68476BR - Director of Communications

Yale University, conveniently located between Boston and New York, offers exciting opportunities for achievement and growth in New Haven, Connecticut. Located in the heart of historic downtown New Haven with more than 100 local boutiques, national retailers, cafés, casual eateries, award-winning restaurants, and world-renowned theaters, galleries, and museums.

General Purpose:
The Director of Communications at the Yale University Art Gallery (the Gallery) is responsible for the museum’s communications program and serves as its chief communications officer. This role will implement a focused and unified communications strategy that advances the Gallery’s mission, vision, and strategic goals. They will help promote wider recognition and awareness of the museum’s identity, collections, resources, and programs to university and scholarly communities and to diverse local, national, and international audiences with goal of increasing audience engagement.

The Director of Communications reports to the Director of Advancement and leads a team that includes Graphic Design, Web, Social Media, and Coordination staff, as well as freelancers and student workers. This position works closely with Communications colleagues across Yale’s campus and with Yale University's Offices of Public Affairs and Communication (OPAC) and Office of Development (ODV) to promote and support the Gallery’s overall mission and cross-campus initiatives. Responsibilities include the following:

Public Relations and Promotion

• Develop key messaging in concert with other senior staff.
• Write, edit, and distribute press release and other promotional materials about the Gallery’s exhibitions, programs, and key initiatives.
• Manage, coordinate, and provide editorial oversight for the Gallery’s magazine, produced two times per year.
• Initiate opportunities to strengthen the Gallery’s profile and build strong relationships with national, international, and local editors and writers.
• Organize media events as necessary.
• Identify and build partnerships with University and local arts organizations to enhance the profile of the Gallery and its program.
• Foster and maintain relationships with communications counterparts at regional and university museums and arts organizations.
• Serve as a spokesperson, in media interactions that help promote or which impact YUAG.
• Advance an inclusive and varied social media presence (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and other channels as assigned).
• Representing the Gallery among cultural colleagues, advocacy and public policy groups, and city, regional, state, and national groups that promote and advance the arts and art institutions.

Strategic Management

• Oversee the day-to-day activities of the Communications Department, including budgeting, planning, staff development, and managing internal Gallery communications.
• Create and implement strategies and timeline for marketing, communications, advertising, media buying, and public relations.
• Create and track metrics to evaluate effectiveness of Gallery media campaigns and report to key management stakeholders (Gallery leadership and Board members; others as determined).
• Work with Advancement staff to recognize communications opportunities and solutions to support fundraising efforts; define and undertake appropriate strategies to support them.
• Hire and supervise project consultants and bursary and summer student workers, as necessary.
• Work closely with the Gallery’s Web Content and Project Manager to ensure the website supports the Gallery’s marketing and communications goals.

Branding

• Work with senior leadership and Communications team to provide visual and editorial direction to YUAG’s brand identity ensuring aesthetic consistency and uniform voice for all communication materials, both digitally and in print.
• Oversee the overall roster of informational materials, including calendars, promotional materials for exhibitions, programs, publications, and the museum generally. Maintaining an effective balance between print and electronic communications.
• Working with Graphic design team to produce Gallery print materials.

Required Education and Experience: Bachelor’s Degree in English, Journalism, Communications, or a related field and four years of experience in public relations, journalism, newspaper writing, editing, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Qualifications:
• Highly skilled in content strategy, editing, writing, editorial process management, and copy editing. Comprehensive knowledge of Chicago Manual of Style.
• Experience in marketing and communications, preferably in nonprofit sector; previous museum experience highly beneficial.
• Demonstrated ability as a public speaker and media liaison.
• Experience with people management, including hiring, developing, managing, and leading diverse teams.
• Computer literate, internet-savvy, and proficient in MS Office and various social media platforms.
• Preferred Education and Experience: Master’s degree in Art History, English, Journalism/Communications, or a related field. 7+ years of impactful leadership in marketing/public relations/communications at an art museum, cultural institution, or other non-profit organization. Excellent knowledge of MailChimp or similar email marketing software, Photoshop, and InDesign, and collaborative management programs such as Airtable.

Application: For more information and immediate consideration, please apply online at https://apptrkr.com/2593731. Please be sure to reference this website when applying for this position.

We invite you to discover the excitement, diversity, rewards and excellence of a career at Yale University. One of the country's great workplaces, Yale University offers exciting opportunities for meaningful accomplishment and true growth. Our benefits package is among the best anywhere, with a wide variety of insurance choices, liberal paid time off, fantastic family and educational benefits, a variety of retirement benefits, extensive recreational facilities, and much more.

Yale University considers applicants for employment without regard to and does not discriminate on the basis of an individual’s sex, race, color, religion, age, disability, status as a veteran, or national or ethnic origin; nor does Yale discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.

To Apply, visit:
https://apptrkr.com/2593731