AVP Gallery Engagement

Are you passionate about culture, the arts, natural history, and science? Are you keen on how these elements aesthetically come together to tell the many stories of humanity?Join our team at ROM and consider a fulfilling career as an AVP, Gallery Engagement.
POSITION SUMMARY:

Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is seeking an experienced and dynamic informal learning professional to fill the critical position of Assistant Vice President, Gallery Engagement in the Learning & Public Programs department.
This role supports the ROM's 21st-century mission to help people understand the past, make sense of the present, and shape a shared future by creating informal, hands-on, engaging learning spaces, activities, and interactions in ROM galleries.
The AVP, Gallery Engagement will lead a team of over 150 coordinators, hands-on facilitators, and volunteers to bring the ROM alive with the sights and sounds of in-gallery engagement.
Responsibilities include oversight of activities in the Schad Gallery of Life in Crisis, Hands-on Biodiversity, WonderWorks, Earth Rangers Studio, Makerspace, and special programs during peak attendance periods.
Working closely with the VP, Learning & Public Programs, and the programs management team, the AVP, Gallery Engagement will help guide the ROM toward becoming a meaningful, interactive, and inclusive space of learning and fun.
The ideal candidate will have proven experience in informal learning and public engagement, strong leadership skills, excellent organizational abilities, and a passion for creating meaningful, inclusive learning experiences.
Join us at ROM and play a pivotal role in transforming our galleries into dynamic, educational, and fun environments for all visitors.
Interested candidates are invited to apply and help shape the future of learning at the Royal Ontario Museum.
RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Manage the daily operations of the Schad Gallery of Biodiversity, Hands-on Biodiversity Gallery, and Discovery Gallery.
  This includes management of 25+ full and part-time staff, oversight of 100+ volunteers, fiscal management, compliance with ROM policies and procedures, gallery activation design and development, oversight of living specimens, and support of promotion activities with the communications team.
• Manage Makerspace, Earth Rangers Studio, and assigned learning spaces for drop-in and registered programming.
• Develop strategy and operational plans, implement delivery, manage budgets, and maintain financial control and reporting for programs, projects, and activities within the team.
  Work with the team and leadership to ensure that attendance and experience targets are met, and develop strategies and plans for in-person learning experiences for families.
• Lead the development of new learning programming in collaboration with the VP, Learning & Public Programs, in accordance with ROM 21st Century Museum and the strategic objectives of the Engagement division.
  This includes coordination of temporary or permanent exhibit planning.
• Work closely with various managers and managing directors to ensure that departmental activities are efficiently coordinated.
  Serve on the Learning & Public Programs Management group and liaise with external departments, contractors, and consultants to ensure that Learning programs are properly supported.
• Manage gallery activations during peak attendance periods, working with production, visitor engagement, curators, and internal partners.
• Collaborate with Marketing & Communications, Visitor Engagement, and Web teams to effectively promote gallery activation programming.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

• A minimum of five (5) years as a museum educator and manager with extensive experience in facilitating learning with objects in informal learning environments.
  Experience managing in a union environment is an asset.
• A minimum of five (5) years of experience in developing, managing, and leading hands-on learning programs in a museum setting.
• A minimum of four (4) years of experience in education design for 21st-century skills, including multimodal learning design (digital, in-person, hands-on, and asynchronous learning).
• A minimum of four (4) years of supervisory experience.
• Experience managing a team of at least five (5) members.
• A minimum of two (2) years of experience managing volunteers, including recruitment and training.
• Experience managing digital learning experiences is an asset.
• University degree in a museum-related subject.
• Teacher certification, Early Childhood Education, or a graduate degree in Education or a museum-related subject is an asset.
• Proven ability to manage programs or teams with a budget exceeding $500,000 per year.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in both leadership and program development.
  Experience in educational design for vulnerable learners is a significant asset.
• Understanding of project management and accountability-based program management.
• Experience in evaluation and assessment of programs, including outcomes and/or impact-based analysis and reporting of program objectives.
• Strong organizational, leadership, conflict management, and training skills.
• Proven ability in program development and control of budgets and financial reporting.
• Effective promotion of educational programming.
• Strong oral communication and public relations skills with a strong client service orientation.
• Initiative, sound judgment, and problem-solving skills.
• Computer literacy with proficiency in word processing, spreadsheet, database, and presentation applications.
• Indigenous heritage, lived experience, or programming experience is an asset.
• French language skills are an asset.