Role: Site C Cultural Center Collection Manager
Location of Services: Vancouver, Fort St John, Victoria or Kelowna
Contract Duration: 20 months
Max INC Rate: $74.81/hour
Max T4 Rate: $63.40/hour

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The Collections Manager is a fully qualified and experienced professional who possesses theoretical and practical knowledge of museum and collections management practices and will join a team that is developing the Site C Cultural Centre. The role is temporary and specifically tied to the design, development and construction of the project. The role is expected to end around the time of the public opening of the Cultural Center.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

• Master’s degree or PhD in relevant discipline such as archaeology, anthropology, museum studies, collections management, curation, conservation, preservation, or related discipline.
• Advanced written and spoken English skills for professional environment.
• Advanced MS Office skills (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).

EXPERIENCE AND ROLE ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Five to ten years’ experience in the museum and collections management fields.
• Experience cataloguing, inventorying, and maintaining records of belongings/artifacts.
• Experience overseeing object handling, packing, and transportation.
• Experience ensuring proper storage, conservation, preservation, care and handling, and environmental conditions for belongings/artifacts.
• Experience with and knowledge of museum database management software.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from diverse interested parties.
• Ability to lead a significant scope of work with limited oversight.
• Flexible and creative problem-solving skills while remaining accountable to project requirements.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Knowledge of Northern BC archaeology and familiarity with Indigenous communities in the Peace Region is considered an asset.
• Familiarity with the BC Archaeology Branch’s Archaeological Repository Guidelines and the process for gaining approved Repository Status in BC is considered an asset.
• This is a remote position with periodic travel required. Lower Mainland or Fort St John are the preferred base locations, and Victoria and Kelowna will also be considered.

ROLE SPECIALTY DETAILS

The Collections Manager will be responsible for the following specific initiatives which are all in support of the anticipated opening of the Cultural Centre in Spring 2027:

• Taking all necessary measures to obtain approval from the BC Archaeology Branch to have the Site C Cultural Centre certified as an Approved Repository (see attachment “Archaeological Repository Guidelines”)
• Developing the associated collections management policies and procedures that are required for a Repository Application, and for proper operations of a repository, in consultation with Indigenous community representatives.
• Supporting the Exhibit Design Team in identifying appropriate belongings/artifacts from the stored collection for display in the exhibits, accessing them and preparing them for display, arranging for any loan agreements that may be required, and helping to develop written content to accompany their display.
• Participating in engagement led by BC Hydro, with Indigenous community representatives regarding belonging/artifact selection and representation in the future museum exhibits.
• Facilitating the physical relocation of belonging/artifact collections from two institutions (one in Burnaby and one in Fort St John) to the new Cultural Centre.
• Developing an interim or permanent content management system for the collection and exhibit contents.
• Supporting the project team by providing guidance on future museum operational requirements such as budgeting, staffing needs, computer hardware/software requirements, policies and procedures, equipment and supplies needs, and generally supporting the transition from the development phase to the operational phase of the Cultural Centre.
• Other initiatives and tasks related to Collections Management and museum operations as required by the Project team.
• Advising on additional resourcing or staffing needs to achieve all of the above.