Assistant Director Of Communications (Advancement Communications And Marketing) (Is-1001-15)

DUTY LOCATION: Washington, DC
Non-Critical Sensitive

Open to all qualified applicants

What are Trust Fund Positions?

Trust Fund positions are unique to the Smithsonian. They are paid for from a variety of sources, including the Smithsonian endowment, revenue from our business activities, donations, grants and contracts. Trust employees are not part of the civil service, nor does trust fund employment lead to Federal status. The salary ranges for trust positions are generally the same as for federal positions and in many cases trust and federal employees work side by side. Trust employees have their own benefit program, which may include Health, Dental & Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Transit/Commuter Benefits, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, Annual and Sick Leave, Family Friendly Leave, 403b Retirement Plan, Discounts for Smithsonian Memberships, Museum Stores and Restaurants, Credit Union, Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (Child Care), Flexible Spending Account (Health & Dependent Care).

Come join a team of dedicated staff at an exceptional time for the Smithsonian. In 2024, we launched the Smithsonian Campaign for Our Shared Future, the largest fundraising campaign in the institution’s history. The campaign, which runs through 2026, aims to raise $2.5 billion to support all Smithsonian museums and centers—each with a vision to achieve a better future for all. The Smithsonian is also raising support for a series of signature programs, events and exhibitions to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026. This position offers exciting opportunities for the successful candidate to make a significant impact on the future of the Smithsonian. There is no better time to join this amazing Institution.

The Office of Advancement oversees and guides the fundraising efforts of the entire Smithsonian and is home to the central development organization for the Institution. In addition to raising significant support for a variety of Smithsonian initiatives, the Office of Advancement provides support services to advancement offices across the Institution. The office engages with staff throughout the Smithsonian in accomplishing their goals.

Reporting to the Director of Constituent Engagement, the Director of Advancement Communications + Marketing leads a team of writers and graphic designers, producing a range of high-quality communications collateral in print, digital, online and video formats to advance the Smithsonian's fundraising priorities. As a member of a leadership team that also oversees donor events, membership and annual giving, the incumbent maps out a communication strategy in collaboration with the Director of Constituent Engagement to cultivate, engage and steward donors, prospects and volunteer leaders.

The director also oversees the creation of the Smithsonian annual report; IMPACT, a magazine-style donor newsletter published three times per year; and the production of compelling videos. The incumbent outlines an editorial calendar for IMPACT, the annual report, si.edu/support and campaign collateral that highlights a cohesive story about fundraising priorities across the Smithsonian.

At the same time, the Director of Advancement Communications + Market is a skilled storyteller, researcher and interviewer, both writing and editing to produce engaging communication and marketing materials in all media in support of institutional fundraising priorities as well as the priorities of Smithsonian museums and research centers. These include concept papers, case statements, proposals, pitch decks, impact reports, talking points, magazine-style stories and other collateral.

The director also manages and executes the development of videos from concept to storyboards, interviews, in-person shoots, scripts, editing and more. These video highlight the importance of both the Smithsonian and specific campaign priorities.

In addition, the director supervises a team of seven employees—three writers, two graphic designers, a production manager and digital design manager—and works with contractors and outside vendors on the production of a full range of material to effectively support the advancement goals of the Smithsonian and to convey the Institution's mission to diverse constituencies.

Successful candidates will demonstrate excellent organizational and time management skills; familiarity with budgets; experience with procurement; marketing experience, including some experience with social media and ad campaigns; familiarity with the complexity of large cultural instutitions; and knowledge of fundraising techniques, including proposal writing, public relations, prospect research, donor relations and stewardship, volunteer management and correspondence management.

The imcubent also will have skills in publication development; video and print production; the creation and maintainance an editorial calendars; content creation and writing for a variety of audiences; ability to translate complex technical language and ideas into easily comprehensible language to non-specialists; interpersonal skills; ability to conduct research projects; and skill in a variety of automated systems such as Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Excel Spreadsheets,Flipsnack, StoryMaps, Canva and related applications as well as project management tools such as Atlassian Jira and digital archival systems.

Applicants who wish to qualify based on education completed outside the United States, must be deemed equivalent to higher education programs of U.S. Institutions by an organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. This documentation is the responsibility of the applicant and should be included as part of your application package.

The Smithsonian Institution values and seeks a diverse workforce. Join us in "Inspiring Generations through Knowledge and Discovery." Interested candidates should submit their resumes and a cover letter by December 31, 2024. Resumes should include a description of your paid and non-paid work experience that is related to this job; starting and ending dates of job (month and year); and average number of hours worked per week.

Any false statement in your application may result in your application being rejected and may also result in termination after employment begins. Relocation expenses are not paid.

What To Expect Next: Once the vacancy announcement closes, a review of your resume will be compared against the qualification and experience requirements related to this job. After review of applicant resumes is complete, qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager.

The Smithsonian Institution provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation should contact oastaffing@si.edu. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. To learn more, please review the Smithsonian’s Accommodation Procedures.

The Smithsonian Institution is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe that a workforce comprising a variety of educational, cultural, and experiential backgrounds support and enhance our daily work life and contribute to the richness of our exhibitions and programs. See Smithsonian EEO program information: www.si.edu/oeema.

Founded in 1846, the Smithsonian is the world’s largest museum and research complex of 21 museums and galleries, the National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, and 14 education and research facilities. There are more than 6,500 Smithsonian employees, including approximately 500 scientists. The total number of objects, works of art and specimens at the Smithsonian is estimated at more than 157 million.