Communications Associate, Client Services & External Affairs - Hybrid Washington DC Office

NORC at the University of Chicago • Washington DC, WA

16h • $77,000 - $80,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

NORC at the University of Chicago is seeking a Communications Associate to join the Client Services and External Affairs team within Strategic Communications. This role is ideal for someone who believes rigorous, independent research can help make the world a better place, and wants to help get that work into the right hands. This is a highly collaborative role that supports client-funded communications projects and corporate initiatives. You’ll partner closely with research and project teams and work day-to-day with colleagues across Digital, Editorial, Creative, and Events teams to keep projects on track, contribute to content development, and deliver external communications that are clear, timely, accessible, and aligned with NORC’s brand voice. Location: Hybrid role based in our Washington, D.C. office, with a minimum of six days per month in the office. Travel: Limited, with occasional travel (for example, an annual team retreat). The Strategic Communications department drives NORC’s brand, reputation, and visibility across every channel and audience. The department brings together expertise in corporate communications, creative services, digital communications and marketing, internal communications, and project-level communications support. We manage NORC’s social media presence, email marketing, and website properties, and we partner with project teams on dissemination strategies that help NORC’s research reach the people who need it. NORC partners with government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world to inform the critical decisions facing society, and we ensure that work gets seen, understood, and used, both for our clients and for broader public impact.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, journalism, public relations, English, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• At least 3 years of relevant communications, PR, marketing, or agency experience (including internships).
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate and deliver projects across multiple stakeholders and teams, managing competing priorities and deadlines.
• Strong writing and editing skills, including the ability to draft communications plans.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including clear, professional communication and a strong client-service mindset.
• Team-oriented approach and commitment to a collaborative work environment, both virtually and in person.
• High attention to detail, especially for accuracy, formatting consistency, and alignment with NORC’s visual brand and messaging standards.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 tools (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint).

Nice To Haves

• Experience in a project management platform (Wrike or similar).
• Familiarity with SharePoint and Microsoft Teams.
• Interest in and commitment to social science research and mission-driven work.
• Interest or experience in media monitoring, media list development, and coverage reporting tools (MuckRack or similar).
• Comfort using AI tools (such as ChatGPT or Claude) to support writing and planning, with strong editorial judgment.

Responsibilities

• Project manage client communications projects and corporate initiatives by leading intake, gathering requirements, contributing to dissemination plans, coordinating resources, and moving deliverables from kickoff through completion.
• Own project coordination and execution by using project management tools to track timelines, owners, and progress; run status updates; follow up on outstanding items; and keep documentation and team communication current and organized (typical responsiveness target is 1-2 business days).
• Draft and edit external-facing materials such as web copy, press releases, and client-ready collateral, translating research findings accurately and clearly for nontechnical audiences.
• Support external affairs by contributing to PR programs, maintaining and updating media lists, monitoring coverage, and compiling media reports.
• Coordinate internal and external resources by collaborating with internal partners and occasionally managing vendors, scheduling, deliverable tracking, and basic invoice support (training provided).
• Apply strong editorial judgment to ensure materials reflect NORC’s brand voice, accessibility best practices, and quality standards before review and release.
• Use AI tools thoughtfully and strategically to enhance writing and project planning, while maintaining human quality control and accountability.
• Contribute to measurement and reporting by tracking communications metrics and producing simple summaries to inform planning and improvements.
• Pitch in across the team as needed to support coordination, documentation, and administrative tasks that help ensure successful delivery of client projects and corporate initiatives.

Benefits

• Generously subsidized health insurance, effective on the first day of employment
• Dental and vision insurance
• A defined contribution retirement program, along with a separate voluntary 403(b) retirement program
• Group life insurance, long-term and short-term disability insurance
• Benefits that promote work/life balance, including generous paid time off, holidays; paid parental leave, bereavement leave, tuition assistance, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level