Director of Community Engagement

We seek a passionate and innovative Director of Community Engagement (DCE) who will develop partnerships with social justice organizations to deepen our connections to both local communities and national issues. The successful DCE is a strategic thinker, dynamic community liaison, and collaborative organizer who advocates for the Museum, the communities it serves, and its social action initiatives. They demonstrate excellent judgment and grace in the face of difficult situations, as well as high levels of discretion, honesty, and professionalism.

This critical position reports to and works in close partnership with the Deputy Director for Learning & Social Impact, who oversees the Museum’s recently launched social action framework. Over the next five years, the framework will mobilize our exhibitions, public and educational programming, and strategic partnerships to meaningfully engage our audiences around issues of climate change and mass criminalization. The DCE will lead a variety of initiatives that expand the voices that contribute to our social action work, notably by launching the Community Thought Partners Advisory Council—an innovative model for driving community input through long-term, reciprocal, and impactful relationship-building—and working with Museum staff and the Board of Trustees Community Committee to develop and implement a strategic plan focused on our community engagement and social impact goals.

Qualifications:

• Outstanding skills in deep listening, facilitation, and interpersonal communication, as well as a proven record of working effectively with diverse communities
• Three or more years of experience in community relations and/or organizing work; experience around issues of climate change and mass criminalization (i.e., criminal justice, migration/immigration) preferred
• Ability to recruit, attract, and retain community leader partners from diverse backgrounds, who will contribute to the development of our exhibitions and social action initiatives
• Capacity to inspire engagement, build trust, and communicate across differences
• Experience with stakeholder mapping and working at the intersection of arts and social justice
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Computer skills including facility with Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel, Google Docs, and social media platforms
• Knowledge of Brooklyn’s neighborhoods and community leaders
• Experience building long-term relationships between organizations
• Ability to think strategically, analyze complex problems, and work proactively to develop creative solutions
• Strong research and organizational skills, as well as ability to multitask
• Ability to work efficiently both independently and as part of a collaborative team
• Experience setting goals and measuring results
• Fluency in a language(s) other than English is a plus

Responsibilities:

• Write and implement a community strategy plan in alignment with our social action framework, in furtherance of our mission and overall strategic plan
• Define and track success metrics, and report progress to the Board of Trustees and staff on a quarterly basis
• Identify and develop strategic relationships with local and national organizations that share the Museum’s values and social impact commitments, including Brooklyn-based public housing and foster care agencies
• Launch and oversee the Community Thought Partners Advisory Council, which gathers input from community leaders with diverse perspectives to advance our social action efforts
• Engage the Advisory Council in support of collection reinstallations, activations, and exhibition planning efforts, working with colleagues in Curatorial, Marketing, and Visitor Experience and Engagement
• Develop learning opportunities (such as annual roundtables) to inform staff and Board members of current efforts related to climate change and mass criminalization, and to deepen our understanding of community perspectives
• Work with the Board of Trustees Community Committee to lead community organizing strategies and serve as staff liaison
• Represent the Museum at community events and regularly interact with community boards and other local government officials
• Serve as primary point of contact for community members and facilitate discussions on matters affecting our local communities
• Conduct reporting as required by government agencies and funding bodies, working with Development staff

Start date: Immediately

Department: Learning and Social Impact

Reports to: Deputy Director for Learning & Social Impact

Position type: Full-time

Union status: Non-union

FLSA status: Exempt

Schedule: 35 hours per week, Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, with occasional weekend and evening hours required

Apply online

If you have questions about our online application system, please get in touch with us at job.application.questions@brooklynmuseum.org.