Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

Chief Marketing Officer

Organization

Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF), comprised of the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park and the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park, is experiencing transformative growth in its mission to deepen engagement with the art and ideas of today. As the largest public art museum in San Francisco, FAMSF welcomes more than 1.5 million visitors annually and is among the most visited museums in the United States, supported by the 3rd largest museum membership base in the country. The de Young Museum and Legion of Honor ignite a creative curiosity in visitors, reflecting their past and stimulating creative agencies in their futures. By taking an inclusive and equitable approach in presenting its extraordinary collection of over 150,000 works, FAMSF is both a cherished community hub and a vibrant beacon in the global art world.

FAMSF Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Thomas P. Campbell leads a vibrant and innovative program and strategic plan in which diversity and inclusion are the guiding principles. The museums annually host a prolific and comprehensive lineup of exhibitions and educational programs. In 2024, to celebrate the centenary of the Legion of Honor, the museums organized exhibitions highlighting female artists, including Mary Cassat at Work, Tamara de Lempicka and Leilah Babirye: We Have a History; additional exhibitions included Fashioning San Francisco: A Century of Style examining the history of San Francisco through fashion and featuring one of the most iconic collections of 20th and 21st century women’s clothing in the United States, Japanese Prints in Transition: From the Floating World to the Modern World featuring permanent collection works from the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts that haven’t been displayed for a more than a decade. This two-part exhibition (The Floating World and The Modern World) highlights this stylistic transition and the work of one artist, Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, who successfully spanned both epochs, and Irving Penn, featuring approximately 175 photographs, spanning every period of Penn’s nearly 70-year career.

The de Young Museum collections include the most comprehensive survey of American art in the American West, international textile arts and costumes, photography, and art of the Americas, Oceania, and Africa. In 2005, the museum’s expansion and new facilities by Herzog & de Meuron reframed the museum by engaging it with the surrounding park and creating a setting that explores the diversity and intersection of different cultures. The Legion of Honor, built in 1924, is situated on the headlands of Lands End overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. Its collections include The Thinker and other masterworks by August Rodin, European decorative arts and paintings, Ancient art, and one of the largest collections of prints and drawings in the country. The Penny and James Coulter Objects Conservation Center, the Sardegna Paintings Center, the George and Marie Hecksher Textiles Conservation Center, and the Paper Conservation Center support and complement the museums’ collections, providing preservation and scientific study that is both culturally sensitive and authentic.

FAMSF provides an expansive variety of community-centered public programs and educational opportunities for visitors, educators, and learners of all ages. FAMSF’s commitments to engage new and diverse audiences include Free Saturdays, a free general admission day for Bay Area residents; the annual de Youngsters Day Out; and concerts featuring the 1924 Legion of Honor Spreckels Organ. FAMSF encourages meaningful artistic experiences, uplifts educators, and collaborates with community groups, schools, and city organizations through a rich array of programs. The Diversity and Innovation Fund was launched in 2021 and supports the Equity School Partnership project which serves the museum’s kindergarten through fifth grade public school programs.

The FAMSF are governed by three boards. FAMSF is a Charitable Trust Department of the City and County of San Francisco. The Museums' endowment funds are held by The Fine Arts Museums Foundation (FAMF), a private 501(c)3 organization. The Corporation of the Fine Arts Museums (COFAM) is also a private 501(c)3 organization that raises funds for and manages most of the day-to-day operations of the museums. COFAM has a 46-member Board of Trustees led by President Jason E. Moment, and Thomas P. Campbell serves as Director and CEO. FAMSF has a 13-member Board of Trustees, and the Fine Arts Museums Foundation has an 11-member board. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, FAMSF reported a total revenue of $73.9 million with $33.5 million from contributions and grants, $9.5M from membership, and $7.4 million from program services. Total expenses were $71.8 million.

Community

Situated on the ancestral lands of the Ramaytush people, San Francisco is home to 875,000 residents and one of the world’s most distinctive and innovative metropolitan cities. The San Francisco Bay Area is a popular destination for those seeking gorgeous landscapes, some of the world’s finest wines, waterfront towns, nightlife, and diverse cuisines, coupled with top-tiered educational institutions, distinguished arts and culture organizations, and innovative workforce options. The nine County Bay Area is home to approximately 7.8 million ethnically diverse residents; approximately three-fifths of the region’s residents are Latinx/Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and African American.

The Bay Area is a global hub for cutting-edge technology and is deeply involved in Cleantech, with over 200 firms working on environmentally friendly and sustainable products and services. The area has the largest aggregation of research universities and federal research institutions in the nation. The University of California, San Francisco and Berkeley, and Stanford University, among others, are key drivers of innovation and entrepreneurship. San Francisco is home to more than 900 IT and Software, Social and Digital Media, Life Sciences, and Biotech firms, and serves as the financial service epicenter of the West Coast.

Sources: bayareaequityatlas.org; visitcalifornia.com; goldengatepark.com; census.gov; worldpopulationreview.com; sfchamber.com; culturedata.org

Position Summary

The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) is responsible for planning, developing, and implementing FAMSF’s institutional marketing, communications, and public relations activities, both external and internal; directing the efforts of the marketing, communications, visitor experience, group tourism and sales, and graphic design staff; and coordinating at the strategic and tactical levels with other departments and functions of the Museums. The CMO is a key member of the museum's senior leadership team and reports to the Director and CEO.

The CMO must articulate a strategic vision that aligns overarching institutional brand, audience, and marketing goals with specific objectives for general admission, special exhibitions, curatorial initiatives, educational programming, memberships, and events. As a member of the senior leadership team, the CMO will be a key voice in relation to the museum’s strategy, direction, and operation. This exciting role requires a unique combination of strategic and creative vision, visitor advocacy, revenue planning, data analysis, and leadership skills.

The CMO will participate with the Board of Trustees, Director and CEO, and other senior management staff in charting the direction of FAMSF, ensuring its accountability to all constituencies, and ensuring its effective operation. Within FAMSF, the position has primary working relationships with director and management level staff, staff of the Marketing and Communications department, staff of the Executive Office, Art, Education and Public Programs, Philanthropy, Exhibitions, and Finance Divisions, and closely collaborates with the Digital Strategy Division to align on brand presence across all channels. The CMO directly leads a marketing team of four, a communications team of four, a Graphic Design team of four, and a Visitor Experience team of more than 45 front line leaders, associates, and attendants. The CMO also oversees the work of external media and marketing partners, as well as other specialty consultants, and manages an annual expense budget of $6 million directed toward the achievement of its goals.

Role and Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

  • Lead, oversee, implement, and measure the success of an ambitious and integrated marketing, communications, and public relations plan, with clearly defined goals, objectives, timelines, and assignment of responsibilities to achieve and support initiatives contained within the FAMSF’s strategic plan.
  • Collaborate closely with FAMSF’s Philanthropy and Membership program to align marketing, membership, and fundraising programmatic messaging.
  • Connecting to FAMSF’s strategic plan, build a long-term audience development strategy; conduct market research and audience engagement strategies to optimize and broaden the FAMSF’s reach.
  • Collaborate internally on institutional projects and initiatives, such as special events, anniversary celebrations, DEIA, and climate initiatives.
  • Maintain a strategic knowledge of best practices and significant trends in marketing, communications, membership, and audience development, and adapt strategies as necessary.
  • Embrace other strategic leadership and comprehensive implementation responsibilities as needed.

Earned Revenue Maximization and Audience Engagement

  • Drive ticketed admissions revenue ($10.4M in FY25) and ticketed attendance (1.2M in FY25) through a variety of methods including external marketing campaigns, email marketing, and strategic use of audience survey data and research.
  • Collaborate with the Senior Team to develop and drive annual earned revenue goals and guide investments in capacity building for revenue generation.
  • Collaborate with Digital and IT Operations to ensure contemporary enterprise systems are effectively supporting and encouraging earned revenue across all channels.
  • Plan and conduct major marketing, promotional, and public relations campaigns aligned with FAMSF’s overall audience development and special exhibitions strategy.
  • Manage a diverse portfolio of assignments with multiple direct reports.

Institutional Branding, Public Relations, and Communications

  • Manage FAMSF’s brand identity and ensure the articulation of FAMSF’s desired image and position and the consistent communication of image and position throughout the institution.
  • Oversee the marketing and creative development of the FAMSF’s brand identity and Special Exhibition programs to target audiences and to drive attendance and admissions revenue.
  • Oversee the coordination of media interest in FAMSF and ensure regular contact with target media and appropriate response to media requests.
  • Act as a key media spokesperson for FAMSF and develop and maintain effective working relationships with media representatives, the community at large, and special interest groups.
  • Deeply and strategically collaborate with Digital leadership to present FAMSF’s brand, programs, and revenue channels on the web, social, and digital platforms.
  • Oversee various marketing channels, including email and print, and work with outside agencies as needed to develop and implement marketing strategies. Ensure public campaigns secure the rights and compliance for publishing creative materials promoting FAMSF.
  • Embrace other branding, public relations, and communications responsibilities as needed.

Board Engagement

  • Serve as liaison to the Board Marketing Committee.
  • Devise strategies with the Marketing Committee that create meaningful paths for the Bay Area’s diverse community to engage donors, collectors, partners, advisors, and community ambassadors.
  • Speak credibly and persuasively about FAMSF’s vision for the future with past, current, and prospective board members.
  • Guide Board engagement in institutional reputation management and crisis communications when required.
  • Embrace other board engagement and recruitment responsibilities as needed.

Team and Organizational Oversight

  • Guide the day-to-day operations of the communications function to ensure that all administrative and operational aspects of communications are executed at a high level of quality and efficiency.
  • Oversee the Communications, Graphic Design, Marketing, and Visitor Experience departments, supporting a world-class visitor experience, ensuring overall objectives and directives are implemented through the visitor experience, and aligning their goals with institutional objectives
  • Recruit, diversify, coach, inspire, and motivate a strong team that represents the community that the Museums serve.
  • Create a supportive, collaborative, productive, and healthy work environment based on respect, teamwork, and the equity, diversity, and inclusion values of FAMSF.
  • Set performance standards and provide timely, constructive feedback while supporting opportunities for professional development.
  • Support team ingenuity with appropriate human resources, structures, systems, and technological platforms that are aligned with current and future trends in philanthropy.
  • Oversee department accountability and actively address questions and concerns that ensure a safe and healthy work environment for the team.
  • Embrace other team and organization responsibilities as necessary.

Traits and Characteristics

The CMO will have demonstrated experience and outstanding abilities in strategic leadership, and operational management/administration including managing budgets and resources, and skilled at developing effective working relationships within a complex environment as well as with external partners. The CMO will be an approachable and creative collaborator who is highly organized and able to galvanize the organization toward a deeper and more productive engagement with the communities the museums serve.

Other key competencies include:

  • Leadership and Diplomacy – The ability to inspire, build trust, and create a sense of purpose and direction while tactfully handling challenging and sensitive issues. The dexterity to both lead and mentor, understanding and maximizing the team’s potential.
  • Professional Accountability and Interpersonal Skills – The willingness to accept responsibility for actions and results, reevaluate, and develop long-term relationships with people across the organization and throughout the community.
  • Customer Focus – The capacity to anticipate, meet, and frequently exceed customer and stakeholder needs, wants, and expectations in a highly service-oriented environment.
  • Planning and Organizing – The acumen to use practical and efficient approaches in creating action plans that ensure work is effectively completed and desired outcomes are reached.

Qualifications

A minimum of 10 years in institutional and direct consumer marketing is required, preferably in a museum, visual arts, or similar nonprofit organization. Significant supervisory, managerial, and budgetary responsibility experience, as well as public relations, crisis management, and corporate communications experience, is needed. Exceptional written and interpersonal skills, a genuine enthusiasm for visual art and art education, and a high degree of professionalism and integrity are needed. Educational credentials supporting leadership acumen, organizational growth, arts and culture experiences, and community engagement are highly desired. Experience using and analyzing data, CRMs, and audience research is critically important. A bachelor’s degree in marketing, public relations, communications, business, or a related field from an accredited college or university is preferred.

Compensation and Benefits

Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco provides a competitive and equitable compensation package. The range for the annual salary is estimated between $240,000 and $270,000. Employee benefits include paid vacation, sick leave, personal days, and holidays; health, long-term disability, and life insurance; and a voluntary 401(k) retirement plan.

Applications and Inquiries

To submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments (electronic submissions preferred), please click here or visit artsconsulting.com/opensearches. For questions or general inquiries about this job opportunity, please contact:

Todd Ahrens, Vice President
Arts Consulting Group logo.

268 Bush Street, Suite 4100
San Francisco, CA 94104
Tel       (888) 234.4236 Ext. 216
Email    FAMSF-CMO@artsconsulting.com

The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation, and gender identity diversity. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, persons over 40 years of age, disabled and Vietnam-era veterans, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply.

Click here for the downloadable PDF.

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