Director of Communications and Marketing

Summary

Description

Position Summary

The Director of Communications and Marketing (DCM) translates MCA Denver's overall Mission, Vision and Values and Strategic Priorities into integrated communications plans, campaigns, and deliverables, using technology and data to stay ahead of trends, respond to changes in the competitive environment, and drive responsive marketing activity. 

This position oversees all communications and marketing activities including external and internal communications, media releases, strategies, crisis communications, and public outreach and engagement. The DCM is responsible for all aspects of institutional marketing including digital communications, social media and advertising and owns the Museum's digital presence and engagement strategy. The DCM ensures the overall brand integrity and consistency. The DCM plays an active role in community engagement, and participates in public events and as a member of the leadership team.

Working across every part of the organization and with all of the Museum's teams, the DCMtells the story of our offerings and values in a way that reaches diverse audiences. This is an at-will leadership position with the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver.

Key Responsibilities

Priority 1: Marketing Strategy

• Develop and execute the Museum's short- and long-term marketing and communications strategy in consultation with the Executive Director and leadership team.
• Develop and execute paid marketing campaigns and manage ROI tracking.
• Build a calendar of marketing campaigns and related tactics that incorporates the Museum's varied exhibitions, events, and needs; hold the marketing team accountable to internal goals and deadlines; and communicate deliverables to relevant internal partners.
• Identify opportunities to generate new leads; develop and execute a plan to convert visitors into long-term supporters; and enhance existing efforts to increase visitation and revenue and deepen audience engagement.
• dentify and analyze segment data to optimize earned-revenue marketing campaigns, consistently applying performance metrics to inform future campaigns.
• Provide project management and organization for the department and cross-departmentally, ensuring teammates are aware of relevant tasks and deadlines are met; look holistically at the exhibition and public programming calendar, as well as fundraising and retail needs, to balance tasks and deliverables.
• Develop a content calendar for the Museum communications coordination with marketing team members; contribute copywriting or identify opportunities to source content from outside contributors.
• In coordination with the relevant staff, Identify digital initiatives needed for the organization and ensure they have corresponding resourcing, marketing plans and performance goals, and continue to identify creative, timely opportunities to experiment with new digital initiatives.

Priority 2: Audience Analysis

• Develop a strategy for integrating the various data points collected (Google Analytics, social media ad analytics, audience surveys, and more), identify appropriate times to review them, and compose a narrative from that information to inform future strategy.
• Lead the team in regular KPI dashboard conversations, guiding toward key takeaways and the tactical changes that may need to be implemented based on the data.
• Support the Chief Operating Officer in gathering metrics for quarterly board meetings and sponsorship fulfillment.
• Conduct regular market research and identify market trends.

Priority 3: Communications Strategy

• Own the development and execution of all communications for external audiences — excluding exhibition and curatorial writing — including public-facing strategic plans, public annual reports, and other institutional and stakeholder communications.
• In consultation with the Executive Director, lead responses during emergencies or reputational threats to protect the brand.
• Define and distinguish the voice of the Museum in support of its mission, vision, and values, ensuring a consistent tone and message across all external channels.
• Secure opportunities to communicate with the public and specific stakeholders in ways that expand and deepen the Museum's reach.
• Provide speechwriting, talking points, and messaging support for the Executive Director and senior leadership across public appearances, events, and stakeholder engagements.
• Manage the relationship with MCA's external PR consulting firm — serving as the primary point of contact, ensuring aligned messaging, coordinating deliverables, and driving a strong return on the partnership.
• Develop and oversee the Museum's public relations strategy and all media relations, including organizing press visits and previews, assembling press materials, and reporting on media coverage.
• Represent MCA through external community engagement — actively participating in relevant professional and industry associations, and potentially serving on boards or committees on behalf of the Museum.
• Maintain and lead on the organization’s crisis communications strategy.

Priority 4: Team Leadership and Human Resources

• Recruit, hire, train, mentor, supervise, and evaluate a team of direct reports.
• Ensure staff members stay informed and aligned with company values through newsletters or memos.
• Inspire staff to think both creatively and strategically, stay coordinated, prioritize effectively, and work in concert to bring the Museum's brand and voice to life.

Priority 5: Collaboration

• In collaboration with the relevant staff, oversee brand implementation and consistency, website upgrades, and other projects as needed to ensure clarity, and adherence to style and brand guidelines.
• Collaborate with the relevant staff to develop a website strategy, including identifying content needs and outlining SEO/SEM needs.
• Oversee external departmental vendors, including the web team, email marketing platform, and other freelancers.

Priority 6: Finance

• Develop, implement, and manage the departmental operating budget and allocation of resources.
• Generate new audiences and sources of revenue for the Museum.

Priority 7: Executive Team

• Present to the Museum's Board of Trustees as required.
• Serve as a member of the Senior Management Team and contribute to the strategic planning and organizational development of the Museum.

Additional Responsibilities

• Other Duties: Provide additional assistance, as designated by the Executive Director, to support the overall goals of the department and organization. Management retains the right to add or change duties and responsibilities at any time.
• Supervisory Responsibilities: Leads and supervises the work of others.
• Budgetary/Fiscal Responsibilities: Assists with establishing, and is responsible for adhering to, departmental operating budgets.
• Confidentiality: The nature of this position requires safeguarding against the release of confidential and proprietary information of MCA.
• Contact with Others: Interacts with managers at all levels and staff across the organization, as well as members of external organizations and the public.

Qualifications

• Education: Four-year degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, English, or Liberal Arts preferred, or a related field — or any equivalent combination of education and/or experience.
• Experience: Minimum of 5 years of experience in marketing or communications, long-range planning, audience analysis, and data-driven decision-making. At least 3 years of experience leading and supervising others. Experience overseeing an organization's design, ownership of brand voice and identity, and social media management is preferred. Spanish fluency is a plus.
• Knowledge of contemporary art and museums is an asset.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google Workspace, email marketing platforms (e.g., Mailchimp), CRM/ticketing systems (e.g., Eventbrite, Altru), Google Analytics 4 (GA4), social media management and paid-social platforms (Meta Business Suite, Instagram, TikTok), YouTube, HTML, Slack, and Adobe Creative Suite. Experience with Google Ad Grants and Shopify is preferred.
• Excellent organizational, written, and oral communication skills, with strong attention to detail and the ability to prioritize work and tasks. Must be comfortable with public speaking.
• Adaptability to produce and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, multi-task environment, and the ability to work independently as well as part of a team.
• Strong decision-making skills and the ability to handle sensitive information with diplomacy.
• Proven ability to provide creative direction while collaborating with and inspiring a diverse creative team of professionals, interns, and consultants.

Work Environment, Schedule & Certifications

• Onsite Presence: This position requires a minimum of three (3) days per week onsite at the Museum.
• Schedule Availability: Primarily days, with some evenings and weekends required for programming-related work and Museum and external events.
• Community Engagement: Requires active participation in external community, professional, and industry settings on behalf of the Museum, which may include serving on relevant boards or committees.
• Licenses/Certifications: None.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a staff member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made upon request to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.