Executive Director

Job Details

Deadline: Open until filled; the Board will begin reviewing applications on August 5, 2022

Salary: $80,000 – $90,000 (depending on experience and qualifications)

Location: Toronto, ON

Benefits: Includes a comprehensive Health Benefits Plan and Support for Professional Development

Hours: Full time with some evenings and weekends; The ICCA observes a 4-day work week

Desired Start Date: September 2022

About the ICCA

The Indigenous Curatorial Collective / Collectif des commissaires autochtones (ICCA) is an Indigenous non-profit organization with the vision to Activate Indigenous Creative Sovereignty, ensuring future ancestors have agency over their own cultures as an Inherent Right. The ICCA engages in critical discourses, increases professional opportunities, develops programming, and most importantly works to build reciprocal relationships with Indigenous curators, artists, communities, and the institutions we engage with.

The ICCA has a robust membership program, including nearly 2,000 community members and 85 institutional members. The organization strives to serve its communities who come from a wide range of backgrounds, always prioritizing access in its many articulations.

Established as a non-profit organization in 2006, the ICCA was launched in response to the authority afforded to the non-Indigenous curatorial and academic community within the discipline of Indigenous arts in Canada. The ICCA has become known as a critical entity in the arts sector that many look too as a guide. We take this responsibility seriously.  

The ICCA’s corporate purposes can be found here. The ICCA is actively pursuing charitable status.

Job Description

The Executive Director reports to and works closely with the Board of Directors. The ICCA will be developing a 2023–2028 Strategic Plan later this year, building on the important achievements of the 2018–2022 Strategic Plan. The Executive Director will partner with the Board on the planning process and will be instrumental in operationalizing the organization’s strategic goals.  

The ICCA is structured into four departments: Administration and Strategic Initiatives; Programming; Membership; and Education and Outreach. The Executive Director is responsible for managing and supporting staff across all departments. The ICCA prioritizes the well-being of its staff, who all work closely and collaboratively with each other. While the Executive Director is the sole direct report to the Board of Directors and is formally responsible for managing all other staff members, the Executive Director and Director of Programming effectively co-lead the organization. The Director of Programming oversees the ICCA’s public activities and creative content, and the Executive Director oversees the organization’s administrative functions and strategic initiatives and serves as the main spokesperson for the ICCA. 

The Executive Director ensures that the ICCA’s finances are carefully monitored and managed across all departments in accordance with the budget approved by the Board, and makes quarterly financial reports to the Board. The Executive Director also oversees fundraising, engages with granting agencies and donors, and actively cultivates new supporters. 

As a spokesperson for the ICCA, the Executive Director is a leader in the arts community and a vocal advocate for the organization and the community it serves. The Executive Director is responsible for developing and implementing strategic initiatives, such as financial support for Indigenous arts communities, partnership development, and curatorial delegations.

As the ICCA is transitioning into having a fixed physical, public space in our offices at 401 Richmond in Toronto, it is expected that the Executive Director will reside in Toronto. Toronto is a lively cultural hub where the team has been building strong relationships for nearly a decade. Our new office space affords us the ability to host in-person gatherings in our own space for the first time in our history as an organization.

Responsibilities

• Supports the Board of Directors to develop the Strategic Plan with input from staff and stakeholders, leads the staff team to operationalize the Strategic Plan, and regularly reports on Strategic Plan progress to the Board;
• Attends Board and committee meetings, supports the Board’s governance functions and development, and provides relevant information and analysis to assist the Board in making informed decisions;
• Conducts ongoing risk assessment and implements risk management strategies as directed by the Board;
• Oversees and manages ICCA’s staffing structure and employees in all facets of their work; 
• Provides positive leadership to all staff and volunteers, encouraging a team approach, professional attitude, and good board–staff relations, always modeling excellence in this regard;
• Prepares and, following Board approval, administers the ICCA’s annual budget;
• Actively works to enhance the ICCA’s financial management capacity;
• Sustains and actively pursues revenue development through grant writing, donations, sponsorships, funding applications, and oversight of the ICCA’s institutional membership program, and fulfills all granting and reporting requirements;
• Continues pursuing charitable status and implements organizational policies and procedures to maintain charitable status once acquired; 
• Manages the systematic recording, analysis and reporting of financial and statistical information as a basis for planning, legal compliance and program assessment;
• Ensures that the ICCA complies with all relevant legal and regulatory frameworks;
• Oversees all program development with Director of Programming, Director of Membership, and Director of Education, and other staff positions as needed, in the development and delivery of an effective combination of programs and services to meet the goals established in the Strategic Plan;
• Develops and implements strategic initiatives, collaborations and partnerships that respond to identified needs in the sector;
• Oversees the development and implementation of the ICCA’s communications plan, ensuring that the ICCA’s presence reflects our strategic goals and reaches a wide range of communities;
• In partnership with the Co-Chairs of the Board, serves as the voice of the ICCA, and champions the organization’s vision, mission, and goals both inside and outside the organization;
• Oversees the management and maintenance of the ICCA’s facility, equipment, records, and archives;
• Stays informed of trends, issues, policies, legal developments, events, and shifts within the arts and non-profit sectors;
• Other duties as needed.

Qualifications

• As the ICCA is an organization founded and run by and for Indigenous people, it is important that this role is filled by an Indigenous person who can confidently demonstrate their connection to their Indigenous community/ies;
• 5 to 10 years of experience working in not-for-profit and/or arts organizations/institutions;
• Strong knowledge of Indigenous art history and curatorial practices;
• Experience with strategic planning processes and implementation;
• Demonstrated and exceptional leadership qualities including compassion, team-building skills, transparent communication, conflict resolution, and strategic thinking;
• Experienced in administrative and financial management; 
• French or an Indigenous language is considered an asset.

If you are an Indigenous person who does not meet all of these criteria and would still make a great Executive Director, we encourage you to apply and tell us in your cover letter what you would bring to the role.

How To Apply

Please submit your application by emailing a cover letter and curriculum vitae to the Board of the Indigenous Curatorial Collective at HR@icca.art. The cover letter must clearly demonstrate your connection to your Indigenous community/ies and should outline your qualifications and vision for the future of the ICCA. Candidates selected for an interview should be ready to provide references from a range of sources such as a board member, direct report and peer colleague, or mentor who the candidate has previously worked with. The ICCA takes confidentiality seriously, and references will only be contacted for top-listed applicants after the second round of the interview process.

This position will remain open until filled. The Board committee will begin reviewing applications August 5, 2022. First-round interviews will take place by video the week of August 22, and second-round interviews will likely take place by video the week of August 29. Candidates who are invited for second-round interviews will be offered an honorarium for their time.

We will do our best to respond to applicants in a timely manner, but only those who advance in the application process will be contacted.

The ICCA is committed to equity and dignity in our recruitment and employment practices, and welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

For questions or accommodation requests, please contact the ICCA Board at HR@icca.art.