Description

The Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg (MFA) has an encyclopedic collection of art from around the globe and across the centuries, with almost 5,000 years of civilization represented in thousands of objects extending from antiquity to the present. The collection includes works by Georgia O’Keeffe, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, Auguste Rodin, Kehinde Wiley, Jacob Lawrence, and many others, as well as ancient Greek and Roman, Asian, African, Art of the Americas, and Native American art. The Museum’s photographic collection is one of the largest and most well-respected in the Southeast. The museum’s rotating exhibition galleries feature a diverse selection of temporary exhibitions from all over the world, as well as exhibitions curated from the museum’s extensive collection. In addition to its robust exhibition program, the MFA engages the community through exciting public programs and events and serves students through youth programs and a partnership with the Pinellas County School System.

Join the MFA and embark on a journey of artistic enrichment and personal growth. We offer a platform for employees to nurture their love for the arts while contributing their unique skills, experience, and talents to further our museum's mission.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg (MFA) seeks a highly experienced, strategic, and innovative full-time Director of Marketing & Communications to serve as the primary strategic leader and planner of the museum’s comprehensive omni-channel marketing and communication strategy. This role is responsible for the overall creation, oversight, and executive management of the museum’s marketing plan, ensuring alignment with the MFA’s mission, vision, values, and broader institutional objectives. 

The Director will define the museum's messaging and brand voice to drive revenue, maximize visitors, expand audiences, and elevate the MFA's visibility as a premier arts destination in the Tampa Bay area. As a leader within a small, dynamic team, this role requires a highly experienced individual who is both a strategic thinker and a hands-on implementer of all marketing and communications tactics. This position demands exceptional strategic acumen with the ability to connect mission-critical institutional objectives to quantifiable marketing and communications outcomes.

Key areas of responsibility include:

• Developing and managing the overarching institutional marketing plan and budget.
• Leading all internal and external communications, public relations, and editorial management.
• Spearheading and orchestrating comprehensive and measurable cross-channel campaigns for exhibitions, public programs, private events, advancement initiatives, and educational offerings.
• Driving brand strategy, managing the MFA brand and sub-brands to ensure visual and voice consistency across all platforms.
• Overseeing and executing cross-departmental communications and marketing support for areas including public programs, private events, curatorial materials, membership, and donor relations.
• Overseeing all traditional and digital channels, including website management, email marketing, and social media strategy.

The Director will collaborate across all departments including Advancement, Education & Engagement, Visitor Experience & Retail, Events, and Curatorial, as well as with external partners such as Café Clementine and Constellation Catering, and the Board of Trustees, to translate complex artistic and scholarly concepts into articulate and compelling stories for diverse audiences.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES

Marketing & Communications Strategy and Leadership 

• Conceptualize, develop, implement, and manage the comprehensive annual institutional marketing and communications plan across paid, earned, and owned platforms to achieve all strategic objectives.
• Orchestrate the development of creative campaigns for exhibitions and programs, ensuring seamless integration across all channels and targeted audience reach.
• Provide high-level strategic direction for communications plans for exhibitions and programming, ensuring alignment with the overall ethos.
• Strategically set and manage the department's budget, ensuring allocation matches the needs of general operations, exhibitions, and programs. Create informative KPI reports and analytics for the Deputy Director and stakeholders.
• Define and understand diverse audience personas; identify specific subcultures and funders; and tailor messaging and outreach strategies to maximize targeted engagement.
• Utilize visitor data, market research, and ticket sales analysis to inform, refine, and optimize marketing strategies and budgets for maximum return on investment (ROI).

Traditional & Digital Marketing 

• Directly manage and execute all traditional (print, TV, radio, out-of-home) and digital (social media, email, website, apps, google ads, banner ads, 3rd party calendars) marketing efforts, including maintaining the advertising schedule, exploring new opportunities, and adhering to the established budget.
• Implement strong Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) to maximize organic web traffic and digital discovery.
• Drive advanced social media strategy (organic and paid) across key channels (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok), overseeing content creation, engagement, and analytics tailored for specific audience segments.
• Manage and direct the workflow of external graphic designer and production vendors to ensure all high-level print and digital assets are produced on time and on budget.
• Responsible for the hands-on creation of essential in-house marketing and communications assets, such as flyers, brochures, gallery labels, and informational signage, to support rapid deployment and small-scale needs.
• Stay updated on marketing trends, best practices, regulations, and emerging technologies.

Cross-Departmental Marketing & Communications Support

• Provide essential marketing and communications execution for all internal departments (e.g., Advancement, Education & Engagement, Curatorial, and Events) to ensure successful outreach and program visibility.
• Develop and execute marketing campaigns and strategies for public programs, educational initiatives, and the promotion of private event spaces.
• Collaborate closely with Curatorial to ensure high-quality and consistent promotional materials, exhibition didactics, and gallery guides.
• Provide strategic communications support for the Advancement team in the areas of membership acquisition/retention, donor relations, and appeal campaigns.
• Utilize both traditional marketing channels (e.g., print collateral, direct mail, brochures, and media advertising) and digital marketing channels (e.g., email, website, and social media) to effectively deploy all cross-departmental communications.

Content Creation & Brand Integrity

• Oversee the creation of all compelling, high-quality content for publications, collateral, website, and social media.
• Establish, enforce, and proactively manage the MFA's overall brand strategy, visual identity, and voice across all platforms, including the management of any sub-brands.
• Conduct meticulous copyediting to ensure absolute brand consistency and editorial accuracy across all internal and external communications.
• Oversee institutional rebranding initiatives.

 Public Relations

• Serve as a key museum spokesperson and actively lead communications campaigns for awareness and growth, positioning the museum as a premier arts destination.
• Manage and partner strategically with the museum's PR firm and media agencies to secure high-quality editorial placements, maximize earned media, and manage media relationships at the local, regional, and national levels.
• Actively represent the MFA in the local and regional community, cultivating relationships with tourism boards, hotel groups, and civic organizations to drive tourist visitation and awareness.
• Develop and manage comprehensive crisis communication strategies and response plans to effectively safeguard the museum's reputation. 

Professionalism, Governance, and Best Practices

• Maintain proficiency in American Alliance of Museums (AAM) standards, museum ethics, and professional best practices.
• Participate in staff and department meetings, and represent the Marketing & Communications department at Board of Trustees meetings as required.
• Expected to attend key evening and weekend museum programs, donor receptions, and special events to support communications needs and represent the museum.
• Fulfill additional strategic and operational duties as needed.

Requirements

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree or higher.
• 7-10 years of progressively responsible and strategic experience in communications, marketing, and public relations, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• A strong background and significant experience working in an art museum, cultural institution, or complex non-profit environment is a very high priority.

SKILLS & ABILITIES 

• Demonstrated strategic thinking acumen and proven success in creating overarching organizational marketing plans and connecting them to financial and attendance goals.
• Proven ability to seamlessly transition between high-level strategic planning and direct, hands-on execution of tactical marketing initiatives in a small team environment.
• Strong eye for design and creative assets with proven ability to maintain high aesthetic standards across all museum communications and collateral.
• Direct experience with digital ad placements and buying, including Google Ads, social media advertising, and other performance marketing channels.
• Strong team leadership and staff development skills, with experience managing direct reports, indirect staff, and outside vendors (e.g., PR firm, graphic designers).
• Proficiency with basic design software (e.g., Adobe Creative Suite, Canva) for hands-on, in-house asset creation.
• Extensive, established media relationships and a successful track record of securing story placements.
• Mastery of website design, development, and management, including proficiency in WordPress, HTML, and CSS, as well as strong experience with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing) techniques and best practices.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills with proficiency in copyediting for tailored audience messaging.
• Strong project management, time/budget handling, and analytical abilities.
• Proficiency in CRM systems and constituent record management.
• Mastery of Microsoft Office suite.

LOCATION REQUIREMENTS 

At time of employment, employees are expected to be located within commuting distance of the museum.  This is an in-office position in St. Petersburg, FL. Not a remote position.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position for extended periods of time operating a computer and other office productivity devices such as a calculator, telephone, copy machine, iPhone, and digital camera.
• Must be able to adapt to high pace environments occasionally moving/lifting light weight equipment and other work-related objects up to 25lbs.
• May have to work late nights, weekends and in outdoor weather.
• All current employees are vaccinated against Covid-19. Applicants are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated for the health and safety of our community.
• Able to safely and successfully perform the essential job functions consistent with ADA, FMLA and other federal, state, and local standards, including meeting qualitative and/or quantitative productivity standards.
• Able to maintain regular, punctual attendance consistent with ADA, FMLA and other federal, state, and local standards.

This job description indicates, in general terms, the type and level of work performed, as well as the typical responsibilities of this position. Management reserves the right to modify, change, add or rescind the work assignments of different positions and to make reasonable accommodations so that qualified employees can perform the essential functions of the job. Nothing in this position description changes the at-will employment relationship between Museum of Fine Arts and its employees.