Reporting to the Vice President for Advancement, the Director of Public Relations provides oversight for all CalArts marketing, media relations, and government and community relations activities and plays a vital role in shaping integrated strategies and tactics for the Office of Advancement. The Director works closely with the President and his planning group and supervises a team of professional staff, support staff and student workers.

The Director of Public Relations is responsible for setting and implementing a public relations strategy that results in widespread visibility for CalArts, strengthening its reputation as a leader in arts education, creation and presenting and helping secure and sustain public funding for its programs.  Working in collaboration with colleagues, s/he will develop an integrated marketing strategy to promote CalArts to audiences ranging from prospective students to prospective donors.

The Director of Public Relations will serve as a spokesperson for the Institute. S/he will maintain contact with arts, business, community and governmental leaders to build CalArts’ reputation locally as well as nationally and internationally, and s/he will communicate regularly with the media to seed stories featuring CalArts.

• Advancing the strategic goals and public image of the Institute

• Serving as a spokesperson for CalArts and representing the Institute at public events  

• Leading the development of an integrated marketing strategy for CalArts and implementing a marketing plan that supports the CalArts brand and enhances its image across all audiences (including prospective students, Roy and Edna Disney CalArts Theater (REDCAT) audiences, and CalArts supporters)

• Forging and maintaining strategic partnerships that extend CalArts’ marketing resources, improve public relations, and heighten visibility for CalArts

• Taking an active role in defining the CalArts brand and shaping key messages

• Shaping strategies for government relations that reflect Institute priorities

• Building and maintaining strong community relations in Los Angeles County, particularly in the Santa Clarita Valley and downtown Los Angeles

• Securing visibility for CalArts in print, broadcast, and online media and maintaining an archive of these stories

• Positioning the President and other CalArts representatives as authorities in arts, culture and education

• Ensuring timely and thoughtful sharing of news of concern to the internal (students, faculty and staff) and external (alumni, parents and supporters) CalArts community

• Recruitment and management of staff and consultants with experience in media relations, marketing, community relations, and local, state, and federal government relations

• Demonstrating a strong return on investment by ensuring strategic and prudent use of resources and quantifying success of initiatives

• Identifying opportunities to showcase CalArts’ initiatives both internally and externally as appropriate

• Coordinating research efforts to support marketing vision and outcomes, developing, planning, implementing and evaluating programs, and short-and long-range goals

• Leading other initiatives as assigned

 

• Extensive experience and demonstrated success in at least two of the following fields:  marketing, community relations, government relations, media relations; the ability to lead staff and direct consultants who have more experience in some of these areas

• Deep understanding of arts education and the ability to communicate its value clearly and persuasively with those outside the field

• Strong leadership skills, including the ability to inspire the confidence of internal and external partners. Must exhibit a management style that is collaborative and results-oriented

• A history of establishing and maintaining strong, successful working relationships with extramural partners; extensive experience managing professional staff who utilize extramural relationships in their everyday work 

• Ability to understand and respond to the attitudes and concerns of key constituents, including prospective students, arts audiences, public representatives, and funders.

• Ability to conduct and utilize research to craft successful marketing, media relations, and government and community relations strategies; ability to apply tactics using traditional methods as well as new technologies

• A robust professional network in media relations, marketing and/or government relations

• Understanding of best practices and measurements in media relations, marketing and/or government and community relations

• Understanding of the entertainment industry

• Ability to set clear departmental goals and deliver results on time and within budget

• Outstanding written and oral communication skills 

• Excellent interpersonal skills; a confident and compelling manner; ability to absorb and utilize new information quickly and assuredly; graceful under pressure 

• Solid leadership and project management skills with ability to manage, prioritize, multi-task and thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth environment; ability to work independently and collaboratively; commitment to working with shared leadership and in cross-functional teams and ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community

• Other requirements include experience in building and implementing creative marketing programs and brand development; strong organizational, analytical, and planning skills; strong understanding of market research principles and applications

• Adept user of information technology for office, communications, and web

• Bachelor’s degree in communications or a related field; master’s degree a plus

• A minimum of seven years of leadership experience in marketing, media relations, and/or government and community relations

• Some local, regional, and national travel is required. There is also some commitment before and after regular work hours and weekends both off and on campus

• Salary is commensurate with skills and experience

This position is available immediately.  If you are interested, please submit a cover letter and resume to the Office of Human Resources, 24700 McBean Parkway, Valencia, CA 91355, hr@calarts.edu. 

California Institute of the Arts is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Posted 10/27/08