POSITION PURPOSE:

This position reports to the Chief Operating Officer. As part of the Museum Shop department, the Director of Retail contributes to the leadership and strategy of the Shop operations in its many forms.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

This position is responsible for all strategy, planning, buying, and creative execution of merchandising programs, and daily operations to support retail sales across all Shop operations including the award-winning Shop, located inside the Daniel Liebeskind-designed Hamilton Building, as well as exhibition-specific specialty shops and the museum’s online shop. The Director of Retail will be responsible for overseeing and leading the Shop, which regularly achieves gross sales of $2+ million annually, while offering visitors a unique opportunity to amplify their onsite experience, provide an opportunity to create lasting memories, and drive revenue growth and institutional profitability.

Specific duties include:

• Oversee Shop operations including:
  • Recruitment, hiring, management and training of Shop personnel.
  • Ensure accurate inventory controls are maintained.
  • Schedule, conduct, audit, and reconcile inventory annually.
  • Develop creative buying and merchandising strategies to support all museum shop operations, including permanent shop spaces, temporary exhibition shops, and the online shop platform.
  • Develop and maintain proper inventory levels and goals, including establishing and using open-to-buy purchasing method.

• Oversight of shop bookkeeping, accounting processes, and reporting including:
  • Deliver maximum contribution to the museum’s general fund through controlling expenses and driving profitability.
  • Collaborate intra-departmentally to develop sales programs to drive increased revenue across the DAM’s business units
  • Create an annual work plan and supporting budget documents.

• Oversee execution of institutional strategies to support museum and museum shop goals, both financial and programmatic including:
  • Direct the buying program, including allocating buying and re-buying responsibilities as required.
  • Collaborate institutionally to develop museum-branded and collections-based products.
  • Collaborate with other visitor experience departments to integrate institutional messaging and customer service philosophies and programs into retail operations.
  • Develop sales strategies and performance goals by maintaining detailed records for evaluation and analysis of sales performance institutionally.
  • Develop a vision for retail at the museum and build strategies and support systems to accomplish long-range goals and drive revenue.
  • Consistent usage of the Racial Equity Lens in day-to-day operations.
  • Yearly goal setting to support Racial Equity Roadmap initiatives.

Other Duties/Responsibilities:

• Attend and represent the institution at industry (including Museum Store Association) conventions and meetings.
• Attend market-buying shows to research new products.
• Direct product development branding program.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum 10 years’ experience as a retail operations leader/manager with all required responsibilities (strategic planning, merchandising, accounting, buying/ordering, inventory management, staff management, etc.).
• Minimum 5 years’ experience directing a retail buying program.
• Expert knowledge of retail operations of a similar size and scope.
• Established experience in buying/rebuying.
• Expert visual merchandising knowledge.
• Proven experience consistently achieving sales goals.
• Excellent people management skills; experience developing a team to meet defined goals.

• A discerning and sophisticated sense of taste; ability to determine a product’s viability and sales success.
• Demonstrated proficiency with point of sales (POS) systems (the museum currently uses The Assistant Manager) and ecommerce platforms with a willingness to learn/evaluate new systems.
• Advanced accounting and bookkeeping experience.
• Analytical skills to ensure accuracy of reporting and business analysis.
• Detail oriented organizational skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent customer service skills and ability to develop and coach customer service skills within department.
• Ability to respond to visitor inquiries and complaints both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to develop an operating budget to include open-to-buy, expenses and staff salaries.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT:

• Onsite at the Denver Art Museum.
• Local and national travel required.
• Must be able to lift 40 pounds or more pounds on occasion.
• Includes work in an open concept office space, warehouse, and retail sales floor environment.
• Weekend and evening work required.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration or comparable field is preferred.

The DAM prioritizes adaptability and a human-centered work environment. We are happy to consider adjustments to job responsibilities to ensure the right candidate will be successful.

Compensation: The hiring salary for the position is $89,200 – $118,900 based on experience.

Benefits: A comprehensive medical/dental/vision plan, that can be extended to domestic partner, spouse, and children. DAM 100% paid Life Insurance, and Short/Long Term Disability. Generous sick and vacation paid time off and one personal day. Ten paid holidays. 403(b) Retirement Plan with immediate eligibility to contribute and those who meet the requirements will qualify for the 3% non-elective contribution and 2% match program. A free DAM Family Membership. Free Telehealth and Employee Assistance Program. Access to Headspace. Two weeks Paid Parental Leave. This position is based at the Denver Art Museum, which only has pay to park options, all employees are eligible to receive a free RTD Eco Pass.

NOTE: This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the job. We know there is no such thing as a perfect” candidatenor do we look for the right “fit” with us, we look for the add! We encourage you to apply for a role at the Denver Art Museum even if you do not meet 100% of the bullet points. We believe in cultivating an environment where there is diversity of perspectives, in hopes that we can all thrive in an inclusive environment.

We know that searching for a job can be stressful so we would like to give you an overview of the process to manage expectations. The application asks for written responses to questions that will be used to pre-screen candidates. If selected, interviews will be conducted via video with a hiring panel. This position will close, and we plan to contact qualified applicants shortly thereafter. Our desire is to hire a candidate as soon as possible.

The Denver Art Museum:

As an institution, we believe the Denver Art Museum is both a platform for and an amplifier of the voices of people of all races. We acknowledge that Black lives matter and communities of color Latinx, Indigenous, Black, and others have been underrepresented in art museums over decades, both internally and externally. We are committed to elevating all voices, artworks and perspectives and strive to support racial equity inside and out.

We prohibit discrimination against any person or organization based on age, race, sex, color, creed, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender identity, gender expression, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, political service or affiliation, genetic information, or disability, as well as any other status protected by federal, state, or local law.

We strive to provide a professional and positive work environment for our employees. The Museum expressly prohibits any form of employee harassment on the basis of age, race, sex, color, creed, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender identity, gender expression, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, political service or affiliation, genetic information, disability or any other applicable status protected by federal, state, or local law. Actions based on these or any legally protected characteristic will not be tolerated.

We encourage the freedom of gender expression and/or gender presentation. As an institution, we do not create barriers that may prevent any employee from expressing behaviors, mannerisms, interests, and appearances that represent their authentic personality or culture. Qualified candidates are expected to exemplify the DAM’s internal values, which include being dynamic, respectful, inclusive, creative, and curious. The ability to maintain effective and positive working relationships with visitors, employees, volunteers, representatives of public and private entities, policy making bodies, and contractors is critical to the success of this position.

The Museum believes vaccination is an important measure to protect the health and safety of everyone from significant illness due to COVID-19 infection. As a condition of employment, employees must present proof that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 on their first day of employment or receive an exemption or other reasonable accommodation due to circumstances protected under federal or state law that prevent the employee from being vaccinated. Employees are also mandated to receive a booster within 6 months of being fully vaccinated.