your career, regardless of your chosen path. In addition, as a 100 percent employee-owned company, Smithbucklin offers all of our people – regardless of position or compensation – an equal chance to experience the fulfillment and reap the benefits of ownership. As owners, our employees control the destiny of Smithbucklin and are unified in the goal of building a great, enduring company.Our hybrid environment offers you the option to work from home two days per week. Employees will work a standard 40-hour week, with the possibility of additional hours based on project deadlines.Equal Employment OpportunityAt Smithbucklin, Equal Employment Opportunity is our commitment and goal. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, marital status or any other protected status designated by federal, state or local law. Applicants are encouraged to confidentially self-identify when applying. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a reference and background investigation based on position.Smithbucklin will not sponsor applicants for work visas and as a precondition of employment, you must be authorized to work in the United States permanently.