Director of External Affairs and Strategic Communications

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director of External Affairs and Strategic Communications is responsible for shaping how the museum is understood, valued, and experienced by the public, funders, media, and key stakeholders. Reporting to the Director & CEO as a trusted advisor and working closely with the Executive Team, this role manages external relationships and drives PR and communications strategies to strengthen institutional visibility, deepen audience connection, and support growth goals. This leadership role will position the museum as an essential cultural destination—locally, nationally, and internationally—through compelling storytelling, clear institutional voice, and proactive reputation management.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

External Affairs

• Cultivate and manage relationships with civic leaders, cultural influencers, and key voices across the arts, policy, and public sectors.
• Position the museum as an active and respected participant in civic and cultural discourse, engaging individuals and organizations that shape policy and public opinion.
• Identify opportunities for the museum and Director & CEO to contribute to and shape conversations at the intersection of arts, culture, and civic life.
• Represent the museum in high-level external forums, strengthening its visibility, credibility, and influence within the broader cultural ecosystem.
• Oversee all public relations activities, including community, city government, and stakeholder events and communications.
• Track and monitor shifting public discourse, media coverage and other external conversations to manage reputation and identify potential issues.

Strategic Communications & Media Relations

• Partner with the Marketing and Branding team to position the museum as an essential arts & culture destination and to articulate the museum’s public narrative, ensuring consistency across exhibitions, programs, fundraising initiatives, and partnerships.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive communications strategy aligned with institutional priorities that strengthens relationships with external stakeholders, especially donors and civic partners. Measure the impact of communication efforts against predefined goals, focusing on actionable outcomes such as shifts in awareness and behavior.
• Own the museum's media strategy. Develop and maintain relationships with key media outlets, journalists, and industry influencers; manage media inquiries and coordinate interviews with the Director & CEO and other spokespeople within the museum.
• Research competitor public relations/ communications campaigns and industry trends.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to the Director & CEO and executive team on messaging, public positioning, and stakeholder engagement.
• Draft remarks for the Director & CEO for fundraising events, public-facing events, and high-level communications to the Board and external stakeholders.

Reputation Management

• Lead proactive reputation management and crisis communications planning.
• Monitor public perception and advise leadership on emerging opportunities and risks.

Team Leadership and Collaboration

• Provide leadership to communications staff and cross-functional teams and guidance on public relations and communications to the Executive Team.
• Foster close collaboration with Marketing, Guest Experience, Development, Curatorial, and other department teams to ensure integrated messaging and communications that support ticket sales, membership growth, and donor engagement.
• Build systems and workflows that enable timely, coordinated communications across the institution.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• B.A. and 7+ years of progressively responsible public relations/ communications experience, including leadership roles.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and create long-term engagement strategies and navigate complex relationships. 
• Fluent in digital platforms and the evolving landscape of how stories get told and amplified.
• Data-driven and results-oriented for setting public relations and communications targets, tracking performance, and using insights to improve strategies continuously.

Desired

• Demonstrated success building institutional visibility, audience engagement, and stakeholder trust.
• Strong track record of translating organizational strategy into compelling public narratives.
• Deep knowledge of and existing relationships in the San Francisco Bay Area media, civic, and philanthropic landscape preferred.
• Demonstrated understanding of how earned media connects to attendance, revenue, donor engagement, and brand equity; ability to create strategies accordingly.
• Skilled media strategist and trusted advisor to executive leadership.
• Ability to effectively execute into an actionable plan, the Director & CEO’s priorities and ideas around advancing institutional visibility.
• Experience supporting fundraising communications and institutional positioning with donors and partners.
• Exceptional writer and storyteller, with the ability to craft nuanced messages for diverse audiences simultaneously.
• Strong active listening and interpersonal skills for effective engagement with media, civic leaders, board members, donors, and internal colleagues.
• Ability to synthesize complex institutional information and translate it into clear, compelling narratives for public, media, and stakeholder audiences.
• Collaborative leadership style with the ability to work across departments and disciplines.
• Proficiency with project management, collaboration, and museum communication tools. Ability to manage multiple concurrent communications priorities and stakeholder demands in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.
• Capacity to maintain composure, clarity, and strategic judgment under pressure, including during rapid-response or reputational situations.
• Actionable and responsible knowledge of Artificial Intelligence in the workplace is a plus.
• Asian language skills a plus but not required.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Physical Environment

• Standard museum and office environment, including gallery spaces with variable lighting, ambient noise from public programming, and occasional exposure to art-handling or installation activities.
• Occasional travel to off-site locations for meetings and events.

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk working on a computer.
• Extended use of a computer monitor, tablet, stylus, phone, and other technology; sustained visual concentration required.
• Ability to stand and move for extended periods throughout museum spaces.
• Occasional lifting or carrying of materials up to 25 pounds.

Schedule and Availability

• Standard full-time schedule, typically Monday-Friday during core business hours.
• Must be available to work on occasional evenings and weekends to support museum events and deadlines.
• Ability to work up to two days per week remotely, if operational needs allow.
• Occasional flexibility in the work schedule may be required to accommodate collaboration across different time zones.

Cognitive and Sensory Demands

• High degree of sustained concentration, creative problem-solving, and attention to detail required throughout the day.
• Must be able to manage multiple concurrent projects under deadline pressure while maintaining quality.