Public Relations Specialist

Who we are:

Allwyn is a multi-national lottery operator with leading market positions in Austria, the Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Our primary focus is lotteries, which help raise money for good causes. We drive innovation, efficiency, and responsible gaming.

Allwyn North America is headquartered in Chicago. We currently operate the Illinois Lottery under a private management agreement while seeking other opportunities across the U.S. We also provide products and services to lotteries and their players in Europe and the U.S.

About the Team:

The Corporate Affairs team serves as the strategic communications and stakeholder engagement hub for Allwyn, protecting and enhancing the reputation of the Illinois Lottery, while directly supporting business growth and operational excellence for Allwyn North America. Our team manages a number of functions that work together to deliver results and pursue growth opportunities in the North American market. This includes: public relations and media management, public affairs, responsible gaming and corporate social responsibility, governance oversight, and business development support.

Position Overview:

Within Allwyn, the Public Relations Specialist supports the team’s efforts to remind Illinois residents that the Lottery gives everyone a chance to win, but, more importantly, guarantees that they are contributing to the common good. The Public Relations Specialist supports the Corporate Affairs team’s core purpose of being a storyteller for the Lottery. We share the Lottery’s stories with Illinois - about our winners, games, and prizes - and of course, our reason for being: to generate essential funding for education and good causes. This person will work effectively cross-functionally to ensure that compelling stories are being shared through earned and owned media channels.

Responsibilities:

Winners awareness PR and storytelling

• Help increase win belief statewide
• Conduct outreach and serve as a primary contact for Lottery winners and Lottery retailers selling winning tickets to gather and share their winning stories 
• Regularly visit the Chicago and Des Plaines prize claim centers to collect winner stories and encourage photo assets to share via owned channels 
• Develop and implement PR plans to support brand building around the Lottery’s central promise of ‘fun games, create winners, and support special causes’ in Illinois

Promote the Illinois Lottery brand

• Support the PR team to breathe life into the Illinois Lottery brand through the development of innovative consumer PR initiatives . 
• Help to promote the Lottery’s role in generating funding for education and other good causes, as required.

• Help to significantly increase the brand presence of the Illinois Lottery through earned and owned media.

Stakeholder relationships

• Proactively pitch members of the news media to place winner stories and other stories about the Lottery’s contributions to good causes.
• Serve as liaison to Lottery Claim Center managers throughout the State to maximize winner PR opportunities.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to support the development of integrated communication campaigns to support business objectives and act as the key PR contact on projects.

Media monitoring and website

• Produce weekly media reports and ensure media lists are maintained and kept up-to-date
• Provide simple media analysis to support internal reporting requirements (monthly governance reports.
• Maintain and regularly refresh a library of creative assets (imagery, video, animations etc.) to support storytelling opportunities

Requirements

Required:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations or a related field.
• Two-plus years of previous experience in a similar communications or public relations role.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Knowledge of AP style.

Preferred:

• PR agency experience a plus but not required
• Media monitoring experience preferred (Cision or Meltwater)
• Ability to manage multi-stakeholder projects while delivering high-quality work in a fast-paced environment.
• Proactive, flexible, self-reliant, problem solver, results-oriented.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google Suite.

Benefits

Working for Allwyn North America:

Our goal is to offer an inclusive work environment – where people can bring their best selves, and do their best work, every day, for the benefit of good causes.  While the main contribution of the Lottery to society is through the funds to good causes, at Allwyn, we put our purpose and values at the heart of everything we do.  That’s why we have committed to an ambitious Social Value strategy, which is woven into the way we do business.  We believe that lotteries must serve everyone, not just those who play.  So, as an employee, a supplier, a retailer, or any of the stakeholders whom we interact, we will be supporting good causes.

Our Values are embedded in the design of our organization and our plans to expand across North America.

• We Do What is Right: By acting with integrity, making brave decisions, taking accountability, and accepting responsibility. 
• We Win Together: By working together as one team, always empowering our colleagues, valuing our differences, and respecting each other. We are always seeking opportunities to create business value while enjoying our work and having fun together.
• We Think Differently: By accepting feedback, listening to our peers, striving for improvement and always daring to innovate. We always deliver with passion and have broad horizons.

Moreover, we pledge to have the highest standards of respect, diversity, and inclusion, and support and encourage our partners to do the same.  Allwyn North America is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics.

Allwyn North America offers a competitive employee package, designed to attract top talent. This role has a salary range of $68,000-$78,000, depending on experience. Additional highlights include:

• Compensation:  Competitive salaries with the opportunity for annual bonuses.
• Healthcare Plans: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance options, including company contributions to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).
• Retirement Savings: 401(k) plan with a company match of up to 6%.
• Insurance: Employer-sponsored life insurance, short-term disability, and long-term disability plans.
• Paid Time Off: Generous policy with up to 30 days per year based on tenure, company holidays, paid volunteer days, and paid parental leave.
• Additional Perks: On-site gym membership, wellness reimbursement, student loan repayment, and commuter benefits.