Who We Are
Simon Fraser University is a leading research university, advancing an inclusive and sustainable future. Our purpose – the essence of SFU – is to create and connect knowledge, learning and community for deeper understanding and meaningful impact. We are committed to fostering excellence, innovation, belonging and community in all that we do.
SFU Galleries’ mission is to encourage open and inclusive learning about our past, current, and future worlds—including crucial considerations of the west coast region—by supporting the work of critically engaged and research-driven visual artists. We welcome diverse audience communities with free, year-round programming, activating artists’ work through the creation of research opportunities, exhibitions, commissions, publications, residencies, and a diverse array of public events, within the context of Simon Fraser University—a public research university known for its radical beginnings and commitment to community engagement and interdisciplinary research. We also care for, grow, and activate the SFU Art Collection, with current holdings of over 5,900 works by provincially and nationally recognized artists dating from the last and current centuries.
About the Role
The Curator of Learning & Community Engagement is responsible for leading the development and delivery of dynamic, interdisciplinary learning programs that foster inclusive, meaningful, and lasting connections between the Marianne and Edward Gibson Art Museum’s artistic offerings and its diverse audiences. Reporting to the Director of the Marianne and Edward Gibson Art Museum, this role provides vision and pedagogical leadership to engage children, youth, families, university students, seniors, and both new and returning visitors. By building community partnerships and embedding educational experiences throughout the Museum’s activities, the Curator ensures that learning and engagement are central to the Gibson’s mission and public impact.
Core competencies for this position include: effective and clear communication (including actively listening, accurately reading non-verbal communication and successfully conveying information, thoughts and ideas with impact and influence); respectful and inclusive (contributing to a welcoming and inclusive university by valuing diversity and being open, compassionate and respectful); build relationships and work together (intentional about building and maintaining strong, positive and effective relationships, teams, collaborations and partnerships; supporting each other, share knowledge and resolve conflict collaboratively); creativity (seeking and implementing new and creative solutions to overcome problems, drive change and improve performance and results; exploring new ideas, think creatively about issues and opportunities); see the big picture (understanding how we each contribute to achieving the broader vision and goals).
Full Job Description
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Visual Art, Art Education, Art History, Curatorial Practice or related discipline, and at least five years' experience in museums and/or galleries demonstrating progressively responsible experience and success in learning and education, public programming, or community engagement, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
- Excellent knowledge of regional, national and international critical contemporary art practices.
- Knowledge of learning theory and familiarity with the BC curriculum in a variety of subjects from K-12.
- Strong pedagogical understanding of art education and community engagement strategies.
- Experience designing and facilitating workshops, family programs, talks, camps, and community events.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
- Effective planning, supervising, and problem-solving skills, the ability to manage multiple projects and competing deadlines, and to complete tasks efficiently and to a high standard.
What We Offer
At SFU, our goal is to ensure our people are valued and supported by promoting a healthy work-life balance, professional growth and development, as well as a safe and respectful workplace. We offer continuing employees who belong in the Administrative & Professional Staff Association (APSA):
- 4 weeks’ vacation (prorated for the first year)*
- Hybrid-work program for eligible positions
- Employer paid defined benefit pension plan
- On-campus tuition waiver for employees and their immediate family members*
- Off-campus tuition reimbursements and professional development funds*
- And more! View our benefits brochure
*Prorated for part-time employees
Additional Information
The Marianne and Edward Gibson Art Museum opens to the public on Saturday, September 20, 2025. Presenting critically-engaged and research-driven work by contemporary artists, this new visual art facility will expand SFU Galleries’ history of programming, creating new opportunities for artist-led learning and cross-disciplinary exploration. The Gibson will also house the SFU Art Collection, an invaluable and actively growing resource of over 5,900 works of art, unique in its capacity to trace the complex social and cultural life connected to this region and always open to new inquiries.
The Gibson’s 12,000 square feet of galleries and program spaces—which include an art studio, outdoor courtyard, salon, and forum—have been designed in recognition of the evolving ways in which communities engage with culture. As such, the Gibson’s spaces have been created for people as much as for works of art. With a hearth at its core, the Gibson will become SFU’s living room: a warm and welcoming place to find one another and learn together.
The Gibson will stand on the unceded and ancestral territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm, Skwxwú7mesh, Səl̓ílwətaɬ, and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm Nations. Acknowledging that the Gibson’s activities unfold on colonized Indigenous territories is a recognition that settler colonialism is an ongoing structure. It is also a commitment to support the capacity of art to unsettle these conditions. Entry to the Gibson is always free and open to all.
The Curator of Learning and Community Engagement is one of several new positions that will help expand the Gibson’s programs and operational capacity at this exciting and demanding time of growth.
Please include your cover letter and resume in one attachment.
SFU is an equity employer and strongly encourages applications from all qualified individuals including women, Indigenous Peoples, visible minorities, people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, persons with disabilities, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of the university.
We are committed to ensuring that the application and interview process is accessible to all applicants. If you require any assistance or accommodations, please contact pei_reception@sfu.ca.
