Springfield, IL – Member Engagement Coordinator

Illinois State Senate Republican Staff

Position Description

Member Engagement Coordinator, Events and Engagement Division

Communications and Public Affairs

Position Title: Member Engagement Coordinator

Division: Events and Engagement Division, Communications and Public Affairs, Illinois State Senate Republican Staff

Location: Chicago, IL

Supervision: Works under the direction of the Director and Deputy Director of Events and Engagement Division

Division Summary: As a division within the Senate Republican Caucus, Events and Engagement strengthens our members’ constituent relationships through memorable events, experiences and outreach efforts backed by strategic insight, creativity and superior production. Our division seeks to offer a broader level of staff support in members’ districts by working with the Senators individually to construct and implement personalized plans to enhance outreach, events and messaging with constituents, boost lines of communication with various stakeholders, and assist with regional issues – working toward the ultimate goal of providing better, more comprehensive services to constituents.

Position Summary: The Member Engagement Coordinator is responsible for facilitating event advocacy and outreach strategies for each of their assigned Senators in Suburban Chicago and Northern Illinois. The Member Engagement Coordinator supports the goals of their assigned Senators, most notably focused on raising the profiles of their Senators within their districts while also increasing the influence of their Senators and the State Senate Republican Caucus on priority policy issues. A key facet of working as a Member Engagement Coordinator is the flexibility, variety, and outlet for creativity this job provides. You will work one-on-one with your Senators, as well as part of a team. You will be allowed the opportunity to lead, with the help of a supportive group of experienced co-workers. Your schedule will be fluid as you work in different offices based on scheduled events, as well as occasionally traveling to and from Springfield where you will get a closer look at how the Illinois General Assembly works. Every day’s tasks are different and your pool of co-workers changes with your tasks. The work provides unique and compelling opportunities to showcase your talents on many levels. The job offers a variety of experiences, ensuring that no two days are the same. It is dynamic and engaging, providing opportunities to see and do something different each day, making it far from routine.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assist Senators in prioritizing event and outreach objectives and goals.
• Oversee the planning and execution of a multitude of Senate-sponsored events.
• Work closely with Director/Deputy Director to facilitate event advocacy and outreach strategies for assigned members.
• Work with Senators, legislative assistants, legislative district director, communications specialist/writer and regional policy leaders to identify each assigned Senator’s communication and event/outreach priorities and then implement a personalized event/outreach plan to enhance messaging within their districts.
• Develop comprehensive outreach plans and identify major deliverables, materials, initiatives and events to be produced.
  Cultivate, build and maintain partnerships between local government officials, communities, associations, non-profits and state agencies to highlight Senator’s key initiatives while ensuring prompt and satisfactory responses to issues and concerns that arise throughout the Senator’s district.
• Provide strategic planning for Senator’s outreach to various constituencies.
• Lead regular conference calls or meetings with the Senator’s entire team (Senator, legislative assistant, legislative district director, communications specialist/writer, regional policy lead) to assist with project management identifying project members and their roles, project scope and deliverables and key performance metrics and success factors.
• Provide data regarding event attendees and initiative participants to the Office of Constituent Relationship Management to be entered into the Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) system.
• Prepare Excel spreadsheets for the execution of a variety of mail mergers on Microsoft Word.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Attributes

• Outstanding time management and organizational skills
• Ability to switch easily from one task to another while maintaining a high level of work quality
• Ability to travel to staff Senate-sponsored events including some events scheduled for evenings and weekends
• Exceptional written, interpersonal and oral communication skills
• Excellent attention to detail, including editing and proofreading skills
• High proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Microsoft Teams and Outlook (experience in Adobe InDesign or Photoshop a plus, but not required)
• Understanding of social media best practices
• Experience as a self-starter who thrives on managing a variety of work projects and responsibilities
• Willing to regularly reflect on work, and continuously strive for better ways of communicating, training, and learning
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively and inclusively with a diverse range of people
• Resilience and even temperament in dealing with unexpected challenges
• Ability to develop and implement all aspects of initiatives, while also taking direction well and working collaboratively with team members
• Ability to anticipate questions and needs
• Self-motivated to provide high-quality work, embracing a spirit of continuous improvement
• Mode of reliable transportation
• Excellent public speaking skills
• Knowledge of Illinois government

Desired Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Attributes

• Experience working with public officials, associations, non-profits, business leaders and governmental leaders
• Experience in event management in public or business sector or hospitality industry
• Experience using social media as a tool for crowdraising, research, and recruitment
• A curious self-starter who isn’t afraid of ambiguity and is eager to share new and improved strategies to manage and execute outreach and event plans

Required Education and Work Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Political Science, Marketing or any other related field
• 1 – 3 years of professional experience in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Political Science, Hospitality, Marketing or any other related field

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $48,000.00 – $55,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday
• Weekends as needed

Work Location: In person

If you are interested in this position on the Illinois Senate Republican Staff, please email your current resume and cover letter to Dominick Vessini at DVessini@sgop.ilga.gov.

For more information, contact:

Dominick Vessini
dvessini@sgop.ilga.gov
217-782-1154