Managing Director, Brand Strategy & Communications

San Francisco, CA (Hybrid)

$175K/yr – $205K/yrSenior LevelFull time

Posted 2 months ago

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Job Summary

Own and elevate SF Ballet’s institutional brand and narrative across channels, aligning artistic vision with donor and audience engagement while steering media, crisis comms, and revenue-aligned communications.

  • Brand governance: ensure a consistent voice, messaging architecture, and standards across touchpoints.
  • Media and partnerships: lead a proactive, multi-platform strategy and cultivate editorial and media partnerships to raise profile and support revenue goals.
  • Editorial leadership: oversee content production and storytelling that deepen audience connection and provide a narrative foundation for campaigns.

Job Description

Responsibilities

  • Lead and steward SF Ballet's institutional brand — identity, voice, messaging architecture, and standards — ensuring consistency across all touchpoints and constituencies.
  • Lead competitive positioning and differentiation strategy, including brand health monitoring and ongoing market analysis.
  • Build the institutional narrative that connects SF Ballet's artistic vision to its audiences, donors, and community, including the Comprehensive Enterprise Strategy (CES) messaging framework.
  • Develop and manage brand partnerships that extend SF Ballet's reach and visibility, in collaboration with the Director of Strategic Partnerships as appropriate.
  • Lead a proactive, multi-platform media strategy that builds SF Ballet's national and international profile and advances the Artistic Director's visibility.
  • Personally manage key editorial relationships and high-stakes media situations; serve as primary liaison to SF Ballet's external communications agency, overseeing agency scope, direction, and deliverables.
  • Develop and manage media partnerships that serve both earned revenue and brand goals, working in close coordination with the Senior Director of Audience Development & Earned Revenue.
  • Lead crisis communications planning and response; develop thought leadership strategies in partnership with the Executive Director and Artistic Director.
  • Lead organization-wide communications strategy — including executive messaging, Board communications, stakeholder communications, and internal communications — ensuring consistency and alignment with institutional priorities.
  • Develop and maintain the messaging frameworks and editorial content that serve as the foundation for communications across all teams and channels.