Senior Manager, Branded Content and Design (Full-Time, Onsite) - MASS MoCA - North Adams

Senior Manager, Branded Content and Design (Full-Time, Onsite)

$68,000 Per Year

North Adams

Full Time

Advertising/Marketing
Graphic Design
Communications

Bachelor's Degree
Preferred

5+
Required

Graphic Design, Visual Communication, Photoshop, InDesign, Asana - Preference: Required

MASS MoCA seeks a Senior Manager, Branded Content and Design with a desire to work in a dynamic, mission-driven, museum environment. Reporting to the Director of Communications & Content, the Sr. Manager, Branded Content and Design manages all branded content development, production, and related budget; and serves as a lead brand ambassador, ensuring consistent visual identity across all internal and external touchpoints — print, digital, website, social, and presentations. The position is an experienced art director and graphic designer, and manages in-house graphic designers and workflow within the design team. The position engages with key stakeholders throughout the museum (curators, creative producers, visitor experience, campus and civic initiatives, and advancement teams) to assess needs, core audience and project timelines, and ensures alignment with strategic campaign objectives.

This is a newly created position to support a critical and exciting time of MASS MoCA’s growth and positioning within the context of new leadership and recently announced 7-year strategic plan. The successful candidate will enjoy being part of a team that takes a collaborative approach to designing in a fast-paced, highly adaptive environment. The candidate must match a high standard of professionalism, institutional design, and pragmatic know-how, and work efficiently. Proven experience managing multiple projects with an eye for design excellence, with diverse working groups and simultaneous deadlines, is crucial. 

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Devise and develop original ideas for marketing, promotional, wayfinding and organizational materials (digital, print and merchandise) that enhance MASS MoCA’s brand identity, incorporate existing artist assets, support revenue goals, and drive audience and member engagement across various platforms and environments.
• Serve as a brand ambassador, ensuring consistent visual identity across all internal and external touchpoints — print, digital, website, social, and presentations.
• Develop and launch scalable design templates and brand system to support a globally distributed network of collaborators, artists/exhibitions, and philanthropic partners
• Oversee the design of exhibition-related materials including object labels, exhibition identity and merchandise.
• Recommend and support the production of compelling photography, animations, and videos to support digital campaigns, presentations, and brand storytelling.
• Be the first point of contact for all internal stakeholder design requests to the C+C department including visual arts, public programs, The Studios at MASS MoCA, performing arts and advancement to clarify scope, audience and timelines for design projects.
• Oversee the creative process, from concept development to final production, ensuring consistency and quality in all design deliverables, and communicate proactively to internal stakeholders timelines and project updates.
• This position manages a small in-house design team, currently composed of two Graphic Designers, and provides strategic leadership for all branded content and visual design initiatives across departments.
• Manage the employment — including hiring, performance management, scheduling, and mentoring — of department design staff.
• Manage photo and video shoots to document strategic initiatives, performances and audience engagement.
• This job description is intended to describe the general nature of the role and the work being performed. It is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities. The Senior Manager may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities, as assigned or requested by Director of Communications and Content.

Requirements and Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design or Visual Communication, or equivalent experience
• Minimum of 7 years of in-house or agency experience (museum/nonprofit experience preferred)
• Minimum of 3 years in a supervisory or team leadership role, with experience in performance management, scheduling, and mentoring creative staff.
• Proven track record of building, leading, and motivating high-performing teams
• Must be process driven, demonstrate strong visual design skills, possess a careful attention to detail, appreciate art in all its many forms and have a solid understanding of user-centered design principles
• Keen ability to incorporate compelling and relevant photography into branded content and materials
• Proven capabilities to develop creative within established graphic and style guidelines, and able to articulate strategic opportunities to transcend or evolve guidelines as needed
• Art direction and copy editing experience required in both print (collateral, direct mail, advertising) and digital (web, digital display, and social media)
• Confidence to inquire about needed information including the who (audience), what (format), and when (timeline) of each design request
• Strong project management skills, with an ability to prioritize competing deadlines
• Photoshop and InDesign fluency required; experience with Asana a plus
• Commitment to the highest standards of customer service and professionalism 
• Ability to work both collaboratively and independently

Physical Requirements:

• Comfort working a flexible schedule, including some weekend, holiday, and evening events
• Ability to travel occasionally for events and industry meetings
• This position is based on site at MASS MoCA’s North Adams campus; regular in-person attendance is required

Compensation and Benefits: 

• Begins at $68,000 annually, commensurate with experience (exempt; full-time)
• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Life insurance
• Long term disability insurance
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Dependent Care Account (DCA)
• Medical deductible reimbursement
• 401(k) retirement plan
• Roth 401(k) option
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) benefits
• Emergency Assistance Fund (LemonAid)
• Retirement planning support
• Professional development reimbursement
• Educational leave
• Reciprocal Organization of Associated Museums (ROAM)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Student loan repayment assistance
• Discounts at Gift Shop and R&D Store
• Staff appreciation social events year-round

Application Process: Please submit a resume, cover letter, and a link to your portfolio (website or PDF) showcasing relevant branded content, campaigns, and design work. The application also includes a few brief questions to help us better understand your experience and interest in the role. Incomplete applications — including those missing the requested documents — may not be fully considered.

About MASS MoCA:

MASS MoCA is a vibrant non-collecting art museum with approximately 300,000 square feet of exhibition space dedicated to visual art and projects by contemporary artists. Formerly a 19th century factory, these exhibition spaces are unconventional, vast, soaring galleries spanning multiple buildings. Half of that space is dedicated to rotating 10–16 month exhibitions of which we present 4 to 6 large-scale exhibitions per year, along with smaller projects and commissions. The additional space is dedicated to long-term exhibitions in conjunction with artists, estates, and collections that run from 10 months to 25 years. MASS MoCA frequently works directly with artists on the fabrication of new commissions and large-scale site-specific installations. 

MASS MoCA was founded in 1999, not only as a contemporary art museum and performing arts venue, but also as a creative campus with a regional, national and global impact. MASS MoCA is one of the world's liveliest centers for making and enjoying today's most evocative art. With vast galleries and a stunning collection of indoor and outdoor performing arts venues, MASS MoCA is able to embrace all forms of art: music, sculpture, dance, film, painting, photography, theater, and new, boundary-crossing works of art that defy easy classification. From its beginnings as the major textile mill Arnold Print Works in the mid-19th century, to its days as the Sprague Electric Company in the mid-20th century, to its current iteration as a globally renowned contemporary art museum and fabrication center, the 24-acre MASS MoCA campus has a rich history of serving as the economic engine of the city of North Adams and the surrounding region.