Press & Marketing Communications Specialist
Museum Van Loon is one of the most striking and most-visited historic houses in the Netherlands, located on Amsterdam’s Keizersgracht. The unique ensemble of canal-fronted house, interior, collection, garden, and coach house—assembled over the centuries by the Amsterdam regent family Van Loon—was opened to the public in 1973. Museum Van Loon attracts approximately 80,000 visitors annually.
The museum is run by a dynamic team, where hard work, camaraderie, and having fun go hand in hand. The historic museum buildings and the permanent collection form the foundation of the museum’s work; by presenting multifaceted narratives surrounding the collection, location, and family history, Museum Van Loon aims to be an open house with a welcoming atmosphere, where the most diverse audience possible can feel at home. In recent years, the museum has made significant strides in this regard with programming such as Along the Surinamese Canals (2019), Va Pensiero: the Euphrates and its stories (2021), and Between Gaasp & Gracht – Stories from Two Neighborhoods (2022).
Museum Van Loon presents temporary exhibitions in the categories of Heritage, Contemporary Art, and Art History. Exhibitions are regularly developed in a participatory manner. In addition to exhibitions, we program and produce numerous public activities, including major events such as Opera in the Canal Garden and Museum Night. Through our educational programs, we are reaching an ever-growing number of elementary school students, vocational students, the blind and visually impaired, and other target groups. Through our online and offline marketing and press communications, we reach a wide variety of visitor groups from the Netherlands and abroad, who are becoming increasingly younger and more diverse.
In this context, and to further strengthen the multifaceted connection between our audience and our programming, we would like to welcome a new colleague to our team in the role of
Press & Marketing Communications Specialist
(24 hours per week)
The Press & Marketing Communications Officer is responsible for developing and implementing the organization’s PR and marketing policies, as well as communication plans tailored to its programming. This experienced PR professional develops and executes press strategies aimed at generating (international) free publicity, including serving as a spokesperson. Online and offline marketing, CRM, audience research, dedicated newsletters, and the production (or commissioning) of campaign materials: these are all part of the Press & Marketing Communications Officer’s daily responsibilities. This also includes maintaining contacts with tour operators, the travel industry, and other tourism organizations. Our new colleague will manage the museum’s existing network of (press) contacts and expand it. Key objectives include positioning the museum both overall and among various target groups, as well as maximizing ticket sales. The Press & Marketing Communications Officer reports to the director.
Our ideal candidate:
- has several years of experience developing PR and marketing policies and plans at a cultural institution, can translate these into communication and marketing plans tailored to the programming, and can implement them
- is highly skilled at translating substantive content into PR and marketing materials, including press releases
- has experience with media relations and acting as a spokesperson, brings their own network of (media) contacts to the table, and enjoys pushing the boundaries of ambition and results in the area of free publicity
- is well-versed in online and offline marketing, CRM, audience research, newsletters, etc., preferably with experience working at a cultural institution
- is a creative writer (in Dutch and English), given the extent to which substantive ideas must be captured in communications
- has an affinity for a multifaceted approach to art, heritage, storytelling, the public, and public participation, and is able to promote this
- is flexible, hands-on, a good communicator, and able to handle stress, even in our fast-paced environment where you’ll be working closely with our visitors
- has at least a bachelor's degree and/or demonstrable work experience at this level
Terms of Employment
The position offers competitive compensation and benefits, in line with the museum’s internal job classification system. For more information about the position, please contact Executive Director Gijs Schunselaar (gijsschunselaar@museumvanloon.nl). Please send your brief cover letter and resume to this email address by Sunday, February 19. The selection process will take place in late February–March.
