Director of Communications

Director of Communications

Ryman Arts | Los Angeles, CA

About Ryman Arts

Ryman Arts transforms lives by creating access and opportunity for a diverse community of young artists through self-expression, rigorous education in art skills, and mentoring.

For 36 years, Ryman Arts has provided tuition-free, college-level visual arts instruction and mentorship to talented young artists across Southern California. Today, Ryman Arts operates on four college campuses and is entering an exciting new chapter of growth, including the development of a new digital arts and workforce initiative for alumni.

As we expand our reach and evolve our public presence, we are seeking a strategic, creative, and collaborative communications leader to help shape the next chapter of the Ryman Arts brand.

Position Summary

The Director of Communications will lead the strategic evolution of Ryman Arts’ voice, storytelling, visual identity, and communications ecosystem during a pivotal period of organizational growth and brand transformation.

This role will oversee institutional communications across development, education, alumni engagement, digital platforms, campaigns, events, and public-facing storytelling, while helping guide a major brand refresh and website redesign initiative already underway.

The ideal candidate is both strategic and hands-on: someone who can think deeply about brand positioning, audience engagement, and institutional storytelling while also helping execute high-quality communications across channels.

This person will work closely with the Executive Director, the Director of Development, and the Development and Communications Coordinator, and collaborate across departments to help articulate a more contemporary, cohesive, forward-looking expression of Ryman Arts while preserving the heart, rigor, and community-centered mission that define the organization.

Key Responsibilities

Brand Strategy & Institutional Voice

• Help shape and steward the evolving Ryman Arts brand, voice, and storytelling strategy
• Partner with the Executive Director and leadership team to develop messaging that reflects organizational growth, excellence, and innovation
• Guide consistency in tone, visual identity, and communications across all public touchpoints
• Help position Ryman Arts as a premier, forward-thinking arts education organization

Brand Refresh & Website Initiative

• Serve as internal communications lead for the organization’s upcoming brand refresh and website redesign
• Collaborate with external creative agencies, designers, photographers, videographers, and web partners
• Help oversee brand implementation, rollout, and long-term stewardship
• Ensure the refreshed brand reflects accessibility, inclusivity, creativity, and organizational excellence

Content, Storytelling & Digital Communications

• Oversee organizational storytelling across web, social media, email, print, video, campaigns, press, and presentations
• Develop compelling content that supports student recruitment, donor engagement, alumni pride, and public visibility
• Partner with program staff to elevate educational storytelling and communicate student and alumni impact
• Develop communications strategies that strengthen alumni engagement, participation, mentorship, and long-term connection to Ryman Arts
• Guide development of multimedia storytelling, including photography, video, and digital campaigns
• Oversee editorial planning and content calendars across departments and initiatives
• Establish and monitor key communications metrics, including website, email, social media, and campaign performance, to evaluate effectiveness and inform strategic decision-making
• Develop and support press materials, media outreach, and earned media opportunities that elevate Ryman Arts’ visibility and impact

Development & Advancement Communications

• Partner closely with the Director of Development, Development & Communications Coordinator, and Alumni Engagement Specialist on donor-facing storytelling and campaign communications
• Support fundraising campaigns, sponsorship materials, donor stewardship, annual reports, and major institutional messaging
• Help strengthen donor confidence through clear, cohesive, mission-centered communications

Leadership & Collaboration

• Provide strategic direction, mentorship, and supervision for communications-related staff, projects, and creative contractors as assigned
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Education, Development, Alumni Engagement, Operations, and Executive leadership
• Build communication systems and workflows that support collaboration and consistency across teams
• Develop and manage the annual communications budget in collaboration with organizational leadership, ensuring effective allocation of resources across communications, initiatives, campaigns, vendors, and strategic priorities

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in communications, brand strategy, marketing, editorial, public relations, or related fields
• Strong storytelling and editorial instincts with excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Experience leading integrated communications initiatives across digital and print platforms
• Experience managing creative projects, campaigns, websites, and/or brand initiatives
• Demonstrated ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution
• Strong visual sensibility and understanding of brand systems and audience engagement
• Collaborative, emotionally intelligent, and highly organized
• Experience in arts, education, nonprofit, cultural, or mission-driven organizations strongly preferred

Preferred Experience

• Brand refresh or rebranding experience
• Website redesign/development collaboration
• Photography/video direction or multimedia storytelling
• Executive communications or thought leadership support
• Press and media relations experience, including story development, media outreach, earned media placement, and strategic promotional partnerships
• Familiarity with CRM/email marketing systems and analytics
• Experience supervising staff or creative teams

Why Join Ryman Arts

Ryman Arts is entering an exciting period of growth and transformation. This is an opportunity to help shape the voice, visibility, and future identity of a deeply respected arts education organization while contributing to meaningful work that changes young lives through creativity, mentorship, and access.