Communications Specialist

The Team Morningstar’s Global Communications team protects and strengthens the company’s reputation, amplifies our mission to empower investor success, and helps employees, leaders, clients, and the media understand the company’s priorities with clarity and credibility. Morningstar’s Global Communications team protects and strengthens the company’s reputation, amplifies our mission to empower investor success, and helps employees, leaders, clients, and the media understand the company’s priorities with clarity and credibility. The Role As Communications Specialist you’ll help turn Morningstar’s research, business priorities, and company moments into clear, credible communications across internal and external audiences. This is a hands‑on communications role for a strong writer who can move quickly, simplify complex topics, and support both planned and fast‑moving communications needs. In this role, you’ll draft and adapt content for press releases, internal announcements, social posts, executive materials, media responses, FAQs, and event communications. You’ll support the PR team’s newsroom response, amplify research insights from Morningstar’s Equity, Retirement, and Policy research teams across media and internal audiences, and contribute to communications for M&A, change, and other sensitive company moments. This is a role where your voice shapes how Morningstar's work reaches the world and where your expertise grows with every story you tell. This role reports to the Director of Public Relations. To be successful in this role, you’ll possess excellent writing, sound judgment, strong organization, curiosity about financial services and investing, and the ability to work across internal and external communications without losing clarity or audience focus. Responsibilities Develop multi-channel communications content: Draft press releases, media pitches, employee announcements, intranet posts, social posts, talking points, FAQs, and other communications that make complex topics clear for employees, managers, media, and external stakeholders. Amplify Morningstar research: Partner with our Equity, Retirement, and Policy Research teams to turn research into media‑ready and employee‑facing content, helping connect Morningstar’s insights to timely conversations and business priorities. Support visibility of analysts and experts across earned, owned, and shared channels. Support newsroom management: Participate in the shared media inbox rotation with members of the PR team. Triage journalist inquiries, connect reporters to appropriate Morningstar experts and data, draft responses, coordinate approvals, and support pitching and reporter follow‑up as needed. Create internal communications: Draft employee announcements, leader messages, FAQs, manager guidance, and other materials that keep employees informed and aligned during routine and high‑sensitivity moments. Support M&A, change, and sensitive communications: Help develop messaging, timelines, stakeholder materials, and supporting content for acquisitions, organizational changes, restructurings, and other confidential or high‑impact topics. Support events and media moments: Contribute communications support for company events, town halls, media engagements, and key business milestones, including drafting materials and coordinating logistics. Qualifications Required: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience. 2–4 years of experience in communications, public relations, journalism, internal communications, external communications, or a related field. Strong writing, editing, and proofreading skills, with the ability to make complex topics clear and accurate. Sound judgment, attention to detail, and comfort working with sensitive or confidential information. Strong organization and project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple deadlines and stakeholders. Interest in media relations, employee communications, financial services, investing, or research‑driven storytelling supported by responsible AI. Preferred Experience drafting press materials, internal announcements, executive messages, FAQs, social content, or media responses as well as filming and editing short‑form video. Experience working with journalists, media inboxes, monitoring tools, or pitching processes. Experience supporting communications for events, business changes, acquisitions, or other high‑visibility moments. Familiarity with financial services, investing, retirement, policy, research, technology, or similarly complex industries. Compensation And Benefits At Morningstar we believe people are at their best when they are at their healthiest. That’s why we champion your wellness through a wide range of programs that support all stages of your personal and professional life. Here are some examples of the offerings we provide: Financial Health 100% 401k match up to 6% of salary Stock Ownership Potential Company provided life insurance - 1x salary + commission Physical Health Comprehensive health benefits (medical/dental/vision) including potential premium discounts and company-provided HSA contributions (up to $500-$2,000 annually) for specific plans and coverages Additional medical Wellness Incentives - up to $300-$600 annual Company-provided long- and short-term disability insurance Emotional Health Trust-Based Time Off 6-week Paid Sabbatical Program 6-Week Paid Family Caregiving Leave Competitive 8-24 Week Paid Parental Leave Adoption Assistance Leadership Coaching & Formal Mentorship Opportunities Annual Flex Stipend - $1000 annually to cover personal education & well‑being expenses Tuition Reimbursement Social Health Charitable Matching Gifts program Dollars for Doers volunteer program Paid volunteering days 15+ Employee Resource & Affinity Groups Total Cash Compensation Range $74,325.00-109,008.33 Inclusive of annual base salary and target incentive Morningstar's hybrid work environment gives you the opportunity to collaborate in-person each week as we've found that we're at our best when we're purposely together on a regular basis. In most of our locations, our hybrid work model is four days in-office each week. A range of other benefits are also available to enhance flexibility as needs change. No matter where you are, you'll have tools and resources to engage meaningfully with your global colleagues. 001_MstarInc Morningstar Inc. Legal Entity #J-18808-Ljbffr