About Art Bridges

Art Bridges Foundation is the vision of philanthropist and arts patron Alice Walton. Since 2017, Art Bridges has created and supported projects that bring outstanding works of American art out of storage and into communities. Art Bridges partners with a growing network of over 200 museums of all sizes and locations on nearly 900 projects—impacting more than 5.3 million people across 49 states and Puerto Rico—to provide financial and strategic support for exhibition development, loans from the Art Bridges Collection and Partner Loan Network, and programs designed to educate, inspire, and deepen engagement with local audiences. The Art Bridges Collection represents an expanding vision of American art from the 19th century to present day and encompasses multiple media and voices. For more information, visit artbridgesfoundation.org.

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The Cohorts Manager is responsible for the operational leadership and execution of Art Bridges’ Cohort Program, including oversight of the Apprenticeship Program focused on collections care and sustainable art handling practices, sustainability training, and collaborative art-sharing initiatives. This role manages the day-to-day implementation of multi-year, multi-institutional cohort initiatives, ensuring consistency, accountability, and alignment with departmental priorities.

The Cohorts Manager oversees timelines, budgets, reporting, contractor coordination, and partner communications across multiple active cohorts operating at various stages of development. Serving as a primary liaison to lead and partner museums, the Manager supports institutions from onboarding through project close-out and ensures program requirements are executed effectively and in accordance with foundation standards.

Working cross-functionally with internal teams and external contractors, the Cohorts Manager translates program strategy into coordinated action, supports strong partner relationships, and drives high-quality program delivery across the Cohort portfolio.

Success in this role requires sound judgment, strong prioritization skills, and the ability to navigate complexity with clarity and consistency. The Cohorts Manager must balance multiple stakeholder needs while maintaining high standards of accountability, communication, and follow-through.

Job Description:

Job Title: Cohorts Manager
Reports To: Director of Cohorts
FLSA Classification: Exempt

Location: Bentonville, Arkansas (On-site)

About Art Bridges Foundation

Art Bridges Foundation is the vision of philanthropist and arts patron Alice Walton. Founded in 2017, Art Bridges creates and supports projects that share works of American art with communities across the United States and its territories. Art Bridges partners with a growing network of over 300 museums—impacting 25 million people nationwide—to provide financial and strategic support for exhibitions, collection loans, and programs designed to educate, inspire, and deepen engagement with local communities. The Art Bridges Collection represents an expanding vision of American art from the 19th century to present day and encompasses multiple media and voices.

For more information, visit artbridgesfoundation.org.

About the Position

The Cohorts Manager is responsible for the operational leadership and execution of Art Bridges’ Cohort Program, including oversight of the Apprenticeship Program focused on collections care and sustainable art handling practices, sustainability training, and collaborative art-sharing initiatives. This role manages the day-to-day implementation of multi-year, multi-institutional cohort initiatives, ensuring consistency, accountability, and alignment with departmental priorities.

The Cohorts Manager oversees timelines, budgets, reporting, contractor coordination, and partner communications across multiple active cohorts operating at various stages of development. Serving as a primary liaison to lead and partner museums, the Manager supports institutions from onboarding through project close-out and ensures program requirements are executed effectively and in accordance with foundation standards.

Working cross-functionally with internal teams and external contractors, the Cohorts Manager translates program strategy into coordinated action, supports strong partner relationships, and drives high-quality program delivery across the Cohort portfolio.

Success in this role requires sound judgment, strong prioritization skills, and the ability to navigate complexity with clarity and consistency. The Cohorts Manager must balance multiple stakeholder needs while maintaining high standards of accountability, communication, and follow-through.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Apprenticeship Program

• Manage and continue to develop the Apprenticeship Program training and continuing education Collections Care track in partnership with external contractor(s), including Ki Futures.
• Collaborate with internal teams and museum partners to develop and deliver curriculum covering art handling, packing and crating, condition reporting, object movement workflows, preventive conservation, and exhibition installation and deinstallation.
• Oversee external contractors, including Ki Futures and Articheck, ensuring effective delivery of training and support to apprentices and cohort partner museums.
• Serve as a resource to lead museums in their supervision and work of apprentices, with an emphasis on collections care, art handling, and exhibition support.
• Manage the annual program budget, including tracking expenditures, monitoring financial performance, and ensuring alignment with approved funding parameters.
• Manage program schedules, milestones, deliverables, and reporting requirements across apprenticeship cohorts.
• Evaluate program reports and provide feedback to ensure alignment with program goals and professional standards in collections care.

Cohort Program Operations

• Support and sustain relationships with Cohort Program lead museums and cohort partner institutions.
• Manage day-to-day operations of multiple active cohorts simultaneously, including newly launched and ongoing cohorts across various stages and phases of development.
• Assess object checklists, exhibition proposals, and related documentation, with attention to community reach, innovation, sustainability, and feasibility.
• Review applications, interim reports, and final reports in collaboration with internal teams to ensure alignment with program goals and funding requirements.
• Track multi-year budgets and expenditures and generate financial and programmatic reports to support internal review and decision-making.
• Review and approve direct cost estimates and invoices within established budget parameters and ensure timely processing of project-related payments.
• Monitor and provide input on object movement timelines and vendor coordination to support effective project execution.
• Advise cohort partners on sustainable exhibition development and artwork movement practices consistent with professional standards.
• Work cross-functionally with internal departments and ecosystem partners to support Cohort Program projects and broader foundation initiatives.
• Collaborate with Marketing & Communications to support development of program content that increases awareness and visibility of the Cohort Program.
• Represent Art Bridges during partner visits, convenings, public events, and professional conferences, as designated.
• Maintain accurate cohort materials, documentation, and data across program systems and platforms.
• Support preparation of materials and presentations for internal leadership and external stakeholders.
• Serve as liaison to external contractors who are providing training and software solutions to cohort partners.

Team Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop a multidisciplinary, high-performing team fostering a culture of excellence, accountability, collaboration, and growth.
• Promote continuous improvement, professional development, and collaboration within your team to drive results and support organization priorities.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, and training of new team members to ensure alignment with organization standards and practices.
• Monitor and manage team performance, addressing attendance, conduct, or productivity issues promptly and professionally.
• Encourage employee engagement and morale through recognition and open communication practices.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned to support evolving organizational needs.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in art history, museum studies, arts administration, business administration, nonprofit management, or a related field required. Master’s degree preferred.
• 5–8+ years of progressive experience in museums, arts, culture, philanthropy, or nonprofit organizations required, including experience managing complex, multi-year programs or initiatives.
• 3–5+ years of experience working directly with exhibitions, collections care, art handling, object movement, or related museum operations required.
• Demonstrated experience managing multiple complex, multi-year program initiatives simultaneously, including coordinating timelines, deliverables, budgets, reporting, and stakeholder communications across multiple active cohorts.
• Strong organizational and time management skills, with exceptional attention to detail and the ability to track priorities, manage competing deadlines, and ensure accurate documentation and follow-through.
• Experience supervising staff and/or contractors, including coaching, performance management, delegation of responsibilities, and professional development.
• Experience managing program budgets and tracking multi-year financials, with the ability to analyze budgets and reporting to support continuous program improvement.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment and independent decision-making within established program guidelines and organizational priorities.
• Knowledge of current museum best practices, including sustainable exhibition development, collections care standards, and evolving practices in the field.
• Strong relationship management skills, with the ability to understand partner capacities, interests, strengths, and challenges and develop collaborative, practical solutions that support program success.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, combined with creativity, flexibility, and curiosity, and the ability to identify trends and recommend operational improvements.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to review and provide feedback on proposals, reports, and program documentation.
• High level of professional integrity and the ability to manage confidential and sensitive information with discretion.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and experience with project management, financial tracking, and database systems (e.g., Asana, Salesforce, Workday, SharePoint, or similar platforms), with the ability to quickly learn new systems.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary leadership team.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced and innovative environment where change is constant.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those required by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.

Physical Demands: In the work environment described, position requires utilizing a computer and a telephone for prolonged periods of time and good eye/hand coordination, bending and stretching, and the physical stamina to lift and transport a minimum of 10 pounds. Visual acuity to review written materials is required for this job.

Work Environment: Work is performed full-time (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.) in a professional, climate-controlled office environment with standard office equipment, including computers, printers, and telephones. This role requires working in an open setting near colleagues. The noise level is typically low to moderate. The role also requires regular interaction with both the public and internal team members in a professional and courteous manner. Some travel will be required, including overnight trips, and a flexible schedule may be necessary to accommodate business needs, including occasional evening and weekend work hours.

Art Bridges and DEAI

At Art Bridges, diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are central to all work and decisions made within our organization. We support our colleagues and partners in learning and growing together to make this important work part of our daily lives.

Art Bridges is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building and maintaining a workplace that is free of discrimination and harassment of any kind. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate.

All offers of employment are contingent on your successful completion (where permitted by state law) of a confidentiality agreement and background check. In addition, you will need to provide proper identification verifying your eligibility to work in the United States.