Americans for the Arts - Senior Director of Marketing and Communications

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Americans for the Arts - Senior Director of Marketing and Communications

Senior Director of Marketing and Communications

Reports to: Chief Marketing Officer Team: Marketing

Supervisory: Supervisory Position FLSA Status: Full-Time, Exempt

Location: Washington, DC Salary Range: $115,000 to $135,000

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis beginning March 27, 2026.

Who We Are

Americans for the Arts (AFTA) strengthens the arts from the ground up – supporting advocacy that empowers communities, develops arts leadership, and produces field-informed research. We shape national arts policy to reflect the realities and aspirations of artists, organizations, businesses, and communities nationwide. We champion the arts as a unifying and essential force in American life.

About The Position

The Senior Director of Marketing and Communications is a strategic leader and storyteller who amplifies AFTA’s mission into a powerful national voice. In this role, you will drive audience growth and champion the arts as an essential force in American life. You will serve as the strategic architect between high-level vision and creative execution, translating the CMO’s goals into human-centered content and high-impact advocacy campaigns.

Success in this role relies on collaborative leadership. The Senior Director will lead a growing team and set the strategic and creative vision for the organization’s marketing and communications efforts, working closely with the Director of Strategic Communications to bring that vision to life. By aligning marketing efforts with advocacy messaging and overseeing the Web Developer and external consultants, the Senior Director will turn complex operations into high-impact content that moves our community to action.

Preference will be given to applicants who are proficient in Spanish.

This role may occasionally require travel, including some weekend events.

Division of Labor between 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4)

This role is considered a matrixed role, responsible for duties that support both Americans for the Arts (501(c)(3)) and the Arts Action Fund (501(c)(4)), which are legally two separate entities. You will be responsible for tracking your time worked across both organizations, having some responsibility associated with collaborative mission-driven marketing and advocacy communications between AFTA and the AAF (within legal and tax parameters). Approximately 25% of your hours worked will be allocated to the AAF 501(c)(4).

Key Responsibilities*

Team Leadership & Cross-Department Collaboration

• Lead a dedicated, results-oriented marketing team to execute AFTA’s strategic goals, ensuring our collective work demonstrates every day that the arts are vital to a healthy, thriving society.
• Partner across divisions of the organization to synthesize complex research and policy priorities into inspiring, accessible stories that resonate with donors, advocates, and the public alike.
• Manage the resources and creative partners needed to power AFTA’s biggest stages, including AFTACON, the ArtsVote campaign, and arts advocacy days.
• Build a culture of curiosity and mentorship where your team feels empowered to experiment, lead, and grow alongside a rapidly changing cultural landscape.
  
  

Content Strategy & Development

• Own the AFTA narrative alongside the CMO, ensuring our voice is unmistakable, authoritative, and inspiring across everything from high-level press releases to daily digital content.
• Guide world-class writers and consultants to produce persuasive marketing and media materials that grab the attention of everyone from local artists to the halls of Congress.
• Oversee—in partnership with the Director of Strategic Communications—a dynamic content calendar that spotlights AFTA’s leadership and grassroots voices nationwide, ensuring our advocacy is as heart-centered as it is evidence-based.
• Ensure our best research and resources aren't just published, but found, by using smart digital tactics to put AFTA’s tools in the hands of those who need them most.
  
  

Creative Development

• Modernize and protect the AFTA visual identity, ensuring every image and design reflects an inclusive, professional, and vibrant arts movement.
• Serve as the creative engine behind our video, photography, and design projects, collaborating with top-tier agencies to bring our mission to life visually.
• Lead the creative design for major national campaigns, using powerful visuals to make complex policy issues feel personal, urgent, and worth fighting for.
• Set the bar for design excellence, ensuring every piece of print or digital collateral is a world-class representation of the American arts community.
  
  

Digital Strategy & Advocacy Campaigns

• Design and launch—with our staff and consultants—high-energy digital campaigns that mobilize thousands of advocates to protect arts funding and influence cultural policy at every level of government.
• Drive the strategy for AFTA’s digital ecosystem—from a dynamic social media presence to high-performing emails—to keep our community engaged and growing.
• Use clear, simple metrics to track success, constantly refining our digital approach to better find donors, support members, and win advocacy battles.
• Partner with the Web Developer to experiment with new technologies that improve our digital reach and cut through the noise.
• Partner with the development team to design and execute digital strategies that drive revenue, expand the donor pipeline, and convert engaged audiences into financial supporters of Americans for the Arts.
• This position is expected to perform similar duties in coordination with the Arts Action Fund, our affiliate 501(c)(4) organization.
  
  

Learn More

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