Public Affairs Specialist, IS-1035-09

Smithsonian Institution•Washington, DC

1d•$70,623 - $77,687•Onsite

About The Position

The Public Affairs Specialist is located in the Office of Communications and Marketing, which has responsibility for directing, planning, and coordinating the communications and promotion of the museum’s mission, activities, and accomplishments to its audiences. The incumbent prepares informational materials, serves as a media contact, and formulates and implements outreach to media, influential publics and stakeholders, and drafts and supports marketing plans for assigned exhibitions, initiatives, and programs. Strong writing and organizational skills are essential.

Requirements

2-3 years of related experience
Knowledge of communication principles, methods, and techniques to prepare and disseminate information about the museum’s activities to the general public through print, electronic, and broadcast media.
Knowledge of art and museum practices to communicate the messages of a modern and contemporary art institution.
Ability to research, compile, and analyze information to write news releases on museum activities.
Skill in exchanging information with a wide variety of museum staff and outside museum constituents to coordinate interviews and tours with the media.
Knowledge of AP and MLA style guides to write and edit documents prepared for the media and the public.
Knowledge of media resource databases to research media contacts and clips.
Knowledge of key measurement platforms including Cision and Meltwater.
Knowledge of Adobe Illustrator, Canva and toolbox for Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn

Responsibilities

Develops media plans, to include the calendar for outreach, the story or theme relevant to individual media segments, and the methods to distribute the themes.
Compiles and tracks media coverage of the museum to evaluate success of the plans and methods.
Responds to inquiries from the media by providing information packets and factual verifications. As necessary, determines the nature of the information required for responses, conducts research to locate additional appropriate materials, and collects material including short original video and photos for pitching, public awareness, and promotional use.
Provides information and responses according to media plans and Smithsonian policies.
Schedules museum or other site visits for photo shoots and filming by news outlets, production companies, and Smithsonian photographers, and coordinates necessary building access. Schedules and makes logistical arrangements for media events including VIP tours, press previews, and exhibition previews.
Maintains friendly and cooperative relationships with a large spectrum of local and national media, and keeps them informed of the wide range of the museum’s activities.
Conducts regular measurement of the department’s media reach and drafts reports.
Writes and edits materials for the media including press releases, media advisories, calendars, fact sheets, etc.
Writes and edits materials for the general public including two original weekly e-newsletters, program descriptions, museum signage, social media posts.
Confers with curators, educators, and other museum staff to identify and develop information for use in news releases, TV and radio programs, articles, and meetings with media representatives.
Creates materials that support media coverage for a wide range of events including facesheets and backgrounds, runs-of-show and coordinates internal memos to alert staff museum-wide of communications needs.
Authors materials in accordance with the museum and Smithsonian policies.
Writes and updates textual content, selects suitable and relevant images, and shares this content through digital distribution channels.
Manages the departments Google Ads grant by measuring, adjusting and refocusing the campaign as needed.
Works with the communications team to host press and influencers for familiarization with the mission, collection, programming and expertise.
Coordinates promotional efforts, messages, and content consistency with other museum and Smithsonian staff who manage similar outlets.
Monitors the responses to campaign messages and materials, identifies trends, and posts or distributes further content to sustain positive interest and online dialogue.