Vice-President, Research & Exhibitions – Canadian Museum for Human Rights

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) is a national museum dedicated to the evolution, celebration and future of human rights. Located in the heart of Canada in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the CMHR rises from the Prairie earth at The Forks, which has been a meeting place for over six thousand years.

The CMHR delivers an immersive, interactive and memorable experience for visitors of every background, age and ability. Each visitor has access to a fully reinvented museum experience that reflects a design approach that sets new Canadian and world standards for inclusion and universal accessibility.

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) is centered around the idea that respect and understanding of human rights can serve as a positive force for change in the world. The Vice-President, Research and Exhibitions will work with members of the executive team to develop engaging and interactive content that advances human rights learning, dialogue and reflection in order to promote respect and dignity for all.

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the Vice-President, Research and Exhibitions is responsible for driving strategies to create content (onsite and online) that inspires the public to reflect, dialogue and promote human rights within the CMHR’s mandate to explore the subject of human rights, with special but not exclusive reference to Canada, in order to enhance the public’s understanding, to promote respect for others and encourage reflection and dialogue.

The incumbent will be a strong and thoughtful communicator, critical thinker and innovator, and will bring a collaborative approach to their role. They will be an experienced and thoughtful people leader with the ability to balance organizational needs and employee engagement.

Key Responsibilities

People, Strategic and Stakeholder Leadership

• Demonstrated ability to lead strong operational functions, fostering collaboration across departments to drive efficiency, accountability, and organizational excellence.
• Build and sustain strong relationships with a broad range of stakeholders, including community partners, government representatives, donors, and Board members.
• Act as a visible and trusted representative of the organization, advancing its mission and values through authentic engagement and partnership.
• Creates a culture that promotes respect, equity, inclusion and innovation, and models anti-racist and accountable behaviours.
• Develops and executes strategies to support the CMHR’s strategic objectives and to prioritize new and emerging issues and opportunities that may impact the organization.
• Contributes to the development of the CMHR’s annual budget and uses sound judgment and strong financial management skills to manage financial resources, with regard to established policies and risk management strategy and protocols.
• Cultivates relationships with human rights defenders, academic institutions and community organizations, and other national and international museums.
• Creates a culture of continuous improvement, innovation and learning by developing impact-driven processes that integrate with all areas of the Museum, online and in gallery.

Content Development and Exhibitions

• Drives a collaborative and decolonized approach to research and curatorial activities with an emphasis on storytelling and lived experience.
• Oversees content development to support all areas including exhibitions (onsite and online) and programming.
• Promotes a culture of digital innovation and transformation that leverages interactive storytelling and digital technology to educate and inspire audiences.
• Oversees the development, maintenance, renewal and reimagination of onsite exhibitions, including the care and conservation of collections and loans, and design and production processes.
• Oversees online storytelling and exhibitions on the CMHR’s website and other virtual platforms and initiatives.
• Develops strategic opportunities to share content including the design and production and sharing of traveling exhibitions, and scheduling of temporary exhibitions.
• Leverages new and existing networks and partnerships to engage audiences locally, nationally and internationally in the CMHR’s content.
• Represents the CMHR on inter-museum and other related committees, meetings and events.

Qualifications and Experience Needed:

• Post-secondary degree in a relevant discipline with years of senior leadership leading people, operations, stakeholder engagement and collaborating cross functionally across an organization.
• Senior leadership experience within a complex and multidisciplinary institution, including experience working at the executive level.
• Experience in relevant sectors such as human rights, museum, arts and culture, education, social impact and community advancement.
• Experience working with a diverse workforce in a complex or multi-faceted workplace.

For more information on CMHR, read the 2024-2029 Strategic Plan.

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) believes that a diversity of experiences and thought drives innovation and transformation. They are working towards building a workforce that is representative of the community in which they live and that they serve. They are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all and so we encourage you to identify your employment equity status in your cover letter or resume. The information you voluntarily disclose will be kept confidential and used solely for the purpose of increasing workforce diversity.

The CMHR is committed to developing a work environment and recruitment processes that are inclusive and barrier-free. Please advise the HR representative if accommodation measures must be taken to enable you to apply and be assessed in a fair and equitable manner.