Communications Specialist

Motor Coach Industries•Des Plaines, IL

About The Position

Communications Specialist MCI is North America’s public and private market motor coach leader. Products include the luxury J-Series (an industry best-seller for over a decade), the workhorse D-Series , and the brand new zero-emission luxury and commuter coaches: the battery-electric J4500 CHARGE™ and MCI D45 CRT LE CHARGE™ . MCI also provides maintenance, repair, 24-hour roadside assistance, parts, and technician training through the industry’s only Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) accredited MCI Academy . Further information is available at www.mcicoach.com . POSITION SUMMARY This position is responsible for developing and executing MCI private sector communications plans and tactics that support company objectives. This includes content generation (copy and messaging) for press releases; marketing collateral including digital assets; presentations; surveys; bulletins and manuals; social media; and newsletters. This position also acts as the expert to ensure messaging is consistent, compelling, free of errors, and follows the company style and brand guides.

Requirements

A post-secondary degree in Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism, or a related field from an accredited post-secondary educational institution; an equivalent combination of relevant training and experience may be considered.
Minimum 2 years of experience in writing, communications, and public relations with demonstrated experience leading communication initiatives in a fast-paced environment.
Excellent written and oral communication skills, in terms of spelling, grammar, formatting, and overall storytelling.
Self-motivated, highly organized and be able to multi-task to meet deadlines within a fast-paced environment.
Proficiency in MS Office and related business and communication tools.
Up to 10% of travel is required in this position.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of bus manufacturing or transit industry would be considered an asset.
Familiarity with AP and other style guides would be considered an asset.
Adobe Creative Suite is considered as asset.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute communication plans and tactics to deliver engaging content to key audiences in the most effective manner; draft content for press releases, letters, editorials, presentations, bulletins, fact sheets, abstracts, social media, and marketing collateral.
Act as the communications expert by editing and updating content to ensure a clear and compelling story; proofreading content to be free of grammatical, spelling, punctuation, and typographical errors; ensuring all content follows the MCI / NFI Style and Brand Guides.
Lead the media release process for MCI private sector including drafting high-quality, informative, and impactful press releases, interviewing customers and internal subject experts, fact-checking content provided by contributors, and managing the press release approval process in accordance with the company’s approval process.
Report on media release placements and use analytics to impact decision-making.
Support the sales team in developing a library of letters and bulletins with compelling content that are fact-filled, persuasive and communicate our value propositions to win business; create internal and external surveys to track execution of business objectives.
Create relevant and impactful copy about MCI private sector products, support services, and special initiatives for website, video, e-newsletters, advertisements, presentations, and brochures.
Prepare inspiring and effective abstracts and speeches for speaking engagements at industry events; translate the ideas, objectives, position, and philosophy of the speaker into messaging that relates to the topic, speaker, and audience.
Craft editorials and articles for industry publications on a variety of topics; plan, research, interview, and collaborate with peers to gather information to tell our stories in a way that is informative and engaging, reflects our position, and uses our brand voice.
Create persuasive and effective presentations that provides information, showcases our products and services, and communicates a compelling story. Assess and evaluate existing presentations and recommend improvements.
Create technical summaries (Sales Information Bulletins or SIBs) about the components of our coaches; collaborate with subject matter experts to translate complex and technical information into clear and concise features and benefits. Also manage the digital SIB library, ensuring that it is up to date with the latest technology by collaborating with the sales team.
Be a driver of brand consistency when it comes to look, feel, tone, and voice of the MCI private sector products and services; striving for brand leadership and flawless execution.
Understand our competitive landscape and develop creative solutions that drive competitive advantage and distinction.
Maintain a pulse on industry, brand, and trends to ensure our value propositions maintain relevance and credibility.

Benefits

Competitive wages and a comprehensive benefits package.
A continuous learning environment.
Ability to advance your career with a growing company.
Employee social committee organizes numerous events throughout the year, including summer barbecues, holiday festivities, sporting events and tournaments, and much more.
Eligible for benefits on first day of employment:
401k
Health, dental, and vision coverage
Life insurance
Paid holidays
Paid time off