Portland Art Museum · 21 hours ago
Director of Business Operations (Full-Time)
Portland, OR
Full-time
Hybrid
Director/Executive
$95K/yr - $143K/yr
7+ years expPortland Art Museum is a dynamic institution that embraces a wide range of art forms. The Director of Business Operations is responsible for driving earned revenue and operational excellence across multiple divisions, ensuring cohesive functioning and alignment with the Museum's goals.
ArtAssociationEducationEvents
Responsibilities
Provide strategic leadership to the Heads of Sales & Experiences, Head of Retail, and the Head of RSG, ensuring clarity of direction, accountability, and alignment with institutional goals
Coach and mentor departmental leaders, strengthening their capacity to manage teams, budgets, and business operations
Foster collaboration among business departments to ensure integrated strategies and seamless guest-facing operations
Oversee workforce planning, training standards, and customer service excellence in earned revenue delivery
Set the overarching business and revenue strategy for PAM’s commercial departments, ensuring sustainable earned revenue growth across PAM Venues, Retail, and RSG
Direct department Heads in developing accurate revenue forecasts, sales targets, and performance metrics, and ensure accountability for results
Guide analysis of market trends, visitor behavior, and competitive benchmarking to inform departmental strategies and identify emerging revenue opportunities
Lead business development efforts, including evaluating new earned-revenue streams, conducting feasibility studies, and guiding long-term commercial planning
Integrate strategies across departments to maximum engagement and revenue
Oversee the Museum’s e-commerce strategy for retail, events, and gallery sales, ensuring cohesive branding and optimal user experience
Partner with IT, Marketing, and Visitor Services to maintain and improve POS systems, online sales platforms, CRM integration, and dataflow between systems
Develop and maintain dashboards and analytics tools that measure client satisfaction, sales performance, audience segmentation, and operational efficiency
Use data-driven insights to inform pricing, product development, event programming, and customer experience decisions
Establish and uphold operational standards, policies, and procedures that promote efficiency, visitor satisfaction, and consistency across all business departments
Ensure that departmental operations, including event sales, retail operations, and rental sales gallery, are coordinated effectively with internal partners such as Marketing, Events, Curatorial, and Visitor Services
Review and approve departmental operating procedures and business plans to ensure they are aligned with Museum standards and goals
Identify and implement technology systems that support efficient operations, inventory management, labor optimization, and customer engagement
Lead the annual budgeting and financial planning process for PAM Venues, the Shop at PAM, and RSG, ensuring alignment with institutional financial goals
Review and monitor departmental financial performance, including revenue, expenses, margins, and profitability, and hold leaders accountable for meeting financial targets
Review and approve pricing strategies, revenue goals, and business plans submitted by departmental leaders
Oversee procurement processes and vendor evaluations to ensure cost-effective and mission-aligned purchasing decisions
Oversee the cultivation of key external relationships, including community partners, vendors, local businesses, and event clients, ensuring departments maintain strong and aligned stakeholder engagement
Direct business departments in collaborating with Marketing, Development, and Curatorial to build integrated commercial strategies tied to exhibitions and audience initiatives
Ensure vendor and artist partnerships reflect PAM’s DEAI values, prioritizing diverse, local, and culturally responsive collaborators
Provide strategic direction for the development of mission-aligned retail experiences, experiential programming, and gallery initiatives that enhance visitor engagement
Ensure the consistency and integrity of PAM’s commercial brand identity, storytelling, and customer experience across all business units
Champion innovation by encouraging departments to explore new products, programs, and business models that expand PAM’s commercial presence onsite, online, and within the community
Partner with Marketing and Visitor Services to implement guest feedback systems and translate insights into improved commercial offerings
Ensure that all business departments comply with Museum policies, financial controls, risk-management practices, and applicable laws and regulations
Oversee departmental negotiation processes for vendor agreements, client contracts, and licensing arrangements, ensuring alignment with institutional standards
Provide oversight and direction for risk management practices related to events, retail operations, art handling, and guest-facing business activities
Maintain an awareness of all exhibitions, programs, and community partnerships
Serve as a member of the Senior Team and contribute to institutional strategic planning, master planning, and capital project discussions
Perform other related duties as assigned
Direct supervision of the Head of Sales & Experiences, Head of Retail, and Head of RSG
Oversight of approximately 40+ staff across PAM Venues, the Shop at PAM, and RSG
Decisions are made within prescribed operating guidelines
Total budgetary preparation/compliance accountability
Totally accountable for control of capital assets/equipment
Totally accountable for long range and strategic planning
Recruitment, mentoring, performance management, training & coaching. Serves as a leadership example being clear on the strategic direction of the department, being accountable and holding others accountable, and centering collaboration and the values of the Museum
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in business administration, retail management, arts administration, hospitality, marketing, or related field; or equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience
7–10 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in business operations, earned revenue management, retail/e-commerce, event services, hospitality, or related commercial enterprises
Minimum 4–5 years of supervisory experience overseeing multiple direct reports, managers, or complex business units
Experience in nonprofit, cultural, or visitor-serving organizations strongly preferred; museum or arts-sector experience a plus
Demonstrated experience managing digital sales channels, CRM or POS systems, budgeting software, or analytics platforms
Strong leadership and team management skills with demonstrated success supervising multiple departments and developing high-performing teams across retail, events, and guest-facing functions
Expertise in revenue generation, business development, pricing strategy, and financial analysis within a multi-unit business environment
Advanced skills in budgeting, forecasting, financial modeling, and operational planning with the ability to balance mission alignment and revenue optimization
Strong understanding of marketing, branding, digital engagement, and customer-experience strategy, including omni-channel and e-commerce environments
Excellent communication, negotiation, contract management, and relationship-building skills with internal partners, vendors, and community collaborators
Ability to analyze and synthesize sales, retail, e-commerce, ticketing, and visitor data to support strategic decision-making and performance improvement
Proficiency with business systems such as CRM platforms, POS systems, inventory management tools, and analytics dashboards; ability to partner with IT to improve business technology
Demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, and community-centered business practices, including diverse vendor engagement and culturally responsive customer experience strategies
Creative problem-solving, innovation mindset, and adaptability in a dynamic cultural or public-facing environment
Knowledge of retail operations, event sales, hospitality, or visual arts sales is highly beneficial
Preferred
Experience in nonprofit, cultural, or visitor-serving organizations strongly preferred; museum or arts-sector experience a plus
Professional training or certification in retail management, project management, hospitality, or business analytics is beneficial but not required
Benefits
Medical, dental, and vision insurance
Retirement plan with employer match
Generous paid time off and holidays
Employee perks and discounts
Company
Portland Art Museum
Portland Art Museum is the seventh oldest museum in the United States and the oldest in the Pacific Northwest.
201-500 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageLeadership Team
Lisa Hong
HR People & Culture Partner
Rachel Record
Head of Partnerships
Recent News
2025-09-19
2025-09-12
Seattle TechFlash
2025-08-21
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