Chief Marketing Officer

Washington, DC, DC
Full Time
Communications
Executive
Chief Marketing Officer
Reports to:       Chief Executive Officer                            Team:            Communications
Supervisory:     Supervisory Position                                FLSA Status:  Full-Time, Exempt
Location:           Washington, DC                                         Telework:      Yes

Timeline:          The review process of applications will begin on September 30, 2025.
Salary Range:  $180,000 - $225,000

Who We Are
Americans for the Arts (AFTA) strengthens the arts from the ground up – supporting advocacy that empowers communities, develops arts leadership, and produces field-informed research. We shape national arts policy to reflect the realities and aspirations of artists, organizations, businesses, and communities nationwide. We champion the arts as a unifying and essential force in American life.

An Overview of the Communications Team
Led by the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), the Communications team ensures a cohesive and impactful marketing and communications strategy across all platforms. This includes overseeing media relations, content development, and assisting with advocacy messaging, working closely with our government affairs, programs, research, and development teams and the Arts Action Fund (AAF) to craft compelling narratives. Communications is integral in our brand promotion, audience engagement, and digital outreach, ensuring our online presence and marketing campaigns align with advocacy initiatives.

An Overview of the Role
The Chief Marketing Officer plays a critical leadership role in developing and executing a comprehensive marketing and communications strategy that advances AFTA’s advocacy goals, policy priorities, and brand positioning. This role ensures that AFTA’s messaging is clear, compelling, and strategically aligned with its mission to unite the arts and culture ecosystem and influence national arts policy.

The CMO leads crisis communications, oversees brand management, and drives integrated campaigns that engage policymakers, local arts agencies, media, and the public. This position works cross-functionally with Government Affairs, Programs, Research, Development, and our affiliate 501(c)4 organization, AAF, to amplify AFTA’s impact at the national level.

The CMO is responsible for supervising all members of the Communications team: Director of Communications, Web Developer, and Digital Communications Manager.

Division of Labor between 501c3 and 501c4 
This role is considered a matrixed role, responsible for duties that support both Americans for the Arts (501c3) and the Arts Action Fund (501c4), which are legally two separate entities. You will be responsible for tracking your time worked across both organizations, having some responsibility associated with collaborative mission-driven fundraising between AFTA and the AAF (within legal and tax parameters). Approximately 30-40% of your hours worked will be allocated to the 501c(4).  

The Key Responsibilities*
Strategic Communications & Advocacy Alignment
  • Develop and implement a proactive communication strategy that supports AFTA’s policy priorities and advocacy initiatives.
  • Ensure consistency in messaging across all platforms to position AFTA as the leading voice in arts advocacy.
  • Work closely with the Government Affairs team to craft compelling narratives that influence legislative and policy outcomes.
  • Oversee the development of talking points, op-eds, policy briefs, and messaging toolkits for arts advocates and policymakers.
  • Develop targeted communications plans for key advocacy initiatives, including legislative fly-ins, funding negotiations, and national arts campaigns.
  • Perform similar duties, approximately 30% of the time, dedicated to assisting with communications for the AAF.
Crisis Communications & Reputation Management
  • Lead crisis communication planning and response, ensuring rapid and strategic engagement with media, stakeholders, and the public.
  • Serve as AFTA’s chief spokesperson when necessary, or coordinate messaging with executive leadership.
  • Monitor media and public sentiment to anticipate and address reputational risks.
  • Develop crisis response protocols and train key staff on effective crisis communications strategies
Media Relations & Public Affairs
  • Cultivate strong relationships with national, regional, and targeted local industry media to increase AFTA’s visibility.
  • Develop and execute media outreach strategies that elevate AFTA’s policy agenda and advocacy work.
  • Oversee the drafting and distribution of press releases, media advisories, and editorial content.
  • Identify and prepare key AFTA and AAF leaders and stakeholders for media engagements, including interviews, op-eds, and press conferences.
Brand Management & Digital Strategy
  • Ensure consistency in AFTA’s brand identity, messaging, and visual representation across all communications channels.
  • Develop brand identities that help differentiate AFTA and AAF while also showing their connectedness.
  • Develop marketing strategies to increase membership growth for AFTA and AAF.
  • Oversee the strategy for digital communications, including social media, email marketing, and website content, to enhance advocacy efforts.
  • Utilize data-driven insights to refine messaging strategies and improve audience engagement.
  • Guide the creation of multimedia content (videos, infographics, reports) to support advocacy campaigns.
Leadership & Team Management
  • Lead and mentor a high-performing communications team, ensuring alignment with AFTA’s mission and strategic goals.
  • Foster collaboration between Communications, Programs, Government Affairs, Development, Research, and Arts Action Fund (AAF) teams to maximize the impact of AFTA’s messaging
  • Oversee communications budgets, ensuring resources are effectively allocated for maximum impact.
  • Engage with AFTA’s Board, members, and external partners to strengthen advocacy messaging and outreach efforts.  
*This position is expected to perform similar duties, approximately 30% of their time, in coordination with the Arts Action Fund (AAF), our affiliate 501(c)4 organization.

The Experience and Skills That Matter Most
The ideal candidate will have a strong background in building cross-functional communication channels, brand positioning, crisis communications, and developing overall organizational messaging strategies, in addition to:
  • A commitment to advancing the AFTA mission, with a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility and a passion for arts policy and funding landscapes.
  • Minimum of 12 years of experience in strategic communications, public affairs, or media relations, preferably in nonprofit advocacy, government, or arts policy sectors.
  • Proven ability to develop and execute high-impact advocacy communication strategies.
  • Expertise in crisis communications and reputation management.
  • Strong media relationships and experience securing national press coverage.
  • Exceptional writing and public speaking skills, with the ability to translate complex policy issues into compelling narratives
  • Experience leading cross-functional teams and managing multi-channel communications campaigns.
  • Knowledge of digital advocacy tools, social media strategies, and data analytics for audience engagement.
More About Americans for the Arts and the Benefits Available to Staff

The State of AFTA
Following a period of significant organizational change, AFTA is continuing to evolve in ways that will increase its effectiveness and trust within the field.

The onboarding of our new CEO in March 2025 laid the foundation for steady long-term leadership and trust building to meet the needs of our staff, members, stakeholders, and the public. The hiring of the Senior Leadership Team, which includes the Chief Marketing Officer, is the next step to equipe AFTA with the framework necessary to meet the challenges ahead.

It is critical that our incoming Chief Marketing Officer be a trusted advisor to the CEO to bolster organizational success. Our ideal candidate will have a strong background in developing overall organizational messaging strategies, building cross-functional communication channels, brand positioning, and crisis communications to lead our Communications Team and establish AFTA and AAF as leaders in the current and future economic, political, and cultural environments of America in 2025 and beyond.

Work Hours & In-Office Requirements
AFTA is open weekdays, operating on a 37.5-hour work week (7.50-hour day), with the core business hours of 10:00 – 4:00 pm ET. Our in-office policy requires employees to work from the DC office at least 1 day a week.

Compensation and Benefits
The compensation range for this position is $180,000 - $225,000 and will be commensurate with the scale and scope of experience. The total compensation package includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, 403b employer contributions, and a generous time-off package, including paid parental leave. Employees are also eligible to participate in short-and-long-term disability, life insurance, Flexible Spending Account (FSA), Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and professional development opportunities.
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