Associate Director of Retail Operations in Los Angeles, California at The J. Paul Getty Trust

Associate Director of Retail Operations

US-CA-Los Angeles

Job ID: 2026-4841
Type: Regular Full-Time
# of Openings: 1
Category: Retail and Merchandising
Getty

Overview

Reporting to the Assistant Vice President of Auxiliary Services, the Associate Director of Retail Operations is accountable for end-to-end retail performance, driving operational excellence, commercial results, and scalable execution across all channels. This role serves as the single point of accountability for retail operations, including P&L performance, staffing, merchandising discipline, stock management, and customer experience delivery, while leading General Managers across all retail poles with full responsibility for performance, people, and day-to-day operations. As the operational counterpart to the Associate Director of Retail Design, the role ensures creative concepts are executable, translates vision into clear operational plans, and partners closely with Branding & Museum Design to coordinate structured handovers and consistent execution. In addition, the Associate Director of Retail Operations sets departmental objectives, delegates assignments to subordinates, and applies policies and practices that shape operational priorities and overall retail performance.

Getty has partnered with True Search and welcomes nominations or expressions of interest. To express interest and learn more about this opportunity, please contact Marina Bevacqua at: marina.bevacqua@truesearch.com. Only parties who express interest via True Search will be considered as part of the selection process.

Responsibilities

• Own the retail P&L in its entirety, including sales performance, gross margin, operating expenses, payroll, and inventory efficiency across physical stores and e-commerce
• Lead, develop, and hold accountable General Managers responsible for store operations, inventory management, e-commerce, and merchandising/buying
• Establish and maintain operational standards across both retail locations – the Getty Center and the Getty Villa – ensuring consistency in execution, service quality, and customer experience
• Oversee all merchandising and buying activity, including assortment planning, product selection, open-to-buy management, inventory allocation, and replenishment
• Drive e-commerce performance and support the development of a broader omnichannel retail strategy in partnership with senior leadership
• Manage inventory flow end-to-end, including planning, stock accuracy, turns, logistics, and fulfillment operations
• Develop and implement staffing models, scheduling strategies, and workforce planning aligned with visitor traffic patterns, seasonal peaks, and operational demands
• Lead all people management functions across the retail team, including hiring, onboarding, training, performance management, and professional development
• Partner closely with the Associate Director of Retail Design to ensure creative concepts and visual merchandising strategies are operationally executable and consistently implemented
• Establish clear operating policies, procedures, and performance metrics that build a culture of accountability and continuous improvement
• Collaborate cross-functionally with finance, marketing, publications, and exhibition teams to align retail operations with broader institutional priorities and programming

Qualifications

• 8–12 years of progressive retail leadership experience, with a minimum of 3–5 years in a role with full P&L responsibility across multiple retail functions
• Proven track record of owning and operating a retail business end-to-end, with hands-on experience spanning store operations, buying and planning, inventory management, and people leadership
• Experience managing or meaningfully contributing to an e-commerce business; familiarity with omnichannel retail strategy a strong plus
• Demonstrated ability to build, develop, and hold accountable high-performing teams through periods of organizational change or operational transformation
• Financially rigorous, with a strong command of retail P&L mechanics including sales, margin, labor costs, and inventory productivity
• Proficiency with retail systems and standard business software; familiarity with enterprise financial platforms such as PeopleSoft or SAP a plus
• Based in or willing to relocate to the Los Angeles area; the role is predominantly onsite across the Getty Center and Getty Villa