Director of Museum Service

Collage; Calgary; Hybrid; CAD 99,000 - 121,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Matching RRSP program

Paid vacation

Paid sick leave

Health and dental benefits

Job summary

Know History is seeking an experienced Director of Museum Services to lead planning, development, and delivery of complex exhibits in a flexible hybrid setup between Calgary and Ottawa. The role emphasizes collaboration with clients, partners, and industry specialists to translate vision into detailed plans, schedules, and budgets.

The successful candidate brings 10+ years in the museum sector, 8+ years in project management, and strong communication skills to build partnerships and drive

Qualifications

• Ten plus years in the museum sector.
• Eight years of project management experience.
• Experience managing small teams.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Oversee museum projects from concept through installation.
• Lead multidisciplinary teams and align with vision, budget, and schedule.
• Translate client objectives into detailed project plans and budgets.
• Identify risks and develop mitigation strategies.
• Oversee budgets, SOWs, and proposals.
• Understand costs of exhibition components and logistics.
• Develop and maintain a professional network in the sector.
• Represent the company at conferences and events.
• Stay informed on trends and innovations in museums.
• Identify partnerships and business opportunities.

Skills

Project management

Team leadership

Communication

Budget management

Client relations

Education

Degree in Museum studies

History degree

Job description

Museum Services Full Time Calgary, AB Starting at $110,000 CAD per year

We are seeking an experienced and highly collaborative Director of Museum Services to lead the planning, development, and delivery of various complex exhibits.

The Director will work closely with clients, partners, project managers, designers, researchers, fabricators, architects, contractors, and other industry specialists. They will be responsible for translating an initial vision into a realistic project plan, scope, schedule, and budget; ensuring that all elements work together successfully through installation.

Just as importantly, the Director will be a relationship builder who can strengthen our connections across the museum and cultural sector and identify opportunities for collaboration, partnerships, and future work.

The successful candidate will combine strong project and financial leadership with a practical understanding of museum environments, interpretive design, and the many technical disciplines involved in creating compelling visitor experiences.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee museum related projects from initial concept and ideation through design, production, fabrication, and installation.
• Provide leadership and oversight across multidisciplinary teams, keeping projects aligned with the overall creative vision, client expectations, budget, and schedule.
• Translate high-level concepts and client objectives into detailed project plans, scopes of work, schedules, and budgets.
• Identify project risks and develop practical strategies to address scope, schedule, budget, technical, or partner-related challenges.
• Oversee the creation of budgets, Statements of Work and proposals.
• Understand the costs associated with the full range of exhibition components, including design, research and content development, fabrication, materials, lighting, audiovisual and interactive elements, technology, graphics, fabrication, transportation, installation, and contingency.
• Oversee and report on departmental budget for salaries, project hours and staff development.
• Develop and maintain a strong professional network within the museum, heritage, cultural, and design sectors.
• Represent the company at relevant conferences, industry events, meetings, including leading presentations and workshops.
• Stay informed about emerging trends, technologies, materials, visitor experiences, accessibility practices, and innovations within the museum sector.
• Identify potential partnerships, collaborators, and business opportunities.

Qualifications and experience

• Ten plus years experience working within the museum sector
• Degree in Museum studies, History, or related field of study
• Eight years of Project management experience
• Experience managing small teams
• Strong communication (oral and written) and interpersonal skills

Hours: Full time, flexible hours

Location: Flexible hybrid arrangement working from with our Calgary or Ottawa office.

Compensation: Annual Salary starting from $110,000 plus option to join Matching RRSP program, with paid vacation, paid sick leave, and health and dental benefits.

Know History is committed to providing equal employment opportunities. We know that, in order to understand our collective history, we need to prioritize Indigenous and diverse voices across all aspects of our organization. We strongly encourage candidates to apply and self-identify if they identify as Indigenous, members of racialized communities and visible minorities, people with disabilities, or members of members of the Two Spirit (2S) & LGBTQIA+ communities.