Director, Indigenous Arts

Posting will remain open until filled

Harbourfront Centre is a leader in providing internationally renowned artistic, educational and recreational programming across a beautiful 10-acre campus at the heart of Toronto’s waterfront. For more than 45 years, Harbourfront Centre has celebrated the best in Canadian culture and the rich mosaic of cultures from around the world, presenting thousands of events annually from music festivals to contemporary dance, to craft and design, to visual arts and more. Welcoming visitors year-round, there is something for everyone at Harbourfront Centre!

We are currently looking to bring on board a motivating, forward-thinking, dynamic and creative Director, Indigenous Arts to lead the strategic direction and fulfillment of Harbourfront Centre’s strategic objective to strengthen Indigenous creative and leadership capacity within the arts.

 

Position Title: Director, Indigenous Arts

Department: Indigenous Arts

Reporting to: Chief Programming Officer

Type of Employment: Full Time

 

Role Overview 

The Director, Indigenous Arts is directly responsible for the planning, execution and oversight of Indigenous initiatives within the organization and will work with all public programming departments as an advisor, resource and programmer of Indigenous artists and educators. The incumbent will initiate new programming ideas, working within the overall programming strategy set by the Chief Programming Officer, and in consultation with all public programming Directors. Additionally, the incumbent will play a key leadership role in the development, management, and implementation of long-term strategic planning for major organizational priorities and initiatives to ensure that Harbourfront Centre meets its strategic goals.

Duties

• Develop, oversee and implement any specific Indigenous Arts programs and initiatives guided by HC’s programming principles.
• Provide curatorial and production support when required, for all existing and new festivals and events with the public programming departments.
• Provide leadership to workforce planning, related to building Indigenous capacity in hiring, managing, and developing Indigenous staff, maximizing their potential to meet business needs.
• Develop best practices in working with Indigenous communities – both nationally and internationally.
• Create and direct long- and short-term departmental goals and objectives.
• Manage departmental budgets and expenditures.
• Attend planning, programming, and partner meetings as required to exchange information and ideas.
• Work closely with the Marketing and Communications department in the promotion of programs and events.
• Communicate with senior executives about Indigenous Arts issues, as well as successes, through informal channels, written reports, and formal presentations.
• Work cooperatively and professionally with all departments to achieve outcomes that align with Harbourfront Centre’s vision and values.
• Collaborate with other departments to align the goals of the Indigenous Arts department with other areas of the business.
• Attend major national and international cultural events to maintain awareness of current arts and culture trends.
• Build and maintain relationships with both Indigenous and non-Indigenous arts presenters, artists and arts organizations locally, nationally and internationally.
• Represent Harbourfront Centre at various professional, business and social functions as required.
• In collaboration with the Chief Programming Officer, maintain and support relationships with government funders, arts councils and potential foreign governments and cultural councils.
• Support the development of, and adherence to, Human Resources and Health & Safety initiatives, policies, and procedures.

 

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Arts or relevant field or equivalent work experience.
• 5-7 years of  leadership and management experience in arts and culture.
• Strong computer skills in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Must enjoy working in a fast-paced environment, collaborating with many different teams.
• Creativity and imagination and the ability to create new and innovative programs.
• Strong ties to the Indigenous Arts community.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience with festivals and events, with an in-depth understanding of trends in the performing arts, both nationally and internationally.
• Demonstrated experience in executive level interaction.
• Excellent relationship management skills, tact and diplomacy and the ability to work with diverse communities.
• Excellent demonstrated organizational skills with the ability to coordinate multiple activities and programs.
• Experience with creating, enforcing, and analyzing budgets.
• Strong communication and writing skills to effectively prepare reports, funding applications and give presentations to various stakeholders.
• Ability to motivate and develop staff to ensure the smooth operation of the department.
• Must be legally eligible to work in Canada. Non-Canadian applicants must have a valid employment Visa and proper documentation authorizing their ability to work in Canada.
• This role is based in Toronto. Remote work from home is currently in place, however when a return-to-work directive is communicated, the candidate must be able to work on site at our lakeside campus.
• Harbourfront Centre recognizes its heightened duty to protect employees from health and safety risks. As such, an offer of employment shall be conditional on proof of full COVID-19 vaccination with a vaccine series approved by Health Canada or the World Health Organization.

 

Apply

Our Values

Open
We’re friendly, welcoming and inclusive, with an experimental attitude that thrives on collaboration.

Brave
To achieve our bold ambition we empower and support imaginative risk and we always try to learn from our mistakes.

Rigorous
We are committed to excellence in all we do, ensuring every visitor encounter is safe, memorable and enriching.

Kind
We value and respect each other and all our visitors, celebrating difference and striving to realise potential.

How To Apply

Harbourfront Centre values and is committed to diversity and inclusiveness in our teams, creative communities, programmes and services. We invite qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply. Acceptable applications must include a current resume and a cover letter indicating why you wish to join the team, how you would meet the criteria of what we are seeking, and your salary expectation.

Qualified applicants can submit their candidacy by timely contacting jobs@harbourfrontcentre.com. Please quote Director, Indigenous Arts in the subject line of the application. Posting will remain open until filled.

We sincerely thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those being considered for an interview will be contacted. Suitable accommodations will be available upon request during the hiring process.