Seattle Art Museum is hiring: Senior Manager of Audience Research in Seattle

Senior Manager, Audience Research & Insights

The Senior Manager, Audience Research & Insights is a digitally savvy, data-driven leader who helps SAM better understand its audiences and translate insights into strategies for growth and engagement. Reporting to the Director of Visitor Experience, this role oversees all audience research initiatives, including surveys, focus groups, and data analysis, and delivers actionable insights that inform strategic decision-making across the museum.

Managing the Ticketing Manager and Ticketing & Reporting Coordinator, this role builds SAM's capacity for data analysis, visualization, and storytelling while fostering cross-departmental collaboration.

You'll play a pivotal role in driving SAM's audience strategy by:

• Leading the development and implementation of audience research strategies, methodologies, and tools.
• Designing and conducting qualitative and quantitative research (surveys, focus groups, CRM data analysis).
• Creating dashboards and reports (Tableau, Power BI, or similar) to communicate trends and insights to staff, leadership, and partners.
• Ensuring data integrity and governance across systems and reporting models.
• Partnering with Marketing and other departments to refine customer segmentation models.
• Training and advising staff on data collection, analysis, and evaluation practices.
• Integrating external data sources (tourism, economic, and peer organization metrics) into SAM's planning.
• Acting as a subject matter expert on customer behavior and advising across the institution.
• Managing and mentoring direct reports, supporting a collaborative team culture.

FLSA STATUS: Full Time, Exempt REPORTS TO: Director of Visitor Experience COMPENSATION: $96,000 - $102,000 annually

This role is scheduled for standard business hours, MondayFriday, with occasional evenings or weekends required to support events, research initiatives, or cross-departmental projects. This position is hybrid eligible under SAM's current policy (subject to change).

Full-time employees are eligible for SAM's comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Fully employer-paid HMP medical plan or employee contribution PPO plan.
• Dental, vision, and basic life insurance/LTD/AD&D.
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA).
• Short-Term Disability and Supplemental Dental Insurance.
• Participation in SAM's 403(b) retirement plan with discretionary 3% annual employer contribution and match program (eligibility after 1 year and 1,000 hours worked).
• Paid vacation, sick and safe time (PSST), bereavement leave, jury duty, 11 scheduled holidays, and 1 paid floating holiday.
• Subsidized unlimited ORCA card for public transit.
• Onsite fitness facility access.
• Free museum membership at the Patron level, Tier III membership to the American Alliance of Museums, and discounts at the SAM Shop and on museum programming.

Seattle Art Museum's vision is to be the museum for all of Seattlea bold, dynamic hub of creativity, belonging, and cultural leadership, shaping the future of art and community. We aim to create a welcoming community where people find inspiration and discover our common humanity through exceptional art and engaging programs.

As the leading visual arts institution in the Pacific Northwest, SAM shares its global connections, powerful exhibitions, and dynamic programs to engage, educate, and inspire. SAM is a vibrant, three-site organization that is supported by 365 employees, 10 executive leaders, and more than 200 volunteers.

We Are Looking For

A strategic, collaborative research professional with strong leadership skills and a passion for audience insights. You'll bring:

• Bachelor's degree in market research, marketing, business, statistics, social science, or related field (or equivalent combination of education and experience).
• Minimum 5 years of professional experience in research, data analysis, or evaluation, including at least 2 years in a management role.
• Expertise in survey design, research methodology, and statistical analysis.
• Proficiency with CRM and ticketing systems (Tessitura preferred).
• Advanced skills in Excel and data visualization tools (Tableau, Power BI, or similar).
• Proven ability to translate complex data into clear, actionable insights for non-technical audiences.
• Excellent communication, project management, and collaboration skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, and understanding diverse audience needs.
• Ability to pass and maintain a security background check.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in a related field.
• Experience in a nonprofit, museum, or cultural institution setting.
• Knowledge of audience segmentation, visitor studies, and arts market research.
• Familiarity with SQL, R, SPSS, or other statistical/analytic tools.
• Experience managing external consultants or research contracts.
• Demonstrated success building institutional alignment around data frameworks.

Exposure: Primarily indoors in a climate-controlled environment with moderate background noise. Stationary Work: About 80% at a desk; 20% moving around work areas. Occasional extended standing may be required at events. Communication: Clear and effective communication in English with staff, trustees, and visitors is required. Office Work: Regular use of computers, phones, and office equipment.

If you need assistance applying for a role due to a disability or additional need, please let us know at hr@seattleartmuseum.org. The Seattle Art Museum will consider reasonable accommodations for all employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions/duties of this position. If you need an accommodation during the application or interview process, please contact hr@seattleartmuseum.org.

Celebrating difference. At Seattle Art Museum, our members, visitors, and local community come from all walks of life, and so do our employees, volunteers, and interns. The plurality of our identities and experiences strengthens our mission: connecting art to life. Our mission and vision call us to be responsive to a multitude of cultural contexts and lived experiences, and as such, our Strategic Plan directly addresses the role art plays in empowering and elevating social justice movements, and promoting structural change to further equity in our society. SAM is particularly dedicated to racial equity in the workplace, because we know that people of color are the most impacted when it comes to both historical and present inequities. We know that equity is not a single fixed destination, it's ongoing reckoning. As SAM continually strives to be a more inclusive and equitable workplace, we are particularly interested in engaging with those who have been historically underrepresented in the museum field. We are dedicated to building a diverse workplace, and a sense of belonging for each and every employee, because we know our organization is at its best when we celebrate difference.

SAM is an equal opportunity employer. We are an equal opportunity employer, and consider qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), marital status, ancestry, sensory, physical, or mental disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, citizenship or immigration status, or other applicable legally protected characteristic. If you need assistance applying for a role due to a disability or additional need, please let us know at hr@seattleartmuseum.org. The Seattle Art Museum will consider reasonable accommodations for all employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions/duties of the role. If you need an accommodation during the application or interview process, please contact hr@seattleartmuseum.org. For candidates, we ask that, if possible, you wait until you're invited to a screen, online technical assessment or interview before requesting an accommodation.

We encourage you to apply. We are dedicated to building a diverse workplace, and a sense of belonging for each and every employee, because we know our organization is at its best when we include, celebrate and embrace difference. We encourage you to submit an application, even if your experience doesn't feel like a 100% match with the position. We know applying for a job can be intimidating, and research tells us that womxn and folks of color are less likely to apply if they don't see themselves meeting or exceeding every single qualification listed. We encourage you to apply, even if you feel unsure about whether you meet every requirement in this job post. You could very well be a great fit for this role or others.

Requirements for employment. In order to be employed by the Seattle Art Museum, you must reside in the state of Washington. Employment at SAM is contingent upon successful clearing and maintenance of clearance in both a federal and state criminal background check.