Communications & External Relations Manager

JOB TITLE: Communications & External Relations Manager

REPORTS TO: Director of Communications & External Relations

FLSA: Exempt

DATE REVISED: May 11, 2026

Organization Mission:The mission of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum is to document, interpret and preserve the complex experiences, contributions and culture of Black people in Maryland. We serve as a catalyst for sustained change by providing programs and exhibitions and bold conversations that educate and challenge.

Position Summary:

The Communications & External Relations Manager plays a highly visible role in advancing the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture through audience engagement, public-facing communications, digital storytelling, and marketing campaign execution. Working closely with the Director of Communications & External Relations, this role helps bring institutional communications strategies to life through compelling content, meaningful community engagement, strategic partnerships, public relations support, and public-facing activations that strengthen awareness, attendance, and connection to The Lewis.

This role serves as a key representative of The Lewis across digital platforms, community settings, partnership opportunities, engagements, and public-facing events. The ideal candidate is equally comfortable creating content, managing marketing campaigns, building relationships, supporting media opportunities, engaging audiences in person, and representing the museum with professionalism, creativity, and sound judgment.

The successful candidate is a strong writer, organized project manager, relationship builder, and creative communicator who thrives in a fast-paced, highly visible environment and is passionate about storytelling, culture, community engagement, and the mission of The Lewis.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

SOCIAL MEDIA & DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT

• Lead the day-to-day execution of The Lewis’ social media strategy across owned platforms, ensuring alignment with institutional goals, audience engagement priorities, and campaign objectives.
• Own day-to-day management of the museum’s Meta platforms, including content planning, publishing, audience engagement, monitoring, and performance optimization.
• Manage paid social advertising across Meta platforms, including campaign setup, targeting, optimization, monitoring, and reporting in alignment with campaign goals and approved budgets.
• Contribute to the development and manage content calendars supporting exhibitions, public programs, institutional campaigns, signature events, admissions, rentals, retail initiatives, and audience growth efforts.
• Create compelling audience-facing content, including social captions, promotional messaging, and digital storytelling that reflects The Lewis’ voice, mission, and brand.
• Monitor digital trends, audience behavior, and platform opportunities to strengthen engagement and inform execution.

AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT, ACTIVATIONS & COMMUNITY OUTREACH

• Lead audience engagement efforts at museum programs, festivals, activations, tabling opportunities, and community events, helping create meaningful connections between audiences and The Lewis.
• Support the execution of audience-facing activations designed to increase awareness, attendance, engagement, and community connection.
• Serve as a visible representative of The Lewis in community settings, public-facing events, partnership activations, outreach efforts, and engagements.
• Provide hands-on support for museum events, exhibitions, public programs, internal museum initiatives, and external activations, including outreach, guest engagement, event support, and on-site communications execution.
• Capture or coordinate small-scale photo and video content for social storytelling and audience engagement when agency support is not available.
• Support evening, weekend, and event-based programming as needed.

PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT & PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

• Build and steward relationships with community partners, collaborators, influencers, stakeholders, and external organizations that expand visibility, strengthen audience engagement, and support The Lewis’ mission.
• Identify and support partnership opportunities that elevate awareness, extend the museum’s reach, and create meaningful public engagement opportunities.
• Represent The Lewis with professionalism, confidence, sound judgment, and a strong understanding of The Lewis’ mission, brand, and public presence.

CAMPAIGN EXECUTION & CROSS-DEPARTMENT COLLABORATION

• Execute communications and marketing campaigns developed in partnership with departmental leadership, translating strategy into actionable plans, timelines, and deliverables.
• Develop workback schedules and project timelines to ensure timely and organized execution across campaigns, events, and communications initiatives.
• Partner across departments to gather information, align messaging, coordinate deliverables, and support the successful execution of institutional communications initiatives.
• Maintain strong project oversight to ensure initiatives are delivered accurately, on time, and in alignment with campaign objectives.
• Support campaign optimization through analytics, audience insights, and reporting.

PUBLIC RELATIONS SUPPORT

• Support public relations efforts through media coordination, interview scheduling, press logistics, and administrative support tied to earned media opportunities.
• Maintain earned media lists, media contacts, and press tracking tools to support ongoing communications efforts.
• Assist with press events, media-facing opportunities, and related communications execution as needed.
• Support departmental tracking and reporting related to earned media performance and visibility.

CREATIVE COLLABORATION & DIGITAL STORYTELLING

• Contribute creative ideas, audience insights, and content concepts that strengthen campaigns, storytelling, and public engagement efforts.
• Collaborate with the Communications & External Relations Specialist and external partners to ensure creative assets align with campaign goals, audience priorities, and brand standards.
• Provide content direction and campaign priorities for website updates and digital audience communications.

AGENCY COORDINATION, REPORTING & BUDGET STEWARDSHIP

• Manage day-to-day collaboration with social media agencies, digital vendors, freelancers, and external communications partners supporting assigned initiatives.
• Coordinate timelines, deliverables, approvals, and execution expectations for assigned agency and vendor relationships.
• Track, analyze, and report on social media performance, paid social performance, audience engagement, and digital communications outcomes.
• Use performance insights to strengthen execution, audience engagement, and campaign effectiveness.
• Manage budgets associated with assigned campaigns, paid social initiatives, vendors, and communications projects with strong fiscal responsibility.
• Support departmental reporting and performance measurement initiatives as needed.

TEAM COLLABORATION

• Occasionally oversee interns, temporary support staff, or project-based contributors as needed.
• Collaborate closely with the Director and departmental team to ensure strong execution, accountability, and alignment across communications initiatives.
• Contribute ideas, solutions, and recommendations that strengthen departmental performance and public impact.
• Support a collaborative, creative, high-performing department culture grounded in professionalism, accountability, and mission alignment.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, Digital Media, Journalism, or a related field required.
• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in communications, social media, digital marketing, audience engagement, public relations, partnership development, or related fields.
• Experience managing social media strategy and execution for public-facing brands, nonprofit organizations, cultural institutions, media brands, or similar environments.
• Experience managing paid social campaigns, digital audience engagement, and performance reporting, festivals, community events, and tabling opportunities.
• Experience supporting public relations efforts, media coordination, and partnership engagement
• Experience managing agencies, vendors, collaborative partnerships, or project-based external contributors preferred.

REQUIRED SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

• Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
• Strong social media strategy and execution expertise
• Paid social advertising experience, particularly across Meta platforms
• Strong content development and audience storytelling skills
• Excellent project management and organizational skills
• Strong digital marketing and audience engagement knowledge
• Creative thinking and campaign ideation abilities
• Strong visual judgment with an eye for photography, videography, and compelling digital storytelling
• Strong relationship-building, public engagement, and collaboration skills
• Confidence engaging partners, stakeholders, VIP audiences, and diverse community groups
• Ability to represent The Lewis with professionalism, warmth, confidence, and strong judgment in public-facing settings
• Public relations coordination and media relationship support experience
• Budget stewardship and responsible resource management
• Close attention to detail and commitment to accuracy
• Ability to manage multiple competing priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Strong initiative, adaptability, and problem-solving ability
• Passion for storytelling, culture, community engagement, and the mission of The Lewis to preserve, interpret, and elevate Black history, culture, and experiences

WORK ENVIRONMENT & SCHEDULE EXPECTATIONS

This role operates in a fast-paced, hybrid, highly visible museum environment and requires flexibility to support evening, weekend, holiday, and event-based programming, public activations, community engagement opportunities, and institutional priorities as needed.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Ability to support on-site event execution, including setup, breakdown, placement of signage and promotional materials, and movement of communications collateral or event materials as needed. Ability to lift and move up to 25 pounds as needed in support of departmental and institutional activities.

TRANSPORTATION REQUIREMENTS

Reliable transportation and the ability to travel locally for meetings, events, community outreach, activations, and partnership opportunities as needed.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Perform other duties as assigned in support of departmental and institutional priorities.

Salary Range: $70,000 - $75,000

Benefits:

• 10 days of vacation leave, annually
• 10 days of sick leave, annually
• 6 days of personal leave, annually
• Retirement Plan (Maryland State Pension)
• 12 Government Holidays
• A comprehensive health care program

Pay: $70,000.00 - $75,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan

Work Location: In person