Managing Director, Marketing & Communications

About KID Museum

KID Museum is the nation’s leading educational makerspace for youth. Our mission is to revolutionize how kids learn through the maker experience. Through hands-on programming and deep learning experiences, we empower youth with the creative problem-solving and STEM skills to invent the future. With a focus on engaging populations traditionally underrepresented in STEM, our programs aim to build economic opportunity and diversify the future talent pipeline.

Our vision is to become the standard of excellence for inclusive, impactful maker learning nationally, and a model for how to expand access to maker learning at scale. Our headquarters in the Washington, DC region serves as our innovation hub. In partnership with local school systems, government and philanthropic leaders, we design and deliver K-12 programs that produce results at scale in a large and diverse metropolitan region. We leverage insights from this learning lab to create resources, training, and technical support to expand high-impact maker learning nationally. For more information, please visit www.kid-museum.org.

About the Role

The Managing Director of Marketing and Communications reports to Chief Strategy & Advancement Officer and serves as KID Museum’s senior leader responsible for the strategic vision, direction, and ownership of the organization’s marketing and communications function. This role contributes to organization-wide goal setting, drives brand strategy, and ensures that KID Museum’s visibility, messaging, and reputation advance its mission and strategic priorities.

This leader will oversee an integrated marketing operation, combining strategic planning with high-level oversight of execution. They manage and mentor a team, guide cross-departmental collaboration, and ensure that all communications channels consistently reinforce KID’s value, impact, and identity.

The ideal candidate is an experienced senior marketing and communications professional with a strong record of developing high-performing teams, shaping organization-wide strategy, and delivering measurable results in a nonprofit or mission-driven environment. They bring exceptional writing and editorial judgment, strategic insight, and the ability to influence and align stakeholders across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and ownership of KID Museum’s marketing and communications function, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and long-term strategy.
• Lead development and execution of an integrated marketing and communications strategy across all channels and audiences.
• Strengthen KID Museum’s regional visibility and shape national reputation-building efforts.
• Serve as the organization’s chief brand steward, ensuring consistent, high-quality messaging and storytelling across the institution.
• Oversee strategy and quality control for all content across web, email, social media, print, and paid media.
• Lead writing and editorial direction for newsletters, campaigns, program and event communications, impact reporting, and executive communications.
• Manage all recurring communications channels, including the KID Newsletter, Educator Newsletter, blog, and the Annual Report.
• Partner closely with senior leadership, Advancement, Programs, and other teams to ensure cohesive and effective communications that support both revenue and programmatic objectives.
• Oversee communications planning for major events, including message strategy, invitations, run-of-show materials, speaker preparation, and media/press engagement.
• Supervise, coach, and develop two marketing team members; establish priorities, build capacity, and guide execution.
• Track and report on KPIs for marketing and communications, using insights to inform strategy and drive continuous improvement.
• Manage the departmental budget, allocate resources effectively, and evaluate which marketing products, platforms, and processes to continue, evolve, or sunset.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and at least 10 years of progressive marketing and/or communications experience, ideally in a nonprofit or mission-driven organization. Experience leading marketing and communications in an education reform organization is a plus.
• Demonstrated experience owning a marketing/communications function and developing integrated strategies tied to measurable outcomes.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and editorial judgment.
• Strong command of digital tools including website CMS, social media, and email marketing platforms.
• Experience managing and developing staff.
• Strong organizational skills and comfort managing multiple projects with varying deadlines and stakeholders.

Compensation and Location The salary range for this position is $115,000 to $125,000 (commensurate with experience) and it is offered along with a competitive benefits package. The position is based in Bethesda, MD.

Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion are important, interdependent components of everyday life at KID Museum and are critical to our pursuit of excellence. KID Museum is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, sex, ancestry, citizenship status, mental or physical disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, veteran status, or military status.