Director of Government and Community Affairs

• Title:  Director of Government & Community Affairs
• Report to:  Deputy Executive Director
• Status:  Full time, Exempt
• Salary Range: $80,000 – $90,000, dependent on experience

Who We Are

El Museo del Barrio, New York’s leading Latino cultural institution, welcomes visitors of all backgrounds to discover the artistic and cultural landscape of the Caribbean and Latin America. The richness of Latino cultures is represented in El Museo’s wide-ranging collections and exhibitions, complemented by performing arts events, cultural celebrations, and educational programs. A dynamic artistic, cultural, and community gathering space, El Museo is a center of cultural pride on New York’s Museum Mile.

Director of Government & Community Affairs

The Director of Government and Community Affairs is responsible for overseeing all activities relating to advocacy, public funding, and government and community relations. This role involves cultivating and maintaining strategic contacts in City, State and Federal government to increase the institution’s ability to secure public funds for El Museo del Barrio’s operational and capital needs. Working closely with the Deputy Executive Director, the Director of Government and Community Affairs prepares and oversees the submission of funding requests and corresponding reports at city, state, and federal levels.
This position works with public agencies, consortia, and alliances to help develop and implement cultural policies, respond to requests from elected and community officials on matters related to the Museum and the arts, and research specific matters of concern to the Museum as required.

Supported by the Community and Government Affairs Coordinator, the Director of Government and Community Affairs liaises between community and cultural organizations who serve a broad audience of adults, families, youth, and children. This role identifies, facilitates and fosters opportunities through public programs, outreach, collaboration and partnership with community organizations, libraries, universities, senior centers, civic groups, government entities and cultural organizations.  These efforts aim to expand access to the Museum for new and non-traditional audiences, with a particular focus on Latino communities in the New York Metropolitan area.

The Director of Government and Community Affairs works closely with all appropriate departments to raise the Museum’s profile and establish good will in the community and build Trustees’, staff and volunteers’ understanding and ownership of El Museo’s government and community affairs efforts. This position prepares reports for various El Museo audiences as required, including the Board of Trustees and with the support of the Community and Government Affairs Coordinator, represent the Museum in various external forums as required and directed.

This is a hybrid position that requires a minimum of two days in office a week.

Responsibilities

• Develop and strengthen relationships and communication with elected officials and staff at all levels of government, with goal of increasing and maintaining support for the museum’s operating and capital budgets.
• Cultivate relationships with agencies at all levels of government. Where required, report as appropriate to funding agencies.
• Work with the Deputy Executive Director and government consultants to set annual public fundraising goals for operating and capital funds and strategize to reach those goals. Identify potential sources of new funding at local, State, Federal and when possible, international levels.
• Identify artistic, educational, and capital projects for funding, working closely with all departments including curatorial, education, theater, development, and capital.
• Manage and oversee all reporting for City, State, and Federal grants, including bi-annual and quarterly reports for the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation.
• With the support of the Community and Government Affairs Coordinator, oversee and manage all aspects of El Museo’s Community Engagement Plan, designed to deepen the institution’s relationship with its founding community of East Harlem and expand its outreach to other underserved communities throughout New York City. This includes the cultivation of new contacts and maintenance of current ones, identifying programs for community involvement and information sharing, and generating outreach to strengthen working relationships with organizations and businesses locally and regionally, and create mutually beneficial partnerships.
•  Serve as Museum’s main liaison to East Harlem’s Community Board Eleven (CB11) and coordinate El Museo staff attendance at CB11 full board meetings, as well as at its Cultural and Education Committee meetings. Host related meetings and events on-site; and with the support of the Community and Government Affairs Coordinator, represent and coordinate representation for the Museum in various external forums.  Some evening and weekend meetings must be attended.
• Manage and maintain a comprehensive database for all community and government affairs contacts.
• Facilitate the efforts of the Trustee Government and Community Affairs Committee which advises El Museo about issues concerning public policy, community service, programming, and other relevant areas of community interest.
• Collaborate with consultants and lobbyists as appropriate.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree, with 3 to 5 years of professional experience in community affairs, public policy, fundraising or related field.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills; good presentation skills.
• Proven ability to network and work productively with diverse constituencies.
• Appreciation of El Museo’s mission and the ability to communicate that mission effectively and enthusiastically.
• Spanish/English bilingual skills and computer literacy required.
• Well acquainted with the community of East Harlem, in addition to working knowledge of NYC ethnic and cultural communities and public funding system is preferred.

Salary Range: $80,000 – $90,000, dependent on experience

Benefits

Benefits include Medical (up to 100% employer-paid plans available), Dental and Vision insurance. Employees may obtain additional coverage for themselves and/or their families at a low cost. El Museo offers the Cultural Institutions Retirement System (CIRS) 401(k) Savings Plan and CIRS Group Life & Welfare Benefits Plan. A TransitChek/Metrocard commuter plan is currently offered to eligible full-time employees. El Museo currently extends a 10% discount to employees on all museum shop merchandise. Paid time off includes thirteen (13) holidays, ten (10) vacation days, two (2) personal days and ten (10) sick days.

How to Apply

Please use this link to apply!

El Museo values diversity in backgrounds and in experiences. El Museo’s commitment to a diverse workforce has been a key to our success. In accordance with that commitment, El Museo provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, predisposing genetic information, gender identity and/or expression, military, or veteran status in accordance with applicable federal, state and/or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.