Description
Who We Are
The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza is one of the nation’s leading history museums and the most visited historic site in North Texas. Located within the historic Texas School Book Depository, the Museum preserves and shared the story of President John F. Kennedy, the assassination of President Kennedy, and the enduring legacy of the 1960s through exhibitions, educational programming, collection and public engagement.
Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, The Sixth Floor Museum welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world each year. Our team is united by a shared commitment to historical accuracy, meaningful visitor experiences and thoughtful storytelling that connects history with contemporary audiences.
As the Museum continues to grow, we are investing in every aspect of the visitor experience, including reimaging our retail operation as an extension of our mission. This is an exciting opportunity to build meaningful exceptional while helping visitors take a meaningful piece of their Museum experience home.
The Opportunity
The Sixth Floor Museum seeks an innovative entrepreneurial Head of Retail & E-commerce to lead the strategic vision, daily operations and continued growth of the Museum Store and online retail program.
Reporting the Chief Experience Officer, this position will transform the Museum’s retail operation into a nationally recognized museum store that reflects the quality of the institution while generating earned revenue to support the Museum’s mission.
This is far more than a traditional retail management role. The Head of Retail & E-Commerce will develop exclusive merchandise inspired by the Museum’s collections and exhibitions, strengthen relationships with artists, publishers and manufacturers, expand e-commerce, improve operational performance that inspires visitors long after they leave the Museum.
The successful candidate is both strategic thinker and hands-on leader who enjoys developing people, analyzing business performance and creating memorable retail experiences.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
- Develop and execute a comprehensive retail and e-commerce strategy that supports the Museum’s mission and long-term financial goals.
- Establish annual sales objectives, operating budgets and performance metrics.
- Analyze sales trends, inventory performance and visitor purchasing behavior to identify opportunities for growth.
- Lead innovation in merchandising, product development and the overall retail experience.
Leadership
- Recruit, coach and develop a high-performing retail team.
- Foster a collaborative, service-focused culture built on accountability and continuous improvement.
- Work closely with colleagues across Collections, Curatorial, Development, Education, Exhibitions, Guest Services and Marketing to support Museum initiatives and create integrated visitor experiences.
Merchandising & Product Development
- Curate a distinctive merchandising assortment inspired by the Museum’s collections, exhibitions and mission.
- Develop exclusive products in collaboration with artists, publishers and manufacturers.
- Build strong vendor relationships and negotiate purchasing agreements.
- Evaluate product performance and continuously refine merchandise selections.
Retail Operations
- Oversee all Museum Store and e-commerce operations, including inventory management, purchasing, pricing and fulfillment.
- Maintain high standards for visual merchandising, customer service and operational excellence.
- Ensure accurate inventory controls, annual physical inventories and establish loss prevention practices.
- Identify opportunities to improve efficiency while enhancing the visitor experience.
Requirements
The ideal candidate will bring:
- Bachelor’s degree in business, retail management, marketing, museum studies or related filed, or equivalent professional experience.
- Five or more years of progressive retail leadership experience.
- Demonstrated success managing purchasing, merchandising, inventory and retail financial performance.
- Experience developing product assortments and driving sales growth.
- Strong understanding of e-commerce operations and digital merchandising.
- Excellent leadership, coaching and team development skills.
- Outstanding organizational, communication and project management abilities.
- Ability to interpret sales data and make informed business decisions.
- Passion for creating exceptional customer experiences.
Preferred Qualifications
- Museum, cultural institution or nonprofit retail experience.
- Experience developing proprietary or branded merchandise.
- Experience with licensing, publishing or intellectual property.
- Familiarity with retail management software and point-of-sale systems.
How to Apply
Interested candidates are encouraged to apply through The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza’s online Career Portal. Please submit your cover letter and resume through the portal to be considered for this position. Visit www.jfk.org/careers to apply.
