Job Description

We are looking for a Director, Research, Indigenous Peoples and Communities

As a Director, Research, Indigenous Peoples and Communities, you provide strategic and operational leadership for the Museum’s Archaeology and Ethnology Division. You ensure that research and curatorial work related to Indigenous Peoples and communities is ethical, collaborative, and aligned with the Museum’s mandate and its commitments to reconciliation. You set direction, governance, and standards, and oversee the effective delivery of research and curatorial programs. At the heart of the organization’s strategic priorities, you will contribute to advancing meaningful research for communities, building strong partnerships with Indigenous communities and various collaborators, and ensuring excellence in collections, exhibitions, and the public experience. As a member of the leadership team, you will actively participate in strategic decisions, policy development, and the overall success of the organization.

What we are looking for:
• Client Focus;
• Analytical Thinking;
• Organizational Awareness;
• Business Acumen;
• Planning;
• Team Leadership;
• Effective Communication.

Experience and leadership required:
• Minimum of ten (10) years of progressive experience in archeology, Indigenous research, curatorial work, or a related cultural heritage field. This includes leading complex research projects and working with communities.
• Minimum of five (5) years of experience in a senior leadership role. This includes setting strategic direction, managing and leading multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience building and maintaining long-term relationships with Indigenous communities and partners, including managing sensitive issues and reputational risk.
• Experience providing strategic advice to senior executives and contributing to policy, planning, and governance in a complex public sector or cultural environment.

Knowledge of:
• Research methods, ethical frameworks, and community-based practices, including Indigenous knowledge systems, cultural protocols, and reconciliation principles;
• Standards and governance in museum, archaeological research, curatorial practices including stewardship, public interpretation, and collection decisions in a national museum context;
• Trends and challenges in museums related to collections, publishing, and research dissemination in Canada and internationally;
• General principles of administration and management of financial and human resources;
• Canadian history and heritage, as well as Indigenous cultures, heritage, treaty relationships, and repatriation;
• Museum Act, Financial Administration Act and Official Languages Act.

Education: Ph.D. in a field related to the Museum’s mandate (e.g., archaeology, Indigenous studies, anthropology, cultural studies, ethnology, folklore, or history), or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Compensation: MG-06 $ 137,673 to $175,278 (under review)
Status: Permanent Full-Time Position (# 10518)
Security Level: Reliability Status
Location: 100, Laurier Street, Gatineau, Quebec
Specific Working Conditions: Frequent business travel is required

Language: CBC We encourage all candidates to submit their application, regardless of whether they believe they meet the linguistic requirements of the position. Qualified candidates will be sent for linguistic validation. In the event a qualified bilingual candidate is not found, other qualified candidates may be considered.

Open to: those on the recall list, museum employees and external candidates.

At all times, priority will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

Apply no later than June 25, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.