Description

Overview

Are you looking to be part of an innovative team of professionals dedicated to telling South Carolina's many stories? As the storytellers of South Carolina, the South Carolina State Museum (SCSM) staff share the rich natural and multiculturalism of the state through the museum’s permanent collections, educational programs, exhibitions, and digital resources.

This is an exciting moment for the State Museum as it embarks on a $75 million capital campaign to reimagine the museum experience for our visitors and expand our educational impact statewide. This collaborative project will allow the museum to share more of its extensive collection of over 1.1 million objects and specimens and renew over 150,000 square feet with updated permanent exhibitions and immersive multimedia experiences highlighting the important stories of people and communities throughout South Carolina’s history.

Come be a part of our team reimagining what the South Carolina State Museum can be for our current and next generation of visitors, students, and scholars. Enjoy living in South Carolina’s capital or surrounding cities where beaches, lakes, marshlands, and the Blue Ridge Mountains are all within a few hours.

The museum is seeking an innovative and strategic Chief of External Affairs to lead our efforts to strengthen the museum’s public presence and expand connections with audiences across South Carolina. Reporting to the Executive Director, this role will oversee all external communications, brand management, media relations, digital strategy, and public information functions to elevate the museum’s voice during a pivotal period of growth and transformation. 

Core Responsibilities

Institutional Marketing & Brand Growth

• Flagship Branding: Directs brand positioning to showcase the museum's educational and cultural value and vast collection of 1 million+ artifacts.
• Audience Generation: Builds data-driven campaigns to boost general museum, programmatic and outreach attendance state-wide.
• Exhibition and Programming Promotion: Develops and executes promotional strategies for permanent, changing, and traveling statewide exhibitions and public programs.
• Digital Strategy: Oversees digital strategy and engagement, including website and social media platforms

Communications & Media Relations

• Public Relations: Oversees media development and communications, including pitching stories on new acquisitions and milestones.
• Crisis Management: Leads communications regarding facility updates, safety protocols, and emergency messaging.
• Community Advocacy: Supports the museum’s accessibility initiatives including programs such as Museums for All, Blue Star Summer and first-Sunday discounts to the public.
• Internal Communications: Aligns staff, volunteers, the State Museum Commission and the SCSM Foundation staff and Board on internal goals and priorities.

Private Rentals & Special Events Marketing Strategy

• Sales & Marketing Strategy: Drives a comprehensive B2B sales funnel to attract high-value corporate clients and event planners regionally and statewide.
• Revenue Strategy: Works in collaboration with the Chief Operations and Revenue Office and Director of Visitor Services on the strategic development and monetization of the museum's premier facility spaces for corporate events, weddings, galas, and private conferences.
• Stakeholder Strategy: Works in collaboration with the Chief of Staff and Head of Strategic Initiatives, Executive Director of the SCSM Foundation and Operations Leadership to maximize the strategic and philanthropic value of museum rentals and special events by deliberately designing, executing, and leveraging private and internal events to cultivate stakeholder relationships, elevate the museum's institutional profile, and directly support foundation fundraising goals.

Creative Direction & Graphic Design Team Management

• Visual Identity Custodian: Sets and enforces the museum’s comprehensive visual identity guidelines across all physical and digital platforms.
• Team Leadership: Provides oversight, professional development, and performance management for the internal graphic design team.
• Exhibition and Programming Collaborations: Partners with education, curatorial and design staff to ensure exhibition and program signage, environmental graphics, and wayfinding meet institutional standards.
• Production Management: Oversees the end-to-end creative pipeline, including project scoping, designer assignment, and final print/digital asset production.
• Vendor & Agency Relations: Manages relationships and contracts with external printers, fabricators, and creative agencies to maintain production quality.

Fundraising Advancement & Liaison to the SCSM Foundation

• Strategic Collaboration: Partners with South Carolina State Museum Foundation executive leadership to design integrated marketing campaigns for annual giving, capital campaigns, and major donor initiatives.
• Donor Communications: Partners with the South Carolina State Museum Foundation executive leadership on the creation of tailored development communications, including case for support materials, impact reports, grant collateral, and the museum's quarterly member magazine and annual report.
• Stakeholder Stewardship: Collaborates on communication plans for donor, stakeholder and partner appreciation, ensuring corporate sponsors, foundations, and private benefactors receive appropriate, high-visibility brand recognition.
• Joint Event Marketing: Leads promotional, invitation, and public relations efforts for high-profile fundraising events, gala openings, and exclusive member-only preview nights.
• Membership Conversion: Designs strategic marketing flows in collaboration with the Foundation’s membership staff that successfully transition general museum visitors and event attendees into active Foundation members and recurring donors.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Creative Pipeline Efficiency: On-time and on-budget delivery of design assets across marketing, exhibition, and foundation requests.
• Attendance Growth: Annual percentage increase in general admission, theater/planetarium ticket sales, program and outreach initiatives, and special exhibition foot traffic.
• Earned Income Metrics: Total revenue generated from private rentals and corporate special events against baseline annual goals.
• Membership Conversion: Year-over-year growth in the museum membership base driven by visitor-to-member marketing funnels.
• Fundraising Support: Successful delivery of marketing and communication collateral meeting the Foundation's campaign timelines and revenue goals.
• Brand Consistency: High audit alignment across all departments regarding approved visual identity guidelines, tone, and strategic messaging.

Requirements

Minimum and Additional Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, business, digital media, or a related field.
• Seven to ten years of progressively responsible experience in communications, public relations, or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated knowledge of journalistic principles and best practices for effective information dissemination.
• Proven ability to serve as an organizational spokesperson, including participation in on-camera interviews.
• Excellent writing, editing, and content-production skills across multiple formats and mediums.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication abilities.
• Ability to supervise, mentor, and develop staff to achieve high-quality communication outcomes.
• Some travel, evening and weekend work is required.

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk, working on a computer, and filing documents.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in communications, business, digital media, or a related field.
• Ten years of relevant experience, preferably in a museum or nonprofit institution.
• Ability to uphold and consistently apply organizational branding standards across all marketing and communication materials.
• Experience overseeing FOIA response processes and related public information requirements.

Additional Requirements:

• Successful experience building and maintaining relationships with local, state, and national media partners.
• Strong understanding of social media platforms and effective strategies for public communication and engagement.
• Knowledge of methods and practices used to plan, execute, and oversee large-scale public relations initiatives.

All applicants must apply online via Job Openings | South Carolina State Museum or Chief of External Affairs | Job Details tab | Career Pages