Community Services Coordinator - Curator of Community Heritage

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Employment Status

• Union - CUPE Local 402 - Regular Full-Time

Scope

Located on the unceded and ancestral lands of the Salish peoples, including the Katzie, Kwantlen, Semiahmoo Nations, the City of Surrey is a globally recognized leader in building vibrant, sustainable communities.

The Heritage Services Division is seeking an enthusiastic and thoughtful Curator of Community Heritage for the development and implementation of the city-wide Heritage Interpretation Program, including management of the City’s heritage artifact collection. This is a great opportunity for a creative professional with demonstrated experience in artifact collection management, database systems, community outreach, and project management. Reporting to the Manager of Heritage Services, Curator of Community Heritage is a member of the Heritage Services leadership and supervises a small, but talented team.

The Heritage Interpretation Program plays a central role in the presentation, interpretation, and understanding of the City’s past, present, and future. It centers on providing access to Surrey’s history and is made up of heritage assets located at high-traffic areas across the city, digital access tools, and the heritage artifact collection. The collection consists of over 20,000 objects, housed and exhibited at Museum of Surrey, Historic Stewart Farm, and other civic venues. The Curator of Community Heritage is a highly organized self-starter who is committed to Indigenous reconciliation, accessibility, community engagement, and anti-racism, and can bring the stories of Surrey’s diverse citizens and communities to the forefront.

Note that physical work is sometimes required with some exposure to changing environments. Due to some evening and weekend work, a flexible schedule is needed although the ‘normal’ work week is Monday to Friday with one day of work from home.

Responsibilities

The Curator of Community Heritage:

• Has excellent project management skills.
• Supervises a team that supports the administration of the artifact collection and community engagement.
• Provides input and recommendations to Manager for developing and implementing policies and procedures.
• Meets with community members and potential artifact donors to determine alignment with Heritage mandate and goals.
• Oversees and administers online heritage tools, including the Minisis Collections Management Software (M3) for collection documentation.
• Works collaboratively with internal and external partners to support access to and use of community stories for exhibits, online tools, and heritage assets.
• Liaises with appropriate City departments and community partners to ensure strong community representation and participation.
• Is responsible for collection management and outreach budgets, multiple deadlines, and complex contracts.
• Is an experienced presenter and skilled in writing reports.
• Identifies and prepares grant applications.
• Supports facility safety, security, and public operations.
• Other duties as required.

Qualifications

Graduation from University or college level in a related discipline and 3-5 years of progressively responsible experience in the management of artifact collections and experience in facility management. An equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.

In addition, the successful candidate will have:

• Demonstrated experience working with community partners.
• A deep understanding of contemporary museums, research, and heritage interpretation practice.
• Must have technical experience and expertise applicable to the role.
• Supervisory experience.

Applicants under consideration will be required to consent to a Police Information Check/Vulnerable Sector Check. The successful applicant will be required to attain a Firearms Possession and Acquisition License.

Other Information

• Number of Job Openings: 1
• Hourly Rate: $40.60 (2024)
• Steps Hourly Rates Step 1 $40.60 Step 2 (6 Months) $42.19 Step 3 (18 Months) $43.77 Step 4 (30 Months) $45.61 Step 5 (42 Months) $47.52

Conditions of Employment

This position requires completion of a Police Information Check with Vulnerable Sector Check.

Successful applicants must provide proof of qualifications.

Closing Date

This job will be posted until January 23, 2025.

Our Values

Integrity - Service - Teamwork - Innovation - Community