FOIA Officer and Communications Specialist

FOIA Officer and Communications Specialist

Hiring Department
:
University Communications
Location
:
Chicago, IL USA
Requisition : 1038908
Posting Close Date
: 1/9/2026
Salary
: $70,000-$80,000

UIC is among the nation’s preeminent urban public research universities, a Carnegie R‑I/VH research institution, and the largest university in Chicago. UIC serves over 34,000 students, comprising one of the most diverse student bodies in the nation and is designated as a Minority Serving Institution (MSI), an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPSI) and a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI).

Through its 16 colleges, UIC produces nationally and internationally recognized multidisciplinary academic programs in concert with civic, corporate and community partners worldwide, including a full complement of health sciences colleges. By emphasizing cutting‑edge and transformational research along with a commitment to the success of all students, UIC embodies the dynamic, vibrant and engaged urban university. Recent “Best Colleges” rankings published by U.S. News & World Report found UIC climbed up in its rankings among top public schools in the nation and among all national universities.

UIC has over 300,000 alumni, and is one of the largest employers in the city of Chicago.

This position is intended to be eligible for benefits. This includes Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, a Retirement Plan, Paid time Off, and Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.

Part of the University Communications team of Strategic Marketing and Communications, the FOIA Office and Communications Specialist will coordinate and manage responses to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests according to office procedures. Reporting to the Associate Vice Chancellor for University Communications, this role will coordinate, collaborate and assist with media, writing, special projects and general office functions, including project management.

The Strategic Marketing and Communications team is a collaborative group that develops and executes strategies that inform, inspire and engage others to become part of UIC’s global academic and research mission. This role values a team‑of‑teams approach and is a detailed thinker, researcher and deadline‑driven communicator who values processes and systems.

• Coordinate document collection and retrieval to comply promptly with assigned FOIA requests.
• Review and process responsive documents, mark red actions and prepare response letters and other notices to requestors.
• File and post FOIA records and communication according to office procedures.
• Ensure compliance with FOIA‑related timelines and university confidentiality requirements as pertains to records.
• Assist with data collection and verification related to FOIA processing.
• Work closely with FOIA officers within the University of Illinois System to ensure best practices and alignment.
• Create, maintain and update project management tools to track, plan and execute a variety of initiatives, priorities and events. Communicate accordingly with teams working on projects and assist with special projects, initiatives and events.
• Edit and proofread a variety of communications for format and style.
• Research articles for daily news summaries. Curate items along with reviewing, producing and distributing, by offering careful evaluation of news sources for applicability, timeliness and impact on institution.
• Create and maintain email and postal mail list for news summaries, media/news release and publications. Assist with mass mail and processing, including formatting, submitting and releasing emails.
• Perform other duties as they emerge in an ever‑evolving communications and marketing landscape.
• Perform other related duties and participate in special projects as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, library science, social sciences, or a related field.
• Three years of professional business or office experience.
• Demonstrated experience with project and records management programs, systems, and processes.
• Demo…