Director of Research and Evaluation

About the Position

The Director of Research and Evaluation leads the organization’s research and evaluation strategy and provides leadership for how organizational impact is defined, assessed, understood, and communicated. This role develops research and learning agendas and consistent evaluation frameworks to assess effectiveness and strengthen programs and initiatives, leads rigorous quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research and evaluation, and translates complex data and findings into actionable insights that support evidence-informed decision-making. Working collaboratively across departments and with external stakeholders, the Director advances organizational learning, data-informed decision-making, and understanding of impact while contributing research and evaluation expertise to broader organizational and field-wide priorities. The role builds and maintains strategic relationships across the broader ecosystem and museum field, leads collaborative research and evaluation initiatives, and contributes evidence and thought leadership to national conversations about access, audience engagement, art sharing, institutional sustainability, and the public value of art museums.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Research and Impact Strategy
  • Lead and refine the research and evaluation strategy and guide its execution to support organizational mission, vision, and strategic priorities.
  • Oversee research administration, compliance, and operational processes supporting data integrity and transparency.
  • Identify emerging questions and evidence gaps affecting the museum field and translate them into research initiatives that strengthen organizational practice and position Art Bridges as a national thought leader.
  • Develop multi-year research agendas supporting access and participation, art sharing, museum sustainability, professional learning, art and wellness, institutional capacity building, and audience engagement.
  • Develop and steward a consistent impact framework including theories of change or logic models, intended outcomes, and key performance indicators (KPIs).
  • Design quantitative, qualitative, mixed-method, longitudinal, and comparative studies as appropriate to each initiative.
  • Develop annual work plans and portfolio priorities aligned with organizational strategy, research needs, and team capacity.
  • Establish clear workflows, quality standards, and accountability mechanisms across the research and evaluation function.
  • Establish standards for research and evaluation methodology and framework design.
  • Manage the departmental budget and resources to support research and evaluation priorities.
• Program Evaluation
  • Lead evaluation design across Art Bridges’ two program pillars: Art Sharing (i.e., the grant-making opportunity and initiatives that often accompany artwork loans to partner museums) and Community Engagement (i.e., the funding opportunity and initiatives that often accompany those loans).
  • Develop evaluation frameworks, logic models, and KPIs across Art Sharing and Community Engagement that support the organization’s impact measurement and KPI infrastructure.
  • Guide the selection and design of rigorous, fit-for-purpose quantitative, qualitative, mixed-method, longitudinal, and comparative studies, balancing accountability with learning and continuous improvement.
  • Establish standards for methodological rigor, data quality, responsible data use, analysis, interpretation, and reporting across research and evaluation conducted by staff, consultants, and external partners.
  • Ensure research and evaluation initiatives are aligned with organizational strategic priorities and produce credible, timely, and decision-relevant findings.
  • Design and oversee evidence-based criteria, measures, and assessment processes that support rigorous, fair, and mission-aligned evaluation of partner initiatives and awards.
• Data and Organizational Learning
  • Translate research findings, evaluation results, and performance data into actionable and accessible insights to support leadership and program teams, fostering a culture of transparency and learning.
  • Lead the development of evaluation content, metric definitions, and organizational requirements for impact dashboards and KPI reporting systems.
  • Build organization-wide data literacy through internal training, coaching, and accessible tools.
  • Enable program teams to independently access and engage with evaluation findings, dashboards, and related information to support data-informed decision-making.
  • Develop research and evaluation knowledge management systems and practices that preserve research findings, evaluation documentation, decisions, and learnings for future organizational use.
• Research Partnerships and Field Leadership
  • Cultivate and manage relationships with evaluators, academic institutions, consultants, and research organizations, locally, nationally, and across the broader ecosystem, proactively identifying and establishing new partnerships as the research agenda requires.
  • Oversee research contracts, establishing clear expectations for methodological quality, deliverables, timelines, data stewardship, and knowledge sharing.
  • Serve as senior representative for Art Bridges in local, national, and ecosystem-wide research collaborations across areas of shared interest.
  • Develop and implement a dissemination strategy, author reports, white papers, case studies, scholarly publications where appropriate, and other resources tailored to internal and external audiences, and present research and findings at professional and academic conferences.
  • Strengthen Art Bridges’ national visibility and influence through conference participation, strategic partnerships, and the development of hosted conferences and convenings.
  • Advance evidence-based practice and dialogue across the museum field related to access, audience engagement, art sharing, institutional sustainability, professional learning, and the public value of art museums in their communities.
• Team Leadership
  • Establish clear expectations, priorities, and accountability measures to support effective team performance and achievement of departmental goals.
  • Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team fostering a culture of excellence, accountability, collaboration, and growth.
  • Promote continuous improvement, professional development, and collaboration within the assigned team to drive results and support organization priorities.
  • Support recruitment, onboarding, and training of new team members to ensure alignment with organization standards and practices.
  • Monitor and manage team performance, addressing attendance, conduct, or productivity issues promptly and professionally.
  • Encourage employee engagement and morale through recognition and open communication practices.
  • Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned to support evolving organizational needs.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Master's degree in evaluation, social sciences, public policy, education, statistics, museum studies, or a related field required. PhD preferred.
• 8–10+ years of progressively responsible experience leading research or evaluation studies within museums, academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, or similar settings.
• Experience working within complex, multi-entity, matrix, or shared services organizational environments preferred.
• 5–7+ years of progressive leadership experience leading and developing teams, including direct responsibility for staff supervision, performance management, coaching, and professional development.
• Proven expertise in both quantitative (e.g., statistical analysis, survey design) and qualitative (e.g., coding, thematic analysis) research methods.
• Demonstrated experience leading mixed-method evaluations and translating research and evaluation strategy into effective systems and practices.

Reports to: Deputy Director, Operations and Strategy
FLSA Classification: Exempt
Location: Bentonville, Arkansas (On-site)