Institute for Contemporary Art Head of University and Community Partnerships

Virginia Commonwealth University•Richmond, VA

11d•$70,000 - $82,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Working closely with curatorial leadership, the Head of University and Community Partnerships ensures that partnerships align with the ICA’s mission, artistic vision, and public engagement goals. The role supports the integration of artists and exhibitions into university and community life while overseeing the execution and implementation of partnership-based programs and initiatives from ideation through completion. The Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA) at VCU presents the art of our time and provides an open forum for dialogue and collaboration across the region and throughout the world. With free admission, the ICA is a major resource for VCU, Richmond, and beyond.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Arts Administration, Museum Studies, Education, Public Humanities, Communications, or related field required or the equivalent combination of professional experience, education, and training.
Minimum 3–5 years of experience in partnership management, museum engagement, public programming, higher education, or community-based cultural work.
Strong capacity for relationship building and networking.
Strong organizational skills, project management abilities, and high attention to detail.
Exceptional interpersonal, public speaking, and communication skills.
Demonstrated experience managing collaborative initiatives and public-facing programs from planning through implementation.
Ability to manage multiple projects and stakeholders simultaneously.
Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of contemporary art and cultural institutions strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Leads the development, coordination, implementation, and stewardship of the Institute for Contemporary Art’s (ICA) university-facing initiatives and community partnerships.
Serves as the primary liaison between the ICA, academic departments, faculty, students, community organizations, and civic collaborators.
Oversees all partnership activity connected to exhibitions, programs, events, academic programs, including classes, and institutional space use.
Ensures that partnerships align with the ICA’s mission, artistic vision, and public engagement goals.
Supports the integration of artists and exhibitions into university and community life.
Oversees the execution and implementation of partnership-based programs and initiatives from ideation through completion.
Streamlines collaboration requests, coordinates institutional relationships, and ensures successful implementation of mission-aligned public programs and partnerships across departments.
Cultivates and maintains strong, collaborative relationships with community organizations, local leaders, and other key stakeholders.
Manages program implementation through post-event follow-up, documentation, reporting, and relationship stewardship.
Serves as ICA liaison for faculty, academic departments, and university partners.
Leads the planning, coordination, implementation, and follow-through of university-facing programs and initiatives from initial inquiry through final execution and assessment.
Coordinates and executes university and community partner engagements, screenings, lectures, workshops, performances, symposia, classes, and curricular collaborations.
Partners with appropriate colleagues and leaders in VCUarts administrative offices and academic units to ensure successful partnership development and collaborative management of engagement events, activities, and programs.
Develops event plans and cross-departmental communication strategies to ensure successful implementation of academic and community initiatives.
Oversees requests related to institutional space use connected to mission-aligned initiatives and ensures a collaborative review of requests is conducted with all appropriate parties.
Collaborates with curatorial staff to facilitate artist engagement with students, faculty, and university partners.
Manages calendars, timelines, communications, and documentation related to ICA partnership activity and public programs.
Coordinates travel, hospitality, itineraries, and logistics for visiting collaborators and community participants.
Tracks partnership deliverables, agreements, and institutional records.
Supports institutional planning related to engagement initiatives, public programs, and collaborative projects.
Ensures clear communication and workflow coordination across departments and external stakeholders.