Cultural Director

KWANLIN DÜN CULTURAL CENTRE SEEKS FIRST NATION CULTURAL LEADER

Join an amazing First Nations cultural organization with a gifted, committed team of people at the beautiful Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre! We are looking for a visionary and committed First Nations leader to head up our Culture and Heritage team.

Reporting to the Executive Director and attending Governance Council meetings, the KDCC Cultural Director is an influential Indigenous cultural leader promoting KDCS’s First Nations cultural mission, voice, and engagement within the KDFN, the community at large, Yukon Territory and national colleagues and organizations, and within KDCS with colleagues and visitors.

The KDCC Cultural Director demonstrates the ability to lead, motivate, and engage others and develop community collaborations. The Cultural Director forges and nurtures community relationships especially with Kwanlin Dün First Nation and Yukon First Nations, those with collaborators, and those with funding bodies. This position strengthens KDCC’s role in Kwanlin Dün cultural knowledge keeping and engagement programs that support the intergenerational transfer of Kwanlin Dün cultural practices. The Cultural Director has a priority focus on the building of cultural knowledge and identity, resiliency, and leadership of KDFN and YFN youth through cultural education programming involving elders and youth.

This position is guided by the cultural priority framework set out by the KDCS Governance Council in the Strategic Plan. The Cultural Director attends KDCS Governance Council meetings as a staff member as invited, works closely with the Governance Council’s Culture Committee, and provides cultural input throughout the strategic and annual planning process.

The Cultural Director is responsible for the development and delivery of cultural and community projects and exhibits. The position plans, budgets, implements, monitors, evaluates, and reports on programming in accordance with funding agreements, identified work plans, cultural budgets, organizational strategic and annual plans, and cultural priorities. The Cultural Director demonstrates the ability to lead, motivate, and engage others.

The Cultural Director is responsible for securing funding, developing, and implementing work plans, and will work in a team environment to identify programming, exhibitions, engagement (including the priority development of KDFN and YFN youth engagement programs), and sustainability gaps, and develop solutions and strategies to mitigate these gaps. This position supervises the Collections Coordinator, and seasonal and project staff and volunteers as required.

Section 3 - Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Principal duties and responsibilities are interpreted as being descriptive and not restrictive in nature.

Develops and manifests KDCS’s First Nations cultural mission, voice, and engagement within the KDFN, the community at large, Yukon Territory and national colleagues and organizations, and within KDCS with colleagues and visitors.

• Leads, motivates, and engages others and develop community collaborations including relationships within Kwanlin Dün First Nation and Yukon First Nations, those with collaborators, and those with funding bodies.
• Focuses on priority area of building of cultural knowledge and identity, resiliency, and leadership of KDFN and YFN youth through cultural education programming involving elders and youth.
• Engages with and responds to the Cultural Committee/Governance Council priorities, and evaluates, receives feedback, and determines the most appropriate design of projects and exhibits to meet community development needs, and ensures community-level implementation of cross-generational projects, programs, and exhibits.
• Participates in multi-stakeholder partnerships, advises, facilitates and assists in the development and implementation of cultural and community programs and exhibitions at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre to ensure that program and exhibition objectives are effectively met. Fosters and maintains positive and respectful communications and relationships with government officials, non-governmental/community organizations, and Yukon First Nations to advance cultural industries, pursuits, and economies in the Yukon.
• Uses qualitative and quantitative research methods to analyze projects and programs, exhibits, and other strategies that target different community members and stakeholders. Develops and monitors budgets, produces evidence-based reports, evaluation, and communications, and provides feedback concerning the success of exhibits and project initiatives.
• Supports the growth and capacity development of KDCS by developing and negotiating funding proposals, based on the strategic plan and direction from the Cultural Committee/Governance Council that will create cultural programming and exhibits that meet the needs of community.
• Provides policy, project, program, exhibit, and interpretive tour input to the Executive Director to implement the mandate, goals, and objectives of KDCS with respect to advancing cultural programming, community engagement (especially the priority of KDFN/YFN youth engagement), program participants, exhibitions, and exhibition visitors.
• Programs, markets, and coordinates all logistical details, in partnership with the KDCS Team, the annual Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration hosted every June. Acts as a resource for KDFN/YFN celebrations and events (e.g., National Day for Truth and Reconciliation events).
• Supervises the Collections Manager, seasonal staff, project staff, and volunteers related to cultural programming as required.
• Other duties as required.

Strengthens KDCS’s role in Kwanlin Dün cultural knowledge keeping and engagement programs that support the intergenerational transfer of Kwanlin Dün cultural practices through education and cultural programs involving youth and elders, the development of a multi-media digital collection as a KDFN and YFN community resource, cultural programs and exhibits, and community engagement strategies.

Develops, plans, and coordinates significant cultural projects to advance the identity of KDCC as a cultural centre within the territory through development of a variety of projects, exhibitions, and initiatives. Responsible for work planning, project coordination and delivery, exhibit management and participating in project teams.