Director of Audience Strategy & Community Engagement

Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center

Job Description

Full-Time/Exempt
Reports to: Executive Director
Supervises: Marketing & Communications Manager, Box Office Manager, House Manager, Education & Community Engagement Manager
 
Salary Range:  $85,000 – 90,000/year
Benefits: 100% individual health care, dental, vision, short- and long-term disability, and life insurance; paid sick, personal, holiday, and vacation time; 3% matching retirement contribution; complimentary tickets; stimulating work environment; and work that makes a difference

The newly-created position of Director of Audience Strategy & Community Engagement sits at the intersection of marketing, community engagement, and patron experience, and unites diverse revenue-generating functions in a cohesive, data-informed, and audience-centered vision. A key member of the senior management team, this person deepens the Mahaiwe’s connections with existing audiences, attracting new and more diverse ones, and ensuring that every touchpoint reflects the warmth and vitality of the organization. This role ensures the execution of strategies that elevate institutional visibility, expand reach, and enhance every stage of the audience journey, from first click to lasting loyalty. The ideal candidate excels at relationship-building, inspires teams, and relishes uncovering growth opportunities.  
Primary Responsibilities:  

Brand & Promotion
  • Innovate and establish strategic direction and monitor progress for all owned, earned, and paid channels, including digital / social media, e-marketing, press communications, advertising, and promotion, to improve brand position and increase earned revenue
  • Develop compelling storytelling that reflects the Mahaiwe’s mission and brand voice and transcends any single experience
  • Foster consistent messaging and experiential design across all touchpoints
  • Lead audience acquisition and retention campaigns 
  • Identify and manage earned revenue growth opportunities, including but not limited to feedback mechanisms, co-promotions, group sales, promotional events, and visitor areas 
  • Collaborate with the Director of Advancement on strategy, execution, and analysis of donor and campaign communications
  • Collaborate with the Programming team to connect audience motivations and growth opportunities to season planning  

Audience Experience & Engagement
  • Utilizing customer experience mapping, design a cohesive, audience experience – from initial contact through post-event – that is welcoming, accessible, and memorable 
  • Develop initiatives that build audience loyalty and curiosity
  • Ensure mechanisms are in place to track and respond to audience feedback to continuously improve the patron experience 
  • Oversee CRM strategy and administration, leveraging patron data to inform engagement, retention, and revenue goals  
Community Outreach & Partnerships
  • Develop and lead a strategic engagement program
  • Strengthen collaborative relationships with community organizations, schools, and civic groups across the Berkshires and neighboring communities 
  • Design and implement outreach strategies that expand the Mahaiwe’s reach to underserved and underrepresented audiences  

Team Leadership 
  • Model a customer-centric culture
  • Guide each revenue-generating area to develop robust data-driven business plans
  • Direct four departmental managers in achieving defined goals and meeting annual targets 
  • Co-create and monitor annual expense budgets for areas of oversight 
  • Ensure that departments are working collaboratively with all parts of the organization  

Senior Leadership
  • Answer for bottom-line earned revenue of $1M or more annually
  • Create and present reports to the Board of Directors, as requested
  • As a member of the senior management team, contribute to strategic thinking and long-term planning for the organization as a whole  

General Responsibilities 
  • Uphold and embody the Mahaiwe’s policies and efforts in workforce diversity, safety, and sustainability
  • Effectively promote a culture of high performance and continuous improvement that values leadership, collaboration, learning, trusting relationships, and quality 
  • Contribute to a welcoming, respectful, and inclusive working environment 
  • Any other duties that reasonably arise to fulfill the objectives of the Mahaiwe  

Qualifications:  
  • A driving interest in the performing arts and enthusiasm for the mission of the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, including its commitment to community access 
  • 5+ years of proven experience managing and motivating a team 
  • 5+ years of quantifiable success implementing strategy for brand position and/or customer service operations (if in non-profit arts, preferably performing arts, that is a plus) 
  • Experience using data to inform strategy and measure results 
  • Entrepreneurial, creative, customer-centric mindset and operational know-how 
  • Ability to think inventively from an organization-wide perspective 
  • Strong interpersonal skills and ability to navigate a complex, cross-functional environment with diplomacy and good humor 
  • Ability to galvanize internal and external stakeholders toward a shared vision, with demonstrated success building partnerships and working across diverse constituencies 
  • Superior verbal and written communication 
  • Outstanding organizational, time management, and project management skills with an overall execution orientation and high attention to detail 
  • Exceptional problem-solving skills, and the ability to manage competing priorities and multiple projects in various stages 
  • Demonstrated ethics, integrity, and confidentiality 
  • Digital fluency (experience with Patron Manager/LEAP or Salesforce, a plus) 
  • Willingness to work on-site and, on occasion, on a non-conventional schedule, including evening, weekend, or holiday hours 
  • Familiarity with the Berkshire region, a plus 
  • Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a criminal background check in accordance with Massachusetts law

Physical Work Environment: 
 
This position requires an employee to operate a computer, use a telephone, and move through a variety of office and theater environments.

See full job and organization details at https://mahaiwe.org/about/job-openings/

How to apply:

We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds.  We recognize strong candidates may not meet every qualification.  If you meet most criteria and are excited about the role, we encourage you to apply.
 
Send resume and a brief paragraph in response to each of the following questions to HR@mahaiwe.org.
1.      What about the Mahaiwe and this position most interests you?
2.      How do you feel that you are uniquely qualified to fill this position?
3.      How would people who have worked with you describe you?