Vice President of Business Development

Vice President of Business Development

Exploring Arts & Exhibitions (EAE)
Location: Flexible
 Reports to: President

Role Overview

Exploring Arts & Exhibitions (EAE) is building a new model for traveling exhibitions—one designed with museums, for museums. The Vice President of Business Development will play a critical leadership role in expanding EAE’s consortium of museum partners, strategic collaborators, and institutional relationships.

This role is responsible for driving sustainable growth, shaping partnership strategy, and ensuring that EAE’s offerings align with the evolving needs of museums, cultural institutions, and related stakeholders. The VP of Business Development will operate as both a strategist and a relationship-builder, working closely with executive leadership, exhibition development, and operations.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Growth & Partnerships

• Develop and execute EAE’s long-term business development strategy in alignment with company mission and financial goals.
• Identify, pursue, and secure strategic partnerships with museums, cultural institutions, foundations, sponsors, and aligned organizations.
• Lead the growth of EAE’s museum consortium, including recruitment, onboarding, and long-term partner engagement.
• Structure partnership and participation models (e.g., consortium agreements, revenue-share frameworks, multi-venue commitments).

Market Development & Opportunity Identification

• Analyze trends in museum attendance, exhibition demand, and audience engagement to inform growth strategy.
• Identify new markets, regions, and institution types for EAE exhibitions.
• Evaluate potential exhibition concepts and partnerships from a market-fit and revenue perspective.

Relationship Management

• Serve as a senior ambassador for EAE with museum directors, board members, and executive leadership at partner institutions.
• Build trust-based, long-term relationships that prioritize collaboration over transactional sales.
• Represent EAE at conferences, industry events, and strategic meetings.

Deal Structuring & Negotiation

• Lead negotiation of partnership agreements, exhibition hosting agreements, and strategic collaborations.
• Work closely with legal and finance teams to ensure agreements align with EAE’s risk, governance, and revenue objectives.
• Balance partner needs with EAE’s financial sustainability and growth goals.

Internal Collaboration & Leadership

• Collaborate closely with exhibition development, fabrication, operations, and marketing teams to align offerings with partner needs.
• Provide leadership input on pricing models, touring schedules, and portfolio planning.
• Support executive leadership with board-level reporting, forecasts, and strategic recommendations.

Qualifications & Experience

• 10 years of experience in business development, partnerships, or strategic growth roles.
• Experience working with museums is strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to build and scale partnership-based business models.
• Strong negotiation and contract-structuring experience.
• Exceptional relationship-building and communication skills, particularly with senior institutional leaders.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to execute in ambiguous, early-growth environments.
• Comfortable operating in a founder-led, entrepreneurial organization.

Personal Attributes

• Mission-aligned and deeply respectful of the role museums play in education and public culture.
• Collaborative, thoughtful, and relationship-first in approach.
• Financially and operationally literate, with strong business judgment.
• Comfortable balancing creativity with discipline and structure.
• Trusted advisor mindset—internally and externally.