ABOUT ULI
The Urban Land Institute is a nonprofit research and education organization with 45,000+ members across every discipline of land use and real estate. Our members are shaping how cities grow, how communities respond to housing and climate challenges, and how the built environment serves the people who live in it.
The work is remarkable, and it deserves stories that match it. Behind every ULI program, District Council initiative, and Foundation investment are people and places whose lives have changed because of it. We need an experienced writer who can find those people, ask the right questions, and tell their stories in a way that moves readers, makes ULI more visible to the audiences we serve today, and reaches new ones.
THE ROLE
The Senior Storyteller is ULI’s lead writer and interviewer for impact stories. You will work closely with the Vice President, Strategic Narratives and Storytelling, who sets ULI’s narrative direction and has final say on which stories we tell. Within that direction, we want you to bring a point of view and bring those stories to life. You will identify the right people to talk to, conduct the interviews, understand the impact behind the work, and write stories that are compelling, accurate, and emotionally resonate.
Your stories will show the impact of ULI’s work across our members, research, the Impact Lab, the Foundation and District Councils. They will reach audiences through Urban Land magazine, ULI’s website, podcast, member app and social channels, our virtual and in-person events, executive communications, and the media. This is not about writing a story once. It is about pulling different threads out of the same story and telling it more than once, in different ways and formats. This role is focused on writing and producing content. Success will be measured by greater awareness of ULI and its impact.
WHAT YOU WILL DO
Finding and reporting the story
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Work with the Vice President to turn ULI’s narrative priorities into a storytelling schedule, propose the stories within each program that are most worth telling, and keep each one moving from idea to publication on time.
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Identify the right people to interview for each story, from members and District Council leaders to researchers, Foundation partners, donors and the communities ULI’s work reaches.
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Plan and conduct interviews, from introductory conversations to formal on-the-record interviews, and ask the questions that get to the heart of the story and the impact behind the work.
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Research and make sense of reports, data, policy content and technical detail so the story is accurate and grounded in evidence.
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Follow the impact over time, returning to programs, events and Advisory Services panels a year or more later to capture what actually changed.
Writing and producing stories
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Write stories, member profiles and case studies that show the measurable impact of ULI’s work and connect with readers on a human level: not just what happened, but what changed and why it matters.
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Lead ULI’s Annual Report from start to finish: manage the project, work with an external copywriter and design team, help shape the content plan with the Vice President and senior leadership, and select the stories that bring it to life.
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Write in several voices, from the formality of the Annual Report to a personal profile of an architect or planner, and adapt stories for different audiences, lengths and formats, from long-form features to short pieces for social, events and the member app.
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Balance long-form projects with fast-turnaround opportunities.
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Edit and shape stories contributed by staff across ULI so they meet the same standard.
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Work within ULI’s editorial and brand standards through a collaborative review process, with the Vice President as final sign-off and program leads, subject matter expert,s and Foundation colleagues reviewing technical or funder-related pieces.
Publishing across ULI’s channels
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Collaborate with colleagues to publish stories through ULI’s existing and emerging channels, including Urban Land magazine, ULI’s website, podcast and member app, virtual and in-person events, press releases and media pitching.
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Partner with the social media team on campaigns, cadence and how long a story runs, so our strongest stories are told with video, graphics and other visuals, again and again.
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Work with the Brand and Creative Services team on photography, video and graphics that support each story.
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Propose new story formats and series that extend ULI’s reach, and test them with marketing, design, and video colleagues.
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Manage freelance writers and videographers who support storytelling work.
Relationships across ULI
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Build trusted relationships with the Impact Lab, the Foundation, and District Councils so strong stories surface early and colleagues know who to bring them to.
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Help build a sustainable way for stories to reach us: equip staff who work with District Councils and programs to recognize a good story and pass it on, while also going directly to them rather than waiting for stories to arrive.
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Build relationships with senior ULI leaders, donor-facing teams, District Council chairs and high-profile members, and represent them fairly and accurately in the stories you tell.
Measuring what works
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Track how stories perform, including reach, engagement and pickup by members and partners, and share what you learn with the Vice President to shape what gets told next.
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Help develop a sophisticated but sustainable way of tracking the long-term impact behind ULI’s work, so the next chapter of each story is easier to find.
A DAY IN THE ROLE
Expect a mix of writing, research and conversation. A morning might start with an introductory call with a Foundation partner ahead of an interview, move into drafting a feature for the Annual Report, and end with the social team planning how a story will run across channels. There is no fixed story quota. The goal is to balance volume with quality and impact, and to know which stories deserve a slow, careful build and which need to move in a day or two.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
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An exceptional writer and interviewer who can turn raw material, interviews, data and notes into narratives that are clear, engaging, fact-based and emotionally compelling, while adhering to brand standards.
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7+ years of experience in storytelling, journalism, editorial or communications roles, with a portfolio of published work. A bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, English or a related field, or equivalent experience.
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Experience telling impact stories for nonprofit, civic or philanthropic organizations, or for a range of clients.
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Range as a writer: you can move between voices and formats, and you know that people no longer read the way they used to, so you look for creative ways to tell a story.
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An understanding of and enthusiasm for cities and the built environment. Industry experience is a bonus, not a requirement. If your background is in another dense, technical or multifaceted field, show us how you made complex subjects approachable, and that you are eager to go deep on urbanism, housing, climate resilience and community development.
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Experience interviewing a wide range of people, from senior executives and donors to community members, and earning their trust. You are comfortable and professional in rooms with high-profile stakeholders.
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The maturity and judgment to handle sensitive subjects and senior relationships with care, and to tell what matters most when priorities compete.
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Experience leading multi-stakeholder publications or projects, managing freelancers and contractors, and working to a budget.
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Experience working within editorial and brand standards and taking feedback well, while still bringing your own point of view.
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Genuine curiosity and a love of learning. You want to dig deeper into the programs and people behind the work, and you get excited about finding new, more powerful ways to tell a story.
Writing samples. If we move forward after the first conversation, we will ask for two to three published pieces that you feel best demonstrate your ability to tell stories creatively and across different platforms. We will talk through them together in your first interview, so choose the work you are proudest of.
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE
By the end of year one, ULI is telling more of its impact stories, and telling them well. A steady stream of stories moves from interview to publication on schedule across Urban Land, the website, podcast, member app, social channels and events, and the Annual Report has been delivered with stories at its heart. The stories connect with people, and ULI can point to growing awareness of its work among its core audiences and new ones. Colleagues in the Impact Lab, the Foundation, and District Councils know who to bring a story to, and the Vice President has a trusted senior writer who turns ULI’s priorities into stories people remember.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
The salary range for this position is $78,986 to $85,898. Actual compensation will be based on experience, education, skills, and other job-related factors.
ULI offers a comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, and life insurance; generous vacation leave; and retirement plan with employer match.
WORKING CONDITIONS
The Urban Land Institute (ULI) is committed to shaping the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide, and we embrace our core values of integrity, collaboration, inclusion, and excellence in service to our members. In alignment with the Board of Directors' strong commitment to in-person collaboration, our roles require regular on-site presence to foster teamwork, innovation, and organizational effectiveness. ULI's primary workplace remains its offices, where in-person collaboration supports our mission and service to members.
ULI is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion/creed, sex, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, veteran or active military status, non-citizenship or citizenship status, arrest or conviction record, credit history, caregiver status, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or partnership status, familial status, unemployment status, or any other status protected by applicable law.
EOE/m/f/d/v. No relocation reimbursement is offered at this time.
