Senior Director of External Affairs

Association of Academic Museums & Galleries.; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 108,100 - 204,900; Full time

Job summary

UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art invites a strategic leader to serve as Senior Director of External Affairs. Reporting to the Museum Director, the role builds visibility, reputation, and audience engagement across local through national audiences.

You will supervise marketing, communications, design, social media, and digital content while guiding advancement and fundraising. Candidates should have substantial senior experience in museums or similar nonprofits, with strong

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in related area or equivalent experience.
• Minimum of seven years in advancement, communications, or external affairs with leadership experience.
• Experience leading marketing, communications, or fundraising in a museum or nonprofit context.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a comprehensive external affairs strategy to increase visibility and engagement.
• Lead marketing, communications, graphic design, social media and digital content teams.
• Provide strategic direction for museum advancement and donor relations.
• Shape the museum’s public presence and relationships for long-term growth.

Skills

Marketing knowledge

Strategic planning

Staff management

Interpersonal communication

Market research

Project management

Copyright/licensing knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s degree in related area

Job description

Senior Director of External Affairs – UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art

Salary Range Minimum: USD $108,100.00 /Yr.

Salary Range Maximum: USD $204,900.00 /Yr.

Position Type: Full Time

Job Description

Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation’s top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced five Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UC Irvine has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide. To learn more about UC Irvine, visit www.uci.edu.

The UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art is a newly unified museum that brings together the academic depth of UC Irvine with the public presence of a major regional art institution. Led by Museum Director Kathryn Kanjo, the museum brings together two renowned institutions under a shared vision of public access, scholarship, and meaningful cultural engagement across Orange County and beyond. The museum cares for a collection of more than 9,000 works tracing California art from the nineteenth century to today. As the museum moves toward a single, consolidated home, its work will be centered in the 53,000‑square‑foot public‑facing building in Costa Mesa designed for exhibitions, programs, and community gathering—bringing together education, research, and public engagement under one roof. As part of the University of California, the UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art connects artists, students, scholars, and the public through exhibitions, programs, and collaborations that spark curiosity, deepen understanding, and inspire connection. The museum is entering an exciting new chapter, guided by a vision of curatorial excellence, accessibility, and service to the region’s vibrant cultural landscape.

Your Role on the Team

We seek a strategic and creative leader to serve as Senior Director of External Affairs. Reporting directly to the Museum Director, this senior position is responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive external affairs strategy that advances the museum’s visibility, reputation, and audience engagement across local, regional, and national audiences. The Director will lead an integrated team encompassing marketing, communications, graphic design, and social media and digital content, while also providing strategic direction for museum advancement and fundraising. This position plays a critical role in shaping how the Langson presents itself to the world and in building the relationships and public presence essential to the museum’s long‑term growth and impact.

What It Takes to be Successful

Required

• Strong knowledge of current and emerging industry requirements and best practices in marketing.
• Strong skills in strategic planning to effectively organize resources, establish priorities, and achieve desired results, including a proven track record of developing and executing integrated external affairs strategies in a museum, cultural institution, university, or comparable nonprofit or public sector organization.
• Strong skill in managing staff including selection, training, evaluating and mentoring staff at all organizational levels; skill in taking corrective action with staff as required.
• Strong interpersonal communication and political acumen to effectively work with internal customers and external constituencies, including the ability to work effectively within a complex organizational environment, including navigating matrixed or dotted‑line reporting relationships.
• Strong market research, analytical, and problem recognition/avoidance/resolution skills.
• Strong skills to produce results and achieve predetermined goals within budget and time constraints, including strong project management skills with the ability to manage competing priorities, meet deadlines, and lead multiple concurrent initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of applicable University policies and state and federal laws regarding copyright and other licensing issues.
• Bachelor’s degree in related area and/or equivalent experience/training.
• Minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in advancement, communications, or external affairs, with demonstrated leadership experience managing staff and overseeing multiple functional areas.

Preferred

• Experience working within a university or academic institution, with familiarity with university advancement, development, or alumni relations functions.
• Familiarity with the University of California system or comparable public research university environment.
• Experience supporting or partnering with fundraising and donor engagement efforts in a cultural or educational institution.
• Established relationships with regional and national arts media, cultural organizations, and community stakeholders.
• Experience in crisis communications and reputation management.

Total Rewards

In addition to the salary range listed above, we offer a wealth of benefits including medical insurance, sick and vacation time, retirement savings plans, and access to a number of discounts and perks. The expected pay range for this recruitment is $108,100 – $161,000 (annual).

Conditions of Employment

The University of California, Irvine seeks to provide a safe and healthy environment for the entire UC community. As part of this commitment, all applicants who accept an offer of employment must comply with the following conditions of employment:

• Background Check and Live Scan
• Employment Misconduct
• Legal Right to work in the United States
• Smoking and Tobacco Policy
• Drug Free Environment

*Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

• California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC Anti‑Discrimination Policy. We are committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce and honoring unique experiences, perspectives, and identities. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable, and welcoming. UCI provides reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities upon request. For more information, please contact Human Resources at (949) 824‑0500 or [e-mail].

Consideration for Work Authorization Sponsorship

Must be able to provide proof of work authorization.

Contact: (949) 824‑0500 or [e-mail].