Director, Public Relations

Morningstar•Chicago, IL

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Reporting to the Head of Global Communications, the Director of Public Relations owns and protects Morningstar’s external narrative across an increasingly fractured media ecosystem. You’ll lead media, issues, and executive communications that reflect our research-driven culture, reinforce credibility, and support long-term trust with clients, regulators, and the public—while evolving our approach across traditional outlets and new and digital channels. A core part of this strategy is an “employees out in front” model: elevating Morningstar’s impressive bench of analysts and experts as the most credible, human expression of our insights. You will sustain a system that enables our experts show up consistently where audiences are—through journalist relationships and interviews, but also through newsletters, podcasts, and video-forward social content that travels across platforms.

Requirements

Deep media relations and crisis communications experience in regulated, complex, or data-driven environments.
Ability to translate research, financial, and analytical complexity into clear, defensible narratives.
Executive presence and comfort advising the CEO and senior leaders directly.
Fluency in modern communications channels and formats (newsletters, podcasts/audio, short-form video, and platform-native social content) and the ability to build systems that help experts show up consistently in them.
Strong editorial judgment and content development skills: shaping research into clear storylines, coaching spokespeople, and maintaining rigor, accuracy, and appropriate risk controls.
Data-driven approach to communications: defining KPIs, interpreting performance across earned/owned channels, and iterating strategy based on insights—without optimizing for volume at the expense of trust.
Strong writing, editing, and message discipline under tight timelines.

Responsibilities

Define Morningstar’s enterprise external positioning across business, financial, and industry media.
Lead proactive and reactive media engagement and maintain direct relationships with priority journalists.
Serve as a spokesperson and senior media advisor to executives.
Support Investor Relations with CEO-driven financial communications
Design and lead an external communications strategy built for a fractured media landscape—balancing priority outlets with the long tail of digital publishers, creators, newsletters, and audio/video platforms.
Sustain an “employees out in front” approach in partnership with Research Marketing that spotlights Morningstar’s analysts and subject-matter experts through consistent media readiness, smart packaging of insights, and high-quality storytelling.
Develop repeatable formats that translate research into platform-native outputs (e.g., short video explainers, chart-driven narratives, rapid-response takes, Q&As) without oversimplifying the underlying analysis.
Define success metrics across earned and owned channels (share of voice, message pull-through, expert visibility, engagement, and trust signals) and use performance insights to adapt strategy quarter to quarter.
Own crisis and issues preparedness and live response.
Advise senior leadership and internal partners on positioning, escalation, and timing.
Make and recommend clear decisions under pressure to protect Morningstar’s reputation.
Shape the CEO and senior leaders’ external voice through traditional and new media interviews, bylines, social media, and speaking engagements.
Ensure all thought leadership is grounded in Morningstar research and evidence.
Own corporate LinkedIn strategy as an earned-credibility, employee-advocacy, and insights-amplification channel—with an increasing emphasis on video-forward, platform-native storytelling.
Create scalable advocacy enablement for analysts and leaders (editorial calendars, posting guidance, pre-approved language, rapid-response workflows, and media/social training) to help experts participate confidently and compliantly.
Build and manage key third-party relationships—including select creators, newsletter writers, podcast hosts, and industry influencers—that reinforce Morningstar’s authority and extend reach to new audiences.
Set enterprise narrative, standards, and playbooks for external communications.
Partner closely with regional communications teams to ensure consistency without line management.
Lead three direct reports covering media relations, executive communications, social media, and issues preparedness.
Manage agencies as strategic partners and support for scale with clear briefs, strong point-of-view ownership, and high standards for quality and judgment.

Benefits

100% 401k match up to 6% of salary
Stock Ownership Potential
Company provided life insurance - 1x salary + commission
Comprehensive health benefits (medical/dental/vision) including potential premium discounts and company-provided HSA contributions (up to $500-$2,000 annually) for specific plans and coverages
Additional medical Wellness Incentives - up to $300-$600 annual
Company-provided long- and short-term disability insurance
Trust-Based Time Off
6-week Paid Sabbatical Program
6-Week Paid Family Caregiving Leave
Competitive 8-24 Week Paid Parental Leave
Adoption Assistance
Leadership Coaching & Formal Mentorship Opportunities
Annual Flex Stipend - $1000 annually to cover personal education & well-being expenses
Tuition Reimbursement
Charitable Matching Gifts program
Dollars for Doers volunteer program
Paid volunteering days
15+ Employee Resource & Affinity Groups