Senior Director, Communications

Description

JOB TITLE: Senior Director, Communications

DEPARTMENT: Marketing & Communications

REPORTS TO: Chief Marketing Officer

COMPENSATION: Pay Grade 6 / $161,058 - $189,414

STATUS: Full-time, exempt; in office minimum 3x week, plus evening and weekend performances and events as required

ORGANIZATION

Through artistic and organizational excellence, San Francisco Ballet will lead and inspire the art form, making a positive, lasting impact on our community and the world. Building on 90 years of innovation and excellence, Artistic Director Tamara Rojo charts a new era in ballet.

DEPARTMENT

The Marketing team is responsible for raising the relevance and profile of San Francisco Ballet and Artistic Director Tamara Rojo locally, nationally, and globally to attract a new and diverse audience and retain devoted patrons while meeting earned revenue goals and supporting the internal marketing and communication needs of the organization.

Summary Of The Role

SF Ballet is looking for an experienced and innovative Senior Director, Communications to lead and execute the SF Ballet and SF Ballet School communications strategy to strengthen brand and program positioning, support key industry and government priorities, and elevate organizational visibility across multiple audiences. This role involves overseeing internal and external corporate communications, media relations, social media, fundraising campaign messaging, managing the external communications agency, and leading and growing the communications team. The ideal candidate brings significant media relations and writing experience, strong people management and organizational leadership across departments, public speaking skills, and a curious mind to continually drive strategic awareness and engagement in a changing environment.

Responsible for communications output, team leadership and motivation, budget development and management, brand, campaign and program goals and activities. The Senior Director, Communications provides strategic management of communications initiatives for the organization, working with subject matter experts within the artistic, marketing, development and school teams to convey priorities across communications channels and engage a wide variety of SF Ballet constituencies, including ticket buyers, donors, key community stakeholders, industry peers, external media, and the general public in order to develop awareness and support of SF Ballet’s institutional and programming initiatives.

Major Duties And Responsibilities

Communications & Social Media Strategy

• Create and lead a comprehensive narrative and messaging strategy that exponentially grows SF Ballet support across the Bay Area, and positions SF Ballet as leader in dance globally.
• Manage NY-based Communications agency on institutional messaging and, national/international media outreach and management, press support, and crisis communication.
• Craft compelling, audience-tailored messaging for social media and communication materials and ensure messaging consistency across platforms, departments, and stakeholders, including leadership, staff, dancers, policymakers, donors and other key influencers.
• Collaborate with SF Ballet marketing, development, operations, education and community team to ensure SF Ballet messaging is consistent across all audiences.
• Review and approve all communication materials developed in support of SF Ballet.
  
  

Media Relations

• Build and maintain relationships with local, national, international and industry media outlets to support accurate and compelling coverage of the organization.
• Build and maintain industry, regional, and peer relationships.
• Develop and implement proactive targeted media strategies, campaigns, and outreach.
• Effectively manage reactive media requests, including coordination of responses, development of talking points, and strategic deployment of both proactive and reactive communications across platforms.
• Collaborate with SFB senior leaders in thought-leadership opportunities such as Op-Eds, panels and speaking opportunities, letters to the editor, and other editorial content.
• Lead crisis communication process and response.
• Plan and manage photography capture, digital asset management, and archival needs.
  
  

Internal Communications / Public Affairs

• Develop, lead, and manage a strategic internal communications program that keeps all constituencies informed about key initiatives, building support for the SF Ballet mission, and fostering a climate of pride, engagement and inclusivity.
• Create and implement comprehensive short- and long-term communications plans that align internal and external strategies.
• Identify specific communications needs and develop content and processes for organizational improvements.
• Convene and collaborate with colleagues in Human Resources and across SF Ballet departments to advance internal communications objectives.
• Work cross-functionally with SFB leaders and content experts to manage issues, communicate positions, and align strategies.
• Provide advice and counsel to departments on strategic planning and effective messaging.
  
  

Fundraising Campaign Communications

• Extensive knowledge of communications, promotional and marketing principles.
• Demonstrated outstanding, persuasive writing, including experience developing proposals, donor or client briefings, web articles, recognition letters, reports and related publications.
• Demonstrated experience developing communications-oriented business plans, as well as reports focused on production progress and ROI/impact.
• Understanding, knowledge and experience with donor relations or the equivalent.
• Ability to conceive fundraising communications strategies for a variety of audiences and projects.
  
  

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

Experience: Minimum of 15 years of relevant work experience in press, communications strategies, influencer and campaign management, especially within performing arts or similar. Knowledge of the ballet artform is a plus.

Skills

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with meticulous attention to detail.
• Proven ability to manage multiple strategies, meet deadlines, and lead cross-departmental projects.
• Strong organizational and analytical skills for synthesizing information, strategy development, and identifying key themes and relationships.
• Strategic planning and execution, self-directed.
• Cross-functional collaboration.
• Budget management and reporting.
• Problem solving and decision making.
• Team leadership and mentorship.
  
  

Personal Attributes

• Passion for SF Ballet mission.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, with ease in working with both large and small groups.
• Commitment to continuous learning and improvement across all facets of work.
• A curious mind in a changing environment.
• High tolerance for ambiguity, coupled with sound judgment, flexibility, and problem-solving skills.
• High energy relationship builder.
  
  

TO APPLY

No calls, please.

San Francisco Ballet Association is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to employing a diverse staff. Qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for the position in accordance with the Fair Chance Ordinance (FCO).