DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS – CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF PEORIA

Job Description
The Diocese of Peoria is hiring a Director of Communications to develop, lead, and execute our communications strategy for evangelization efforts at both the diocesan and parish levels. We are looking for candidates with marketing and communications experience who are excited to bring their talent to bear upon our mission of growing disciples in parishes and schools throughout. The Director will oversee all aspects of external and internal communications and as a strategic partner to the Bishop, the Director will work with leaders across the diocese to develop strategic communication priorities, as well as ensure consistency and continuity of messages and all creative assets.

ABOUT THE DIOCESE:

We started in 1833; with Fr. John Mary Cyr visiting Peoria, noting “Peoria is already and will be more so, one of the most important points on the Illinois River for Catholicity, if nothing will be neglected on our part. It is therefore high time to take the matter into consideration; it is now time to plant.”

We have since grown to what we are today, a diocese of over 130,000 Catholics spread throughout 26 counties, 156 parishes and over 40 schools. We serve the mission of Jesus and the Church through the many offices and ministries that strive to provide a path to missionary discipleship in the model of Christ Himself. The mission of our diocese is the foundation for how we run it. We believe that your job should support your vocation, your gifts and your charisms.

Our bishop, the Most Reverend Louis Tylka, envisions the future of our Diocese one of further planting: seeds of faith in those who’ve left the Church; seeds of hope for the strong Catholics who remain; and seeds of charity for those in our midst who are most in need. This role will be an integral part of growing in the diocese.

ABOUT THE JOB AND THE WORK:

Fundamentally, this role is about both strategy and execution, high-level visioning and day-to-day follow through. You will help the Diocese of Peoria reach many souls by building a strategy for sharing the Truth of the Church with all who live within our region. Your work will be focused on defining key ways to evangelize through communications at a diocesan level. This will include the development of foundational communications strategies, new branding efforts, a communications team and the day-to-day efforts that come with a job of this importance.

Over the past several years, we have been working through Bishop Tylka’s pastoral plan, Growing Disciples. You can learn more about this effort here (https://cdop.org/pastoral-plan/).  Communicating the hope of this plan will also be a big part of the role once you come on board and into the future.

Additionally, your work will focus on building an effective agency-like department at the service of our parishes throughout Central Illinois. This vital piece of the future of this office will allow our parishes to rely on you and your team to more effectively communicate, evangelize, and ultimately compete for the hearts and minds of those in our parishes.

We don’t currently have a communications department or spare staff to work on everything you’ll need to accomplish.  While some may see this as a disadvantage, we think it’s an opportunity that the right person will enjoy. It’s for someone who wants the growth of a life-changing experience on their shoulders while also having the ability to fill out a communications team that they will build, lead, and manage.  It’s for a self-starter who likes autonomy, is a missionary disciple who loves the Lord, has an authentic prayer life, is organized, ambitious, and also has a lot of fun at work.

In addition to big picture strategy, you’ll focus on practical day-to-day work: like hosting trainings and events for pastors and parish leaders, coordinating and training key lay volunteers in parishes across the diocese, fielding sponsorship opportunities that come our way, and sharing feedback with the leadership team. You’ll reach out to and manage relationships with influencers, groups, organizations, movements, events, and other ministries. You’ll also be expected to regularly detail progress, setbacks, and insights for the whole diocese. And you will be working in tandem across our other offices. You will manage reactive and crisis communication efforts as they come and develop content for diocesan communication platforms.

Lastly, you can expect other staff to listen, and hear you. You can expect to give and provide direct feedback. You can expect to be counted on. You can expect to do your best work and build a career here. We build our team and our culture for the long haul, and we enjoy the ride too as a community serving the same mission.

Bottom-line, this is a key role and an impact position at the Diocese of Peoria. In time, the diocese should look better with you on board; A clear case of before and after. You’ll help us be noticed, be seen, and be found. This is a big responsibility and we are here to support you, cheer you on, and make it happen.

ABOUT YOU:

With native son, sainthood candidate, and pioneering communicator Venerable Fulton J. Sheen as a model, the ideal candidate will be an active participant in the Catholic faith with a solid understanding of Church teaching and how to effectively communicate to a wide-ranging audience. You will be integral to furthering the mission of Jesus and the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Peoria.

You should be very familiar with the Catholic faith, someone who loves the Church, and is thrilled at the opportunity to deploy your gifts and skills for our mission to grow disciples.

A strong track record of conscientious, thoughtful work speaks volumes. You do not need to have worked in the Church before this job.

Other requirements that we are looking for:

• Experience developing and implementing communications strategies
• Excellent writing/editing and verbal communication skills
• Highly collaborative style; relationship builder with the flexibility and finesse to manage by influence and sincere commitment to work with all constituent groups
• High energy, maturity, and leadership with the ability to serve as a unifying force and to position communications discussions at both the strategic and tactical levels
• Analytical skills to solve problems and find the best way to convey a message
• Creativity to produce exciting and interesting content
• Organizational skills and the ability to multitask and prioritize projects while working on a deadline or in a fast-paced environment
• Ability and confidence to work independently
• Ability to provide excellent customer service and work effectively with staff, clergy, religious and laity
• Technological ability to work on a variety of digital platforms and also create web and mobile content

If this sounds like a job for you, we look forward to speaking more.

HOW TO APPLY

We want to get a sense of how you think. To that end, please use your cover letter to share with us your take on the following questions:

1. Why are you passionate about evangelization?
2. Describe how missionary discipleship has impacted your life.
3. Tell us about your marketing/communications experience in the marketplace, and whether or not you worked in a faith-based setting before?
4. Give us an example of a business, ministry or diocese that you think markets themselves particularly well? Who’s doing an outstanding job out there? And why?

Please keep your cover letter to fewer than 1500 words. Tell us why you want this job, not just any job. Please send all application materials to humanresources@cdop.org

We can’t wait to hear from you.