Associate Director of Public Relations and Communications

About the BSO

Founded in 1881, the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is one of the world’s foremost orchestras and a leading cultural institution dedicated to artistic excellence, education, community engagement, and civic leadership through music. Through the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops, Tanglewood, Symphony Hall, educational initiatives, and community partnerships, the BSO serves local, national, and global audiences while advancing the future of the art form.

The Associate Director of Public Relations and Communications serves as the senior operational and strategic communications partner to the Senior Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications. This role functions as the department’s second‑in‑command and is responsible for advancing strategic communications initiatives, strengthening departmental capacity, supporting executive communications efforts, and operationalizing institutional messaging, media strategy, crisis response, and stakeholder communications across the organization.

It is a successor‑track leadership position intended to strengthen long‑term communications bench depth and continuity.

Strategic Communications Execution: Partner with the Senior Director to operationalize enterprise communications strategy across institutional initiatives, leadership priorities, and organizational communications efforts. Translate high‑level communications direction into actionable messaging plans, communications initiatives, and coordinated execution strategies. Ensure organizational messaging remains aligned, consistent, responsive, and strategically integrated across departments and stakeholder groups.

Crisis Communications and Issues Management: Support execution of institutional crisis communications strategies and rapid response communications efforts. Develop statements, FAQs, talking points, stakeholder messaging, response frameworks, and supporting communications materials. Monitor emerging issues, reputational dynamics, and public narrative trends while coordinating institutional response efforts. Assist in maintaining organizational readiness during periods of heightened visibility or complexity.

Executive Communications Support: Draft, edit, and coordinate communications on behalf of executive leadership. Support executive visibility, thought leadership initiatives, speaking engagements, interviews, and stakeholder communications preparation. Ensure executive messaging aligns with enterprise communications strategy and institutional priorities.

Media Relations and Institutional Storytelling: Manage proactive media engagement efforts and support institutional visibility initiatives. Develop stories, pitches, messaging opportunities, and communications campaigns that elevate the BSO’s artistry, mission, civic role, educational work, and institutional priorities. Cultivate relationships with journalists, media contacts, and external communications partners. Support execution of media strategy established by departmental leadership.

Internal Communications and Cross‑functional Coordination: Lead the organization’s internal communications strategy during periods of organizational change, institutional visibility, leadership transition, or reputational sensitivity. Partner with Human Resources and executive leadership to develop communications approaches that strengthen employee trust, organizational clarity, alignment, and transparency. Coordinate cross‑functional communications planning to ensure alignment between internal stakeholder communications and external institutional messaging.

Department Leadership and Operational Depth: Serve as deputy communications leader and acting departmental lead as needed. Strengthen departmental processes, execution standards, communications workflows, and operational coordination. Mentor junior staff, interns, and operational team members while building long‑term departmental capability. Provide additional strategic depth and leadership redundancy within the communications function.

8–10 years of experience in communications, media relations, executive…