Job offer – Curator, Contemporary Architecture
Job identification
Job title: Curator, Contemporary Architecture
Division: Programs
Immediate superior: Chief Curator
Status: Contractual, full time – 35hrs/ week
Duration: 3 years
Posting period: June 13 to July 10, 2016
Job entry: Summer 2016
Job summary
The CCA is an institution responsive to the cultural content of our time, fueling crucial conversation with the audience. The CCA Programs division researches and organizes exhibitions and public programs as a form of cultural production to suggest new perspectives for architecture debate as catalyst for original inquiry. The Public programs of CCA is meant to diversify and strengthen the institution’s audience.
The responsibilities of this job are to develop, organize and manage multidisciplinary projects, including exhibitions, public programs and educational programs. The incumbent manages the Programs division and provides strategic leadership and critical thinking in order to shape, develop and promote a consistent and innovative curatorial direction for the division, in line with the CCA’s vision.
The incumbent works with the Director and the Chief Curator, as well as senior management to define institution-wide policies, goals and priorities for the Programs division. He/She develops and maintains relations with individuals, institutions and organizations that can support or collaborate with the CCA in its mission.
The incumbent possesses a thorough understanding of key institutional aspects. He/She is a specialist in Contemporary Architecture, landscape and urbanism and is required to be aware of the discourse about new media and technologies and at the forefront of the current form of interaction with the audience.
Main job responsibilities
Strategic and curatorial influence responsibilities
- Directs and oversees a strategic long term plan of the CCA’s curatorial vision in all Programs activities, including exhibitions, public programs and educational programs
- Helps develop projects that stimulate and broaden participation, and that explore key aspects of architecture and contemporary issues affecting the built environment
- Develops long-term strategies for the effective implementation of institutional programs, including policies and procedures, budgets, action plans and schedules
- Negotiates the institution’s partnership contracts with other institutions and organizations, and maintains and extends a network of contacts and prospective partners
- Participates in the promotion and outside presentation of CCA projects, and represents the CCA locally and internationally at events and meetings when necessary
- Collaborates with the Director and the Chief Curator to shape and develop the CCA’s curatorial strategy
- Initiates, curates and develops and prepares exhibitions with the curatorial team and with guest curators
- Develops strategies for public activities and educational programs
Research content responsibilities
- Involves innovative formats to assure an intelligent fit between the content development and the audience to reach (both in the building and online), demonstrating eagerness to develop new modes for working that are respondent to our specific place and time around the topic the institution is concerned with
- Proposes topics for research in line with the CCA’s vision
- Develops innovative thinking when supervising the CCA’s Programs
- Acts as an editor, author and essayist for CCA Publications (online, digital and print publications) as needed
- Recommends the acquisition of material in collaboration with the Collection division and leads the review of contemporary architecture-related aspects of the Collection
- Takes part in and contributes to the Curatorial Committee
Management and collaborative responsibilities
- Supervises Programs division staff
- Creates and maintains the budget for the Programs division
- Contributes to collaboration between the Programs division and the CCA’s other divisions
- Works in close collaboration with the Associate Director, Collection, with the Associate Director, Publications and with the Associate Director, Research, to develop projects that explore key aspects of contemporary architecture
- Works in close collaboration with the Associate Director, External Affairs and the Associate Director, Publications, to promote and disseminate the content of CCA Programs activities across all media (online and print)
- Works with the Associate Director, Development to identify potential sources of financial support and donations for Programs, and cultivates and maintains relations with donors
- Works in close collaboration with the Head, Collection and Program Services to ensure the full integration of all CCA programs
Job qualifications required
- Education: Graduate degree or equivalent in architecture, arts, history of architecture or related fields
- Number of years of relevant work experience: 3 to 5 years of curatorial and research duties in a comparable research-based institutional setting, including administrative responsibilities and management of comparable-sized budgets
- Excellent knowledge of spoken and written French and English; advanced writing skills in at least one of the two languages
- Extensive experience in curatorial practice
- Team-work approach, innovative, adaptation skills, technical inclination and result-oriented
- Strong knowledge in contemporary architecture and culture
- Excellent interpretive, writing, presentation/public speaking, and communication skills
- Excellent interpersonal and ability to work in a team
- Ability to manage a budget and work within the means of the museum
- Strong organizational and planning skills
- Flexible schedule (evening and weekend work required)
Please submit your application in French and/or in English before 11 July, 2016 to the attention of Human Resources, Canadian Centre for Architecture, 1920 Baile Street, Montreal (Quebec) H3H 2S6, email: rh@cca.qc.ca, fax: (514) 939-7012. Only successful applicants will be contacted. Please do not call.
The CCA is an equal opportunity employer.
