Director of Operations, New Museum Openings

About the role

The Museum of Ice Cream is seeking a Director of Operations to own the end‑to‑end opening lifecycle of new museum locations. This hands‑on leader will partner with development, design, construction and cross‑functional teams to ensure each site launches on time, on brand, and fully operational.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the opening playbook from lease signing through design, construction, soft launch and go‑live.
• Collaborate with Development, Design, Construction, Facilities, Supply Chain, People, Training, Marketing, Ticketing and Finance to embed operational requirements into the build.
• Define and manage guest flow, back‑of‑house layout, F&B and retail footprints, staffing zones, storage, cleaning paths, accessibility and life‑safety considerations.
• Develop and continuously improve SOPs, training programs, staffing plans and inventory readiness for each new location.
• Hand off each fully‑ready museum to the Regional Director of Operations for steady‑state management.

Required profile

• Proven experience delivering multi‑site openings in a museum, entertainment or retail environment.
• Strong systems orientation with the ability to create and refine operational playbooks.
• Comfort operating in ambiguous, high‑pressure environments and delivering results on tight timelines.
• Passion for hospitality, human connection and creating joyful, inclusive spaces.

Required skills