Supervisor, Arts and Culture Experiences
About The Position
Reporting to the Director of Civic Events, Arts and Culture, the Supervisor of Arts and Culture Experiences provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for the City’s dedicated arts and culture unit. In this multi-faceted role, you will act as the resident facility supervisor for the City Arts Centre and The Orange Hub, while directing City-led arts programming, tenant management, and grant portfolios for festivals and events across Edmonton. Serving as a critical liaison with key partners like the Edmonton Arts Council and Arts Habitat Edmonton, you will lead a diverse team and manage a complex financial portfolio to ensure that cultural assets and services are delivered in an efficient, cost-effective manner that meets all municipal performance targets. The position is dedicated to supporting Edmonton’s arts and culture sector. A core focus will involve supporting community-use art and culture spaces, delivering city-driven arts programming, and helping underrepresented event organizers - including Indigenous and multicultural groups - build the skills and resources they need to host successful events. By integrating facility operations, programming expertise and tenant management, you will also help optimize municipal budgets and guide long-term facility master plans and program strategies. With limited capital funding available, a key focus will be asset rationalization - finding creative, efficient ways to maximize existing cultural spaces. Ultimately, the ability to manage these spaces, support local tenants and provide arts outreach services will directly support Edmonton’s creative economy and contribute to the city’s quality of life.
Requirements
- Undergraduate degree in Cultural or Arts Administration, Visual or Performing Arts, Recreation, Business or related discipline
- Minimum of 5 years supervisory/management experience in cultural administration, recreation, facility management or other related discipline
- Leadership and Personnel Management: Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams in a unionized environment, including talent development, conflict resolution, and fostering a safe, committed workplace culture
- Operational and Financial Oversight: Expertise in managing complex financial portfolios, facility operations, procurement, and contract management to ensure efficient, compliant service delivery
- Strategic Arts Programming: Demonstrated experience in developing and overseeing cultural programs, grant portfolios, and community outreach, while aligning operations with city-wide strategic plans
- Stakeholder Relations and Communication: Effective capacity for building internal and external partnerships, managing customer relations, and leveraging political acumen to deliver impactful public reports and community engagement
- Alignment to our Cultural Commitments and Leadership Competencies (https://bit.ly/4brRrXm)
- Embracing a culture of equity, diversity, reconciliation and inclusion
Responsibilities
- Provide direct supervision, coaching, and talent management for a multidisciplinary team (including Specialists, Program Managers, Bookings, Customer Service reps and CUPE 30 staff); independently manage performance evaluations, lead formal investigations, issue discipline, and represent management in employee grievance hearings
- Serve as the resident facility supervisor for the City Arts Centre and The Orange Hub, optimizing daily operations, ensuring asset preservation, and leading responsive, consistent tenant and customer relations
- Cultivate strategic, collaborative partnerships with key sector organizations like the Edmonton Arts Council and Arts Habitat Edmonton, aligning operations with cornerstone strategic plans such as Connections & Exchanges: A 10-Year Plan To Transform Arts and Heritage in Edmonton.
- Oversee and evolve the city's diverse cultural portfolio, including the Grant Funding Programs for event producers, the Artist in Residence and Creative Spaces Programs, and municipal Arts Outreach programs and initiatives
- Lead the development of capacity-building tools and proactive outreach strategies designed to empower underrepresented event organizers—including Indigenous and multicultural groups—to deliver successful public activations
- Manage the full lifecycle of the unit's budget, including accurate budget loading, monthly variance reporting, year-end forecasting, and the creation of 4-year operating budgets, capital profiles, and business cases
- Contribute expert cultural sector perspectives to long-term land use, open space policy, and facility specific master plans, identifying 10-year capital priorities to ensure cultural infrastructure is well-represented in corporate growth plans
- Establish, monitor, and report on outcome-based performance targets (such as attendance, revenue generation, and target audience engagement) while authoring Council reports and addressing escalated public or Councillor inquiries unit's Occupational Health and Safety program across all facilities, leading hazard assessments, implementing emergency preparedness plans, and coordinating joint worksite health and safety committees
- Ensure all programs and physical amenities strictly comply with provincial legislation, the Alberta Building Code, and ENVISO environmental management framework obligations
Benefits
- This position is eligible for the EDO program (Earned Day Off)
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
