Job description

Position Overview

Maine College of Art & Design (MECA&D) seeks a collaboratively minded individual to serve as the Public Relations Specialist, joining our group of committed faculty and staff who are passionate about art, education, and community. Under the direction of the Director of External Relations, the Public Relations Specialist is responsible for identifying stories throughout the College, building and distributing pitches to promote College thought leaders, and developing strategic content. This role will be tasked with managing a wide range of projects in various areas including media relations, speaker bureau management, website and social media writing, email campaign creation, and event management. This position offers the opportunity to access a wealth of expertise and cutting edge artistic perspectives available across the art and design community represented through our faculty, alumni, students, visiting artists, and others. With so many stories available at our fingertips, the new public relations specialist will work directly with our thought leaders to help amplify the ideas through national top-tier and trade media, industry events, conferences, festivals, and owned digital platforms. Maine College of Art & Design recognizes that diversity is integral to the academic experience and strives to foster an inclusive culture defined by respect, equity and social responsibility. All employees are expected to actively support these values.
The Successful Candidate
To achieve success in this role, it will require:

• Collaborating with the Director of External Relations, develop and execute inbound and outbound marketing campaigns on schedule that support business goals across the organization;

• Proactively identifying media opportunities to support goals and objectives for the College;

• Fielding incoming media, event, and partnership inquiries;

• Building and maintaining relationships with key College spokespeople to find and promote new stories;

• Creating original content, including email copy, blog posts, social media, and other collateral and based on an editorial schedule;

• Assisting with updates to College website;

• Working with relevant key stakeholders to facilitate approvals;

• Managing and amplifying external campaigns across paid, owned, and earned platforms;

• Write content for the College’s weekly newsletter (New & Notable) and annual & Magazine;

• Managing social media calendar;

• Working with the Graphic Designer and student ambassadors to create and distribute social media content across all MECA&D channels (Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok and Youtube);

• Measuring outreach success and recommending new strategies/approaches as needed to stay competitive.

Qualifications, Experience, Abilities
Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience required.

Experience:

• 2+ years of relevant in-house or agency work experience preferred.

Skills and Abilities:

• Strong analytical capabilities, able to analyze data and reports to make educated decisions and recommendations;

• Ability to seek out and identify pitch angles that will land with media and industry event organizers;

• Excellent storytelling, writing, editing, communication and presentation skills (verbal and written);

• Existing network of media contacts and experience of media management and interview training;

• Experience and a strong interest in media as well as a proven track record in this area;

• Experience of creating and executing external communication strategies that support business objectives and increase engagement;

• Ability to think creatively while working in a highly pressurized, deadline-driven environment;

• A passion and enthusiasm for content development and storytelling;

• Highly organized with the ability to prioritize;

• Ability to track and measure the success of messages promoted.

The Institution
Maine College of Art & Design is an independent college of art and design located in the center of the thriving arts district of Portland, Maine. Established in 1882, the College currently enrolls approximately 550 students, the majority of whom are in the undergraduate program. About 1,000 students take classes through MECA&D’s Continuing Studies Program annually. MECA&D’s Joanne Waxman Library is an important resource of art and design oriented books and periodicals for the region. The Institute of Contemporary Art at MECA&D is a vibrant site for the exhibition of contemporary art.

MECA&D is characterized by its intimate learning community, its interdisciplinary nature and the breadth of its programs. It confers the degrees of Bachelor of Fine Arts in eleven majors, Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art, Master of Arts in Teaching, and the Salt Graduate Certificate in Documentary Studies. Our goal at MECA&D is to teach each student how to transform aspirations and values into a creative practice that serves as the foundation for a lifelong pursuit of personal and professional goals.

Maine College of Art & Design is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). The College’s accreditation status with both agencies was renewed in 2016.
Strategic Direction
MECA&D’s seven-year strategic (2020-2027) plan builds on our historic positioning in Portland’s arts district, a shared strategic vision, and proven ability to embrace change.

Strategic Plan Priorities

1. Broaden Our Reach: Online and Distance Learning

Charge: MECA&D will develop a strategy to effectively enter the online and distance learning marketplace in order to expand our audience of learners and generate additional revenue streams.

2. Develop a Culture of Social Change, Racial Justice, and Equity

Charge: MECA&D’s commitment to Social Change, Racial Justice, and Inclusion will inform all aspects of the College. We believe placing these values at the forefront of our work cultivates artists who are true agents of change and connects our community to the world in meaningful ways.

3. Academic Excellence

Charge: MECA&D will cultivate the highest standards in teaching and learning in art, design, and media, and will be recognized for its students’ cultural contributions. The College will be known as an educational leader in the programs it offers, creating and continually improving a relevant, culturally inclusive, and distinctive curriculum that enables students to reach their potential in an ever-changing world.

Recognizing a rapidly evolving and increasingly challenging higher education landscape, the College will create additional programs and educational pathways to attract learners beyond its traditional region and age group: this includes professional, mid-career and continuing learners.

4. Create a Living and Learning Center

Charge: MECA&D will develop a new Living and Learning Center that reflects the College’s mission to provide students with the resources and support necessary to pursue their education successfully. Building on MECA&D’s historic role as the creative anchor of Portland, the new Center will expand MECA&D’s footprint and identity within Portland and will provide a destination and hub for community activity and engagement.

5. Financial Sustainability

Charge: An essential principle of our Strategic Plan is to ensure MECA&D’s long-term financial sustainability. As informed by data and other qualitative metrics, we will identify a financial framework and a series of revenue-focused strategic priorities in support of sustainable results and MECA&D’s overall fiscal plan.
Compensation & Benefits
This is a year round, full time, exempt position. Compensation ranges from $42,000 to $44,000 annually, based on experience. A comprehensive benefits package is offered, including health, dental, vacation, sick time, and retirement benefit

To Apply
Applications will be reviewed beginning immediately and will be accepted until a hire is made. Application materials must be sent digitally in a single PDF, not to exceed a 25MB file size. Please email the document to employment"at"meca.edu. Place “Public Relations Specialist [Last Name, First Name]” in the subject line.

The PDF must include:

• An application/cover letter which describes how the candidate’s experience, accomplishments and qualifications intersect with the listed position description;

• A resumé/curriculum vitae;

• A diversity statement;

• A list of four references with contact information, one of which should be a prior supervisor and/or professor.

Maine College of Art & Design recognizes that diversity is integral to the academic experience and strives to foster an inclusive culture defined by respect, equity and social responsibility. The successful candidate will have demonstrated experience working with diverse populations, and supporting an inclusive and equitable community. Maine College of Art & Design does not discriminate on the basis of gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, genetic information, HIV status, race, age, religion, national or ethnic origin, or military/veteran’s status in its educational programs, admissions policies, employment policies, financial aid, or other College administered programs. Candidates from historically underrepresented backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $40,000.00 - $44,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Tuition reimbursement

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday

COVID-19 considerations:
All Faculty, Staff & Students are required to have the COVID Vaccine and Booster or have an approved medical or religious exemption.

Work Location: One location

apartamentosquality.com is the go-to platform for job seekers looking for the best job postings from around the web. With a focus on quality, the platform guarantees that all job postings are from reliable sources and are up-to-date. It also offers a variety of tools to help users find the perfect job for them, such as searching by location and filtering by industry. Furthermore, apartamentosquality.com provides helpful resources like resume tips and career advice to give job seekers an edge in their search. With its commitment to quality and user-friendliness, apartamentosquality.com is the ideal place to find your next job.