MANAGER OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

Reports to: Director of Learning and Engagement

Employment Status: Full-Time

FLSA Status: Exempt

Annual Salary: $66,560.00

The Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA) seeks a highly organized and creative Manager of Public Engagement and Community Programs.

The Manager of Public Engagement and Community Programs will develop and execute public and community programs in response to the Museum’s collections, exhibitions on view, and core programmatic tenets. With a focus on community gatherings and interdisciplinary activities, OCMA’s programs are designed to foster creativity, strengthen family and community bonds, and support mental health and wellness. The Manager of Public Engagement and Community Programs is an active position, one that thrives on engagement with the public and works at the intersection of art and audiences. Programs managed and run by the position include, but are not limited to, monthly family programming, teen focused events, art-making activities, film series, large-scale music and DJ performances, among others.

The successful candidate will maintain an awareness of local, national, and global contemporary art and cultural trends, and have a passion and interest in cultivating and sustaining relationships with individuals, cultural organizations, community agencies, and academic institutions in and across Orange County. The position is responsible for the execution of a balanced programming calendar, ensuring that people of all ages and abilities can form their own interpretations and connections to art by telling stories, asking questions, actively making and participating in the artistic process, and offering and listening to multiple perspectives.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

●Work with Director of Learning and Engagement, Chief Curator and Director of Programs, and learning and curatorial colleagues to develop and execute all public facing programs.

●Develop, organize, and facilitate artmaking and creative activations for youth, families, and adults.

●Develop, execute, and manage programs that foster community, inspire deeper engagement, and offer people of all ages and abilities points of connection to art through storytelling, curiosity, and embodied learning.

●Together with Director of Learning and Engagement, and Manager of School and Teacher Programs, manage and collaborate with Teaching Artists and Teaching Artist Assistants in alignment with the Museum’s vision for connecting art and audiences.

●Manage production schedules and event calendars to ensure program flow, audience retention, and engagement.

●Propose artists, performers, scholars, partnerships, or organizations to meet program cadence that will reflect local audiences and respond to global focus areas.

●Design unique experiences that vary in scale from intimate to several thousand visitors, thinking in concert with the Museum’s site, exhibition and collection program, and overall strategic goals.

●Cultivate innovation and experimentation in developing and enhancing programs that actively encourage new audiences to explore and engage with art.

●Clearly communicate projects, timelines, and artistic content to invited participants and speakers.

●Compose contracts and track payments.

●Manage, track, and allocate programs budget.

●Liaise with the Development department to strategize potential avenues for support of programs through foundations, corporations, and individual donors.

●Develop an evaluation process to understand the impact of as well as refine the planning process for projects based on artistic and institutional goals.

●Work with Visitor Experience Manager and other colleagues to schedule additional staff and volunteers as needed for public programs.

●Collaborate with the marketing team to promote programs on a variety of platforms.

●Compose promotional copy and source images for various media.

●Provide logistical and technical support to presenters onsite and online.

●Create program summaries and track statistics for reports.

●Manage program registration and ticketing in Altru database.

●Attend required trainings.

●Actively seek and participate in professional development opportunities.

●Maintain a safe and clean working environment at all times.

●Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications - Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

●BA or BFA in Art Studio, Art History, Art Education, Museum Studies, or related field.

●Minimum 2 years’ experience as a manager or project lead, preferably in educational, museum or cultural institution.

●Superior public speaking, exceptional verbal and written communication skills, interest and comfort in engaging and speaking to large groups.

●An intuitive ability to adapt to unexpected circumstances.

●Hands-on, resourceful, and have a mix of conceptual thinking, time management, and production skills.

●Exceptional Cross-Cultural Skills displayed through the ability to understand, communicate, and effectively interact with people across cultures and engage with them effectively.

●Ability to think creatively.

●Knowledge of contemporary art, local and global cultural trends, and creative industries including music, film, architecture, and fashion.

●Capable of working collaboratively across departments and disciplines.

●Working knowledge of the varied learning styles of Museum audiences and experience with proactively developing strategies to foster inclusive environments.

●Understanding of current and emerging Museum education trends.

●Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, and Word) and Zoom.

●Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.

●Ability to handle multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and work collaboratively.

●Calm demeanor and ability to adapt quickly to unexpected situations, ensuring event success.

●Effectively handle last minute requests while balancing long term projects.

●Capable of speaking, reading, and writing Spanish, an advantage, but is not required.

●Vast knowledge of Orange County or Southern California arts and cultural landscape preferred.

●Ability to maintain confidential information and display an appropriate level of discretion, proper judgment, tact and diplomacy in all matters.

●High degree of social intelligence and comfort level in dealing with a variety of stakeholders.

●Budget management skills.

●Flexible hours are required to accommodate evening and weekend events.

●Reliable transportation for travel to pick up supplies, meet with stakeholders, and attend offsite programming, etc.

Physical Demands

●Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

●General mobility throughout Museum and at offsite locations.

●Must be able to stand, walk, climb, bend, kneel, for long periods of time, and frequently go up and down stairs.

●Reach with hands and use of hands to handle and feel objects.

●Ability to move equipment, lift up to 25 pounds, and to crouch on ground.

●Must be able to stand and/or sit for long periods of time.

●Flexible hours required to accommodate evening and weekend events.

Disclaimer

This job description may not be inclusive of all assigned duties, responsibilities, or aspects of the job described above, and may be amended at any time at the sole discretion of the Employer.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $66,560.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday

Work Location: In person