Director, Commercial Services
Glenbow
Position: Full-Time Permanent
Hiring Manager: Vince Mak, VP Strategy & Chief Financial Officer
Closing Date: November 6, 2025
Salary: $114,000 – $126,000
To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter to careers@glenbow.org.
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 people 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 VP strategy & chief financial officer, the director, commercial services plays a key role in advancing the museum’s financial sustainability and revenue growth. This position is responsible for developing and maximizing all earned revenue streams, including the museum’s gift shop, event rental program, food and beverage services, and other business development and strategic partnership opportunities connected to Glenbow’s offerings in its revitalized home, the JR Shaw Centre for Arts & Culture. The director, commercial services will collaborate across all departments to deliver exceptional visitor and client experiences, combining entrepreneurial insight with a deep appreciation for the museum’s mission, community impact, and diverse audiences to strengthen Glenbow’s long-term financial resilience.
Key Responsibilities
- Strategic Planning and Business Development:
- Develop and implement strategic vision, strategies, goals, and projects to support a full spectrum earned revenue program to maximize revenue streams from commercial activities.
- Retail (Onsite and Online)
- Director, Commercial Services
- Lead the strategy for product selection, product development, and merchandising with an ethos of ethical sourcing and sustainability.
- Optimize shop layout, customer flow, and visual merchandizing to maximize revenue.
- Develop e-commerce platforms and integrate with marketing, membership, seasonal campaigns, and visitor experience.
- Event Rental Program:
- Develop packages, pricing strategies, and sales campaigns to drive bookings.
- Position Glenbow’s revitalized home, the JR Shaw Centre for Arts & Culture, as a premier destination for weddings, corporate events, community events, and conferences.
- Develop and oversee the entire end-to-end rental program, ensuring operational excellence and customer satisfaction.
- Ancillary Food & Beverage:
- Oversee partnerships or in-house services for food and beverage.
- Negotiate vendor contracts as required.
- Strategic Partnerships & Business Development:
- Build relationships with destination marketing organizations, corporate clients, and event planners to develop portfolio.
- Identify new business development or partnership opportunities to contribute to the organization’s overall earned revenue target.
- Lead the development and implementation of earned revenue operations including required policies and procedures to support day-to-day activities across all commercial activities.
- Seek out new opportunities and business centres and maintain a sales pipeline to contribute to overall earned revenue targets.
- Monitor competitors, market conditions, and industry trends, adjusting commercial services plans in response.
- Contribute business development and earned revenue expertise to a variety of departments to align strategies and projects with earned revenue targets.
- Financial Management:
- Develop business plans and revenue models for each earned revenue activity, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives.
- Develop and manage budgets and forecasts for commercial operations, monitor financial performance, and adjust tactics to drive profitability of all earned revenue activities.
- Staff Management and Development:
- Hire, develop, and lead a team of high-performing individuals across a variety of earned revenue streams, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and belonging within a complex labour relations environment.
- Ensure the Commercial Services team is properly resourced to implement the earned revenue program and deliver results.
- Director, Commercial Services
- Provide coaching and performance management to a team of direct reports and ensure the performance and results of the larger Commercial Services team.
- Foster and maintain an entrepreneurial growth culture throughout the department and wider organization.
- Relationship Management:
- Build and maintain positive relationships with vendors, suppliers, and other stakeholders involved in commercial operations.
- Work closely with visitor experience & programming, external relations & marketing, collections & curatorial, and other departments to ensure commercial activities enhance the visitor experience.
- Collaborate closely with advancement department to align commercial initiatives with philanthropic priorities, ensuring cohesive strategies for sponsorships, donor engagement, and events that strengthen Glenbow’s mission and revenue goals.
- Partner with advancement department to identify and activate opportunities where earned revenue programs, rentals, or partnerships can enhance donor cultivation, stewardship, and community engagement.
- Maintain consistent communication with advancement department to coordinate planning, logistics, and brand alignment for shared priorities and special events, delivering a seamless experience for guests, donors, and partners.
- Work collaboratively with visitor experience & programming department on the allocation and use of spaces within the museum to support mission-focused activities and earned revenue goals.
- Work collaboratively with security, building operations, and collections & curatorial departments to ensure museum-specific building requirements are adhered to in all commercial activities and functions.
- Reporting and Analysis:
- Develop and provide regular KPI reporting for commercial activities to senior management and board as required.
- Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
Education & Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in business administration, marketing, finance, economics, or a related field. A combination of education and experience will be considered.
- 7+ years of progressive experience in commercial leadership, preferably in a cultural, heritage, attraction, hospitality, or visitor-focused environment.
- 3+ years in a people leadership role, managing diverse teams across a spectrum of business units. Labour relations experience is considered an asset.
- Proven track record of growing existing and developing new revenue streams with a minimum gross revenue of $1M+ through retail, events, and partnerships.
Director, Commercial Services
- Exceptional communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
- Strong financial acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, and return on investment analysis.
- Excellent organization, planning, and administrative skills, with an ability to prioritize and coordinate multiple activities to meet deadlines.
- Superb interpersonal skills and diplomacy, strong track record in motivating sales teams, and proven ability to work collaboratively internally as well as build relationships with external constituencies.
- Must be able to work a flexible schedule including weekends, holidays, and special events, with willingness to travel and attend after-hours functions as required.
Key Competencies
- Entrepreneurial mindset with a respect for organizational mission.
- Visitor-centric and audience-focused approach.
- Collaborative and adaptive leader.
- Strategic and creative thinker and operationally detail oriented.
