ORGANIZATION
Phoenix Art Museum is the Southwest’s premier cultural destination for artistic excellence. An institution of exciting art and learning since 1959, Phoenix Art Museum is the largest art museum in the southwestern United States with an agenda for growth, innovation and progress. Its mission is simple, yet compelling: to be “a vibrant destination connecting people to great art from around the world to enrich their lives and communities.”
In the last fifty years, millions have visited the Museum to view the over 400 national and international exhibitions it has organized and hosted. Recent exhibition highlights include: Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Leicester and the Power of Observation, Fashioned in America, and Andy Warhol: Portraits. Exhibitions are featured alongside the Museum’s outstanding collection, which has grown to over 18,000 objects of American, Asian, European, Latin American, Western American, modern and contemporary art, photography, and fashion design. A future priority will be to organize and travel exhibitions drawn from the collection nationally and internationally. The Museum also hosts photography exhibitions through its landmark partnership with The University of Arizona’s Center for Creative Photography in Tucson. Visitors regularly enjoy the interactive PhxArtKids gallery, the lushly landscaped Dorrance Sculpture Garden, dining at the Museum’s restaurant, Palette, and shopping at The Museum Store.
Phoenix Art Museum is an invaluable community resource and a center of enrichment for audiences of all ages with an increasing emphasis on bilingual programming in English and Spanish. Lectures are offered by a myriad of experts, who explore art-related topics in-depth, and docent-led Gallery Talks provide informal discussions in the galleries around specific themes. Films and performances at the Museum demonstrate the commonalities among art forms. Phoenix Art Museum is particularly committed to Arizona’s students and teachers. The Museum serves the K-12 community through on-site visits and outreach presentations, as well as regular teacher professional development programs. The Museum is also home to the Gene and Cathie Lemon Art Research Library, which has more than 75,000 titles and extensive resources for research or personal interest. In addition, visitors can explore a selection of objects in the Museum’s collections on its website through the eGallery.
In February 2015, Amada Cruz joined the Phoenix Art Museum as The Sybil Harrington Director. Cruz brings a high-energy, creative and entrepreneurial approach to the Museum’s leadership and has been charged with taking Phoenix Art Museum to the next level o f distinction. The Museum is governed by a 50-member Board of Trustees comprised of many of Phoenix’s most prominent civic and corporate leaders. Phoenix Art Museum welcomed more than 258,000 visitors in 2014 and its current annual operating budget is $10 million, 64% of which is contributed income. Eleven support organizations assist the Phoenix Art Museum through fundraising and volunteer efforts. The Museum has nearly 3,000 volunteers, the largest of any art museum in the nation, who collectively contribute more than 125,000 hours annually.
COMMUNITY
Phoenix, Arizona, is the hub of commercial activity in the Southwest and the center of more than twenty communities that are collectively referred to as the Valley of the Sun. Approaching 4.5 million residents, the Valley is the twelfth largest and third fasted growing metropolitan area in the U.S. Known for its temperate winters, natural scenic beauty, and sports and recreation resources, Phoenix is also ranked 9th in the country among the next major market boomtowns when ranked for sustainable job and population growth, pro-business environment, and supply of affordable housing. With a median age of 32, the Valley is the fifth youngest metro region in the country.
Top private employers include Raytheon, Banner Health, Wells Fargo, Intel, JPMorgan Chase, and American Express. Growth is projected in the renewable energy, biomedical research and personalized medicine, advanced business services, and mission-critical data and technology sectors. While tourism and construction have always been major sectors of the Valley’s economy, diversified growth in these other sectors are contributing to a sustainable future. Education and its relationship to the region’s economic vitality is top of mind in Phoenix. More than two dozen of the Valley’s high schools are nationally ranked. The Valley is also home to Arizona State University (ASU), which operates four diverse campuses serving approximately 70,000 undergraduate and graduate students, as well as the internationally renowned Thunderbird School of Global Management. Maricopa County Community Colleges’ ten campuses across the Valley offer a wide range of technical training and affordable education options, and enrolls 100,000 students.
Building on significant investments in transportation infrastructure over the last twenty years, Phoenix voters approved a plan in August to more than triple the Valley’s light rail network, increase bus service, rebuild 680 miles of arterial roads, and expand bike paths and other street improvements. Over 1.2 million light rail commuters take advantage of connections between Mesa, Tempe, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Downtown Phoenix, and the North Central Corridor every month. Transportation improvements support a renewed emphasis on downtown Phoenix development including the establishment of the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix and Phoenix Biomedical Campus, relocation of the Sandra Day O’Conner Law School to ASU’s downtown campus, expansion of the Phoenix Convention Center, and a variety of new hotel, retail, and dining options.
Phoenix is rich in cultural opportunities and programs, with more than 8,500 performances, 250 exhibitions, and 2,500 school programs produced every year. The combined spending of arts organizations results in an annual economic impact of more than $300 million. Some of the biggest players in the Phoenix arts scene have joined forces to create the Central Arts District, a grouping of arts and cultural venues and groups within walking distance of each other and the light rail stop at McDowell Road and Central Avenue. The new district is meant to coordinate the thousands of performances, exhibitions, and programs held in the area each year and raise the visibility of its members, including the Phoenix Art Museum, Heard Museum, Arizona Opera, Phoenix Center for the Arts, Playhouse on the Park, Phoenix Community Alliance, Arizona School for the Arts, and Central Arts Plaza.
Sources: www.gpec.org, www.forbes.com, www.phoenix.gov, www.azcentral.com
POSITION SUMMARY
Reporting to the Museum’s Director, the Director of Advancement will be a visionary team leader who will guide and manage the 18-member Development and Marketing Division. Key responsibilities include leading the direction, planning, and execution of development and marketing initiatives to expand the Museum’s audience and maximize revenue in support of the Museum’s strategic plan. As the chief fundraiser for the Museum, and in anticipation of a future capital campaign, the Director of Advancement will partner with the Director and members of the Board and its Committees to grow total contributed income, particularly major gifts of $100,000 and above.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
Management and Leadership
- Collaborate with the Museum Director and senior management team to develop short- and long-term strategic development and marketing goals for the Museum.
- Administer all day-to-day operations of the Museum’s Development and Marketing Division including Board, major, foundation, corporate and government giving; the Circles ($1,500+) individual giving programs, special events, and all Museum membership levels to ensure the organization has a vibrant, ongoing stream of contributed revenue.
- Manage the Visitor Services and Marketing teams to maximize earned revenue (e.g. museum admissions) through effective marketing initiatives.
- Prepare and manage strategic marketing and development plans, ensuring that the Division adheres to long-term and operational goals and objectives; present regular progress reports to the Director and Board.
- Develop, manage and mentor the Division’s 18-member staff, empowering them to master and manage their respective areas of responsibility with accountability; provide appropriate resources, encouragement and acknowledgement of success; evaluate staff annually or more often, as needed.
- Prepare and manage annual Development and Marketing budgets; continually monitor all department budgets to ensure they are operating within established revenue and expense parameters.
- Contribute to the overall success of the institution as a member of the Museum’s senior management team.
Major Gifts Fundraising
- Undertake primary responsibility for major donor interaction and support Director, Board and curators in all major donor and prospect contacts.
- Oversee donor cultivation events including exhibition openings, donor dinners, small dinners hosted by trustees, member tours and engagement events, and Phoenix Art Museum’s annual black tie gala, the pARTy.
- Maintain a portfolio of high-level foundation and corporate relationships to support all fundraising initiatives including planned giving.
- Serve as a strategic thought-partner with the Museum Director to ensure maximum effectiveness in major gift relationships and solicitations.
- Direct the strategic use of the Raiser’s Edge database and other development communication tools to ensure that Development and other Museum staff utilize them for communicating donor and prospect contacts, maximizing relationships, and creating timely and accurate reports.
Marketing and Brand Management
- Design, implement, and manage a comprehensive marketing program to meet institutional needs for earned revenue and attendance targets utilizing direct mail, telemarketing, advertising, website, social media, e-commerce, and other forms of promotion. Oversee the design and production of the Museum’s publications. Create and manage short and medium term marketing and public relations campaigns.
- Lead the Marketing team in the creation of a sophisticated marketing plan to solidify the Museum’s brand and promote the institution as a whole, not just its exhibitions.
- Understand visitor profiles to reach core audiences, and identify strategies and market placement to reach new and diverse audiences, including the Hispanic community.
- Collaborate across all Museum departments, external support organizations, and Board committees to strengthen communication strategies for their distinct and diverse audiences, including the Hispanic community.
Board and External Relations
- Serve as the primary Museum liaison to the Marketing and Development Committees of the Board of Trustees and as the primary point of Development contact with the Museum’s 50- member Board.
- Liaise with the Board Chair, Museum Director, Development and Marketing Chairs and individual members of the Board to identify their development and networking capabilities and to help them achieve their goals.
- Represent the Museum to the community at events and conferences, as appropriate.
TRAITS AND CHARACTERISTICS
Commitment to the mission and goals of the Phoenix Art Museum will be necessary for success in the Director of Advancement position. The successful candidate will possess a high degree of creativity, energy and initiative, as well as the capacity to inspire and motivate staff, donors, prospects, board members, and volunteers. Additionally, the Director of Advancement will create a culture of excellence throughout the Development and Marketing Division and will possess the following characteristics:
- Leadership and Personal Accountability – Inspires others, builds trust and demonstrates loyalty, while acknowledging his/her own responsibility to be accountable for personal actions and professional decisions. Encourages positive and creative working relationships across departments.
- Customer Focus and Interpersonal Skills – Maintains a commitment to the satisfaction of all stakeholders by anticipating customer needs and developing appropriate solut ions. Communicates effectively and proactively with others, treating individuals with courtesy, respect, and consideration.
- Goal Achievement – Sets clear, results-oriented goals that are relevant, realistic, attainable and measurable. Identifies and implements required plans and milestones to achieve specific organizational goals.
QUALIFICATIONS
The successful candidate will have a minimum of eight years of progressively responsible development and fundraising experience, and a demonstrable understanding of marketing. S/he will have a distinguished record of successful fundraising efforts and the proven ability to develop budgets and manage financial resources effectively. Qualified applicants will have a Bachelor’s degree, advanced degree preferred. Outstanding written and verbal communications skills are necessary, with a preference for fluency in English and Spanish, as well as the passion to work with and for the greater community. Expertise in standard Microsoft Office computer applications is required. An understanding of and/or a passion for the visual arts is essential.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
Very competitive compensation package commensurate with experience, including health and dental insurance, life insurance, long-term disability coverage, 401(k) plan, vacation, holiday and sick pay, Museum membership, and great discounts at the Museum Store, Café, and other cultural organizations in the Valley.
APPLICATIONS AND INQUIRIES
Cover letter and resume, electronic submissions preferred, outlining demonstrable accomplishments to:
Ms. Elisabeth B. Galley, Vice President
Arts Consulting Group, Inc.
2807 Allen Street, Suite 324
Dallas, TX 75204-4062
Tel: (888) 234.4236
Cell: (972) 529.8897
Fax: (888) 284.6651
Email: PhxArt@ArtsConsulting.com
The Phoenix Art Museum is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Categories: Job Postings