Position Overview:

The MIT Museum Store Manager is responsible for the overall management, operation, safety, and performance of the MIT Museum Store, including the online store. This includes buying, effective merchandising, sales and inventory management; driving profitability and achieving annual sales goals; financial oversight including preparing and managing annual budget, reporting and tracking store expenses as well as daily sales, review and analysis of revenue data and trends, and adherence to MIT procurement, contractural, and financial guidelines and systems; hiring, training, supervising and developing staff; and modeling best practices in customer services.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

Operations

• Manage and oversee the smooth, efficient, and safe daily functioning of the MIT Museum Store; creating and sustaining a safe and welcoming environment for all. With the Assistant Store Manager and input from other museum teams, define, build, model and implement the hallmark qualities of the MIT Museum Store experience to ensure a premier experience for all.
• Develop and implement merchandise plan that reflects the mission and character of the museum, and local and tourist buying patterns. Purchase merchandise according to plan and budget. Track sales, and identify and respond to trends. Make adjustments according to identified trends.
• Drive sales and profitability and achieve annual sales goals.
• Participate in the development of long-range strategic plans and all aspects of how the store intersects with the operations goals of the Museum.
• Further develop e-commerce website and e-commerce plan, to maximize revenue. Working closely with Marketing and Communications, drive all operations of online store including website content, marketing, search engine optimization, order fulfillment and customer service.
• Administer policies and procedures for store including pricing, inventory control, shipping and receiving, stock, and return/exchange authorizations; and develop new policies as needed.
• Oversee maintenance, use and management of point-of-sale and inventory control software system including daily operations, data analysis, report preparation, troubleshooting, and installation of upgrades.
• Problem solve as needed: train team to respond to first aid, theft, accident or incident events and document according to museum/MIT/campus protocols; resolve visitor complaints immediately.

Supervision

• Interview, hire, and develop Store staff and temporary seasonal assistants, taking care to integrate them into the overall organizational culture and goals.
  
• Work with Assistant Store Manager to create and maintain staffing schedule to ensure adequate staffing, based on demand and seasonal traffic patterns, and to onboard, train, coach, supervise, and mentor staff.
• Participate in regular cross-team meetings to discuss timely operational details and logistics, and any resource needs to be provided by the Director of Visitor Operations.

Merchandise

• Seek merchandise sources through online and catalog research, meeting with vendor representatives, and attending national and regional trade and gift shows. Develop new merchandise inspired by new exhibitions and museum collections.
• Maintain inventory levels to ensure adequate stock for projected sales. Along with Assistant Store Manager, manage ordering, receiving, and processing of all inventory, and performance of annual inventory.
• Train store staff to maintain displays that reflect current stock levels and new merchandise, and are arranged to ensure maximum attractiveness. Ensure that at all times the store is neat, clean, safe, and visually appealing.

Other duties as assigned including those at a lower level when necessary.

Supervision Received:

Reports to Director of Visitor Operations and meets with them regularly.

Supervision Exercised:

Supervises full-time assistant store manager, store staff, and temporary hourly store assistants. Recruits, hires, trains, develops, mentors and evaluates all store staff.

Qualifications & Skills:

REQUIRED:

• Bachelor's degree and minimum of 3 years of retail sales and management experience including buying, marketing, personnel management, merchandising and in-store and online sales.
• Demonstrated ability to meet annual sales goals.
• Knowledge of and experience with point-of-sale/inventory systems, and MS Office.
• Understanding of budget processes and forecasting; proven ability in financial planning, analysis and accountability.
• Excellent skills in written/oral communications, customer service, collaboration and team work, time management, multi-tasking, and attention to numerous details; creativity and problem solving ability.
• Position requires ability to work at least one weekend day per week.
• The successful candidate will be energetic, outgoing, unfailingly patient, courteous and tactful, and have a passion and commitment to delivering a positive customer service experience.
• Ability to be a quick and close observer of many staffing and scheduling needs and details, provide for them, and think and act strategically with good judgement to adapt and improvise as needed.
• Excellent organizational skills in order to maintain efficiency and safety in stockroom areas.
• May deal with confidential information and/or issues using discretion and judgement.

PREFERRED:

• Familiarity with museum and science and technology fields an advantage.
• Museum store, boutique retail experience, and/or web sales experience preferred.

To apply please visit the MIT Career Portal. This position is a pay grade 7.