Job Title: Director of Programs (DoP)
Reports to: Executive Director & CEO
Department: Programs
Status: Full-Time, Out-of-Scope Position, Contract position (five-year term)
About the Position
The Director of Programs supports the Executive Director & CEO in leading the development, implementation and evaluation of the overall program of the MacKenzie Art Gallery in accordance with the Gallery’s mission, vision and strategic and business plans. Responsibility encompasses the curatorial, education, and program operations teams, working towards implementing an interdependent and mutually enriching relationship between these areas in order to create a cohesive, collaborative structure for all programs. Programs include exhibitions, public programs, learning and interpretive programs, publications, classes, artist residencies, commissions, collections and all other public-facing interactive, experiential and research activities.
As a member of the management team, this position works with all areas of the Gallery and critically contributes to long-term strategic planning for the organization, anticipating challenges and developing long-term opportunities and sustainability. In accordance with the Gallery’s mission, vision and strategic and business plans, this position plays a leading role in guiding the organization’s ongoing operations and evaluation, serving a leadership role in creating a positive work environment, enabling staff to contribute their best, fostering an appreciation for the arts and a culture of accountability, philanthropy and total development.
According to these areas of accountability, it is expected that the position will allocate time roughly as follows: 50% program development and research; 25% human resources management and administration; 25% fund development.
This position supervises the following staff: Head Curator, Curator of Education, and Head of Program Operations.
Profile of the Candidate
The candidate will actively contribute to the goal of re-imagining what a 21st century art museum can be, with an eye towards our social responsibility as a cultural institution. The ideal candidate will have a minimum five years experience in senior level leadership of arts organizations and demonstrated specialist knowledge and experience in a number of key areas:
1. BIPOC Art
The MacKenzie has a long history of meaningful engagement with Indigenous art and artists with approximately 90 exhibitions presented over the past forty years. The MacKenzie seeks a candidate for Director of Programs who will contribute to a sustained development of contemporary Indigenous art, promoting innovative scholarship, curatorial practice, and reciprocal relationships with community and partners, while helping to build the international reputation for Indigenous art and artists. The MacKenzie’s representation of Black and POC art and artists is less robust and has become a priority area in recent years. We are seeking a candidate who can help us live up to our responsibilities of hospitality and representation of the full history of our cultures through meaningful engagement with Black and POC artists and communities that helps expand our—and our audiences—understanding and imagination of our world. The selected candidate—supported by gallery staff in an institution-wide collaborative effort—must be able to visualize and operationalize an ethical and equitable program plan and internal culture.
2. Community Engagement
The ideal candidate will articulate a compelling narrative that integrates curatorial excellence and interpretive, learning and engagement practices from conception to implementation, with a focus on visitor experience and building meaningful connections with diverse communities. The candidate will demonstrate innovative approaches to bridging curatorial practice with community engagement and be instrumental in growing diverse audiences for the museum.
3. Research and Education
The candidate will have demonstrated experience in curating, research and pedagogy, and be comfortable in addressing a range of educational and literacy modes and opportunities from youth to life-long-learners. This position will provide support to the post-secondary academic community as a recognized leader in the visual arts nationally and contribute to university-level initiatives and funding opportunities. A thorough knowledge of fine arts research, including demonstrated familiarity and success with practice-based research coordination, and advanced education funding opportunities that will assist the Gallery in extending its scope and diversifying revenue and research-oriented outcomes. The candidate should have a track record of publication in the arts.
4. Administration, Supervision and Development
The candidate will have experience in supervising staff, and building, monitoring and reporting on budgets and grant applications. They are comfortable with principals of fund-development and philanthropy and have demonstrated competency in partnerships and donor relationships, based on trust, respect, accountability, and transparency.
HOW TO APPLY:
This posting will remain open until the position is filled. Only those candidates to be interviewed will be contacted. Applications for this position can only by submitted via the MacKenzie’s job application portal. Any applications submitted via email or by mail will not be considered.
Inquiries regarding this position can be directed to:
Jackie Martin, Director of Finance and Operations
MacKenzie Art Gallery, 3475 Albert Street. Regina, SK. S4S 6X6
P: (306) 584-4250 ext. 4275
E: jmartin@mackenzie.art
The successful candidate must submit a satisfactory Criminal Record Check prior to employment.
For a complete job description and to access the MacKenzie’s job application portal, please visit: https://mackenzie.art/about/jobs-opportunities/.