Cultural Developer, Collections

Halifax Regional Municipality is inviting applications for one (1) Permanent full-time position of Cultural Developer, Collections in the Strategic Planning and Design division of Parks & Recreation.

Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) is committed to reflecting the community it serves and recognizing Diversity and Inclusion as one of the Municipality’s core values. We have an Employment Equity Policy and we welcome applications from African Nova Scotians and Other Racially Visible Persons, Women in occupations or positions where they are underrepresented in the workforce, Indigenous/Aboriginal People, Persons with Disabilities and 2SLGBTQ+ Persons. Applicants are encouraged to self-identify on their electronic application.

Cultural Developers are responsible for engaging, mobilizing, organizing, and building strong communities. Cultural Developers help the community identify their goals and find the means to achieve them, while leading processes to stimulate local action on a participatory and sustained basis, and assisting sectors working toward improved social, cultural, economic development, and quality of life conditions. Cultural Developers are experts at assisting community and cultural sectors, and at gathering and evaluating information and using it to inform the design and delivery of new programs and services, or to improve existing constructs.

The Cultural Developer will be a highly skilled expert in facilitation, mobilization, community building, and process design. They will have expertise in one or more of the following strategic focus areas and knowledge and experience in others: collections management and museum policy, engagement, public arts and artifact conservation, public systems and process design, organizational development, interpretive development, heritage, and curatorial expertise.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Coordinate care and control of HRM artifact and public art collections.
• Coordinate condition assessment and maintenance of HRM artifact and public art collections.
• Maintain and update all collection databases and Asset Register.
• Implement HRM Cultural strategies and engagement.

Artifact and Archival Collections

• Oversee corporate adherence to the Public Art Policy (Administrative Order Number 2020-001-OP Respecting Public Art) and Dartmouth Heritage Society (DHMS)/HRM Collection Policy (2009).
• Provide weekly scheduled oversight of the HRM artifact storage facility. Monitor conditions in storage facility and mitigate risks (weather events, security, prevention).
• Update and implement DHMS Collection Workplan. Including loans, collection rationalization, and Collections Management Committee.
• Manage HRM Art and Artifact Loan program. Facilitate loans to HRM-owned buildings and/or external partners. Manage loan agreements and insurance requirements.
• Facilitate care of Municipal Archives Artifact Collection in conjunction with HRM Archives.
• Digitize, document, and condition report all DHMS/HRM artifact and archival collections.
• Develop conservation schedule for artifact collection (procure and manage external conservators and specialists, develop schedule with DHMS).
• Manage capital budget for conservation and artifact supplies.
• Coordinate appraisals of collection on behalf of Risk and Insurance.
• Collaborate with DHMS to manage the Workplan, attend Board meetings and other duties as assigned through the DHMS Management and Operating Agreement.
• Manage transportation of artifact and/or archival collections.
• Manage all aspects of exhibit installation for Art Loan program.
• Lead annual TRACK or other Museum evaluation programs for HRM Collections as delivered by external provincial partners.

Public Art and Cultural Asset Collection

• Responsible for inventory, assessment, and monitoring of HRM-owned public art collection for municipality.
• Develop and implement annual maintenance of collection (procure and manage external contractors, develop schedule in conjunction with Parks Operations and Civic Events); Oversee maintenance work.
• Schedule and attend site visits in support of condition assessments and scope of work development.
• Write RFP’s and tenders for capital repair of public art and cultural asset collection.
• Provide expertise to external business units.
• Provide expertise for technical assessment of new public art.
• Respond to 311 and internal requests relating to Public Art and Cultural Assets.
• Manage and update the Public Art Policy and develop procedures to support the Public Art Program including maintenance and documentation procedures.

Collection Databases

• Update Collective Access database for DHMS/HRM artifact collection, including digitization, condition, location, source and other fields as required.
• Update Collective Access database for public art collection, including updating inventory, images and condition. Manage, digitize and keep current working files for collection.
• Update and reconcile public art and cultural asset collection in HRM Asset Register and/or other internal asset-tracking databases.

Implement HRM Cultural strategies and engagement

• Ensure collection mandates, interpretation, exhibits (tangible and virtual) and engagements are through lens of Diversity, Inclusion Accessibility and Equity.
• Prepare and present reports to the Senior Management Team and Halifax Regional Council.
• Implement Regional Museum Strategy and Cultural Heritage Priority Plan actions.
• Serve as the key liaison to the museum, archives and heritage community and the public on matters relating to HRM Collections; prepare materials and lead meetings.
• Lead community engagement and consultation processes in coordination with Corporate Communications and Diversity and Inclusion.
• Coordinate cross-departmentally and with external stakeholders including business improvement districts, heritage organizations, and institutions and other governmental stakeholders.
• In coordination with the Municipality’s Corporate Communications division, develop a wide range of communications and marketing content, including webpage content, social media, press releases, advertising, and promotions.
• Assist in implementing public-facing exhibits, digital content and interpretative programming.

Communications/Engagements

• Serve as the key liaison to the heritage community and the public on matters relating to HRM collections; prepare materials and lead meetings.
• Coordinate cross-departmentally and with external stakeholders including business improvement districts, arts organizations and institutions, and other governmental stakeholders.

Grants to Community Museums and Professional Arts Grants

• Supports all granting programs directly managed by division.
• Prepare and present reports to the Senior Management Team and Halifax Regional Council, including funding award recommendation reports to the Grants Committee and Regional Council.
• Regular and timely reporting of funding awards on the municipality’s website.
• Maintain regular communications with the municipality’s museum community relative to the administration of the grant program including feedback on applications, management of final reports, etc.
• May perform other related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education & Experience

• University or college program recognized or accredited by the Canadian Museum Association in Museum Studies, Collection Management, Conservation, Information Management (Archives), Cultural Resource Management or a related field.
• Minimum of four (4) years of related and progressive experience in a professional collections management setting, museum, or gallery with conservation expertise.
• Must possess a valid Nova Scotia Class 5 Driver's License with acceptable driving record.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered. Applicants relying on education and experience equivalencies must clearly demonstrate such equivalencies in their application.

Technical/Job Specific Knowledge and Abilities

• Advanced knowledge of conservation and museum standards, collections management, interpretation, and exhibit design.
• Knowledge of cultural stakeholders and community.
• Advanced knowledge of culturally appropriate ways of working with underrepresented groups.
• Knowledge of arts, cultural and heritage professional community.
• Ability to facilitate collection management and interpretive processes.

Security Clearance Requirements: Applicants may be required to complete an employment security screening check and provide a clean drivers abstract.

COMPETENCIES: Valuing Diversity, Communications, Customer Service, Networking/Relationship Building, Partnering, Teamwork & Cooperation, Analytical Thinking, Developing Others, Impact & Influence.

WORK STATUS: One (1) permanent, full-time position.

HOURS OF WORK: Monday to Friday; 8:30am - 4:30pm; 35 hours per week. Flex options to work outside of these hours and hybrid may be available.

SALARY: $45.38 per hour as per NSGEU Local 222, in accordance with the NSGEU Collective Agreement.

WORK LOCATION: Alderney Gate, 40 Alderney Drive, Dartmouth. Work location can be changed according to operational requirements.

CLOSING DATE: Applications will be received up to 11:59 pm on Sunday, August 23, 2026.

This is a bargaining unit position. External applicants will only be considered if there are no qualifying bargaining unit candidates.

For more information on our accommodation process please click on the link; Accommodations | Hiring | Employment | Halifax

(position # 78640843)