Director, Convening and Summits
Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity aims to inspire everyone who attends our campus – artists, leaders, and thinkers – to unleash their creative potential.
We acknowledge, with deep respect and gratitude, our home on the side of Sacred Buffalo Guardian Mountain. In the spirit of respect and truth, we honour and acknowledge the Banff area, known as “Minhrpa” (translated in Stoney Nakoda as “the waterfalls”) and the Treaty 7 territory and oral practices of the Îyârhe Nakoda (Stoney Nakoda) – comprised of the Bearspaw, Chiniki, and Goodstoney Nations – as well as the Tsuut’ina First Nation and the Blackfoot Confederacy comprised of the Siksika, Piikani, Kainai. We acknowledge that this territory is home to the Shuswap Nations, Ktunaxa Nations, and Metis Nation of Alberta, Rockyview District 4. We acknowledge all Nations who live, work, and play, help us steward this land, and honour and celebrate this place.
The Opportunity
The Director, Convening and Summits is responsible for leading the vision and implementation of thought leader gatherings, think-tanks, summits, and symposia at Banff Centre. These convening events serve as the research and development activity to support Banff Centre’s core leadership and arts programming growth and evolution.
The Director’s role is to create a compelling vision for convening that will meet the ambitions and objectives of the Banff Centre strategic plan, meet the needs of Canadian and international Indigenous and cultural leaders in the 21st century and increase the profile, reach, research and ideation for the future growth and evolution of our nationally and internationally renowned programs.
Convening and Summits is one of three core leadership programming areas, the others being Indigenous Leadership and Cultural Leadership. The incumbent will work closely with the Executive Director, Leadership, and the Directors of Indigenous and Cultural Leadership to identify, curate, produce, and facilitate innovative and relevant thought leader gatherings to these sectors. The director will also work alongside the other Arts disciplines at the Centre to plan and design future looking think-tanks that will help inform program growth.
The thought leader gathering topics need to fall within the funding parameters of the Alberta Advanced Education’s Peter Lougheed Leadership Institute’s mandate: namely Indigenous Communities -sustainability, leadership development, policy and research; Creative Industries and Social Benefit Organizations- programming to build stronger leaders and policy for not-for-profit organizations and arts and culture organizations to enhance communities and build more a more robust society.
Excellent knowledge of arts and cultural leadership practice and education is essential. An understanding of Indigenous issues in Canada, including an understanding of right relations, wise practices, and Indigenous ways of being and knowing.
Roles and Responsibilities
Reporting to the Executive Director, Leadership, below are some key accountabilities:
Strategic Planning
• Works with the Executive Director, Leadership to understand and implement the strategic goals and business objectives of Banff Centre as they relate to convening overall.
• Works with the Directors of Indigenous and cultural leadership in developing an innovative and comprehensive convening plan, annually and over a 3-year planning horizon, which includes budgets and evaluation metrics.
Programming
• Creates an annual comprehensive and integrated convening plan for the department area, working with program managers and other subject experts.
• Designs thought-leader gatherings that are in alignment with Banff Centre’s Strategic Plan (Creative Pathways, released 2021); the provincial government’s Alberta 2030 post-secondary strategy, which focuses on training for jobs and work-based learning; and Canadian Heritage’s arts training objectives.
• Leads diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion efforts to ensure summits are representative and inclusive in order to reflect the changing cultural, economic, and political developments that affect cultural leaders across the Canadian and Bow Valley landscape.
Operational Management
• Works closely with Marketing, and Conference Services to ensure summit materials are clear, comprehensive, and accessible to potential attendees.
• Assists in identifying new potential donors, sponsors, and in the development of donor proposals, government and other grant proposals with Development team.
• Ensures that the human resources are in place to meet program objectives by working with the operations and administrative teams in order to build a highly motivated, knowledgeable and accountable team.
Financial Management
• Manages the budget required to deliver excellent Convening activity by working with the Finance teams, Director of Administration and Operations, Leadership, and the Executive Director, Leadership.
• Ensures the convening plan is utilizing existing funding sources, especially the Peter Lougheed Leadership Institute funds.
• Works with the Executive Director, Leadership, and Director, Administration and Operations, on building a financial sustainable Convening model, including activity that is subsidized (meets essential content and access needs), revenue neutral, and revenue generating.
Relationship Building
• Utilizes effective contacts within the arts and culture, education, and funding communities nationally and internationally to ensure the on-going relevance of cultural leadership programs.
• Fosters relationships with donors to ensure good stewardship of past gifts.
• Contributes to the enhancement and safeguarding of the reputation and image of the Banff Centre with the community and the general public.
Communications
• Communicates the Centre’s vision and goals internally and to the broader external community.
• Maintains regular contact with all Departmental Directors to discuss opportunities and issues affecting stakeholder groups.
Leadership and Influence
• Provides innovative and strategic leadership, vision and program direction and design through experience and knowledge of the leadership development and arts and culture communities.
• Leads a team in a unionized environment that achieves its financial and non-financial objectives within an environment of collaboration, communication, and innovation.
• Encourages a positive, respectful and professional workplace characterized by a commitment to learning and creativity and by high levels of personal fulfillment.
• Sound knowledge of the collective agreement and ensure compliance.
• Addresses issues and concerns impacting residency program participants, faculty, and staff while working with Participant Resources and Security Services.
Stakeholder Relationships
• Contributes to the overall success of the Banff Centre by participating in internal committees as required.
• Interprets the impact of decisions and policies on the Centre’s ability to promote and profile Banff Centre.
• Represents Banff Centre externally and conveys the case for the Centre at multiple and varied public events.
Human Resource Management, Team Building and Interdivisional Cooperation
• Enables the Leadership staff to function as a high performing team at all times, maintaining open communication, clear objectives and priorities, and a culture of positive behavioral intent that is consistent and in alignment with Banff Centre values and is welcoming and inclusive, supporting a diverse workforce.
• Fosters an internal culture that maintains the highest standards for customer service, excellence of staff, participant and guest experience, and fiscal, operational, and organizational integrity.
• Ensures a positive and safe work environment for all Banff employees, aligned with Banff Centre’s policies including but not limited to code of ethics, anti-harassment policies, contractual obligations, and strategic directions.
• Maintains effective working relationships with team members, internal partners, customers, the union and other stakeholders.
• Ensures team members represent Banff Centre to any stakeholders and constituents in an informed, helpful, and positive way, striving to increase the organization’s public value in each interaction.
Qualifications and Educational Requirements
• 10+ years of proven collaborative and inclusionary leadership in the leadership development and/ or arts and culture sector
• 10+ years of proven practical design, producing, curatorial, or directing experience.
• Network and reputation in the Canadian and International arts community to attract high profile thought leaders and build Banff Centre profile and reputation in the leadership development realm.
• Active member of related associations and groups.
• Related university degree with a deep understanding of leadership professional development at the post-secondary level.
• Previous experience in setting a compelling vision and utilizing creativity, innovation and a strong business acumen to delivery on this vision.
• Background and or interest in working in a multi-disciplinary environment
• Operational competence (budgets, grants, fundraising, and reporting).
• Experience working with external donors and stakeholders from government, the private and public sectors
• Highly motived and energetic – contemporary and forward-looking while honoring legacy and what has been built.
• Effective communication and presentation skills.
• Adept in the planning and organization required to successfully launch multiple projects at once.
• Multi-lingual (an asset)
• International experience (an asset)
• Previous working in a unionized environment (preferred)
Employment Terms and Benefits
• In accordance with the terms of employment governing Management/PSP employees, this is a salaried, fulltime position, subject to a 6-month probationary period.
• The salary range for this position is $80,838 - $120,050 based on experience.
• The successful candidate will enjoy twenty paid vacation days and four personal days annually, extended medical and dental benefits, and participation in an employer-matched pension plan.
Benefits of working at Banff Centre are:
• Transitional staff housing options (based on availability)
• Professional development
• Employee Assistance Program
• Hybrid work environment (3 days in the office, 2 days remote)
• Health care spending account
• Staff cafeteria and restaurant discounts
• Onsite fitness facility at a discounted rate – first month free for new staff!
Application Process
• We are accepting applications for the Director, Convening and Summits position until a suitable candidate is found.
• Candidates offered a position with Banff Centre, in this capacity, will be required to obtain a criminal record check verifying a clear record before a final job offer can be finalized.
• Visa Requirements: Candidates must be legally eligible to work in Canada. Banff Centre is unable to assist candidates in obtaining Canadian work authorization.
