Director, Museums and Galleries

Director, Museums and Galleries

Summary:

The University of Saskatchewan seeks applicants for the inaugural Senior Director of Museums and Galleries position. Reporting to the University Librarian and Dean, the incumbent will join the organization at an exciting time and lead a newly established unit that brings together the University’s Museum of Antiquities, Museum of Natural Science, Kenderdine Art Gallery, College Art Galleries, Snelgrove Gallery, and the Diefenbaker Canada Centre.

The Senior Director will provide strategic leadership to coordinate and align the activities, operations, and priorities of these diverse museums and galleries in support of student learning, faculty research and teaching, and community engagement. Working across multiple sites, collections, programs, and with diverse partners, the Senior Director will be responsible for fostering collaboration, strengthening connections, and creating a cohesive vision and culture for the new unit.

The incumbent will coach and mentor an expert team of eight staff members, contribute to the Library’s leadership team, continue to advance programs and services for both the public and university community, and support opportunities to further integrate Indigenization and decolonization throughout the unit’s work. Responsible for managing the unit’s finances, the Senior Director will also actively participate in fundraising activities and will cultivate strong relationships with donors, funders, and community partners.

A creative problem-solver and skilled relationship-builder, the successful candidate will guide the integration of these distinct units while fostering a culture that values diverse perspectives, develops leadership capacity, and encourages innovative approaches in support of the University’s research, teaching, and learning mission.

The University Library:
The University Library is one of Canada's leading research libraries and stewards a distinctive network of museums, galleries, and cultural heritage collections that enrich learning, teaching, research, and community engagement across the University of Saskatchewan. The network includes the Diefenbaker Canada Centre's nationally significant collection on Canadian democracy and civic leadership; the Museum of Antiquities' renowned holdings of ancient Mediterranean, Near Eastern, and medieval material culture;

the Museum of Natural Sciences' collections exploring Earth history and the evolution of life; the Gordon Snelgrove Gallery's teaching and research exhibitions; and the University's art galleries and collections, encompassing more than 6,000 works of art. Together, these spaces inspire curiosity, foster belonging, advance academic inquiry and creative practice, and support Indigenous-led and community-rooted knowledge through distinctive collections, exhibitions, and programs.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Provides strategic leadership for the museums and galleries by establishing vision, priorities, and long-term objectives aligned with unit and institutional strategic plans.
Leads financial planning and resource allocation to support sustainable operations and strategic priorities.
Develops, manages, and monitors the unit's operating budget and financial resources, including operating funds, grants, endowments, and donor-supported funds.
Leads the development, implementation, and evaluation of annual operational plans, goals, and accountabilities for the unit.
Directs the integration of museum and gallery operations to create a cohesive and accessible visitor experience across all cultural heritage programs.
Leads the strategic planning and coordination of exhibitions, public programming, campus engagement initiatives, and facilities management.
Develops and supports grant applications, project planning, and reporting activities.
Provides strategic advice and advocacy for museums and galleries as a member of the unit's senior leadership team.
Leads and contributes to cross-functional and institutional initiatives that advance unit and university priorities.
Managesateam of direct reports, including hiring, professional development, mentoring, assigning workflow, and…