Chief of External Affairs

Position Summary

The Chief of External Affairs (CEA) will lead and develop
overall contributed and earned income strategies for annual
operational and endowment growth. The CEA will be the primary staff
liaison for the Marketing and Annual Gifts Board Committees and be
engaged with other Board Committees such as Governance/Nominating.
The CEA will report to the Dorothy Wagner Wallis
Director and serve as a member of the Senior Leadership Team in
setting direction and strategy for Advancement and Marketing and
Communications teams. In partnership with the Director, the
CEA will formulate local, national, and international strategic
partnerships, maximize philanthropic and earned revenues, leverage
institutional marketing and communications opportunities to attract
visitors, and ensure a welcoming and engaging museum experience.
The CEA will be deeply engaged in the solicitation of major and
transformational donations, including sponsorships and event
activities. They will conceptualize and implement a plan to build
productive relationships with national, community, and civic
partners. The CEA will also lead and motivate a diverse team of
professionals to devise successful capital, endowment, annual
fundraising, planned giving, and marketing and communications
plans.

 

The CEA will be responsible for growing and managing a top-tier
fundraising and external affairs operation. Building relationships
with the diverse communities of Baltimore, the CEA will serve as a
visible and engaging leader within the museum and throughout the
broader community. They will also develop and deploy a national
marketing and brand-building strategy for the museum through civic,
cultural, and philanthropic partnerships. The CEA will also advance
the BMA’s mission of social justice and artistic excellence in
alignment with its operational and revenue-generation plans.

       

Role and Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Fundraising

• Create, implement, and manage strategic fundraising, marketing,
  and communications plans designed to increase earned and
  contributed revenue, attendance, public visibility, and
  demonstrated mission impact.
• Mobilize the Board of Trustees, the Director, and community
  leaders and partners to drive fundraising activity and personal
  engagement with top prospects, sponsorships, and special
  events.
• Provide expertise, leadership, and strategic direction in all
  aspects of development and external affairs to the Board, the
  Senior Leadership Team, and as required to the full staff of the
  BMA.
• Maintain a personal portfolio of major and principal gift
  donors, cultivating and soliciting major gifts and developing
  productive corporate and foundation relationships.
• Remain current on and adapt to cultural, economic, political,
  and social developments that affect revenue goals and external
  messaging.
• Partner with curators and others to develop strategies to
  cultivate and solicit collectors and donors to acquire art that
  enhances the BMA’s collection and supports its mission of artistic
  excellence and social justice.
• Embrace other strategic leadership and fundraising
  responsibilities, as needed.

 

Brand and Community Engagement

• Oversee a comprehensive, integrated, and strategic brand
  engagement story that welcomes a wide range of audiences, donors,
  students, partners, employees, and other stakeholders that share
  the museum’s values and vision regarding inclusion, diversity,
  equity, and accessibility.
• Create and implement audience development plans based in
  quantitative and qualitative research on attending and
  non-attending audiences, evolving marketing trends, and
  contemporary outreach strategies.
• Collaborate with Curatorial, Education and Exhibitions teams,
  among others, to develop thoughtful programs that are vital to
  community participation and the national and international
  reputation of the museum.
• Fully utilize the Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
  systems to ensure that fundraising, membership, and marketing
  efforts are aligned and optimized.
• Embrace other brand and community engagement responsibilities,
  as needed.

Team and Operational Leadership

• Recruit, lead, guide, and mentor the Advancement and Marketing
  and Communications teams’ successful achievement of museum
  experience goals, mission, and values, with an emphasis on
  identifying, cultivating, and securing renewed, increased, and new
  sources of attendance and support.
• Ensure that the museum’s internal culture, print and digital
  platforms, and technological systems and procedures support the
  Advancement and Marketing and Communications teams as the
  foundation of a vibrant organization embracing boldness and
  relevance.
• Oversee and monitor expense budgets, provide accurate
  reporting, analysis, and integration of data and ensure the
  maintenance and integrity of reporting and records in collaboration
  with the finance office.
• Create a supportive, collaborative, productive, inclusive, and
  healthy work environment based on respect, teamwork and clear
  communication, expectations, and responsibilities.
• Embrace other team and operational leadership responsibilities,
  as needed.

 

Traits and Characteristics

The CEA must be a flexible leader and astute manager with a
collaborative spirit. They will be comfortable working within a
nontraditional organizational structure that values
cross-departmental collaboration, teamwork, and seeking new ideas
from unconventional sources. The CEA will provide a strong
fundraising, marketing and communications vision and be committed
to exploring the evolving relationships between art institutions
and their audiences, donors, and broader community. Proactive,
dynamic, and people-oriented, the CEA will be an experienced leader
with the vision to actively pursue BMA’s ambitious goals with
creativity and determination. This individual will balance tasks
and projects with a sense of urgency and possess superlative
interpersonal, communication, and public speaking skills that
result in compelling verbal and written messages for BMA. A
self-sufficient and self-managed professional with a highly
organized approach, the CEA will be able to achieve organizational
objectives with staff, board members, volunteers, donors, the
media, and external stakeholders. This individual will bring an
affinity for BMA’s mission and a passion to positively impact the
organization’s long-term success, complemented by highly developed
skills and an efficient best practices approach. They will also
model behavior that creates trust, builds confidence, and
encourages others to follow suggested paths or approaches to
advance the museum.

 

Other key competencies of this role include:

• Diplomacy and Leadership – The
  dexterity to effectively handle difficult or sensitive issues,
  while organizing and influencing people to believe
  in a vision and create a sense of purpose and
  direction.
• Personal Accountability and Self-Starting
  – The integrity to take responsibility and be
  answerable for personal and professional decisions with the
  capacity to clearly set and define goals while demonstrating
  initiative and willingness to be proactive.
• Time and Priority Management – The
  acuity to develop initiatives and demonstrate self-control in
  managing time and priorities while identifying and leveraging
  resources that allow people to achieve results.
• Planning, Organizing, and Project Management
  – The capability to establish courses of action to ensure
  that work is completed effectively and with appropriate processes,
  tasks, and systems that create efficiencies and support
  accomplishments.
• Donor, Member, and Community Focus –
  The ability to meet and exceed diverse stakeholder needs, wants,
  and expectations.

Qualifications

An educational and professional background with eight or more
years of progressive leadership experience in an art, cultural, or
education institution is preferred. A proven track record of
securing six- and seven-figure gifts and leading integrated earned
and contributed revenue programs is required. Experience in all
areas of advancement, including major gifts, planned giving, annual
fund, membership, corporate sponsorships, foundation support,
capital campaigns, endowments, special events, non-traditional
fundraising resources, and marketing and communications is needed.
Demonstrable expertise in managing a substantial department,
project, and/or program budget is expected. Excellent written and
verbal communication skills, including public speaking, are
necessary, as are strong computer skills and knowledge of advanced
donor research and customer relationship management systems.
Experience raising funds throughout a large geographic region,
nationally, or internationally is a plus, as are multiple language
skills.

 

Compensation and Benefits

BMA offers a competitive salary and a generous benefits package,
including an annual base salary estimated to be in the range of
$175,000 to $195,000. For this full-time exempt position, BMA
offers medical, dental, vision, prescription drug, and long-term
disability insurances; 403(b) retirement plan with match; flexible
spending account; museum and restaurant discounts; and reduced fee
gym membership. BMA also offers accrued vacation, holidays,
personal days, floating holidays, and sick days to ensure a
well-balanced and healthy workforce. 

 

Applications and Inquiries

To submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of
demonstrable accomplishments (electronic submissions preferred),
please click
here or visit artsconsulting.com/opensearches . For
questions or general inquiries about this job opportunity, please
contact:

 

Todd Ahrens, Vice President

201 West Lake Street, Suite 133

Chicago, IL 60606-1803

Tel (888) 234.4236 Ext. 216

Email    BMA@ArtsConsulting.com

 

BMA is committed to fostering, cultivating, and
preserving a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access.
BMA is also an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified
applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard
to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity,
national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or
any other characteristic protected by law.  We are committed
to building a culturally diverse staff and strongly encourage all
qualified professionals to apply.

 

BMA acknowledges that research shows that women and
individuals from underrepresented backgrounds often apply to jobs
only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. BMA recognizes that
it is highly unlikely that an applicant meets 100% of the
qualifications for a given role. Therefore, if much of this posting
describes you, then you are highly encouraged to apply for this
exciting opportunity.