The Museum of Art & History at the McPherson Center

Community Engagement & Marketing Associate Job Description

Yes, we’re hiring! We’re looking for a creative, tech-savvy, self-starting Community Engagement Associate to help us with marketing, multi-media storytelling, and community organizing. The full job description is below.

To apply, please send a single PDF document to jobs@santacruzmah.org that includes three items:

1. A cover letter that addresses the unique skills you bring to the table, your long-term professional goals, and your availability (2 pages maximum).
2. A resume with at least one professional reference.
3. A filled-out application. Download the application here (it’s a word document) and this attachment (PDF) and follow the instructions to do a few activities to demonstrate your skills. These activities are not optional; you must return the application to be considered for the job.

We are accepting applications through the end of January, 2013. We will schedule interviews for early February, and make a decision by the end of February.

And now, on to the job description…

Hours: 20-24 hours per week. Must include some Friday evenings; other weekdays to be scheduled.

Salary: $15/hour. 

Summary:

Lead the marketing and PR efforts of the museum in a way that prioritizes creativity, community participation, and continual analysis/iteration of activities. This job is one part ongoing marketing tasks, one part multi-media storytelling, and one part community organizing. Our institutional vision is to be a thriving, central gathering place that brings people together across different walks of life through shared exploration of art & history… and we are looking to you to help us spread and share that vision and related activities throughout Santa Cruz County.

Marketing Duties:

• Coordinate and execute all marketing activities for museum exhibitions and programs, to include: e-newsletter, quarterly print newsletter, press releases, event signage, calendar updates, and updating social media outlets. Act as primary liaison/manager to graphic design (and do graphic design work for basic projects yourself).
• Develop and implement a “before, during and after” approach to social media and documentation of museum projects.
• Work with staff members, interns, and volunteers to support their participation in social media activities and creation of promotional material.
• Develop, implement, and track creative strategies to encourage deeper participation in MAH programming by new and existing visitors and members.
• Oversee purchase, design, and placement of all advertising, performing research to place ads most effectively.

• Find, produce, and share stories of MAH moments with our visitors, members, volunteers, and staff. These may be in the form of social media updates, videos, a zine… whatever you think makes the most sense.
• Write, edit, and distribute publicity to the media (including, but not limited to, news releases, public service announcements, and calendar entries). Respond to media inquiries and set up interviews. Connect with local businesses about potential partnerships around events and exhibitions.
• Continually work to build relationships with mediamakers (both traditional and informal) in Santa Cruz County to share our stories most effectively.
• Actively and enthusiastically represent the MAH in the community.

Community Organizing Duties:

• Continually research and apply new forms of community engagement to invite active participation with the MAH mission beyond our walls. Develop and execute community campaigns to increase businesses’ and individuals’ involvement with the museum and its mission.
• Work closely with exhibition and programming staff to develop creative ideas for partnerships that can expand MAH’s reach and support our partners in the community.
• Work with exhibition and programming staff on evaluation strategies to assess both the reach of marketing efforts and the impact of MAH programming.

Required Skills/Experience/Attributes:

• Superb communication skills; personable and diplomatic in working with diverse constituencies and inspiring participation from partners, media outlets, and community members. Fearless in reaching out to media. Bilingual (Spanish) a plus.
• Enthusiastic about team work. Ability to work well with staff, interns, and volunteers to promote the philosophy and goals of the Museum of Art & History as a participatory community hub.
• Self-driven; able to multitask and lead interns to extend your work. Entrepreneurial, creative, and superb on follow-through.
• An analytic approach to work, constantly thinking in terms of iteration, testing, measurement, and redirection.
• Loves working with a variety of social media tools and creative approaches to community engagement both online and out in the world.
• Graphic design skills: comfort working with Photoshop, Illustrator, and video editing tools.

Bonus Points for You if You:

• Have experience in cause-driven campaigning, community organizing, or marketing. You know that getting people involved means more than selling tickets.
• Have a personal understanding of what it feels like to be excluded, ignored, or just passed over by the arts. We are looking for someone who can help connect new people to the museum, not just preach to the choir.
• Are engaged in local history, art, and culture. You are an amateur culture-maker with a genuine interest in the Santa Cruz County community.