Systems Director
The Bows is seeking applications for the full-time position of systems director (SD).
Deadline for applications: February 21, 2023, 9am MT
Salary per annum: $52,000 (+ 3% for cost of living every two years)
Healthcare benefits: Included
Hours per week: 35
Location: Mohkinsstsis (Calgary), remote work is possible for the first three months of the appointment
Start date: March 21, 2023 (flexible)
About the Organization
The Bows (formerly Untitled Art Society) is an artist-run centre in Mohkinsstsis (Calgary), Alberta, Treaty 7 Territory. Our core goals are: to support the development, creation and presentation of new work by early-career artists; to provide affordable studio space for Mohkinsstsis (Calgary)-based artists; and to broaden the reach and scope of contemporary art in our region, with the ultimate, if ambitious, aim to engage this city with artistic work that explores pressing contemporary issues.
We work toward these goals with a human-centric approach that prioritizes the wholesale support of artists; creative and radical uses of spaces outside of the gallery; and a curatorial focus on projects and practices that dovetail with the specific socio-political, cultural, colonial, economic and Indigenous histories and contexts of Alberta. Ultimately, The Bows strives to empower and support artists to imagine radical futures, and to invite those inside and outside of our community to be co-conspirators in realizing such futures.
About the position
The systems director will work closely with the artistic director and board of directors to facilitate The Bows’ programming, administering the organization’s activities and supporting the creation of policies and procedures, with a focus on removing existing barriers for participations for artists, board members and staff.
The Bows operates under a non-hierarchical organizational structure, with the systems director and artistic director working together in parallel roles.
Role and responsibilities
The systems director will be responsible for general administration duties, facilities operations as well as the operational direction of the organization; they will work with the board of directors to research, develop and implement new policies and procedures, strategic plans and organizational vision.
The Bows grounds its work in a way that prioritizes equity, reciprocity and responsiveness; the systems director will have the opportunity to work in ways that suit their needs and priorities. The systems director is an integral part of The Bows and will have input regarding the direction, policies, and overall mandate of The Bows.
Equity
We welcome applicants with different skills, experiences, approaches, ideas, and who may be new to working in an artist-run organization. Racialized applicants and those from the LGBTQ+ 2S communities will be prioritized in the hiring process, and candidates from all subjectivities, lived experiences and levels of experience are encouraged to apply.
The Bows has developed a comprehensive onboarding process which includes three months of training and mentorship with the outgoing operations director and a pool of funds dedicated to professional development opportunities including courses to support the systems director’s learning as well as research materials.
The Bows is mindful of and proactive about barriers and challenges that an equity-seeking individual could face in an organization built upon colonial logics and white supremacist traditions. In this time of organizational growth and change, The Bows board and staff will work with the incoming systems director to provide support to mitigate the harmful effects of institutionalized colonialism and white supremacy. It is our aspiration to continue to unsettle these foundations, as an organization and as the individuals that comprise it, and we look forward to working in these ways with the incoming systems director.
Specific responsibilities
Administrative:
- Managing ongoing administration including payroll, rental income, bill payments and monthly bookkeeping.
- Ensuring compliance with CRA and Service Alberta’s charitable/non-profit requirements (yearly filing commitments, payroll remittances, etc).
- Working with the artistic director to find and apply for various funding opportunities.
- Grant writing.
- Managing insurance policies for two facilities and filing claims when necessary.
- Ensuring property tax exemptions are filed with the City of Calgary on a yearly basis.
- Ensuring the organization is complying with our bylaws (administering and facilitating AGM, SGM, monthly board meetings, etc).
- Supporting the artistic director in developing the yearly organizational budget.
- Processing the payments for artists, contractors, and others in an expedient manner.
- Membership overhaul in collaboration with other staff and board members.
- Writing year-end reports including financial statements and CADAC, and interim and final grant reports, with support from the artistic director.
Facilities Administration and Maintenance:
- All communications (email, phone, in person) with studio tenants relating to the studios.
- Communicating with landlords and building managers at both facilities.
- Coordinating the exit and entry of tenants, including drafting lease agreements.
- Ensuring the studio and gallery spaces are stocked with necessary cleaning and upkeep supplies.
- Managing maintenance requests.
- Ensuring the gallery and studios are compliant with health and safety standards as well as public health recommendations.
Systems development:
- Work with the board of directors to identify strategic opportunities to develop or change organizational policy
- Support the board of directors in enacting their vision through: research, facilitating visioning sessions, and policy writing support.
- Reviewing current policy and bylaws to identify opportunities to remove systemic barriers for participation for historically oppressed communities.
Mentorship:
- The Bows has a strong history of reciprocal non-hierarchical mentorship and relationship-building with artists, staff, Canada Summer Jobs positions, board members, interns, students, and other early-career arts professionals, which the systems director will be responsible for continuing.
Reciprocity (Roles and Responsibilities of The Bows)
The Bows is committed to wholeheartedly supporting the incoming systems director, with the understanding that such support will need to be tailored to the idiosyncratic needs and interests of the incoming SD. The artistic director, as well as the board of directors, are responsible for providing a generous transition and learning period for the incoming AD. The board and staff are also committed to and responsible for the ongoing work of unsettling colonial systems, which includes a requirement to be ever-changeable and open to other forms of operating. The Bows is committed to being a caring, transparent, flexible, and human-centred employer; it is our intention to continue to approach HR as human relations rather than human resources.
To Apply
Applicants are encouraged to send a letter of interest, including artistic and personal priorities, ideas, past work, past experiences and/or any other relevant information, and CV in one PDF to board@thebows.org (subject: SYSTEMS DIRECTOR) no later than 9am MT on February 21, 2023.
Candidates are also welcome to submit instead a video application of no longer than five minutes.
Questions about the position or application process can be directed to the Board of Directors at the email above, or to current Operations Director Kaylee Maciejko at kaylee@thebows.org.
If you require any assistance with your application, please contact kaylee@thebows.org.
