Head of Communications and Marketing

Mission Statement

The Wexner Center for the Arts (The Wex) is The Ohio State University’s multidisciplinary laboratory for contemporary art and culture. Through exhibitions, performances, screenings, learning programs, artist residencies, and publications, the Wex serves as a vital forum where artists test ideas and where diverse audiences engage in the art and issues of our time. A commitment to experimentation with a critical appreciation of the past, our work affirms the university’s pursuit of civic participation, freedom of expression, and robust dialogue.

DEI Statement

The Wexner Center for the Arts values diversity and offers a supportive, open, and inclusive community. We encourage candidates to apply, regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

Summary of Duties

The Head of Communications & Marketing (HCM) leads the marketing, creative services, public relations, digital media, and video production teams for the Wexner Center for the Arts (WCA). The HCM reports to the executive director of WCA and is responsible for the strategy, planning, and implementation of communications efforts to support our dynamic institutions’ mission and strategic initiatives.

This member of the senior leadership team is responsible for ongoing management of WCA brands, creating strategies to increase awareness and positive brand recognition. The HCM partners with the Executive Director and other leadership at the WCA to conceive and leverage strategic communication and public affairs initiatives designed to cultivate, engage, and sustain a multi-faceted constituency for the Center – across campus of The Ohio State University, community, and the larger arts world, whether local, national, or international.

This is a senior leadership role for the WCA that manages the marketing and communication team to develop advertising campaigns, write and distribute press releases to the media, find new ways to disseminate information about the WCA, and establish brand recognition. The Head of Communications & Marketing is also in charge of establishing internal announcements and publications, such as newsletters, emails, product releases, video presentations, and special projects or events.

The HCM leads the Center’s Marketing, Editing, and Design teams in strategizing, planning, creating, and executing communications that inform and inspire our diverse audiences and advance the center’s reach, reputation, and revenue. The HCM serves as the lead brand communications liaison to the Executive Director shaping the brand’s strategic direction and implementing protocols to ensure the integrity and ingenuity of institutional identity and messaging.

The HCM has 4 direct reports: Editorial Director – WCA, Design Director – WCA, Director of Marketing Content, and Marketing Project Manager.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree, or an equivalent combination of education and experience; minimum of ten years of professional experience in related position(s).

Position’s Principal Responsibilities

40% Strategy

• Develop and oversee brand strategies, positioning, and messaging across all earned, owned, and paid channels to support the mission and achieve strategic initiatives.

30% Management

• Provide effective leadership to the Marketing and Communications team and a collaborative approach to working with each department at WCA.
• Serve as a member of the Executive Management team, the senior leadership group guiding the WCA.
• Develop and maintain departmental budgets for all Marketing and Communications efforts for WCA.
• Evaluate research findings on audience, engagement, attendance and more and advise leadership/develop plans for alignment or course correction to meet strategic initiatives.

20% University and Community Outreach

• Guide the development of communications and marketing efforts to achieve significant attendance onsite and online.

• This includes earned and owned media: PR, social media, blog, eNews, website, apps, videos, printed materials, signage, and more;
• As well as a focus on paid media, with extensive digital marketing campaigns as well as radio, TV, print, billboards, and more.

• Develop and oversee communications strategies for reaching the diverse audiences that the WCA serves and seeks to serve more fully.
• Evaluate and report metrics on the effectiveness and impact of communications and marketing efforts and campaigns.

10% Other Duties as Assigned

Education, Training, and Traits

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education.
• Proven track record of commitment to Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion practices.
• Specific work experience managing communications teams including marketing, with a thorough understanding of public relations, creative, video production, and digital media.
• Excellent leadership skills, connecting with vision/mission and guiding through caring, empathy, and collaboration to achieve strategic initiatives and goals.
• Knowledge of museum operations, the arts industry, and arts marketing is a plus.
• Superb writing and editing skills and a keen sense of marketing and promotional messaging.
• Excellent verbal communication skills and the ability to communicate in a clear and persuasive manner.
• An experienced communications professional with a good sense of judgment who has counseled senior executives and earned their trust.
• Ability to understand and maintain the highest levels of confidentiality.
• A high level of professional integrity and ethics, and the ability to handle sensitive issues and situations with discretion.
• Belief in arts experiences as a cause for social good and a positive, dynamic force for economic development.

Work Experience

• Seven or more years combined experience in communications, public relations, media relations or marketing with 12+ years desired.
• Well-developed contacts with national and local editors and journalists in electronic and print media are preferred.
• Proven success in the management and development of full-time staff.

In education and experience, an equivalent combination of relevant education and/or experience will satisfy the minimum requirements.

Skills and Abilities

• Exemplary written, verbal, and listening communication skills and a demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and professionally.
• Effective interpersonal skills, group interaction and leadership.
• Highly developed public speaking skills.
• Strong staff management and mentoring skills.
• Ability to inspire and creatively engage team members, colleagues, and senior leadership in achieving and supporting strategic communications plans.
• Collaborative and empathetic.
• Responsible and accountable.
• Ability to create and successfully manage an annual budget.
• Demonstrated organizational planning, problem-solving and collaboration skills.
• Demonstrated understanding and use of diplomacy.
• Ability to be effective in fast-paced working environments.
• Ability to interact respectfully, collegially, and professionally with all employees and volunteers at all levels of responsibility.

Columbus, Ohio

Columbus is one of the fastest-growing major metropolitan areas in the country, with a vibrant blend of arts and culture; inspired culinary, fashion, music, and entertainment scenes; exciting collegiate and professional sports; and an open, entrepreneurial spirit. Its diverse population — 109 languages are represented — makes Columbus a microcosm of America.

Ohio’s state capital is the 14th largest city in the U.S. and second largest in the Midwest behind Chicago, larger than Charlotte, Seattle, Denver, Boston, Nashville, and Baltimore. The population of the greater Columbus metropolitan area is more than two million. At the same time, the cost of living in Columbus is 10 percent below the national average.

Intelligent Community Forum named Columbus one of the seven most intelligent communities in the world. The city has more PhDs than the national average and the largest concentration in the Midwest, plus there are 56 college and university campuses within the Columbus region.

Columbus is within 550 miles of nearly half the nation’s population. John Glenn Columbus International Airport, 10 minutes from downtown, offers more than 150 daily nonstop departures to 35 airports. During the work week, the average Columbus commute is just 23.3 minutes and can be significantly less. Learn more about Columbus.

Closing Statement

The Ohio State University is committed to building a diverse faculty and staff for employment and promotion to ensure the highest quality workforce, to reflect human diversity and to improve opportunities for underrepresented groups and women. The university embraces human diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity, affirmative action and eliminating discrimination. This commitment is both a moral imperative consistent with an intellectual community that celebrates individual differences and diversity, as well as a matter of law.
Discrimination against any individual based upon protected status, which is defined as age, ancestry, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, military status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status, is prohibited.

How to Apply

Please visit Head of Communications and Marketing  to find out more and apply online for job opening R69481.

Applicants should submit the following:

1. A current and comprehensive resume.
2. A letter of interest describing why you are interested in the role, why you are a good fit for the position based on your experience and why now is a good time for you to consider the opportunity.

All inquiries and nominations should be submitted to Allison Thomas at thomas.3748@osu.edu.