Manager of Public Programs and Partnerships

Department:  Learning and Engagement
Supervisor:  Director of Learning and Engagement

The Manager of Public Programs and Partnerships serves a key position in the Department of Learning and Engagement to create dynamic, inclusive programs at the Museum to support the BMA’s role as a vibrant and vital community resource. The Manager is responsible for initiating, developing, implementing, and evaluating the BMA’s programmatic offerings to expand and deepen relationships with the City and its surrounding communities. They conceptualize wide-ranging, creative, exciting, and thoughtful programs primarily for adult visitors drawn from the Museum’s permanent collections and exhibitions and guided by the Museum’s mission and community insight. These engaging talks, conversations, and experiences will be conceived in collaboration with curators, artists, musicians, performers, and educators, as well as a diverse and changing group of community partners, to increase access to and engagement with the arts and socially engaged ideas and issues of our City and contemporary world.

 

Primary Responsibilities

  • Engage our collection, exhibitions, and mission to develop a broad spectrum of programs to be offered that appeal to a multigenerational audience, including (but not limited to), gallery talks, conversations, lectures, performances, workshops, classes, neighborhood days, and family festivals.
  • Strengthens and sustains relationships with Birmingham community leaders, artists, creatives, educators, universities, and other civic and cultural organizations by collaborating on programming at the Museum. This includes co-creating and shaping content along with external partners, as well as responding to community feedback.
  • Collaborates internally with the Learning and Engagement department and the Curatorial department on using collection and exhibitions as platforms for public engagement and ways to identify, attract, and grow new audiences
  • Imbeds Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access in all areas of work, including partners, vendors, content, and audience engagement
  • Schedules, facilitates, and manages all aspects of public programs that occur during the week and on weekends.
  • Acts as liaison with speakers and performers and coordinates their schedule. Establishes contact with potential speakers and performers; writes contract letters, facilitates travel and accommodations, processes payment requests.
  • Arranges for A/V needs of speakers and performers for public programs.
  • Analyzes and evaluates programs to continually improve offerings and ensure positive experiences for visitors.
  • Works with the Director of Marketing and Communications on audience development as well as creating promotional content
  • Works with the Advancement department on proposals and reports for grant applications.
  • Produces and manages budgets for programs.

 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

  • Excellent oral and written skills. Ability to communicate with a variety of audiences in a clear, concise, and organized manner in order to effectively convey information.
  • Excellent project management skills. Ability to set, plan, and coordinate various work activities in order to meet deadlines and/or goals. Includes establishing a course of action for self and others in order to achieve short-term and long-term success.
  • Demonstrated experience working across diverse communities and perspectives
  • Ability to take a novel approach to work tasks or problems. Includes thinking outside of organizational norms in order to generate unique or original ideas and/or solutions.
  • Respects people of all backgrounds. Includes creating an environment that values and includes perspectives from differing backgrounds, cultures, and skill sets.
  • Demonstrates a commitment to provide quality service and maintain visitor satisfaction.
  • Ability to work without close supervision and ensure that work tasks are completed on time and with high quality.
  • Ability to work under pressure and operate efficiently, tactfully, and respectfully.
  • Ability to work evenings and weekends to meet program initiatives.

 

Minimum Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree with demonstrated course work and/or specialization in the arts (art, art history, museum studies)
  • Three years of experience conceptualizing and organizing public or educational programs for adults, as well as young audiences

 

About the Museum

Founded in 1951, the Birmingham Museum of Art is deeply invested in education and engagement and serves as a resource for communities locally, nationally, and internationally. It houses one of the finest collections in the Southeast of the United States. More than 27,000 objects displayed and housed within the Museum represent a rich panorama of cultures, including those from Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Africa, including work by both Pre-Columbian and Native North American artists. Highlights include the Museum’s collection of the arts of Asia, Vietnamese ceramics, the Kress collection of Renaissance and Baroque paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts from the late 13th century to the 1750s, and the Museum’s world-renowned collection of Wedgwood, the largest outside of England.

Compensation

Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience and includes an excellent benefits package.

To apply

Please with a letter of interest; curriculum vitae; names, addresses, and phone numbers of three references; and a writing sample

Review of applications will be ongoing until the position is filled.

 

Apply Now

Equal Opportunity Employer
It is the policy of the Birmingham Museum of Art (BMA) to provide equal employment opportunity to all applicants for employment with the BMA and to BMA staff without regard to sex, race, color, religious belief, national origin, disability, age, or veteran status. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotions, termination, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Commitment to Diversity
The Birmingham Museum of Art is committed to providing an environment that is free from discrimination. The BMA is a diverse community in terms of race and ethnicity, culture, religion, personal values and traditions. BMA values this diversity recognizing that our differences contribute to our strength as an agency serving a diverse population. It is to this end that the BMA is committed to non-discrimination and advocates for an environment of tolerance with regard to cultural and personal differences. It is our belief that every employee has the right to be treated with dignity, respect, and self-worth and that it is in our best interest as an agency serving the public good to act in a manner free of bias, exclusion, and discrimination whether on the basis of faith, race, gender, culture, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, political affiliation, or any other personal differences.