Chief Operating Officer & VP, Engagement

Chief Operating Officer & VP, Engagement

Full-Time, Permanent Position

Hiring Manager: President & CEO

Closing Date: July 17, 2026

Location: Calgary, AB

Careers | Glenbow

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter to ***email_hidden***.

Glenbow is an equal opportunity employer and values different perspectives, backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences. We are committed to building a diverse team and encourage candidates from underrepresented groups to apply. Should you have special accommodation needs, please let us know.

About Glenbow

Glenbow is an arts and culture museum undergoing a complete reimagining of what a museum can be. Every member of our team, regardless of job title, is focused on serving our community and reimagining the museum experience.

Our team is passionate about making art accessible to everyone. We are dedicated community builders, working to shape the future of arts and culture in Calgary and beyond. Working at Glenbow also means being part of an organization that recognizes its role in reconciliation and is working toward building an equitable community,

The Opportunity

Reporting to the President & CEO, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) & VP, Engagement serves as a key member of Glenbow’s Senior Leadership team, providing executive leadership, direction, and oversight for core museum departments and functions, including Visitor Experience & Programming, Exhibition Production, Building Operations & Security, External Relations & Marketing, and Project Management. The COO & VP, Engagement ensures that Glenbow’s services and offerings support the museum’s mission, strategic plan, and long-term sustainability.

Working closely with the President & CEO, Senior Leadership, staff, Board committees, contractors, and external stakeholders, the COO & VP, Engagement champions initiatives that foster organizational excellence through effective planning, resource management, operational efficiency, risk mitigation, and cross-functional collaboration. They are an innovative and resourceful leader motivated by achieving optimal visitor experience results, advancing organizational priorities, and maximizing Glenbow’s impact for all community members and visitors.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Organizational Management

• Serve as a strategic thought partner to the President & CEO and wider Senior Leadership team in advancing the museum’s mission, vision, strategic plan, and operational priorities.
• Lead long-range operational planning and implementation, translating institutional goals into actionable initiatives, measurable objectives, and resource plans.
• Assess organizational structures, processes, and systems to improve effectiveness, efficiency, and alignment with museum best practices and the organization’s metrics and measurable goals.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement across departments.
• Inspire, mentor, evaluate, and guide a high-performing team that supports a culture of inclusion, growth, and continuous improvement in alignment with Glenbow’s values.
• Provide leadership, coaching, mentorship, and performance management for direct reports and their teams, ensuring departmental goals and activities support institutional priorities and strategic objectives.
• Participate in organizational planning and decision-making as a member of the Senior Leadership team.

Completion of Operational Readiness for Museum Reopening

• Work with architects, contractors, consultants, project representatives, and internal leadership to oversee the successful completion of the Glenbow Reimagined project’s future program development and public reopening operations.
• Provide executive leadership and oversee the successful execution of the Glenbow Operational Readiness Project.
• Provide executive direction and oversight to functional business units in the development of multi-year planning projects, including service offerings, resource management, and multi-year financial plans.

Museum Operations and Engagement

• Oversee the museum’s comprehensive security and risk management programs, ensuring the safety of visitors, staff, volunteers, facilities, collections, and digital assets.
• Provide strategic guidance and support to the Engagement team in developing and implementing best-in-class museum operations, services, product offerings such as exhibitions and programs, and emergency preparedness programs.
• Promote effective collaboration among cross-functional teams outside of the Engagement portfolio, including Collections & Curatorial, Commercial Services, People & Culture, Finance, Advancement, and IT.
• In cooperation with the museum’s CFO, ensure organizational compliance with applicable legal, regulatory, insurance, and risk management requirements, including supporting institutional risk assessment, mitigation, business continuity, and crisis response planning.
• In collaboration with museum leadership, create a visitor-focused plan to grow and optimize brand awareness, museum attendance, and associated revenue generation for time of reopening and beyond, grounded in the museum’s mission and vision.
• In collaboration with members of the Senior Leadership team, cultivate partnerships, opportunities that expand revenue opportunities to build financial resilience for ongoing museum programs, education activities, and the visitor experience.
• Oversee the development and execution of comprehensive community engagement, marketing, media, and public relations strategies that support the reopening of Glenbow and its ongoing relevance to the community.
• Prepare reports, presentations, budgets, and recommendations for the Senior Leadership team and Board of Governors.
• Build positive and productive relationships with donors, community leaders, government officials, contractors, consultants, tourism, and other stakeholders.
• Represent the museum professionally in external meetings, partnerships, media, and public forums as appropriate

Team Leadership

• Provide effective and inspiring leadership to a team of directors and individual contributors at a senior management level through a broad and deep knowledge of museum operations.
• Ensure all business and operational aspects of the museum are in alignment with strategic objectives.
• Engage other members of senior management to facilitate cross-department collaboration that ensures all museum functions positively support Glenbow’s operational delivery.
• Commit to Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommendations, including integrating Indigenous knowledge systems and practices into organizational frameworks and resource allocations in alignment with Glenbow’s mission, vision, and values.
• Nurture authentic relationships with community members and stakeholders who engage with operations and engagement activities by including them in equitable organizational practices and policies.

Additional Responsibilities

• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Nonprofit Management, Museum Administration, Public Administration, or a related field.
• Minimum of seven years of progressively responsible senior leadership experience overseeing complex operational functions, preferably within a museum, cultural institution, nonprofit organization, or similarly mission-driven enterprise. A combination of education and experience will be considered.
• Demonstrated success leading cross-functional teams, managing large-scale operational initiatives, and implementing strategic plans.
• Significant experience in facilities management, capital planning, construction projects, operational budgeting, risk management, and/or organizational administration.
• Proven ability to develop, motivate, and manage high-performing teams.
• Exceptional analytical, organizational, project management, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, discretion, diplomacy, and professionalism when handling sensitive and confidential matters.
• Experience in a museum, arts, cultural, educational, or nonprofit institution.

Key Competencies

• Strategic thinking and organizational leadership.
• High integrity, professionalism, and accountability.
• Strong relationship-building and collaboration skills.
• Ability to lead through change and organizational growth.
• Sound judgment and effective decision-making.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities.
• Commitment to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and high-performing workplace culture.
• Passion for the museum’s mission and the role of arts and culture in the community.

Working Conditions

• This is an executive leadership position. Regular business hours are expected, with occasional evening and weekend commitments for Board meetings, events, emergencies, and special projects.
• Periodic travel may be required.
• The position requires the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment and to respond effectively to time-sensitive operational matters.