Research Assistant
We acknowledge that the land we gather on, Mohkinsstsis, is the ancestral territory of the Siksikaitsitapi — the Blackfoot people — comprising the Siksika, Kainai and Piikani Nations, as well as Treaty 7 signatories, the Tsuut’ina Nation and the Îyârhe Nakoda Bearspaw, Chiniki and Goodstoney First Nations. Today this land is home to the Otipemisiwak Métis Government Districts 5 and 6 as well as many First Nations and Inuit from across Turtle Island.
We acknowledge that there has been art, music, dance, storytelling and ceremony on this land since time immemorial and it is in the spirit of this land and its people that we do our work.
Application Assistance
Calgary Arts Development is committed to open, fair and transparent processes. We recognize that the job application process can create barriers to access for many who are interested in applying. Our job calls are written in English, shared online and require applicants to email their applications in English. This creates technological, linguistic, communication and cultural barriers, to name a few.
In recognition of these barriers, eligible applicants can request assistance to help reduce some of the costs associated with preparing and submitting a job application. Our Applicant Support & Accessibility Policy is available for applicants who may need support from staff, or financial assistance to access support from someone outside of Calgary Arts Development. Please see the end of the document for more information or reach out directly by emailing jointheteam@calgaryartsdevelopment.com.
Employment Equity Statement
Calgary Arts Development is an equal opportunity employer and employs people without regard to race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, language, citizenship, creed, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, physical and/or mental abilities.
While remaining alert and sensitive to the issue of fair and equitable treatment for all, Calgary Arts Development has a special concern with the participation and advancement of members of designated groups that have traditionally been disadvantaged in employment: Black, Indigenous, people of colour, immigrants and newcomers, persons with physical or mental disabilities, and members of the 2SLGBTQIAP+ community.
It is important to note that our office in the Edison downtown is not fully accessible although it is wheelchair accessible and has an accessible gender-neutral washroom. We are not presently equipped with technology that supports those with hearing or visual impairments. While we seek to be more accessible in the future, we feel it is important to be transparent about the limitations of our workplace as it is at present.
Who Are We?
Calgary Arts Development is our city’s designated arts development authority. We provide grant investments to hundreds of arts organizations, individual artists and groups. We value relationships, generosity, reciprocity, plain language and curiosity.
We believe the arts have the power to build our city. Through the arts development strategy, Living a Creative Life, our vision is a creative, connected, prosperous Calgary where every resident has the opportunity to live a creative life. We foster a sustainable and resilient arts sector and support arts-led city building.
Strong relationships are central to our work and will be particularly central to this role. We honour artists and believe that art is a critical component that benefits the public good. We welcome new introductions and partnerships with artists and arts organizations as well as with others whose work may be outside the arts who are trying to make our city great through living a creative life.
Our team has been working towards creating shared environments where all people can feel safe, heard and validated. A sensitivity to the lived experiences of diverse, marginalized and equity- seeking people is very important as we continue valuing equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility in all aspects of our work.
The Role
We are recruiting a temporary full-time research assistant to join our team from May to August 2025. This position will work with the research and impact team to clean and manipulate data to then visualize for a variety of audiences. Having worked closely with the data, this individual will work with management to gather learnings from the data for both internal and external audiences.
Our organization receives hundreds of applications for grants each year, and hundreds of final reports. Most reports provide qualitative information, and we are developing a systematic way of compiling that information as well as using technological tools to gather useful qualitative information from those reports. We are also working to better share geographic information provided through reporting.
Accountabilities
- Create maps using arcGIS
- Clean and manipulate data in excel
- Analyze large data sets using Excel, R, or Python
- Create data visualizations
- Qualitative data analysis using natural language processing tools
- Review best practices in data use policy from other funders
Who Are You?
This position is supported by the Canada Summer Jobs Program. As a requirement of that program, applicants must be between the ages of 15 and 30. Preference will be given to students returning to school in the fall and to recent graduates.
For this position, we are looking for a detail-oriented individual comfortable with using digital tools to manipulate and visualize data such as Excel, arcGIS, R, and Python. You may have experience using Nvivo to explore qualitative data and survey software to collect that data from individuals.
You’re not all things to all people, but you’re probably already a few of these things:
- You are highly organized, detail oriented, and self-motivated in your work.
- You are comfortable juggling multiple tasks simultaneously, identifying priorities, and ensuring those you work with have all the details they need to be successful in their work.
- You have strong time management skills.
- You are very detail oriented.
- You have experience using Excel.
- You are committed to growing your awareness of equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility, and want to ensure that our systems reflect those values.
- You are a self-starter who is adaptable working both independently and with a team.
- You adapt quickly to using new technologies.
- You are comfortable working in a collaborative and open work environment.
If you see yourself in this opportunity, we would love to have a conversation with you. And if you’re not sure, you can learn more about us by exploring our website.
How to Apply
Please indicate your interest by emailing jointheteam@calgaryartsdevelopment.com with your resume and cover letter. Please use the subject line: Research Assistant.
In your cover letter, please describe a project you have worked on that required cleaning data and then sharing that data with others in an accessible way.
For best consideration, apply by April 25, 2025. We are hoping to fill this position by early May. While there is some flexibility regarding the start date, this temporary position ends no later than September 5, 2025. During the employment period the position will be supported for full-time work at $27.50 per hour.
If you would like to request application assistance, please contact jointheteam@calgaryartsdevelopment.com or call 403.264.5330.
Application Assistance
We recognize that the job application process can create barriers to access for many applicants who are interested in applying. In recognition of these barriers to access, eligible applicants can request assistance to help alleviate some of the costs associated with preparing and submitting a job application.
Who Can Request Assistance?
Individuals who self-identify as:
- An individual who is D/deaf, hard of hearing, has a disability or is living with a mental illness.
- An individual facing language, geographic or cultural barriers.
To receive assistance, you will need to provide:
- The name and contact information of someone who can help you (this could be a trusted friend or family member, or a professional service provider) so they can bill us for their work with you. We may be able to make recommendations depending on the service being requested.
- The amount you are requesting, including the service provider’s hourly rate.
Note: You are not required to disclose personal details related to your request for support.
Types of Assistance
General Transcription or Editing Services and Organizing of Support Materials
- Applicants who experience barriers within the writing process directly due to a physical or learning disability or due to living with mental illness.
- Maximum Contribution: $75
Language Translation
- Applicants writing an application in another language who require translation into English, including American Sign Language.
- Maximum Contribution: $150
ASL Interpretation
- Calgary Arts Development can make arrangements for reputable, in-person ASL interpreters for interviews, in consultation with the interviewee, and at no cost to the interviewee.
Interview Parking
- Applicants who must drive to an interview at our request are eligible to have their parking costs paid by Calgary Arts Development.
- Maximum Contribution: $32 per interview, or the equivalent of the daily rate for parking lots that are close to the Calgary Arts Development office.
Childcare
- Applicants who require childcare services to attend the interview are eligible to be reimbursed for those childcare expenses.
