Position Overview:

The Director of Marketing and Communications manages all marketing, public relations and social media programs for the MIT Museum. The DMC will promote the Museum locally, nationally and globally through all forms of media and special marketing initiatives, and act as Museum contact and spokesperson for public relations inquiries. The DMC works to increase the visibility of the Museum as a representative of MIT's values and educational mission. Reporting to the Director, the DMC is a member of the Museum Management Team.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities (Essential Functions):

In partnership with the Director, determines the overall voice and message of the MIT Museum in the public space.

Develop a strategic, multimedia plan to increase public awareness of the Museum as a physical destination and as a thought leader in public science communication. Plan, execute and manage communication, marketing and promotional strategies designed to grow and attract new audiences, using digital and traditional media. Evaluate and report on results and adjust efforts to achieve goals. Manage a Digital Communications Coordinator and direct and approve social media strategy and campaigns.

Act as chief branding officer, including refining the brand over time and ensuring consistency in look and tone. Duties include directing a consulting designer to maintain the visual brand in all promotional, publicity, and collateral materials. Advise the Director on co-branding opportunities to increase the Museum's audience.

Direct creative for promotional campaigns and other initiatives. Oversee public relations and campaigns, graphic design, photography, and other creative services for the Museum overall and its subsidiary programs, including the Cambridge Science Festival, the Science Festival Alliance, and the Nord Anglia Collaborative, in liaison with other stakeholders.

Secure media partnerships and negotiate media buys based on data analysis. Write and oversee the design and placement of publicity and marketing materials and all advertising for print, radio, out-of-home, social and digital. Responsible for processes and deliverables.

Plan and implement marketing campaigns for specific exhibitions and public programs, as well as for earned revenue streams (events rentals and the MIT Museum store).

Support the Museum's fundraising efforts by working with Director of Development, Arts Initiatives to develop effective communications materials and website content, including design and execution of the Museum's annual report.

Oversee content and tone for the Museum website and social media; and develop and implement plans for editorial direction. Direct staff to edit and post content across platforms with particular attention to programs, exhibitions, and announcements.

Owns the Museum Customer Relationship Management System (Hubspot); mines the system for insights and conducts regular data deep-dives to improve communications outreach. Develops processes to collect and re-purpose information over all available platforms.

Serve as the central media relations point person for the Museum, acting as spokesperson or coaching senior museum staff and/or collaborators, as needed. Write speeches or talking points for the Director, oversee text and visual interpretive materials to be distributed to the media, and shape the public narrative of the Museum and the researchers and projects it represents. Organize and host media visits. Pitch story ideas to internal and external media contacts.

Responsible for highly complex and sometimes contested conversations around audience tracking and data management. In line with MIT guidance and industry best practice, advocates for data-centric understanding of audience. Works with internal stakeholders and vendors to solve the competing demands of increasing audience size and engagement levels with valuing privacy. Oversee market research and, in liaison with colleagues, take part in other evaluation efforts.

Supervise staff to: ensure timely response to inquiries for information from the press, bloggers and visitors; and to respond to online reviews in a regular and professional manner.

Monitor, analyze and report on attendance, including observations on trends. Provide guidance to the Director and the senior management team on attendance forecasting.

Respond to and manage requests for filming at the Museum.

Represent the Museum at professional and MIT community meetings and organize presentation materials for same on an as needed basis.

In partnership with the Finance Officer, develop annual communications operating budget and special campaign budgets for the Museum

Manage Digital Communications Coordinator and contract graphic designer.

Other duties as needed or required.

Occasional weekend and evening hours may be required.

Supervision Received:

Reports to Director.

Supervision Exercised:

Supervises Digital Communications Coordinator and external contractors. Working with the Director, thoughtfully expand the Communications team over the next two to three years.

Qualifications & Skills:

REQUIRED:

A relevant undergraduate degree is required.

A minimum of 5 years of demonstrated experience in institutional marketing and communications.

Creative, curious individual excited about STEAM subjects.

Must have excellent writing, editing and interpersonal skills, be highly organized and able to manage multiple projects and a range of vendors, and able to work under pressure to meet deadlines.

Marketing and public relations experience in a non-profit, cultural or educational organization is essential.

Excellent people-management skills; demonstrated ability to motivate staff and external contractors to achieve measurable results in prior communications campaigns.

Must have excellent knowledge of digital and print communications channels, including advertising.

May deal with confidential information and/or issues requiring discretion and judgment.

PREFERRED:

Museum, cultural sector, or public science engagement experience preferred.

Candidates are strongly encouraged to submit a portfolio of successful campaigns or prior work.

** To comply with regulations by the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), the principal duties in job descriptions must be essential to the job. To identify essential functions, focus on the purpose and the result of the duties rather than the manner in which they are performed. The following definition applies: a job function is essential if removal of that function would fundamentally change the job.

This position is an MIT Pay Scale level 10. To apply visit the MIT Human Resources site.