"Community Relations Manager"

About Oakton College

Educate. Empower. Transform

At Oakton College, we know education changes lives - and that starts with the people who make it happen. For more than 50 years, we've built a welcoming and inclusive community where students from all backgrounds and experiences thrive.

We're looking for passionate educators, professionals and leaders to join our team. Whether in the classroom, student support, or behind the scenes, your talents and expertise will make a difference and shape the future.

We provide dynamic learning environments that empower students and employees alike with campuses in Des Plaines and Skokie and a Health Careers Education Center in Evanston.

As a proud institution accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, Oakton is more than a college - it's a place where innovation, equity and lifelong learning drive everything we do. We value diverse perspectives and embrace new ideas and are dedicated to fostering an inclusive and student-centered culture.

Job Description

Basic Function and Responsibility

The Community Relations Manager develops and leads the implementation of Oakton's community engagement strategy by building meaningful partnerships with organizations, businesses, schools, and civic leaders. Serving as a key liaison between College and Community leaders, the Manager connects groups seeking to collaborate with the College and equips Oakton representatives to serve as effective ambassadors. In this role, the Manager provides counsel to and works closely with Oakton's Advancement, Admissions/Enrollment, Workforce Development, Human Resources, and other departments to ensure outreach efforts align with and advance the College's institutional goals.

Characteristic Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the strategy and growth of the Oakton Ambassador initiative, strategically recruiting College employees – including senior leaders and Trustees – to represent Oakton within community organizations to build awareness, strengthen the College's influence, and advance institutional priorities.
• Lead the development and implementation of tailored training, message points, fact sheets, presentations, and other resources to Ambassadors to ensure consistent representation of the College.
• Maintain a deep understanding of community stakeholder groups (e.g., Chambers of Commerce, Rotary Clubs, K-12 schools, nonprofit organizations), and their alignment with Oakton College's mission and strategic priorities. Identify and pursue high-impact opportunities for Ambassadors, strategically recommending placement of colleagues, including senior leaders, to represent Oakton within identified organizations.
• Develop and implement a strategy for sponsoring and participating in community events. Propose and manage sponsorship budget resources and coordinate event staffing and materials to ensure alignment Oakton's with strategic goals and robust engagement with students, employees, alumni, and community partners who represent Oakton.
• Represent Oakton at high-profile community meetings, events, and programs – often during evenings and weekends.
• In collaboration with Academic Affairs, the Office of Admission, and other departments, lead the development and implementation of a campus visit program for K-12 schools and external stakeholder groups. Tailor visits to showcase Oakton's academic programs, student services, and career pathways as part of a long-term enrollment strategy.
• Lead outreach to high-influence external groups and leaders to garner support for and participation in community-facing College events. Develop and implement outreach strategies that attract diverse external audiences and ensure meaningful engagement.
• Leverage a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system (i.e., Salesforce) to track and analyze community relationships and engagements, identify gaps, and provide regular reports and recommendations to College leadership. Assess the effectiveness of outreach efforts and recommend strategy changes as needed.
• Highlight and amplify community partnerships and engagement through internal and external communication channels, ensuring visibility and recognition of Oakton's role as a districtwide resource.
• Partner with the Director of Communications and External Relations, Chief Advancement Officer, College President and other senior leaders to support legislative outreach and engagement with local, state, and federal elected officials, advocating for Oakton's priorities and funding needs.
• Provide orientation and ongoing education to, and coverage for, Welcome Center personnel in conjunction with partners from the Communications department and Office of Admission.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Supervision Received

Direct supervision from the Director of Communications and External Relations.

Supervision Exercised

May oversee student workers and contractors as needed.

Requirements

Qualifications and Working Conditions

• Bachelor's degree in communications, public relations, marketing, education, public administration, or related field, or equivalent job experience required.
• Minimum of five years of professional experience in community relations, public affairs, nonprofit management, or related field.
• Proven ability to build and sustain relationships with senior-level civic, nonprofit, business, government, and educational leaders.
• Demonstrated excellence in written, verbal, and presentation skills, with experience representing institutions to diverse audiences, including community groups and elected officials.
• Strong leadership, organizational, volunteer management, and project management skills, with the ability to manage complex initiatives, budgets, and teams across departments.
• Experience using CRM systems (Salesforce preferred) to track, evaluate, and strengthen engagement activities.
• Familiarity with Oakton College's district communities (including Evanston, Des Plaines, Skokie) and demonstrated knowledge of local civic, educational, and business organizations preferred.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively, exercising a high degree of professional judgment and discretion.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and Google Workspace required; experience with presentation and design tools (e.g., PowerPoint, Canva) strongly preferred.
• Higher Education experience, or experience working in a large organization consisting of multiple departments.
• Availability to represent the College at community events, including evenings, weekends, and summer months.
• Experience using email marketing software such as Constant Contact to develop communications and build lists.
• Experience creating social media content for multiple channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) and knowledge of social media best practices.

Working Conditions: General office environment with frequent attendance at community events, often outside normal working hours. Light lifting up to 10 lbs. and light carrying up to 10 lbs. Ability to reach above shoulder. Periods of time spent sitting, standing, walking, kneeling, bending, and stooping. Mobility to move from building to building on-campus and to visit off-campus entities. Work is performed in a general office environment and sedentary in nature. Little or no exposure to adverse working conditions.

Additional Information

Hours: Monday - Friday - 8:15 am - 5:00 pm (hours may vary to the needs of the College)

SALARY: $67,440

Based on the needs of the college and with Administrator approval, some positions at the college may have a hybrid schedule option available after 30 working days.

For information regarding employment eligibility, please visit our employment at Oakton web page.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Application Instructions

Please be sure to have a current resume, cover letter, and list of, at least, three (3) professional references with contact information prepared to submit with your application.

Oakton College conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer of employment. Convictions are not a bar to employment. Background checks will be performed in compliance with state and federal law and in accordance with the Illinois Department of Human Rights Conviction Record Protection Act of March 2021.

Posted positions may be removed from the Oakton website without notice when it is determined that no additional applicants are required.

Oakton College does not utilize E-Verify for employment eligibility verification.