Director of Research and Evaluation

About the role

Art Bridges Foundation, founded in 2017 by philanthropist Alice Walton, supports projects that share American art with communities across the United States and its territories, partnering with a network of museums. The Director of Research and Evaluation leads the organization's research and evaluation strategy, defines and assesses organizational impact, and translates complex data into actionable insights. The role reports to the Deputy Director, Operations and Strategy, is exempt under FLSA, and is based on site in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and refine the research and evaluation strategy, set multi-year research agendas and annual work plans, and establish consistent impact frameworks including theories of change, logic models and KPIs.
• Oversee research administration, compliance and operational processes, and set standards for methodology, data quality and reporting.
• Manage the departmental budget and resources.
• Lead evaluation design for the two program pillars, Art Sharing and Community Engagement, and oversee evaluation of partner initiatives and awards.
• Translate findings into insights, build impact dashboards and KPI reporting systems, and foster data literacy through training and coaching.
• Cultivate relationships with evaluators, academic institutions and consultants, oversee research contracts, and represent Art Bridges in research collaborations.
• Disseminate research through reports, white papers, case studies and publications, and present at conferences.

Required profile

• Strong strategic and systems thinking, methodological rigor, analytical and research expertise, and communication and leadership skills.
• Ability to lead and develop a high-performing team and to work with diverse internal and external stakeholders.
• Intellectual curiosity, sound judgment, professional integrity, and the ability to turn complex information into actionable insights.