Associate Director Civic Relations and Partnerships

Art Institute of Chicago; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 65,000 - 78,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO overview

Exempt employment

Full-time staff

AFSCME union

Job summary

The Art Institute of Chicago is seeking an Associate Director, Civic Relations and Partnerships to lead the museum's civic and community partnership initiatives, building relationships across Chicago neighborhoods and collaborating with teams to drive attendance and community engagement.

You'll cultivate partnerships with libraries, parks, city agencies and cultural institutions, plan events, and align outreach with museum priorities while maintaining an inclusive, welcoming environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• 7+ years in audience development or civic/community partnerships.
• Strong relationship-building and collaboration skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication, public speaking.
• Familiarity with Chicago neighborhoods preferred.
• Spanish fluency highly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develops a neighborhood engagement strategy reflecting Chicago's diversity.
• Cultivates a portfolio of civic partners including officials, organizations, and cultural institutions.
• Plans and executes events and outreach to engage partners and amplify messages.
• Collaborates across departments to align engagement with museum priorities.
• Communicates plans and results to internal stakeholders.

Skills

Bachelor's degree

Audience development

Partnership development

Public speaking

Written communication

Relationship building

Data-driven decisions

Spanish fluency

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

CRM

Job description

About The Art Institute Of Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago shares its singular collections with our city and the world. We collect, care for, and interpret works of art across time, cultures, geographies, and identities. We are a place of gathering and learning, committed to fostering an inclusive understanding of human creativity.

About The Art Institute Of Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago shares its singular collections with our city and the world. We collect, care for, and interpret works of art across time, cultures, geographies, and identities. We are a place of gathering and learning, committed to fostering an inclusive understanding of human creativity.

About The Department

The Civic Relations and Partnerships team is specifically focused on driving attendance through strategic civic, community, and cultural partnership initiatives and advancing the museum’s civic profile.

Position Summary

The Associate Director, Civic Relations and Partnerships leads the museum’s civic and community partnership initiatives—helping ensure the Art Institute is a welcoming, accessible place for all Chicagoans. In this role, you’ll build meaningful relationships across neighborhoods, strengthen strategic partnerships, and collaborate closely with colleagues across the museum to drive attendance and deepen community engagement. You’ll work alongside the Executive Director, the Manager of Marketing Operations, and teams across the institution to shape outreach strategies, cultivate civic and community partners, and represent the museum in neighborhoods throughout Chicago.

Neighborhood Engagement

• Develops a neighborhood engagement strategy that helps our visitorship reflect the diversity of Chicago.
• Uses available data to identify priority areas, understand community assets and stakeholders, and build an annual outreach plan that drives attendance.
• Strengthens partnerships with the Chicago Public Library, Chicago Park District, and City Colleges, while establishing new, sustainable relationships that support museum priorities.

Partner Cultivation and Relationship Management

• Cultivates and manages a portfolio of civic and community partners, including elected officials’ offices, neighborhood organizations, cultural institutions, and economic development groups.
• Builds trusted relationships that expand the museum’s reach and support long‑term community engagement.
• Identifies opportunities for audience development that deepen connections between the museum and Chicago communities.

Strategic Events and Communications

• Plans and executes strategic events and outreach initiatives that engage civic and community partners and amplify the museum’s key messages.
• Leads neighborhood meetings and off‑site engagements that strengthen relationships and increase visibility.
• Develops targeted communication plans that promote museum access, programs, exhibitions, and community impact.

Cross‑Departmental Collaboration

• Builds strong internal relationships to align neighborhood engagement efforts with institutional priorities.
• Collaborates with colleagues to amplify existing programs, exhibitions, and events.
• Identifies cross‑departmental partnership opportunities and serves as a resource on community engagement strategies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent relevant experience.
• Minimum 7 years of progressively responsible audience development experience with a strong record of strategic partnership development; experience with elected officials and civic organizations preferred.
• Energy and enthusiasm for the museum’s mission and a demonstrated commitment to fostering an inclusive, welcoming environment.
• Familiarity with Chicago and its neighborhoods preferred.
• Exceptional relationship-building and collaboration skills.
• Outstanding interpersonal, verbal (including public speaking), and written communication skills.
• Strong organizational, project, and time‑management abilities; comfortable managing multiple projects and engaging key stakeholders.
• Ability to use data and insights to guide strategic decisions.
• Willingness to work a variable schedule when events require.
• Spanish fluency highly preferred.

Physical Requirements

• Spends extended periods working at a desk and computer (about 50% of the time).
• Navigates office spaces, galleries, and off‑site locations for meetings and events.
• Ability to lift, carry, or push up to 30 lbs.

Compensation & Benefits

• Hiring Range: $65,000-$78,000

The expected hiring range is an estimated amount for positions based on the grade. Final offers are based on various factors, including skill set, experience, qualifications and other job-related reasons.

• Benefits
• PTO Overview
• Job Classification: Exempt
• Employment Category: Full time staff
• Grade Level: 8

If you are accessing this listing from a third party, not all links to salary and benefits information may work. Please visit our career page at saic/artic.edu/employment for complete information

Union

• This position is part of a bargaining unit represented by AFSCME Council 31.

Accessibility

If You Are a Job Seeker With a Disability And Require a Reasonable Accommodation To Apply For One Of Our Jobs, You Will Find The Contact Information To Request The Appropriate Accommodation By Visiting The Following Page

Accessibility Accommodation for Applicants

Equal Opportunity Statement

The Art Institute of Chicago is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits, hires and promotes qualified individuals compliant with federal and state laws. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact the Department of Human Resources at [e-mail].