Communications Manager

MOLAA | Museum of Latin American Art; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) seeks a strategic Communications Manager to lead content creation, media relations, and digital storytelling across exhibitions, programs, fundraising, and memberships. This onsite role reports to the Deputy Director and requires coordinating with internal teams and outside partners to produce timely, accurate communications in English and Spanish.

The ideal candidate is an exceptional writer and project manager, fluent in both languages, and able to

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, Journalism, or related field or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 5-7 years of professional communications, marketing, or public relations experience.
• Fluent Spanish and English language skills including speaking, reading, writing, editing and translation.
• Exceptional writing, editing, storytelling and media-pitching skills; experience with press releases and media outreach.
• Experience managing social media, email marketing campaigns, websites, and digital content.
• Strong project management, organizational and follow-through skills with ability to manage multiple deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute communications strategies supporting exhibitions, events, fundraising, memberships and community engagement.
• Create and manage content across digital and print platforms including website, social media, emails, newsletters and blogs.
• Write, edit, translate and proofread content in English and Spanish.
• Manage content calendar and ensure consistent messaging across channels.
• Draft press releases, media pitches and donor communications.

Skills

Bilingual English/Spanish

Excellent writing and editing

Media pitching

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, Journalism, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

Meltwater

Content Management Systems

Mailchimp

Canva

Adobe Creative Cloud

Job description

Communications Manager (Bilingual English/Spanish)

Location: Long Beach, CA (onsite role)

Reports to: Deputy Director

Position Summary

Communications Manager (Bilingual English/Spanish)

Salary: $85,000-$90,000

Location: Long Beach, CA (onsite role)

Reports to: Deputy Director

Position Summary

The Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) seeks a strategic, creative, and highly organized Communications Manager to lead the museum's communications, content creation, media relations, and digital storytelling efforts. This role is responsible for developing compelling content that elevates MOLAA's exhibitions, public programs, educational initiatives, fundraising campaigns, membership programs, and community impact.

Reporting to the Deputy Director, the Communications Manager serves as a key communications partner to museum leadership and supports a fast-paced environment with multiple priorities and deadlines. This position translates institutional strategy into timely, accurate, compelling communications across press, digital, email, website, advertising, and event channels. The Communications Manager serves as the central coordinator for museum departments and outside providers, independently moving projects from information gathering through publication and reporting. The ideal candidate is an exceptional writer, storyteller, and project manager who is fully bilingual in English and Spanish.

This is an execution-focused management role: the Communications Manager personally writes, edits, organizes, publishes, pitches, and follows through, while assigning specialized design, social media production, and technical work to contractors as appropriate.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute communications strategies that support exhibitions, events, fundraising campaigns, memberships, and community engagement initiatives.
• Create and manage content across digital and print platforms, including website, social media, email marketing, newsletters, blogs, presentations, and promotional materials.
• Write, edit, translate, and proofread content in both English and Spanish.
• Manage MOLAA's content calendar and ensure timely and consistent messaging across all channels.
• Draft press releases, media pitches, executive correspondence, talking points, speeches, and donor communications.
• Build and maintain relationships with local, regional, and Spanish-language media outlets.
• Support organizational branding and ensure consistency in voice, tone, and visual identity.
• Collaborate with program, development, and visitor engagement teams to promote museum initiatives and increase audience engagement.
• Track communication metrics and provide reports on campaign effectiveness and audience growth.
• Provide communications support to the Deputy Director and senior leadership as needed.

Communications planning and internal coordination

• Maintain a rolling 90-day master communications calendar covering press releases, media pitches, exhibition openings, public programs, fundraising communications, invitations, email campaigns, advertising, and production deadlines.
• Lead quarterly content collection with Curatorial, Learning & Public Programs, Development, Membership, Retail, and other departments; confirm event details, images, permissions, links, deadlines, and designated approvers.
• Manage incoming marketing requests, set production schedules, monitor dependencies, identify conflicts, and proactively escape risks or missing information.
• Prepare weekly status updates and maintain organized shared files, briefs, approvals, and final assets.

Public relations and editorial content

• Draft, edit, coordinate approvals for, and distribute press releases, media advisories, institutional announcements, and targeted media pitches.
• Build and maintain regional, arts, culture, bilingual, and community media relationships; identify stories and proactively pitch coverage and interview opportunities.
• Coordinate interviews, press visits, photography requests, media credentials, spokesperson preparation, and coverage tracking.
• Translate curatorial and program information into accessible, accurate, audience-appropriate promotional language, secure factual review from responsible departments.

Website, email, and digital communications

• Publish and maintain timely website content, including exhibitions, events, registration links, institutional updates, and basic accessibility elements such as alt text.
• Serve as MOLAA's primary day-to-day internal contact for the website redesign: consolidate departmental requirements, coordinate content, monitor milestones, organize reviews and testing, and track vendor deliverables; elevate scope, budget, and strategic decisions to the Deputy Director.
• Prepare, schedule, and quality-check email campaigns, invitations, newsletters, and related digital communications; ensure consistency across channels.
• Coordinate content accuracy, search discoverability, bilingual review where applicable, and basic performance measurement.

Contractors, advertising, and creative production

• Serve as the primary liaison for the offsite social media contractor; assemble complete content packages, approved copy, visual assets, event details, links, and deadlines; review deliverables for accuracy and brand consistency.
• Coordinate print and digital advertising placements with magazines, media partners, and promotional outlets; track specifications, insertion deadlines, proofs, and delivery.
• Create straightforward layouts and edits using available design tools; prepare creative briefs, obtain quotes, and coordinate freelance designers for specialized or complex projects.
• Monitor vendor schedules, scope, deliverables, and approved budgets; route contract and spending decisions through authorized leadership.

Reporting and institutional support

• Maintain practical dashboards or reports on campaign execution, media coverage, website and email performance, and contractor deliverables.
• Identify opportunities to improve workflows, templates, approval paths, audience reach, and campaign effectiveness.
• Support urgent institutional communications, special events, and other related duties as assigned, with priorities aligned to available capacity.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, Journalism, or related field, or equivalent relevant professional experience.
• Minimum of 5-7 years of professional communications, marketing, public relations experience.
• Fluent Spanish and English language skills, including speaking, reading, writing, editing, and translation.
• Exceptional writing, editing, storytelling, verbal communication skills, and media-pitching skills; demonstrated experience preparing press releases and coordinating media outreach.
• Experience managing social media platforms, email marketing campaigns, websites, and digital content.
• Strong project management, organizational, and follow-through skills with the ability to manage multiple deadlines simultaneously.
• Ability to work collaboratively and professionally with artists, donors, board members, community partners, and staff.
• Experience using Microsoft Office, Meltwater, content management systems, and Mailchimp or comparable email marketing platforms. Ability to perform basic design or asset editing in Canva, Adobe Creative Cloud, or comparable tools.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in a museum, arts, cultural institution, nonprofit, or higher education environment.
• Knowledge of Latino and Latin American arts and culture.
• Experience with donor communications, membership programs, and fundraising campaigns.
• Photography, videography, or graphic design experience.

MOLAA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace.