Director, Visitor Experience & Programming
Glenbow
Position: Full-Time, Permanent
Closing Date: November 27, 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 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
Glenbow seeks a director, visitor experience & programming to provide strong leadership to create and implement the ideal visitor experience at Glenbow. Reporting to the chief operating officer and vice president, engagement, the director, visitor experience & programming will develop and implement effective strategies, procedures, and systems for visitor services and program areas such as school programs, adult and family programs, and program spaces within the museum. The successful candidate will work collaboratively with all other departments to deliver quality visitor services and experiences for a broad range of audience groups in preparation for Glenbow’s reopening.
Key Responsibilities
The director, visitor experience & programming is responsible for leading and delivering an innovative, inclusive, and service-focused experience for all museum visitors that embodies Glenbow’s mission, vision, and values. The Director will develop strategies that support attendance and programming-related revenue goals, ultimately fostering long-term relationships with visitors and expanding the museum’s audience base. This position is an advocate for the museum visitor and leads audience research and evaluation efforts to ensure visitor needs and expectations are incorporated into the museum’s operations and service delivery.
Working with the museum’s Visitor Experience & Programming team, this position will lead the development of a suite of program offerings at the museum, including formal and informal learning experiences for diverse audiences that will utilize Glenbow’s unique exhibitions and collections, and follow best practices in museum engagement, scholarship, and learning theories.
Qualifications
- Minimum 7 years of related professional and progressive experience in a nonprofit visitor/public customer service operation required.
- Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree in relevant discipline preferred.
- Demonstrated knowledge of current trends and best practices for increasing visitor attendance, engagement, and satisfaction, and measuring visitor experience.
- Demonstrated commitment to the museum sector, with an interest in and enthusiasm for museums and their relevance to community.
- Relevant experience leading program development and coordination, with knowledge of and experience in formal and informal learning and museum programming.
- Proven track record of managing and mentoring a large team in a fast-paced visitor-centred environment; ability to motivate and develop staff to perform at high standards and provide superior service to visitors.
- Creative, strategic thinker with proven project and program management experience and an audience-focused approach.
- Excellent organization, planning, and administrative skills, with an ability to prioritize and coordinate multiple activities to meet deadlines.
- Well-developed verbal and written communication skills; ability to communicate effectively with the public, staff, vendors, and contractors.
- Superb interpersonal skills and diplomacy, with proven ability to work collaboratively with the institution as well as build relationships with external constituencies.
- Must be able to work a flexible schedule to include weekends, holidays, and special events; willingness to travel and attend out-of-hours functions as required.
- Must have working knowledge of MS Office products and other related applications; knowledge of ticketing systems, POS systems, and museum management databases helpful.
