The Marine Mammal Center
Sausalito, CA, USA
We’re Hiring!
Associate Director, Recruitment & Onboarding
Location of Position: Marin Headlands, Sausalito, California
Reports to : Senior Director, People & Culture
Position Classification & Expected Hours of Work, and Travel:
This is a full-time position.
Regular onsite work is required.
Days and hours of work may vary according to the needs of The Marine Mammal Center.
Evening, weekend, and holiday work is required as job duties demand.
Travel within California is expected for this position.
Compensation Range: $93,600 - $109,738 annual
Benefits:
Holidays
Sick Time
Vacation
Medical, Dental, and Vision
Life Insurance
Long Term Disability Insurance
401k Retirement Plan
Employee Assistance Program
Job Summary:
The Associate Director, Recruitment & Onboarding serves as the senior operational lead and is the architect for staff recruitment, hiring, and onboarding and volunteer recruitment, onboarding, and placement at The Marine Mammal Center. This role provides strategic input, architectural design, and operational leadership to ensure recruitment and onboarding practices are consistent, equitable, compliant, and aligned with the Center’s mission and strategic priorities. The Associate Director, Recruitment & Onboarding translates organizational direction, workforce and volunteer priorities, and operational needs into scalable recruitment and onboarding frameworks, tools, and practices. This role oversees and develops a multidisciplinary recruitment team, manages recruitment systems, and stewards the organization’s staff position description and volunteer role description libraries. This role is accountable for day-to-day staff hiring outcomes and volunteer placements. This position actively supports the Center’s mission by ensuring the organization attracts, selects, and onboards a diverse, skilled, and mission-aligned staff workforce and volunteer community.
Essential Functions:
Recruitment & Onboarding Strategy: 60%
Serve as the senior operational lead and manage recruitment and onboarding frameworks that support staff recruitment, hiring, and onboarding and volunteer recruitment, onboarding, and placement, aligned with organizational priorities established by the People & Culture department and Executive leadership
Provide oversight of end-to-end processes for staff and volunteer recruitment and onboarding, ensuring consistent, equitable, and high-quality practices.
Manage and administer all Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and onboarding platforms, ensuring appropriate configuration, data integrity, user access, and system performance.
Provide operational leadership for ATS and onboarding platform reviews, assessing system effectiveness, alignment with organizational needs, compliance requirements, and user experience.
Lead and support the development of Requests for Proposal (RFPs) for recruitment and onboarding systems as needed, including requirements gathering, evaluation criteria, and cross-functional coordination.
Manage and facilitate recruitment and onboarding vendor evaluation and selection processes, including demonstrations, comparative analysis, and recommendation development in partnership with People & Culture leadership and other stakeholders as needed.
Provide leadership and guidance for recruitment and onboarding system implementation, configuration, testing, and rollout, ensuring data integrity, minimal disruption, and alignment with recruitment and onboarding workflows as needed.
Ensure background checks, motor vehicle checks, Form I-9, E-Verify, and other pre-boarding requirements for staff and volunteers are completed accurately, efficiently, and in compliance with all applicable requirements.
Ensure recruitment and onboarding practices align with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, funding requirements and budget constraints, and organizational policies.
Develop and maintain dashboards and reports measuring staff time-to-fill, source of staff hire, volunteer pipeline health, placement timelines, compliance, candidate and volunteer experience, and outreach or event return on investment (ROI).
Review recruitment and onboarding data to identify trends, risks, and gaps; implement corrective actions and provide recommendations to People & Culture leadership as needed.
Lead continuous improvement of recruitment and onboarding frameworks, tools, and standards to strengthen effectiveness, experience, and outcomes.
Design sourcing approaches that support organizational hiring priorities, including proactive pipeline development for hard-to-fill, technical, and mission-critical staff roles.
Provide oversight of talent pipeline development for staff and volunteers, ensuring sustainable, mission-aligned candidate and volunteer pools are maintained.
Serve as a visible talent brand ambassador for the Center, confidently articulating the organization’s mission, impact, culture, and opportunities to candidates and prospective volunteers.
Engage directly in sourcing and outreach activities for staff and volunteer roles when positions are senior-level, highly specialized, strategically critical, or present unique recruitment challenges.
Establish standards and expectations for candidate and volunteer experience across recruitment stages, ensuring timely communication, structured interviews, and consistent offer or placement practices.
Manage and steward the Center’s staff position description library and role description library, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and alignment with organizational structure, position and role levels, equitable classification practices, workforce planning, and operational needs.
Maintain established templates, standards, and review processes for the creation, updating, and approval of staff position descriptions and volunteer role descriptions.
Provide oversight and guidance to management during the development or revision of a position or role description using established protocols.
Conduct regular and periodic reviews of position and volunteer role descriptions to ensure ongoing relevance, clarity, and organizational alignment.
Ensure position description and role description libraries are integrated with recruitment and onboarding systems and workflows.
Leadership & Management: 25 %
Hire, train, mentor, and manage staff, ensuring individual and team development, alignment with goals, and adherence to policies and best practices.
Provide direct supervision and coaching to strengthen communication capacity across departments, building a culture of clear, consistent, and mission-driven storytelling.
Meet with direct reports to identify and resolve problems; perform personnel actions, such as approving timesheets and evaluating performance.
Monitor workload distribution and team capacity to ensure sustainable operations and effective service delivery.
Coach and train direct reports to build sourcing and outreach capabilities across the Recruitment & Onboarding team for position and role levels, ensuring sustainability and high-quality recruitment practices.
Foster a collaborative, service-oriented, and mission-aligned team culture grounded in professionalism, confidentiality, and continuous improvement.
Partner with hiring managers and organizational leaders to clarify staffing and volunteer needs, define hiring and onboarding criteria, and set expectations for recruitment and onboarding timelines.
Review hiring and volunteer placement outcomes and intervene when barriers, delays, or risks arise.
Serve as the primary escalation point for staff recruitment, hiring, and onboarding and volunteer recruitment, onboarding, and placement issues, resolving most challenges and elevating matters to People & Culture leadership when issues involve policy interpretation, legal or compliance risk, and/or cross-departmental impact.
Supports the development of the Recruitment & Onboarding budget in collaboration with the Senior Director, Human Resources; tracks results to ensure alignment with key financial targets for expenses and/or revenue in collaboration with management; approves and monitors team expenditures within established parameters.
Organizational Impact: 10%
Actively contribute as a core member of the Center’s DEI committee, providing insight, data analysis, and recommendations related to recruitment, onboarding, risk mitigation, and data analytics to inform innovative practices to enhance organizational culture.
Lead the implementation of DEI initiatives aligned with organizational priorities for recruitment and onboarding of staff and volunteers.
Support and prioritize the Center’s DEI objectives and integrate as opportunities arise.
May actively serve on various organizational wide committees as assigned.
Other Duties as Assigned: 5%
Perform special projects and research as assigned.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Supervisory Responsibility:
- Human Resources Specialist
- Volunteer Recruitment & Onboarding Coordinator
1 - Volunteer Recruitment & Onboarding Manager
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Strong commitment to the mission and strategic priorities of The Marine Mammal Center.
Ability to understand strategic organizational issues and influence change.
Strong knowledge of human resources practices, policies, and procedures, with demonstrated judgment and discretion in application
Demonstrated knowledge of current recruitment, onboarding, talent acquisition tools, strategies, processes, and best practices.
Experience serving as a system administrator/super user for a complex Applicant Tracking System (ATS), including requisitions, job postings, candidate communications, interview scheduling, offer management, onboarding workflows, and advanced analytics/reporting.
Experience implementing, optimizing, and maintaining platforms, including workflow design, change management, documentation, and end-user training.
Experience managing vendor relationships, contracts, and service delivery for recruiting systems and related tools.
Experience with employer branding and recruitment-related marketing strategies to support candidate attraction and engagement.
Strong, current knowledge of applicable state and federal laws and regulations related to recruiting and hiring.
Demonstrated ability to develop, interpret, and leverage data and analytics to inform strategy, drive continuous improvement, and improve outcomes.
Customer-focused approach with the ability to understand stakeholder needs, set clear expectations, and consistently deliver high-quality service.
Strong leadership and team building skills, with the ability to motivate team members, balance workloads, set priorities, monitor performance, and mentor, coach and develop talent.
Ability to quickly establish professional rapport with internal customers; approachable and able to engage with sensitivity, patience, and professionalism in addressing interpersonal concerns.
Demonstrated professionalism and confidentiality in handling sensitive and confidential information.
Excellent written, verbal, active listening, presentation, and facilitation skills, with the ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and timely.
Comfort participating in group presentations and negotiations, representing the function effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
Ability to work collaboratively and maintain open communication in a team environment, partnering effectively across functions and levels.
Ability to work independently to manage projects, priorities, commitments, and deadlines.
Strong organization skills including attention to detail, effective problem-solving, multitasking, and time management.
Ability to solve complex problems efficiently and effectively, applying sound judgment and making timely decisions
Demonstrated ability to take initiative, prioritize competing demands, resolve conflicts, and follow through to completion
Adapts to and learns from change, challenges, and feedback; demonstrates flexibility in approach and supports others in adopting new processes and expectations.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Word) and virtual collaboration tools (Asana, Slack, Teams, Zoom).
Ability to build and sustain effective working relationships with people from diverse backgrounds while demonstrating self-awareness, respect, and professionalism.
Willingness to support and participate in the Center’s diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
Qualifications and Experience:
Professional HR certification such as SHRM-SCP or SPHR preferred.
Valid driver license with acceptable motor vehicle record to maintain standards of insurability. (Must be 21+ years old as frequently driving company vehicles is required for this position.)
This position requires a combination of education and/or experience equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in human resources or related field; and 7 years of experience directly related in recruitment and onboarding operations, with at least 5 years in a leadership/people management capacity.
Work Environment & Physical Requirements:
This position operates in a professional office, laboratory, and hospital environment both indoors and outdoors with access to other parts of the facilities via outdoor pathways.
Routinely uses standard office equipment, which may involve repetitive motion.
This role involves extended periods of desk work and computer use.
Job responsibilities may include physical tasks requiring manual dexterity, coordination, and mobility, including lifting or moving up to 25 pounds.
Exposure to odors associated with animals and the care of animals.
Limited exposure to allergens and zoonotic diseases.
OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY
The Marine Mammal Center actively engages individuals from all backgrounds. We are committed to embracing diversity within our organization because we firmly believe that diverse employee teams help us to achieve our best organizational outcomes and provide the most effective support to the communities we serve. We are deeply dedicated to creating and maintaining an inclusive, equitable and supportive work environment. We strongly encourage people from underrepresented groups to apply. The Marine Mammal Center believes in growth and supporting our employees as best we can so they can become their best selves in and outside of work. We believe that a healthy work environment means building an inclusive culture where people can thrive together and feel supported and empowered. We believe in stretch versus constraint.
OUR MISSION
The Marine Mammal Center advances ocean health through marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation, research, and education.
ABOUT THE MARINE MAMMAL CENTER For more information, please visit our “About Us” page at www.marinemammalcenter.org
To Apply: Please submit a cover letter and resume and provide a brief description about how your experience aligns with the role.
Note that applications without a cover letter will not be considered.
In your cover letter, please feel free to note which pronouns you use (For example – she/her/hers, he/him/his, they/them/theirs, etc).
We strongly encourage people of color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and non-binary people, veterans, parents, and individuals with disabilities to apply. The Center is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes everyone to our team. If you need reasonable accommodation at any point in the application or interview process, please let us know.
Full Time
We’re Hiring!
Associate Director, Recruitment & Onboarding
Location of Position: Marin Headlands, Sausalito, California
Reports to : Senior Director, People & Culture
Position Classification & Expected Hours of Work, and Travel:
This is a full-time position.
Regular onsite work is required.
Days and hours of work may vary according to the needs of The Marine Mammal Center.
Evening, weekend, and holiday work is required as job duties demand.
Travel within California is expected for this position.
Compensation Range: $93,600 - $109,738 annual
Benefits:
Holidays
Sick Time
Vacation
Medical, Dental, and Vision
Life Insurance
Long Term Disability Insurance
401k Retirement Plan
Employee Assistance Program
Job Summary:
The Associate Director, Recruitment & Onboarding serves as the senior operational lead and is the architect for staff recruitment, hiring, and onboarding and volunteer recruitment, onboarding, and placement at The Marine Mammal Center. This role provides strategic input, architectural design, and operational leadership to ensure recruitment and onboarding practices are consistent, equitable, compliant, and aligned with the Center’s mission and strategic priorities. The Associate Director, Recruitment & Onboarding translates organizational direction, workforce and volunteer priorities, and operational needs into scalable recruitment and onboarding frameworks, tools, and practices. This role oversees and develops a multidisciplinary recruitment team, manages recruitment systems, and stewards the organization’s staff position description and volunteer role description libraries. This role is accountable for day-to-day staff hiring outcomes and volunteer placements. This position actively supports the Center’s mission by ensuring the organization attracts, selects, and onboards a diverse, skilled, and mission-aligned staff workforce and volunteer community.
Essential Functions:
Recruitment & Onboarding Strategy: 60%
Serve as the senior operational lead and manage recruitment and onboarding frameworks that support staff recruitment, hiring, and onboarding and volunteer recruitment, onboarding, and placement, aligned with organizational priorities established by the People & Culture department and Executive leadership
Provide oversight of end-to-end processes for staff and volunteer recruitment and onboarding, ensuring consistent, equitable, and high-quality practices.
Manage and administer all Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and onboarding platforms, ensuring appropriate configuration, data integrity, user access, and system performance.
Provide operational leadership for ATS and onboarding platform reviews, assessing system effectiveness, alignment with organizational needs, compliance requirements, and user experience.
Lead and support the development of Requests for Proposal (RFPs) for recruitment and onboarding systems as needed, including requirements gathering, evaluation criteria, and cross-functional coordination.
Manage and facilitate recruitment and onboarding vendor evaluation and selection processes, including demonstrations, comparative analysis, and recommendation development in partnership with People & Culture leadership and other stakeholders as needed.
Provide leadership and guidance for recruitment and onboarding system implementation, configuration, testing, and rollout, ensuring data integrity, minimal disruption, and alignment with recruitment and onboarding workflows as needed.
Ensure background checks, motor vehicle checks, Form I-9, E-Verify, and other pre-boarding requirements for staff and volunteers are completed accurately, efficiently, and in compliance with all applicable requirements.
Ensure recruitment and onboarding practices align with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, funding requirements and budget constraints, and organizational policies.
Develop and maintain dashboards and reports measuring staff time-to-fill, source of staff hire, volunteer pipeline health, placement timelines, compliance, candidate and volunteer experience, and outreach or event return on investment (ROI).
Review recruitment and onboarding data to identify trends, risks, and gaps; implement corrective actions and provide recommendations to People & Culture leadership as needed.
Lead continuous improvement of recruitment and onboarding frameworks, tools, and standards to strengthen effectiveness, experience, and outcomes.
Design sourcing approaches that support organizational hiring priorities, including proactive pipeline development for hard-to-fill, technical, and mission-critical staff roles.
Provide oversight of talent pipeline development for staff and volunteers, ensuring sustainable, mission-aligned candidate and volunteer pools are maintained.
Serve as a visible talent brand ambassador for the Center, confidently articulating the organization’s mission, impact, culture, and opportunities to candidates and prospective volunteers.
Engage directly in sourcing and outreach activities for staff and volunteer roles when positions are senior-level, highly specialized, strategically critical, or present unique recruitment challenges.
Establish standards and expectations for candidate and volunteer experience across recruitment stages, ensuring timely communication, structured interviews, and consistent offer or placement practices.
Manage and steward the Center’s staff position description library and role description library, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and alignment with organizational structure, position and role levels, equitable classification practices, workforce planning, and operational needs.
Maintain established templates, standards, and review processes for the creation, updating, and approval of staff position descriptions and volunteer role descriptions.
Provide oversight and guidance to management during the development or revision of a position or role description using established protocols.
Conduct regular and periodic reviews of position and volunteer role descriptions to ensure ongoing relevance, clarity, and organizational alignment.
Ensure position description and role description libraries are integrated with recruitment and onboarding systems and workflows.
Leadership & Management: 25 %
Hire, train, mentor, and manage staff, ensuring individual and team development, alignment with goals, and adherence to policies and best practices.
Provide direct supervision and coaching to strengthen communication capacity across departments, building a culture of clear, consistent, and mission-driven storytelling.
Meet with direct reports to identify and resolve problems; perform personnel actions, such as approving timesheets and evaluating performance.
Monitor workload distribution and team capacity to ensure sustainable operations and effective service delivery.
Coach and train direct reports to build sourcing and outreach capabilities across the Recruitment & Onboarding team for position and role levels, ensuring sustainability and high-quality recruitment practices.
Foster a collaborative, service-oriented, and mission-aligned team culture grounded in professionalism, confidentiality, and continuous improvement.
Partner with hiring managers and organizational leaders to clarify staffing and volunteer needs, define hiring and onboarding criteria, and set expectations for recruitment and onboarding timelines.
Review hiring and volunteer placement outcomes and intervene when barriers, delays, or risks arise.
Serve as the primary escalation point for staff recruitment, hiring, and onboarding and volunteer recruitment, onboarding, and placement issues, resolving most challenges and elevating matters to People & Culture leadership when issues involve policy interpretation, legal or compliance risk, and/or cross-departmental impact.
Supports the development of the Recruitment & Onboarding budget in collaboration with the Senior Director, Human Resources; tracks results to ensure alignment with key financial targets for expenses and/or revenue in collaboration with management; approves and monitors team expenditures within established parameters.
Organizational Impact: 10%
Actively contribute as a core member of the Center’s DEI committee, providing insight, data analysis, and recommendations related to recruitment, onboarding, risk mitigation, and data analytics to inform innovative practices to enhance organizational culture.
Lead the implementation of DEI initiatives aligned with organizational priorities for recruitment and onboarding of staff and volunteers.
Support and prioritize the Center’s DEI objectives and integrate as opportunities arise.
May actively serve on various organizational wide committees as assigned.
Other Duties as Assigned: 5%
Perform special projects and research as assigned.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Supervisory Responsibility:
- Human Resources Specialist
- Volunteer Recruitment & Onboarding Coordinator
1 - Volunteer Recruitment & Onboarding Manager
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Strong commitment to the mission and strategic priorities of The Marine Mammal Center.
Ability to understand strategic organizational issues and influence change.
Strong knowledge of human resources practices, policies, and procedures, with demonstrated judgment and discretion in application
Demonstrated knowledge of current recruitment, onboarding, talent acquisition tools, strategies, processes, and best practices.
Experience serving as a system administrator/super user for a complex Applicant Tracking System (ATS), including requisitions, job postings, candidate communications, interview scheduling, offer management, onboarding workflows, and advanced analytics/reporting.
Experience implementing, optimizing, and maintaining platforms, including workflow design, change management, documentation, and end-user training.
Experience managing vendor relationships, contracts, and service delivery for recruiting systems and related tools.
Experience with employer branding and recruitment-related marketing strategies to support candidate attraction and engagement.
Strong, current knowledge of applicable state and federal laws and regulations related to recruiting and hiring.
Demonstrated ability to develop, interpret, and leverage data and analytics to inform strategy, drive continuous improvement, and improve outcomes.
Customer-focused approach with the ability to understand stakeholder needs, set clear expectations, and consistently deliver high-quality service.
Strong leadership and team building skills, with the ability to motivate team members, balance workloads, set priorities, monitor performance, and mentor, coach and develop talent.
Ability to quickly establish professional rapport with internal customers; approachable and able to engage with sensitivity, patience, and professionalism in addressing interpersonal concerns.
Demonstrated professionalism and confidentiality in handling sensitive and confidential information.
Excellent written, verbal, active listening, presentation, and facilitation skills, with the ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and timely.
Comfort participating in group presentations and negotiations, representing the function effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
Ability to work collaboratively and maintain open communication in a team environment, partnering effectively across functions and levels.
Ability to work independently to manage projects, priorities, commitments, and deadlines.
Strong organization skills including attention to detail, effective problem-solving, multitasking, and time management.
Ability to solve complex problems efficiently and effectively, applying sound judgment and making timely decisions
Demonstrated ability to take initiative, prioritize competing demands, resolve conflicts, and follow through to completion
Adapts to and learns from change, challenges, and feedback; demonstrates flexibility in approach and supports others in adopting new processes and expectations.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Word) and virtual collaboration tools (Asana, Slack, Teams, Zoom).
Ability to build and sustain effective working relationships with people from diverse backgrounds while demonstrating self-awareness, respect, and professionalism.
Willingness to support and participate in the Center’s diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
Qualifications and Experience:
Professional HR certification such as SHRM-SCP or SPHR preferred.
Valid driver license with acceptable motor vehicle record to maintain standards of insurability. (Must be 21+ years old as frequently driving company vehicles is required for this position.)
This position requires a combination of education and/or experience equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in human resources or related field; and 7 years of experience directly related in recruitment and onboarding operations, with at least 5 years in a leadership/people management capacity.
Work Environment & Physical Requirements:
This position operates in a professional office, laboratory, and hospital environment both indoors and outdoors with access to other parts of the facilities via outdoor pathways.
Routinely uses standard office equipment, which may involve repetitive motion.
This role involves extended periods of desk work and computer use.
Job responsibilities may include physical tasks requiring manual dexterity, coordination, and mobility, including lifting or moving up to 25 pounds.
Exposure to odors associated with animals and the care of animals.
Limited exposure to allergens and zoonotic diseases.
OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY
The Marine Mammal Center actively engages individuals from all backgrounds. We are committed to embracing diversity within our organization because we firmly believe that diverse employee teams help us to achieve our best organizational outcomes and provide the most effective support to the communities we serve. We are deeply dedicated to creating and maintaining an inclusive, equitable and supportive work environment. We strongly encourage people from underrepresented groups to apply. The Marine Mammal Center believes in growth and supporting our employees as best we can so they can become their best selves in and outside of work. We believe that a healthy work environment means building an inclusive culture where people can thrive together and feel supported and empowered. We believe in stretch versus constraint.
OUR MISSION
The Marine Mammal Center advances ocean health through marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation, research, and education.
ABOUT THE MARINE MAMMAL CENTER For more information, please visit our “About Us” page at www.marinemammalcenter.org
To Apply: Please submit a cover letter and resume and provide a brief description about how your experience aligns with the role.
Note that applications without a cover letter will not be considered.
In your cover letter, please feel free to note which pronouns you use (For example – she/her/hers, he/him/his, they/them/theirs, etc).
We strongly encourage people of color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and non-binary people, veterans, parents, and individuals with disabilities to apply. The Center is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes everyone to our team. If you need reasonable accommodation at any point in the application or interview process, please let us know.
The John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts
Washington, DC 20566, USA
About The Kennedy Center “I am certain that after the dust of centuries has passed over our cities, we, too, will be remembered not for victories or defeats in battle or in politics, but for our contribution to the human spirit.” – President John F. Kennedy The Kennedy Center is the nation’s cultural center and living memorial to President John F. Kennedy. Located on the banks of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., the Center presents performances across all genres, and is also home to artistic affiliates Washington National Opera and National Symphony Orchestra. At the Kennedy Center, we strive to foster belonging and empowerment at work. We are able to advance our mission because of our committed and passionate employees. We are fortunate to be able to leverage their diverse perspectives, life experiences and skills to inform how our workplace can be a safe, transparent, and replenishing community. The Kennedy Center is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant based on race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or related condition, or any other basis protected by law. Mission Statement: As the nation's performing arts center, and a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, we are a leader for the arts across America and around the world, reaching and connecting with artists, inspiring and educating communities. We welcome all to create, experience, learn about, and engage with the arts. Why Join Us We offer a total rewards package to all full-time employees to include: Staff offers for discount tickets Retirement plan with organization matching (after 1 year of employment) Qualifying employer for the Public Student Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF) Commuter programs including pre-tax options for discounted parking and SmartBenefits (WMATA) Annual Leave, Sick Leave, and Personal Days available immediately upon hire 11 paid holidays per year Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits with FSA and HSA options, and paid FMLA We like to have fun! Check out the Kennedy Center National Dance Day 2024 staff video! Pay Details The Kennedy Center strives to design equitable compensation programs. The projected salary range for this position is $75,000 - $85,000, commensurate with experience, and includes a comprehensive benefits package. This is the targeted range of possible compensation for this role at the time of posting. This range may be modified in the future. Base pay within the range is ultimately determined by a candidate’s skills, expertise, and experience as it relates to the position qualifications and responsibilities. Job Description The Manager of Public Relations (Classical) is primarily responsible for managing the strategic communications and public relations efforts for of the Kennedy Center and its two resident artistic affiliates—the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO), helmed by Music Director Gianandrea Noseda and Executive Director Jean Davidson, and Washington National Opera (WNO), led by Artistic Director Francesca Zambello and General Director Timothy O’Leary—alongside distinctive music series including the Fortas Chamber Music Series (Artistic Director Jennifer Koh)., and other vocal and/or classical presentations. This role will be a key partner to the Classical constituent organizations of the Kennedy Center, delivering high-impact international, national, and local earned media coverage to elevate the profile of the respective organizations and projects. With an ever-shifting media landscape and a limited number of press exclusively covering classical music, this role will also pursue non-traditional media coverage and digital-first storytelling opportunities. Key Responsibilities Publicity, Media Relations, and Strategy: This position will develop and execute publicity plans by devising potential story ideas, crafting pitches, and shepherding stories to completion. This candidate will essentially be a publicist for the Center. They will develop and nurture journalist and digital media relationships (ex. streaming media outlets, podcasts, and other non-traditional media). This person has excellent PR instincts and can think strategically to generate significant and meaningful visibility for the Classical constituents and programs at the Kennedy Center. Internal/External Communication: The person will feel comfortable working in a complex, highly matrixed environment. This position will be a key partner to the Kennedy Center’s Classical constituents by communicating plans and delivering in a timely manner. They will work with managers cross-institutionally to develop and execute strong messaging and manage flow and distribution of information. Writing and Project Management: This position will be a project manager for all Classical programs. This position will also write, edit, and distribute Classical program press releases throughout the season as well as review marketing content and copy for PR positioning. The role will also be responsible for drafting media pitches to further position the Center for positive news stories and earned media. They will work closely with social media team, sharing earned media as suggested content for organic social media posts consistent with strategic communications goals. Advise on the voice, messaging, and branding of the NSO and WNO’s social media accounts. Classical-Adjacent Assignments: As an integral member of the Kennedy Center PR team, work related to other Kennedy Center events, initiatives, and special projects, such as Kennedy Center Honors, the Mark Twain Prize, the REACH, and other festivals, series, and performances will be assigned as needed. Key Qualifications At least 3 - 5 years of public relations experience, including responsibility for high-level strategic communications and messaging Long and short-term PR planning ranging from national to grassroots efforts Strong media experience in both the arts and non-arts An appreciation and understanding of opera and/or symphonic music and its inner workings is preferred but not required. A solution-oriented, creative, and independent spirit and collaborative nature Outstanding writing and editing skills. Personal characteristics of poise, calm, and composure in stressful, crisis communications situations. Demonstrated supervisory skills and a capacity to build strong relationships. Ability to multi-task and respond quickly to requests from journalists/editors, photo desks, as well as internal departments and artistic/executive leadership. Candidate must be local or willing to relocate to the DMV area. Relocation assistance is not provided. Candidate must be willing to work onsite. Additional Information Night and weekend work as required by performance schedules. PR staff at the Kennedy Center share the responsibilities of concert duty, amounting to 1-2 performances weekly on average for most positions. Travel of up to 5% may be required.
Full-time
About The Kennedy Center “I am certain that after the dust of centuries has passed over our cities, we, too, will be remembered not for victories or defeats in battle or in politics, but for our contribution to the human spirit.” – President John F. Kennedy The Kennedy Center is the nation’s cultural center and living memorial to President John F. Kennedy. Located on the banks of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., the Center presents performances across all genres, and is also home to artistic affiliates Washington National Opera and National Symphony Orchestra. At the Kennedy Center, we strive to foster belonging and empowerment at work. We are able to advance our mission because of our committed and passionate employees. We are fortunate to be able to leverage their diverse perspectives, life experiences and skills to inform how our workplace can be a safe, transparent, and replenishing community. The Kennedy Center is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant based on race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or related condition, or any other basis protected by law. Mission Statement: As the nation's performing arts center, and a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, we are a leader for the arts across America and around the world, reaching and connecting with artists, inspiring and educating communities. We welcome all to create, experience, learn about, and engage with the arts. Why Join Us We offer a total rewards package to all full-time employees to include: Staff offers for discount tickets Retirement plan with organization matching (after 1 year of employment) Qualifying employer for the Public Student Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF) Commuter programs including pre-tax options for discounted parking and SmartBenefits (WMATA) Annual Leave, Sick Leave, and Personal Days available immediately upon hire 11 paid holidays per year Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits with FSA and HSA options, and paid FMLA We like to have fun! Check out the Kennedy Center National Dance Day 2024 staff video! Pay Details The Kennedy Center strives to design equitable compensation programs. The projected salary range for this position is $75,000 - $85,000, commensurate with experience, and includes a comprehensive benefits package. This is the targeted range of possible compensation for this role at the time of posting. This range may be modified in the future. Base pay within the range is ultimately determined by a candidate’s skills, expertise, and experience as it relates to the position qualifications and responsibilities. Job Description The Manager of Public Relations (Classical) is primarily responsible for managing the strategic communications and public relations efforts for of the Kennedy Center and its two resident artistic affiliates—the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO), helmed by Music Director Gianandrea Noseda and Executive Director Jean Davidson, and Washington National Opera (WNO), led by Artistic Director Francesca Zambello and General Director Timothy O’Leary—alongside distinctive music series including the Fortas Chamber Music Series (Artistic Director Jennifer Koh)., and other vocal and/or classical presentations. This role will be a key partner to the Classical constituent organizations of the Kennedy Center, delivering high-impact international, national, and local earned media coverage to elevate the profile of the respective organizations and projects. With an ever-shifting media landscape and a limited number of press exclusively covering classical music, this role will also pursue non-traditional media coverage and digital-first storytelling opportunities. Key Responsibilities Publicity, Media Relations, and Strategy: This position will develop and execute publicity plans by devising potential story ideas, crafting pitches, and shepherding stories to completion. This candidate will essentially be a publicist for the Center. They will develop and nurture journalist and digital media relationships (ex. streaming media outlets, podcasts, and other non-traditional media). This person has excellent PR instincts and can think strategically to generate significant and meaningful visibility for the Classical constituents and programs at the Kennedy Center. Internal/External Communication: The person will feel comfortable working in a complex, highly matrixed environment. This position will be a key partner to the Kennedy Center’s Classical constituents by communicating plans and delivering in a timely manner. They will work with managers cross-institutionally to develop and execute strong messaging and manage flow and distribution of information. Writing and Project Management: This position will be a project manager for all Classical programs. This position will also write, edit, and distribute Classical program press releases throughout the season as well as review marketing content and copy for PR positioning. The role will also be responsible for drafting media pitches to further position the Center for positive news stories and earned media. They will work closely with social media team, sharing earned media as suggested content for organic social media posts consistent with strategic communications goals. Advise on the voice, messaging, and branding of the NSO and WNO’s social media accounts. Classical-Adjacent Assignments: As an integral member of the Kennedy Center PR team, work related to other Kennedy Center events, initiatives, and special projects, such as Kennedy Center Honors, the Mark Twain Prize, the REACH, and other festivals, series, and performances will be assigned as needed. Key Qualifications At least 3 - 5 years of public relations experience, including responsibility for high-level strategic communications and messaging Long and short-term PR planning ranging from national to grassroots efforts Strong media experience in both the arts and non-arts An appreciation and understanding of opera and/or symphonic music and its inner workings is preferred but not required. A solution-oriented, creative, and independent spirit and collaborative nature Outstanding writing and editing skills. Personal characteristics of poise, calm, and composure in stressful, crisis communications situations. Demonstrated supervisory skills and a capacity to build strong relationships. Ability to multi-task and respond quickly to requests from journalists/editors, photo desks, as well as internal departments and artistic/executive leadership. Candidate must be local or willing to relocate to the DMV area. Relocation assistance is not provided. Candidate must be willing to work onsite. Additional Information Night and weekend work as required by performance schedules. PR staff at the Kennedy Center share the responsibilities of concert duty, amounting to 1-2 performances weekly on average for most positions. Travel of up to 5% may be required.
