Communications Manager – Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, Michigan State University

Job no: 738845

Work type: Support Staff

Pay Grade: 14

Major Administrative Unit / College: Provost And Academic Affairs

Department: Art Museum 10050506

Sub Area: APSA- Pro Supervisory

Salary: 62000.00

Location: East Lansing

Categories: Library/Museums/Archives, PR/Media/Graphics/Comm/Fund Raising, Professional Supervisory- APSA, Full Time (90-100%), Union

Position Summary

The Eli & Edythe Broad Art Museum at MSU seeks a dynamic Communications Manager. This position is responsible for creating and implementing communications strategies for targeted audience with focus on public relations and external affairs that drive visitation and thus overseeing marketing, advertising, promotion, and website/social media activity strategies. This position also oversees and implements internal communications needs to achieve institutional goals of visitation, visibility, and accurate messaging through the lens of diversity, accessibility, inclusion and equity. The successful candidate will excel at working in a community that is broadly diverse, as well as in a fast-paced, cutting-edge contemporary art institution serving a myriad of audiences through varied and innovative programs.

Reporting to the Director of the museum, this senior management position ensures a dynamic and relevant public communications for the museum (internal and external) with a focus on driving attendance. This position is responsible for compelling communications of the museum’s programs and its identity, with a focus on external affairs. The Communications Manager oversees and implements the Museum’s public affairs and press releases, as well as promotion, messaging, communications, and advertising efforts in service to increasing institutional and brand visibility, driving traffic (both online and in-person), supporting comprehensive engagement efforts, and supporting earned and contributed income, writing and collateral needs. This person will implement the Broad Art Museum’s communications strategy to increase public awareness and promote the programs and activities of the museum working to maximize institutional visitation and earned revenue. This position supervises two full time staff members, one on-call consultant, and one student worker.

Characteristic Duties/Responsibilities

  • Promote museum business on local, regional, national, and international levels with focus on institutional awareness and visitation
  • Collaborate and coordinate with Museum Director, staff and other stakeholders to ensure accurate and accessible institutional representation across platforms that elicits visitation and institutional top of mind awareness in on-campus and off-campus constituents
  • Pitch, write, and manage museum related stories, answer media inquiries and manage media visits and appearances, with the expectation of the production of a press release or similar per week
  • Efficiently and effectively communicate and promote exhibitions, public programs, membership campaigns and museum visitation.
  • Develop communications strategies for each of the identified targeted audiences (i.e., students, faculty, museum members, diverse general public from mid-Michigan, new visitors, alumni, and donors as well as visibility in national and international relevant outlets)
  • Write, edit and design variety of content, including press releases, marketing collateral copy, website copy, social media posts and e-mail copy for public viewing
  • Serve as primary partner to the University’s central communications team
  • Supports fundraising efforts that require institutional writing, related reports, and collaterals
  • Develop and manage department budget. Evaluate contracts and media technologies to ensure best fit for the organization.
  • Ensure that graphic design and other projects from conception to delivery are timely, relevant, and consistent with museum messaging and brand
  • Capture data, monitor, analyze and report on the media and the web museum presence that will inform future communications strategies
  • Conduct visitor and market surveys to assess public opinion of the museum
  • Oversee website content and supervise the day-to-day entry of content, as well as manage, develop, and implement content for social media
  • Supports graphic design needs for communications that includes exhibition components
  • Manages and supervises professional and other support staff in the unit
  • Other duties as assigned

Unit Specific Education/Experience/Skills

Knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired by completing a four-year college degree program in Journalism, Telecommunications, Marketing, Advertising, Public Relations, or related field; three to five years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in public and media relations; composing, editing and publication production; news, broadcasting, and print media; and/or marketing, advertising, and creative services; graphic design; word processing; desktop publishing; web design; presentation; spreadsheet and/or database software; public presentation or radio production; or computer programming/technology; and/or experience in a field related to are of employment; may require management and supervisory experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Desired Qualifications

  • Three to five years’ experience working in a museum or cultural organization
  • Evident ability to manage a team, prioritize and meet departmental deadlines in a fast-paced institution
  • Work effectively and professionally with people of all levels
  • Very strong interpersonal skills to work positively and proactively across the museum in meeting institutional deadlines
  • Ability to maintain appropriate voice for different audiences and to write about art in an articulate and accessible way
  • Working knowledge in public relations (press releases), media representation to elicit news and feature stories, answer inquires and discuss advertising rates, campaigns and schedules
  • Working knowledge of media, graphic design and website software
  • Driver’s license

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Application Materials

  • Cover letter
  • Resume
  • List of references (3)

Together-we-will Statement

The university is requiring all MSU students, faculty and staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 with limited exceptions. Learn more at: https://msu.edu/together-we-will/

Work Hours

M-F 8:30AM to 5PM plus museum events (Untraditional hours sometimes needed)

Summary of Physical Demands

Frequent carrying of objects weighing 25 pounds or more

Bidding and Eligibility ends on 10/19/2021 at 11:55 PM

Advertised: Oct 13, 2021 Eastern Daylight Time

Applications close: Nov 2, 2021 Eastern Daylight Time

Categories: Job Postings