ICA Director of Marketing and Communications

The Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA) at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) invites applications for the position of Director of Marketing and Communications. Driven by a commitment to diversity, inclusion and cultural equity, the ICA at VCU is dedicated to producing and sharing new art and ideas, and to supporting creative communities. The ICA’s program includes exhibitions, film screenings, talks and discussions, publications and performances and serves a broad public. It features artists and thinkers from around the world. Designed by Steven Holl Architects, the ICA’s 41,000 square foot building, the Markel Center opened to the public in April 2018, and welcomed over 100,000 visits in its first year. In 2020, in partnership with VPM, the VPM+ICA Community Media Center was launched.

The ICA is part of VCU, and is open and free to all. The ICA collaborates with VCUarts, the leading public art school in the country, as well as cultural and creative departments across the university (for example, the Robertson School of Media and Culture and the BrandCenter).

The Director of Marketing and Communications will develop and execute an integrated strategic marketing and communications plan for the ICA developing the institute's brand narrative, using digital engagement, content production, advertising, editorial strategies and public relations to establish the ICA’s local, regional and international reputation, develop awareness, increase participation and build publics. The Director of Marketing and Communications will work in close collaboration with other senior staff at the ICA, across VCU and with external consultants. They will lead a full-time team (Creative Director, Digital Designer, Digital Strategist) in addition to part-time student workers. They will lead the ICA’s work with its external marketing and media relations agency.

Reporting to the ICA’s Executive Director, the Director of Marketing and Communications is a member of the ICA’s senior staff.

Position Responsibilities
• Develop the institute’s brand narrative.
• Devise, implement and maintain the overall marketing, communications and audience engagement strategy of the ICA.
• Identify the characteristics of diverse audiences and constituencies and determine the most effective communication techniques for reaching and motivating these groups for maximum support of ICA activities.
• Develop and implement an innovative and effective digital engagement and content strategy that is aligned with the strategic goals of the ICA.
• Lead and coordinate the production process for various media and platforms, working with in-house and external freelance IT specialists, programmers, designers, and developers to execute projects.
• Set departmental priorities and related daily tasks to ensure an effective communications strategy.
• Work with department heads to develop content for the ICA’s website and related digital products and initiatives, including, when appropriate, collaborating with the Director of Community Media and the VPM+ICA Community Media Center.
• Evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of internal and external information; obtain feedback from the public and internal personnel through surveys, public opinion studies, and/or focus group meetings.
• Establish and maintain effective and cooperative working relationships with VCU communications teams, and other VCU faculty and staff, community leaders, donors, and representatives of communications media and governmental organizations.
• Analyze situations accurately, adopt an effective course of action, and maintain sound decision-making in all situations
• Exercise authority of the position with diplomacy, honesty, integrity, humor, and tact.
• Provide motivation, professional development support, and daily project management for the Communications Team, comprising the Creative Director, Designers, Social Strategist, Interns, freelance writers, etc.

Minimum Qualifications
• Have five years of paid professional-level experience in marketing and communications, including experience of leading an agency or in-house creative team.
• Have demonstrated experience with various communications and content channels and platforms, successfully leading, developing, and implementing communications, marketing and digital strategy across organizations, ideally within the cultural sector
• Possess a strong business acumen and excellent leadership skills, and be able to demonstrate strategic thinking and planning over multi-year periods working on a variety of projects across multiple platforms.
• Have an interest, knowledge of and/or willingness to learn about contemporary art and culture.
• Have demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and student environment or commitment to do so.
• Possess exceptional interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills, including writing, editing, and proofreading.
• Be well organized, highly motivated, and able to work and lead in a fast-paced and digital environment.
• Be detail oriented.
• Have sound project management experience, managing people, projects and budgets with a proven track record of collaborating with other departments.
• Must be self-motivated, strategic, creative, entrepreneurial, and energetic.
• Be able to problem-solve using sound judgment and professional discretion.
• Have demonstrated strong work ethic and time management skills.
• Be an adaptive leader.

Preferred Qualifications
• Graduate degree in a related field.
• More than five years of leading an agency or in-house creative team
• A track record of innovative use of online platforms and digital technologies to drive engagement and interaction with audiences, spanning web, mobile, social media, and onsite interactive media.
• Experience developing digital products on the basis of user-centered research and of using data analytics to inform decisions.

Salary Range: $110,000-$115,000



Position Details:

Department: Institute for Contemporary Art
Employment Type: UF - University Employee FT
Restricted Status: No
FTE: 1
Exemption Status: Exempt

Contact Information:

Contact Name: Traci Garland

Contact Email: thgarland@vcu.edu