Manager of Adult and Community Programs

Job: Full-time, Salary, Exempt, Union

Work Schedule: Tuesday through Saturday

Supervisor: Senior Director of Community Dialogue & Adult Programs

Union Minimum Rate: $63,000/yr

About the Milwaukee Art Museum

The Milwaukee Art Museum is a vibrant, welcoming destination where art, architecture, and community come together. As a cultural cornerstone of Milwaukee and a symbol of civic pride, the Museum connects people of all ages and backgrounds through inspiring exhibitions, engaging programs, and unforgettable experiences.

Position Summary

The Manager of Adult and Community Programs will be the key figure in developing, managing, executing, and evaluating innovative public programs that advance art-centered experiences and interpretation, complementing the Museum’s growth and financial priorities and cultural fluency. Programming at the Milwaukee Art Museum is a key aspect of connecting people to art, each other, and the world. This position reports to and works closely with the Senior Director of Community Dialogue & Adult Programs to oversee public programming for adults and general audiences, including but not limited to: lecture series, gallery talks, Artist Talks, Expert Series, MAM After Dark, Art in Bloom, Yoga at MAM, and programming that enhances and extends exhibitions, permanent collection, and emergent in-gallery opportunities.

The Manager of Adult Programs must be a self-actualized self-starter, capable of setting a vision, actualizing an idea, receiving feedback, and moving through their work/day with a sense of abundance, curiosity, and delight. Central to this work is cultivating a spirit of belonging, wonder, and possibility that the Museum aspires to provide and maintain relationships across MAM departments and across diverse community stakeholders to ensure program success.

The expected work schedule for this role is Tuesdays through Saturdays. Schedule may vary due to programming needs. Evening work is required during programming nights. The incumbent will be required to work irregular hours and extended shifts including nights, early mornings, weekends, and holidays for programs.

Key Responsibilities

1. Program Development, Execution and Evaluation

• In partnership with the Senior Director of Community Dialogue & Adult programs, will develop, execute, and oversee the evaluation of innovative adult and public programs at the Museum to serve over 30,000 participants annually, including but not limited to: lecture series, gallery talks, Artist Talks, Expert Series, MAM After Dark, Free Days & Celebration, Art in Bloom, and Yoga at MAM.
• Define and articulate program “success” using quantitative and qualitative metrics.
• Implement and evaluate the Milwaukee Art Museum's public and adult programs by leading and managing their performance to meet financial, visitation, satisfaction, and education targets.
• Write program reports to capture successes and challenges and important data points that can be shared with Learning & Engagement, Development, Marketing, Finance, Visitor Services, Security teams, and community stakeholders.
• Serve as an ambassador for the Museum to the Milwaukee Community and build relationships with key stakeholders such as artists, vendors, and cultural institutions.
• Develop written content/copy to support Marketing of public programs including but not limited to: Member Magazine articles, social media posts, email blasts, and more.
• Manage special projects as assigned.

2. Project Management

• Lead planning across multiple concurrent programs, establishing timelines, milestones, and success metrics, and proactively identifying and resolving scheduling conflicts, calendar density issues, and resource constraints.
• Manage projects in a variety of stages (planning, execution, and evaluation).
• Help to set the cadence of public programs at the MAM given internal and external calendars.
• Co-develop departmental operating budget and, after approval, monitor and take corrective action as necessary to assure that the goals are attained.

3. Institutional Collaboration and Planning

• Work with staff throughout the Museum, support groups, community leaders, resident groups, and colleagues at other institutions to enhance and coordinate MAM’s public program offerings.
• Facilitate interdepartmental teams for MAM After Dark, Art in Bloom, and Program Planning for exhibitions and special projects.
• Represent the Community Dialogue program area across departmental meetings.
• Collaborate with Marketing Team to develop the marketing vision for the annual slate of public programs.
• Collaborate with the Development team to coordinate Support Group participation and alignment with relevant programs.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with artists, vendors, and community partners.
• Form and manage advisory groups and community listening sessions for projects as needed.
• Travel for offsite meetings and community engagement as needed.

4. Communication and Social Acumen

• Utilize emotional and social intelligence to gauge program success, audience feedback, and make real-time pivots to support positive experiences.
• Support cultural fluency and engagement.
• Apply excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills before the supplement of AI tools.
• Solve problems effectively by choosing suitable solutions.
• Maintain unsurpassed focus on details.