Chief of External Affairs

Overview

Are you looking to be part of an innovative team of professionals dedicated to telling South Carolina's many stories? As the storytellers of South Carolina, the South Carolina State Museum (SCSM) staff share the rich natural and multiculturalism of the state through the museum’s permanent collections, educational programs, exhibitions, and digital resources.

This is an exciting moment for the State Museum as it embarks on a $75 million capital campaign to reimagine the museum experience for our visitors and expand our educational impact statewide. This collaborative project will allow the museum to share more of its extensive collection of over 1.1 million objects and specimens and renew over 150,000 square feet with updated permanent exhibitions and immersive multimedia experiences highlighting the important stories of people and communities throughout South Carolina’s history.

Come be a part of our team reimagining what the South Carolina State Museum can be for our current and next generation of visitors, students, and scholars. Enjoy living in South Carolina’s capital or surrounding cities where beaches, lakes, marshlands, and the Blue Ridge Mountains are all within a few hours.

The museum is seeking an innovative and strategic Chief of External Affairs to lead our efforts to strengthen the museum’s public presence and expand connections with audiences across South Carolina. Reporting to the Executive Director, this role will lead a talented team of professionals overseeing all external communications, brand management, media relations, digital strategy, and public information functions to elevate the museum’s voice during a pivotal period of growth and transformation.

• Flagship Branding: Directs brand positioning to showcase the museum's educational and cultural value and vast collection of 1 million+ artifacts.
• Audience Generation: Builds data-driven campaigns to boost general museum, programmatic and outreach attendance state-wide.
• Exhibition and Programming Promotion: Develops and executes promotional strategies for permanent, changing, and traveling statewide exhibitions and public programs.
• Digital Strategy: Oversees digital strategy and engagement, including website and social media platforms

• Public Relations: Oversees media development and communications, including pitching stories on new acquisitions and milestones.
• Crisis Management: Leads communications regarding facility updates, safety protocols, and emergency messaging.
• Community Advocacy: Supports the museum’s accessibility initiatives including programs such as Museums for All, Blue Star Summer and first-Sunday discounts to the public.
• Internal Communications: Aligns staff, volunteers, the State Museum Commission and the SCSM Foundation staff and Board on internal goals and priorities.

• Sales & Marketing Strategy: Drives a comprehensive B2B sales funnel to attract high-value corporate clients and event planners regionally and statewide.
• Revenue Strategy: Works in collaboration with the Chief Operations and Revenue Office and Director of Visitor Services on the strategic development and monetization of the museum's premier facility spaces for corporate events, weddings, galas, and private conferences.
• Stakeholder Strategy: Works in collaboration with the Chief of Staff and Head of Strategic Initiatives, Executive Director of the SCSM Foundation and Operations Leadership to maximize the strategic and philanthropic value of museum rentals and special events by deliberately designing, executing, and leveraging private and internal events to cultivate stakeholder relationships, elevate the museum's institutional profile, and directly support foundation fundraising goals.

• Visual Identity Custodian: Sets and enforces the museum’s comprehensive visual identity guidelines across all physical and digital platforms.
• Team Leadership: Provides oversight, professional development, and performance management for the internal graphic design team.
• Exhibitio…