Copy Editor - College of ACES, Extension Marketing and Communications University of Illinois Extension, Marketing and Communications

WE TRANSFORM LIVES.

Everything we do is designed to improve the quality of life of the people in the state of Illinois, across the nation, and around the world. We discover, develop, translate, and disseminate knowledge to address societal concerns and train the next generation of experts and leaders in a way that empowers them to expand the boundaries of science to higher levels of understanding and influence. Be a part of our story. Through learning partnerships that extend knowledge and change lives, University of Illinois Extension provides educational programs aimed at making life better, healthier, safer, and more profitable for individuals and their communities. Illinois Extension has operated continuously for more than 100 years connecting the citizens of Illinois to their land-grant university by providing educational programming around the state. University of Illinois Extension is based in the College of ACES and works with all colleges and units of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Job Summary Supports statewide marketing and communications efforts for Illinois Extension by reviewing and editing a variety of print and digital communications materials to ensure accuracy, clarity, consistency, accessibility, and adherence to organizational style standards. Serves as a subject matter expert in Associated Press (AP) style and works collaboratively with communications professionals to give constructive feedback to writers with varying styles and subject matter. Duties & Responsibilities Copy edit, proofread, and review assigned communications materials, including news releases, feature stories, reports, marketing materials, website content, email communications, social media content, presentations, and publications. Write and edit occasional original communications materials, including news releases, feature stories, reports, and web content, to support team and organizational priorities, ensuring alignment with institutional voice, style, and strategic messaging. Ensure consistency in tone, brand representation, grammar, spelling, punctuation, usage, formatting, and style across communications materials. Review content for clarity, readability, accuracy, accessibility, and audience appropriateness. Assist with the development and maintenance of editorial guidelines, style resources, and quality assurance processes. Manage multiple assignments simultaneously and meet established deadlines in a fast-paced environment. advanced knowledge of the current edition of the Associated Press Stylebook and organizational style standards. Monitor updates to AP style and emerging editorial best practices and communicate relevant changes to team stakeholders. Perform other duties as assigned. Minimum Qualifications Bachelor's degree in marketing, business administration, communications, public relations, or a closely related field. Two (2) years (24 months) of professional work experience in marketing, public relations, communications, brand management, or a related professional area. Demonstrated experience managing publication files with desktop publishing software such as Adobe InDesign. Copyediting and proofreading experience. Preferred Qualifications Experience editing content across print, digital, and social media platforms for all audiences with a wide range of backgrounds, professions, and lived experiences. Five years of professional experience in editing, proofreading, journalism, communications, publishing, marketing, public relations, or a related field, with demonstrated ability to produce, edit, and refine clear, accurate, audience-focused content. Familiarity with higher education, University of Illinois Extension, nonprofit, government, scientific, or public-sector communications. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Expertise in understanding and ing Associated Press style. Ability to work effectively within established project management and digital workflow systems and adapt to new tools, processes, and technologies as organizational needs evolve. Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy. Ability to prioritize work, manage multiple deadlines, and deliver high-quality work with minimal supervision. Ability to and communicate specialized copyediting knowledge, skills, and judgment effectively across all content types. Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills. Ability to collaborate with a large, cross-functional team in a fast-paced environment. High degree of reliability, professionalism, and accountability.