Curator

Job Title: Curator

Job ID: 54007

Job Category: Economic Development, Arts & Culture

Division & Section: Economic Development & Culture, EDC Museum & Heritage Services

Work Location: Market Gallery, 95 Front Street East, Toronto, ON, M5E 1C2

Job Type & Duration: Full-time, Permanent Vacancy

Salary: $86,716.00 - $112,255.00

Shift Information: Monday-Friday, 7 hours per week

Affiliation: Non-Union

Number of Positions Open: 1 

Posting Period: 01-APR-2025 to 24-APR-2025

About the position:

Are you an experienced First Nations, Inuit, or Métis curator who thrives while working collaboratively with diverse communities to share engaging and relevant exhibitions and public programs at Toronto History Museums’ Market Gallery? This role may be for you.

The Curator, Market Gallery will embrace and support the work of Toronto History Museums—a collection of 10 sites owned and operated by the City of Toronto with the mission to collect, preserve, research, interpret, exhibit, and enhance the understanding of Toronto’s diverse stories through engaging and exciting experiences. In this role, the Curator will lead storytelling to connect residents and visitors through art, creativity, culture, and innovation. The Curator will also oversee all aspects of the day-to-day operations of the City’s Market Gallery, including staffing, facilities, budgeting, programming and more, and contribute to strategies and initiatives related to City’s art collection. Collections management knowledge is an asset for this position.

An excellent verbal and written communicator with strong interpersonal and customer service skills, you're adept at facilitating effective presentations and at working effectively, with, and supporting multiple partners (e.g. community organizations, donors, collectors, artists, and other community collaborators). These skills will be complemented by your sound judgment and ability to work under pressure to meet deadlines in fast-paced environment.

Above all, you have the ability to support the Toronto Public Service values to ensure a culture that champions equity, diversity and respectful workplaces.

This role is grounded in advancing commitment to City of Toronto key strategic frameworks: Indigenous Reconciliation, Anti-Oppression, Anti-Racism, Anti-Black Racism, and equity and diversity, and the Curator will play an active role in advancing the priorities articulated in Culture Connects: An Action for Culture in Toronto 2025-2035.

This position reports to the Chief Curator, Museums & Heritage Services in the City’s Economic Development and Culture Division. It is an exciting time to join our team as we embark on an ambitious and intentional journey, in which you will have the opportunity to re-imagine the curatorial program at the Market Gallery and beyond.

This role is generously funded by TD Bank Group, through the TD Ready Commitment. Read more about the projects they’ve funded here: TD Arts & Culture.

Major Responsibilities:

• Creates and implements an innovative program profile that meets the needs of Toronto's diverse communities and recommends appropriate capital development strategies to meet program needs.
• Implements detailed plans and recommends policies/procedures regarding program specific requirements.
• Supervises, motivates, and ensures training of assigned staff, ensuring effective teamwork, high standards of work quality and organizational performance, continuous learning and encourages innovation in others.  Monitors and evaluates staff performance and recommends disciplinary action when necessary, alongside the Chief Curator.
• Supervises or delegates the day-to-day operation of all assigned staff including the scheduling, assigning, and reviewing of work. Authorizes and coordinates vacation and overtime requests.
• Provides input into and administers assigned budget, ensuring that expenditures are controlled and maintained within approved budget limitations.
• Develops and carries out the long-term vision of the museum to ensure the City of Toronto collection of artefacts, built heritage and historical records are safeguarded for future generations.
• Engages Torontonians in the history of the City through the creation and administration of innovative museum program and services.
• Ensures the story of Toronto is told through community memory and the City's collection of artifacts.
• Ensures proper maintenance of site facilities and advises on planning, coordination, and implementation of facility capital projects in conjunction with Cultural Assets.
• Develops and maintains the museum's public profile and achieves museum attendance targets in conjunction with Program Development staff.
• Seeks community partnerships, targeting audience and client groups and developing relationships with sponsors and donors.
• Develops revenue strategies and ensures that annual revenue targets are met through public program, sponsorships, donations, gift shop sales, fundraising and government sources.
• Ensures grants are sought and applied to enhance the museum's revenue potential such as employment grants, capital projects grants and community development project grants through federal, provincial, and local funding.
• Identifies, plans, and ensures the implementation of programmes and activities to attract targeted and diverse community groups and audiences.
• Ensures excellence in customer services through staff training, program evaluation and client feedback.
• Develops policies to ensure compliance with Ministry of Culture regulation and standards for program and collections management with a goal toward achieving excellence in museological standards and practises.
• Ensures compliance with Occupational Health and Safety legislation and policies.
• Oversees or delegates the day-to-day museum and facility operations at the site, as well as site security.
• Adheres to collection and conservation policies through museological practices such as preventive artifact care, climate control, appropriate care, and handling of artifacts.
• Develops marketing strategies to improve accessibility and client diversity by working with specific media community groups and partners. Provides interviews to the news and print media to develop museum profile and community relations.
• Develops, designs, and installs exhibits in coordination with key stakeholders in the community to attract diverse audiences and create greater accessibility to collections.
• Makes presentations to museum conferences, community organizations, and other public functions on a variety of topics to promote the Culture goals, the museum's work and the field of museology.
• Contributes to Museum and Heritage Services annual goals and long-term vision through involvement in central programme, development, and administrative projects.

Key Qualifications:

1. Lived experience as a member of a First Nation, Inuit, or Métis community.
2. Post-secondary degree in a related discipline, i.e. Art History, History, Museum Studies, (Masters or Ph. D. considered an asset) or the equivalent combination of education and lived experience.
3. Considerable curatorial experience, including museum and/or gallery exhibitions, publications, and acquisitions.
4. Considerable experience with museum management and administration, including project management, budget formulation, and public program development.
5. Considerable experience managing diverse staff and teams through the planning and implementation of complex programs, projects, training and/or transformation/change initiatives.
6. Considerable experience cultivating community engagement, community partnerships and community-oriented practice.
7. Ability to identify, coordinate and manage competing divisional priorities, multi-task and provide direction on issues management, communications coordination and relationship management.
8. Ability to identify needs and initiate and manage the implementation of solutions in response to museum issues and key priorities.
9. Effective decision-making, innovative and results-oriented leadership, leading and implementing proactive and progressive change.
10. Ability to establish effective working relationships and to work collaboratively in resolving issues and increasing opportunities with staff, community organizations, clients and other collaborators.
     

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

The City is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to creating a workplace culture of inclusiveness that reflects the diverse residents that we serve. Learn more about the City’s commitment to employment equity.

Accommodation

The City of Toronto is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive organization. We are committed to providing barrier-free and accessible employment practices in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Should you require Code-protected accommodation through any stage of the recruitment process, please make them known when contacted and we will work with you to meet your needs. Disability-related accommodation during the application process is available upon request. Learn more about the City’s Hiring Policies and Accommodation Process.