Head of Design & Editorial

Minneapolis Institute of Art • Minneapolis, MN

13d • $120,000 - $125,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Head of Design & Editorial is a director-level creative leader responsible for shaping the Minneapolis Institute of Art’s visual identity across all touchpoints. The role leads a team of graphic designers and editors and champions design and editorial excellence across physical exhibitions, print collateral, digital experiences, motion graphics, signage, wayfinding, owned brand merchandise, and marketing campaigns.

Within the Audience & Engagement division, the Head serves as Mia’s senior leader for design and editorial services, building a collaborative, solutions-oriented culture that elevates the visitor experience and drives audience engagement. The role leads the expression and evolution of Mia’s visual identity, design systems, creative standards, and editorial practices; partners with other departments to ensure consistent, cohesive creative work; and provides high-level creative and art direction for key or complex projects.

The Head embeds inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility into creative assets and content strategies. The role also works with Audience Project Management on request evaluation, workflow prioritization, schedules, and team capacity; manages departmental and project budgets and external creative partners; and recruits, mentors, and develops the design and editorial team. Other duties may be assigned by the Chief Audience & Engagement Officer.

Requirements

• 10+ years of progressive experience in creative direction, brand strategy, and graphic design.
• 3–5+ years of direct supervisory experience leading creative teams, such as designers, editors, or production specialists.
• Proven track record of developing, launching, or evolving comprehensive brand systems and omnichannel content strategies.
• Extensive experience directing both digital work, including web, social, interactive, and motion, and print or environmental collateral, including signage, exhibitions, and publications.
• Strong working knowledge of modern creative suites and collaboration tools, including Adobe Creative Cloud, Figma, Asana or similar enterprise project management software, and Google Workspace or Microsoft 365.
• Exceptional task prioritization, working memory, and time management, with the ability to switch focus among concurrent print, digital, and environmental projects while maintaining strategic momentum and attention to detail.
• Emotional intelligence and social executive-function skills to coach diverse creative teams through high-pressure deadlines, mediate cross-departmental friction, and adjust team workloads.
• Cognitive flexibility to solve complex design challenges, navigate ambiguity, and translate institutional goals into actionable creative systems under tight deadlines.
• Analytical ability to evaluate competing departmental demands, allocate limited resources, and make decisive creative and operational choices.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, Fine Arts, Visual Communications, or equivalent practical leadership experience.
• Experience in an arts, cultural, museum, or nonprofit environment.
• Deep understanding of human-centered design, universal design principles, and accessible media guidelines.

Responsibilities

• Lead the expression and evolution of Mia’s visual identity, design systems, and creative standards across physical and digital touchpoints, aligned with Mia’s brand strategy.
• Lead editorial standards and practices for exhibition labels, gallery interpretation, publications, and other institutional content, including developmental editing, copyediting, proofreading, style standards, and editorial production.
• Partner with Curatorial, Marketing & Communications, Website & Digital Experience, Learning & Programming, and other teams to ensure brand consistency and cohesive campaign identities.
• Provide high-level creative and art direction, directly supporting key, high-stakes, or complex projects when needed.
• Embed inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility into creative assets and content strategies, reflecting diverse perspectives and meeting universal accessibility standards.
• Partner with Audience Project Management to evaluate creative requests, prioritize workflows, establish production schedules, and manage team capacity.
• Develop and oversee annual departmental operating budgets and project-specific creative budgets.
• Manage external creative partners, agency vendors, and freelance talent, including negotiating scopes of work, timelines, and deliverables.
• Recruit, mentor, and empower a team of designers and editors.
• Foster a continuous-learning environment that encourages creative experimentation and professional growth.
• Set clear goals, conduct regular one-on-ones, and conduct performance reviews to elevate team capabilities and engagement.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Chief Audience & Engagement Officer.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health benefits, including medical, dental, paid life insurance, short-term and long-term disability, and vision coverage.
• Wellness and employee assistance program.
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for health expenses.
• Dependent Care Account (DCA) for dependent care expenses.
• 403(b) Retirement + Savings Plan, including a percentage-of-salary contribution from Mia after two years of employment, subject to minimum hours and age eligibility requirements.
• Paid vacation, personal days, and sick days.
• 11 paid holidays.
• 37.5-hour work week.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: No Education Listed