VP Marketing and Retail Operations

About the Role

Reporting to the CEO, the Vice President of Brand Marketing and Retail Operations provides vision, strategy, and leadership for high-impact attractions and events-based learning experiences that engage diverse audiences and drive financial results. This position oversees brand marketing, memberships and admissions, featured exhibitions, attractions, events and event sales, program sales, store and food service operations, and customer service. As a member of the leadership team, the VP ensures marketing and retail operations strategies align with the brand’s mission, vision, and values.

Responsibilities

• Provide vision, strategy, and leadership for brand marketing and retail operations to engage diverse audiences, deliver high-quality learning experiences, and drive financial results in support of the 5-year strategic plan and 20-year vision.
• Serve as a key partner to the President and CEO on brand marketing, membership, admission models, pricing, exhibition selection, attraction content, operations, program sales, and events.
• Contribute to enterprise-wide planning and cross-functional initiatives as a member of the leadership team.
• Manage an annual budget of $12.6M in revenues and $5.7M in expenses.
• Champion a culture of integrity, inclusion, and shared accountability while fostering collaboration across teams.
• Partner with the VP of Learning to implement museum and campus experience strategies.
• Partner with the VP of Finance to evolve sales strategies and support long-term growth.
• Partner with the VP of Development to advance fundraising and community reach.

Brand Marketing

• Lead development and execution of brand strategies to drive revenue and advance the mission.
• Leverage audience insights and market research to identify impact and reach opportunities.
• Drive innovation by envisioning and launching new products, services, and experiences.
• Serve as brand steward, ensuring consistency of brand story, voice, visual identity, and messaging across all platforms.
• Lead creation of integrated campaigns that build awareness and position the organization as a philanthropic and cultural priority in the region.
• Oversee strategy, development, and optimization of the website and digital platforms to enhance user experience and support marketing and sales goals.
• Evaluate and adopt technology tools to improve operational efficiency.
• Provide leadership to the brand marketing team and oversee external agency relationships, including brand strategy, creative services, digital marketing, social media, PR, advertising, and content development.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators to evaluate the impact of marketing initiatives, reporting regularly on outcomes and using data to guide continuous improvement.

Retail Operations

• Lead and optimize retail environments—including museum stores, food services, and admissions—by aligning customer experience with financial goals, inventory management, sales strategy, and operational efficiency.
• Set retail strategic vision to elevate participant experience, advance the mission, and improve financial performance.
• Lead data-driven business planning, content selection/development, resource allocation, and performance management for earned revenue units, including the Empirical Theater, Science store, USS Blueback submarine, Planetarium, and food service operations.
• Oversee the featured exhibit selection process, financial modeling, planning, contract negotiations, and implementation in collaboration with the VP of Learning Experiences.
• Manage third-party vendor relationships, ensuring alignment with brand, financial targets, and visitor experience standards.
• Strengthen sales infrastructure, integrated pricing strategies, sales systems, and processes.
• Provide leadership for sales, events, and guest services teams to drive revenue performance, operational efficiency, and high-quality service delivery.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators and industry trends across admissions, retail, and attractions.
• Conduct ongoing business analysis to inform investment decisions, optimize revenue, and support innovation.

Team Leadership

• Lead Brand Marketing and Retail leadership (6 FTE) and teams (45 FTE).
• Build and cultivate high-performing teams through mentorship, collaboration, and asset-based feedback.
• Partner with division leadership to monitor team performance and development goals.

Partnerships and Collaboration

• Maintain collaborative and trusting relationships with internal partners and external vendors.
• Hire, lead, and manage external teams to achieve key strategies and contractual commitments.
• Serve as an ambassador and persuasive spokesperson for the brand’s mission, strategic direction, funding priorities, and partnerships in various public settings.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in business or a related discipline; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• 7+ years of progressive leadership experience leading integrated marketing and retail operations.
• Proven track record of leading high-performing marketing, sales, and customer experience teams.
• Familiarity with legal compliance in marketing, retail operations, customer privacy, and public engagement.
• Non-profit or education environment experience preferred.

Skills

• Excellent interpersonal, written, critical thinking, and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational, strategic planning, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Effective time management with an emphasis on simultaneous project management.
• Demonstrated financial acumen with experience in budget analysis, forecasting, and planning.
• Ability to persuade and move people to action.
• Skilled presenter to internal, external, and Board of Director audiences.
• Demonstrated skills in teamwork, collaboration, and relationship-building across diverse backgrounds and talents.
• Ability to pivot effectively between individual and team-based work.
• Advanced knowledge of equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice theories, including critical theories of systemic oppression, unconscious bias, personal identity, and intersectionality.
• Ability to lead staff in incorporating DEI into their work and goals, with an emphasis on racial equity and advancing the Equity Action Framework.