Director

About Miami-Dade County & Department of Cultural Affairs

Miami‑Dade County is the largest county in Florida, serving approximately 2.8 million residents across 34 municipalities and diverse unincorporated communities. Since 1957, the County has operated under a distinctive two‑tier metropolitan system of government with a strong Mayor and a 13‑member Board of County Commissioners, functioning both as a regional government and as a municipal government for unincorporated areas.

Miami‑Dade County manages an annual budget exceeding $12B and employs more than 25,000 staff. Through strategic frameworks such as THRIVE305 and Resilient305, the County prioritizes equity, resilience, economic vitality, and quality of life for its residents. The Miami‑Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs advances cultural excellence, diversity, access and participation throughout Miami‑Dade County. As the County’s lead public cultural agency, the Department plays a central role in shaping a vibrant, inclusive, and globally recognized cultural ecosystem that serves residents, artists, and visitors alike. Guided by a mission to promote cultural excellence while equitably serving Miami‑Dade’s diverse communities, the Department develops and administers policies, programs, and investments that strengthen artistic expression, expand access to the arts, and enhance the County’s quality of life. Through its work, the Department supports more than 1,000 nonprofit cultural organizations and thousands of artists, helping sustain one of the most dynamic cultural landscapes in the nation. 

The Department of Cultural Affairs:

• Supports 1,000+ nonprofit cultural organizations and thousands of artists through competitive grantmaking, technical assistance, and professional development
• Administers multiple grant programs, investing public resources across disciplines, geographies, and communities
• Directs the Art in Public Places program, commissioning, curating, maintaining, and promoting a nationally recognized collection of 900+ public artworks
• Owns and operates major County cultural facilities, including:
  • Marshall L. Davis Sr. African Heritage Cultural Arts Center
  • Dennis C. Moss Cultural Arts Center
  • Joseph Caleb Auditorium
  • Miami‑Dade County Auditorium
• Leads arts education, accessibility, and community engagement initiatives, serving hundreds of thousands of children and residents each year and advancing equity and inclusion across the cultural sector.

Working in close partnership with the Cultural Affairs Council, the Art in Public Places Trust, the Mayor’s Office, the Board of County Commissioners, philanthropic partners, and community stakeholders, the Department serves as both a steward of public resources and a catalyst for cultural innovation. Its work positions arts and culture as essential civic infrastructure—fueling economic vitality, fostering community connection, and reflecting the rich cultural identity of Miami‑Dade County. 

Learn more about the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs by visiting its website.

 The Opportunity 

The Director of Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs (“Director”) is responsible for providing strategic, operational, and executive leadership through the development of programs, policies and initiatives that supports artists, cultural organizations, residents and visitors. This includes the creation of a strategic plan that will guide the Department’s arts work for years to come, and will be developed in partnership with the Mayor, Commissioners, regional community leadership representation from across the County, foundations and philanthropic leaders, arts leadership and beyond.  This is a rare opportunity to steward arts and culture at a scale where vision, public service and creative possibilities converge to help shape the future of Miami-Dade County. This position plays a key role in strengthening relationships with over 1,000 non-profit cultural organizations and numerous artists through grant investments across 14 programs and more than 500 contracts awarded annually; as well as offering technical assistance, public information and community-based planning.   The Director works closely with volunteer advisory councils, including the Cultural Affairs Council appointed by the Board of County Commissioners, to advance the Department’s objectives and deepen community engagement.  This position reports to the Chief Operating Officer, and operates under policy direction from the Mayor and the Board of County Commissioners. Miami-Dade County is internationally recognized for its achievement in implementing a results-oriented government culture. The County’s Strategic Business Plans are developed with significant input from the community in setting priorities.

The Director oversees the DCA’s $70M+ operating budget and a staff of 90.

Success in the short and long-term looks like the following:

• The development of a Strategic Plan for the County’s arts portfolio that engages a broad range of community voices that the County can coalesce around.
• The refinement of a clear story and value proposition that amplifies the importance and relevance of the arts and that make investment in the arts a top priority.
• The broadening and diversification of funding streams for arts initiatives.
• The establishment of Miami-Dade County as the ‘innovation arts capital’ of the country.

Key Responsibilities of the Director include: Strategic and Cultural Leadership

• Set and advance a long-term vision for arts and culture in Miami-Dade County, positioning the Department as a leader locally, nationally, and internationally.
• Guide countywide cultural strategy and priorities that reflect the County’s diversity, global influence, and evolving communities.
• Serve as Miami-Dade County’s Chief Cultural Officer and a visible champion for the public value of arts and culture across civic, cultural, and policy contexts.
• Lead an inclusive and ongoing cultural planning process, engaging artists, residents, and stakeholders through public forums, community dialogue, and transparent decision-making mechanisms.

External Leadership, Partnership & Public Representation

• Act as the Department’s principal ambassador and spokesperson with artists, cultural organizations, community leaders, business partners, and elected officials.
• Cultivate productive partnerships across County government, the nonprofit sector, education, philanthropy, and the private sector to strengthen cultural impact and alignment.
• Represent Miami-Dade County in regional, national, and international cultural forums and networks.
• Represent the County and the cultural community in key civic and sector-wide endeavors, including engagement with organizations such as the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, Dade Community Foundation, Americans for the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, Florida Cultural Alliance, Florida Arts Council, and the Florida Association of Local Arts Agencies.

Public Stewardship & Governance

• Operate effectively within a complex governance structure, working closely with the Mayor’s Office, Board of County Commissioners, Chief Operating Officer, and volunteer advisory councils.
• Ensure transparent, ethical, and accountable stewardship of public resources, programs, and facilities.
• Lead the Department through change, complexity, while maintaining trust, credibility, and confidence among stakeholders.
• Support and strengthen governance partnerships by fostering collaboration, shared accountability, and informed decision-making.

Cultural Ecosystem & Community Impact

• Strengthen and sustain relationships with artists, nonprofit cultural organizations, and communities throughout Miami-Dade County.
• Oversee grantmaking, facilities, and programmatic investments that support artistic excellence, access, and participation across disciplines and geographies.
• Design and advance initiatives that cultivate new and younger audiences, broadening participation and enhancing Miami-Dade County’s local, national, and international cultural profile.
• Provide technical assistance, professional development, and capacity-building opportunities for artists and cultural organizations.
• Ensure that programs and investments reflect equity, responsiveness, and community needs.

Resource Stewardship & Sustainable Growth

• Identify, pursue, and secure public and private funding from local, regional, state, and federal governmental sources, as well as corporate and foundation partners, to advance the Department’s mission and strategic priorities.
• Steward significant public and quasi-public funds with care, integrity, and fiscal discipline.
• Build diversified and resilient funding models that complement public investment and support long-term sustainability, always grounded in public value and mission alignment.

 Departmental Leadership & Governance

• Provide executive leadership and oversight of departmental operations, initiatives, and programs, including leading a professional staff and managing grants and facilities.
• Build, support, and retain a high-performing leadership team and organizational culture grounded in collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Lead the planning, design, and implementation of capital improvement projects to enhance cultural facilities and expand access to arts programming across diverse communities, in coordination with County capital, procurement, and compliance processes.
• Use data, evaluation, and community feedback to assess effectiveness, strengthen performance, and continuously improve programs and services.
• Ensure that systems, policies, and day-to-day operations align with strategic goals and deliver efficient, high-quality public services.

Candidate Profile

While the following offers an aspirational view of the ideal candidate, Miami-Dade County encourages applications from individuals with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, particularly those who bring diverse perspectives to cultural leadership.

Strategic & Visionary Leadership

The Director is a nationally recognized cultural leader with the vision, confidence, and executional discipline to shape the future of one of the country’s most influential public cultural agencies. This leader brings a proven ability to set an ambitious direction, align diverse stakeholders, and translate big ideas into sustained public impact within complex local, regional, and national systems. Stepping into a moment defined by fiscal pressure, political visibility, and rapid change across the arts sector, the Director demonstrates resilience, decisiveness, and the ability to lead through uncertainty while still delivering measurable results across advocacy, investment, and community outcomes. Entrepreneurial in mindset and strategic in practice, the Director actively scans the horizon—integrating emerging trends in the arts, philanthropy, and civic development into durable strategies that position Miami‑Dade County for long‑term cultural leadership.

A Catalytic Ambassador, Diplomat and Fundraiser

The Director serves as a highly visible and influential ambassador for arts and culture, representing Miami‑Dade County with credibility, authority, and vision across local, national, and international platforms. A compelling public voice and skilled political navigator, this leader makes a persuasive case for arts and culture as essential civic infrastructure that drives economic vitality, social connection, and community identity. The Director brings a high level of cultural awareness and fluency, with the ability to engage sophisticated philanthropic entities, high‑level donors, and institutional partners with ease and authenticity. Proven success identifying, pursuing, and securing public and private funding from local, regional, state, and federal sources, as well as corporate and foundation partners, is essential, along with experience building diversified and resilient funding models that complement public investment and support long‑term sustainability. The Director excels at convening and aligning funders, government leaders, and cultural partners around promising projects, fostering new, facilitated partnerships and positioning collaborators as active co‑creators in shaping the County’s cultural future. 

Leading and Executing for Results

The Director combines bold, outward‑facing leadership with administrative and operational precision, demonstrating a consistent ability to move ambitious public goals from vision to execution in a highly visible, high‑accountability environment. Serving as both an executive leader and a persuasive public voice, the Director advances arts and culture as essential civic infrastructure, aligning strategy, resources, and partnerships to drive economic vitality, social connection, and community identity. This leader builds, empowers, and leads teams at scale, sets clear priorities amid competing demands, and balances inclusive leadership with timely, decisive action. Comfortable operating at both the strategic and tactical levels, the Director works effectively with boards, advisory councils, senior government leadership, and sophisticated philanthropic partners to advance institutional priorities. With strong political, financial, and organizational acumen, the Director stewards significant public resources with rigor and transparency, secures and aligns public and private investment, and ensures that systems, staff capacity, and day‑to‑day operations are fully aligned in service of long‑term strategic and cultural impact. 

Passion for the Mission 

At the heart of this role is a deep conviction that arts and culture are fundamental to civic life and to the trust that binds public institutions to the communities they serve. The Director is motivated by the opportunity to advance access and artistic excellence at scale, strengthening confidence among elected leadership, advisory bodies, cultural partners, and residents while reinforcing Miami‑Dade County’s standing as a leading cultural center nationally and globally. This leader understands that trust is earned through consistency, transparency, and presence, particularly in moments of uncertainty or change. Bringing exceptional emotional intelligence, authenticity, self‑awareness, and steadiness under pressure, the Director listens deeply, leads with humility, and navigates competing perspectives with care. Grounded in integrity and guided by strong values, the Director approaches the work with intellectual curiosity, sound judgment, and an enduring commitment to public service, accountability, and continuous growth.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required. Advanced degree preferred.
• Eight years of progressively responsible administrative and/or managerial experience, including supervisory experience and experience in a governmental arts agency and/or a nonprofit cultural organization is required.
• Extensive experience with public and private grant funding processes, including evaluation, budgeting, financial planning, compliance, and performance monitoring is highly preferred.
• Experience in the planning, implementation, and management of capital projects for cultural facilities is highly preferred.
• Given Miami‑Dade County’s diverse, international community, candidates with demonstrated global cultural competency and the ability to connect authentically with people from varied backgrounds will stand out. Proficiency in Spanish and/or Haitian Creole would be a plus.
• Candidates may come from public, nonprofit or hybrid backgrounds, but must be credible and adaptable in a government setting with the ability to operate under public accountability.

Compensation and Benefits

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The salary range for this role is $220,000 - $320,000 and will be determined based on a consideration of the successful candidate’s skills, experience and geography and aligned with Miami-Dade County’s compensation policies.

Miami-Dade County offers outstanding comprehensive benefits that include full medical, dental, optional vision and disability insurance; optional 457 pre-tax savings plans, optional flexible spending accounts, 13 paid holidays, one birthday holiday, and three floating holidays; vacation and sick leave; and employee contributory membership in the Florida Retirement System.

A relocation package may be provided if the successful candidate is based outside of commuting distance.

About Miami-Dade County

Miami-Dade County stands as one of America's most dynamic economic powerhouses, anchored by PortMiami and Miami International Airport, which together drive billions in trade and tourism annually. The county has evolved well beyond its tourism roots, now hosting a thriving financial sector, a booming technology and startup ecosystem, and a burgeoning real estate market that attracts global investors.

Its location as the gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean makes it a natural headquarters for multinational corporations, while Brickell's gleaming skyline signals its status as an international banking hub. On the education front, institutions like the University of Miami, Florida International University, and Miami Dade College — one of the largest community colleges in the nation — provide world-class research, healthcare, and professional programs that feed a highly skilled local workforce.

For families, Miami-Dade offers an unmatched quality of life defined by 365 days of sunshine, miles of pristine beaches, and an extraordinary system of parks that includes Everglades National Park at its doorstep.

Culturally, the county is in a class of its own — Wynwood's legendary street murals, the annual Art Basel Miami Beach gathering, Marshall L. Davis Sr. African Heritage Cultural Arts Center, the Pérez Art Museum Miami, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, and a world-famous nightlife and culinary scene make it a destination that rivals any global city for creative energy and artistic ambition.

Perhaps most distinctly, Miami-Dade is one of the most culturally diverse places on Earth. With over 70 nationalities represented and nearly 70% of its 2.7 million residents speaking a language other than English at home, the county pulses with the rhythms, flavors, and traditions of Cuba, Haiti, Colombia, Brazil, Nicaragua, Jamaica, and dozens of other nations. Neighborhoods like Little Havana, Little Haiti, and Calle Ocho are living, breathing cultural landscapes where heritage is celebrated openly and daily. This extraordinary mosaic is not just a point of civic pride — it is the very engine of Miami-Dade's creativity, commerce, and enduring sense of possibility.

Contact 

DSG | Koya has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Anne McCarthy, Malissa Brennan, and Kaley Blaszinski. Express interest in this role by filling out our Talent Profile or emailing the search team directly at [email protected].

DSG | Koya is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email [email protected]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

Applicants qualifying for employment will be subject to an extensive background check including, but not limited to, fingerprint checks, employment verification and other screening procedures. All documents submitted in response to the advertisement are public records pursuant to Chapter 119 Florida Statutes.

Miami-Dade County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants and employees are protected from discrimination based on certain categories protected by Local and Federal law.