Manager of Adult and Community Programs

Milwaukee Art Museum•Milwaukee, WI

22d

About The Position

The Manager of Adult and Community Programs develops, manages, executes, and evaluates innovative public programs that create art-centered experiences and advance the Museum’s growth, financial priorities, and cultural fluency. The role oversees programs for adults and general audiences, including lecture series, gallery talks, Artist Talks, Expert Series, MAM After Dark, Art in Bloom, Yoga at MAM, and programs related to exhibitions, the permanent collection, and in-gallery opportunities. Programs serve more than 30,000 participants annually. Working closely with the Senior Director of Community Dialogue & Adult Programs, the manager defines and evaluates program success, oversees program performance against financial, visitation, satisfaction, and education targets, and produces reports for Museum teams and community stakeholders. The role also develops program marketing content, manages budgets and concurrent projects, builds relationships with artists, vendors, cultural institutions, and community partners, and represents the Museum in the Milwaukee community. The position works across Museum departments and with community stakeholders to plan and coordinate programs, facilitate interdepartmental teams, support marketing and development efforts, and form advisory groups or community listening sessions as needed. The manager is expected to foster belonging, curiosity, and positive audience experiences, using feedback and social awareness to adapt programs when appropriate. This is a full-time, salaried, exempt, union position. The expected schedule is Tuesday through Saturday and may vary with programming needs. Evening work is required on program nights, and the role may involve irregular hours and extended shifts, including nights, early mornings, weekends, and holidays. Travel for offsite meetings and community engagement may be required.

Requirements

A bachelor’s degree in arts administration, art history, museum education, performance studies, or a related field; a combination of relevant education, job experience, and training may be considered.
At least 5 years of experience developing and executing public programs, adult museum educational programs, film, music, or other performance-related experiences.
Demonstrated commitment to excellence in museum or cultural education, learning, and public programming.
Demonstrated success managing complex, concurrent projects and coordinating multiple internal and external stakeholders.
Strong time and priority management skills to handle intense workloads and time constraints.
Experience setting and overseeing program strategy and budget oversight.
Familiarity with current trends in museums and museum programming.
Proficiency with project management tools, software, and workflow-tracking systems such as Microsoft Planner, Basecamp, Trello, or Gantt charts.
Experience analyzing program and audience data and preparing reports to support institutional decision-making.
Experience using standard office equipment and computers, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and the internet.
Driver’s license and/or access to transportation.
Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in arts administration, art history, museum education, performance studies, or a related field.
Ability to collaborate effectively with museum staff, students, donors, volunteers, and diverse public constituencies.
Ability to foster a workplace culture of welcome, learning, and curiosity that supports excellence and impact in adult and community programs.
Ability to maintain a flexible schedule, including evenings and weekends, in support of programs, events, and operational priorities.
Bilingual or multilingual ability, including languages such as Native American languages, American Sign Language, Black Vernacular English, Haitian Kreyòl, Hmong, French, German, or Spanish.

Responsibilities

Develop, execute, and oversee evaluation of adult and public programs in partnership with the Senior Director of Community Dialogue & Adult Programs.
Define and communicate program success using quantitative and qualitative metrics.
Lead program performance to meet financial, visitation, satisfaction, and education targets.
Prepare program reports documenting successes, challenges, and data for Museum departments and community stakeholders.
Represent the Museum in the Milwaukee community and build relationships with artists, vendors, cultural institutions, and other stakeholders.
Write marketing content for public programs, including Member Magazine articles, social media posts, and email blasts.
Manage special projects as assigned.
Plan multiple concurrent programs by setting timelines, milestones, and success metrics and resolving scheduling conflicts, calendar density, and resource constraints.
Manage programs through planning, execution, and evaluation, and help set the cadence of public programs in consideration of internal and external calendars.
Co-develop the departmental operating budget and monitor performance after approval, taking corrective action as needed.
Coordinate with Museum staff, support groups, community leaders, resident groups, and colleagues at other institutions to enhance and coordinate public programs.
Facilitate interdepartmental teams for MAM After Dark, Art in Bloom, exhibition program planning, and special projects.
Represent the Community Dialogue program area at departmental meetings.
Collaborate with Marketing on the vision for the annual slate of public programs.
Coordinate Support Group participation and alignment with relevant programs in collaboration with Development.
Build and maintain relationships with artists, vendors, and community partners.
Form and manage advisory groups and community listening sessions for projects as needed.
Travel for offsite meetings and community engagement as needed.
Use emotional and social intelligence to assess program success and audience feedback and make real-time adjustments to support positive experiences.
Support cultural fluency and engagement, communicate effectively, solve problems, and maintain strong attention to detail.