Curator of Education and Visitor Experience (Historical Archival Cultural Officer 3)
Competition # : 50123
Department: Communities, Culture, Tourism & Heritage
Location: HALIFAX
Type of Employment: Permanent
Union Status: NSGEU - NSPG
Closing Date: 21-Oct-26 (Applications are accepted until 11:59 PM Atlantic Time)
About Us
The Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage supports communities across the province to be welcoming, inclusive and accessible, providing a great quality of life for Nova Scotians and a memorable experience for visitors. We value the collective diversity of our heritage and our people and believe in the transformative nature of culture to help create healthy, active, growing communities.
The Nova Scotia Museum (NSM) is responsible for the provincial collection of over one million artifacts and specimens housed at museum sites and storage facilities across the province. The NSM values equity, diversity, and inclusion and considers these drivers for necessary institutional change. The museum acknowledges that history’s exclusionary practices must be addressed, that we are part of a shared heritage, and we will continue to work with community partners to work for change to interpret a more inclusive history.
The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a Nova Scotia Museum site and engages the region’s maritime experience in all its breadth and diversity, including our enduring and complex relationships with water and the sea.
About Our Opportunity
The Curator of Education is a senior position responsible for providing strategic direction, vision, and management of the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic’s educational and experiential learning. The Curator provides leadership to the Visitor Experience Team and supports the achievement and evaluation of Boat School’s educational goals. Additionally, the role leads the development, growth, and long-term sustainability of an inclusive volunteer program.
Working collaboratively with colleagues of the Nova Scotia Museum and with community partners, the Curator of Education ensures that the museum’s learning opportunities are engaging, inclusive, and responsive to evolving educational practices, organizational commitments, and visitor needs. The position provides supervision and support to staff and volunteers.
Primary Accountabilities
The core accountabilities include education and interpretative programming development; leadership of an inclusive volunteer program; Visitor Experience Team supervision.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead the planning, delivery, and evaluation of educational programs, public engagement initiatives, outreach activities, and digital learning experiences.
- Develop educational resources and interpretive content that make maritime history accessible and engaging for diverse audiences.
- Advance the museum’s education strategy, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and Boat School objectives and KPIs.
- Build and maintain partnerships with educational institutions, community organizations, and cultural groups to expand program reach and impact.
- Serve as the museum’s lead for volunteer engagement, including recruitment, training, and recognition.
- Supervise Visitor Experience staff, interns, and educators, fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and professional team culture.
- Collaborate with curatorial and exhibition teams to integrate educational objectives into exhibits, programs, and visitor experiences.
- Manage education budgets, monitor expenditures, pursue funding opportunities, and support reporting requirements.
- Maintain program records, evaluate outcomes, and prepare reports, presentations, and annual KPI updates.
- Represent the museum within the community and professional networks, and contribute to museum-wide initiatives, events, social media, communications, and public activities.
Qualifications and Experience
Undergraduate degree plus minimum 5 years professional experience, or a Master’s degree in related field plus 3 years professional experience, such as museum interpretation, education development and teaching, public programming. Preference given to candidates with a minimum 3 years’ museum interpretation, education and/or curriculum development experience.
The Curator should have knowledge/experience:
- Advancing principles of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility
- Historical research and project writing and Educational interpretive programming techniques
- Practical knowledge of the maritime and marine sectors
- Theories and practices of teaching including Artifact handling and conservation awareness
- Current trends in museum education and programming
- Customer service training and Volunteer sector experience
- Supervision of staff and volunteers
- MS Office Software and applications
Assets:
- Specific certification in interpretation and/or education are considered assets.
- Project management experience
We will assess the above qualifications and competencies using one or more of the following tools: written examination, standardized tests, oral presentations, interview(s), and reference checks.
Equivalency
We recognize equivalent combinations of training, education, and experience, providing opportunities for individuals with diverse backgrounds to contribute their skills and expertise. Applicants relying on education and experience equivalencies must demonstrate such equivalencies in their application.
Benefits
Based on the employment status and union agreement, the Government of Nova Scotia offers its employees a wide range of benefits such as a Defined Benefit Pension Plan, Health, Dental, Life Insurance, General illness, Short and Long Term Disability, Vacation and Employee and Family Assistance Programs. For information on all our Benefit program offerings, click here: Benefits for government employees.
Working Conditions
Some weekend and afterhours may be required.
What We Offer
- Career Development where you have access to career guidance, tools, resources, and ongoing training for every stage of your career
- Engaging workplace: our Employees feel valued, respected, connected, and tuned in, we have forward-thinking policies and strategies
- Countless career paths for Nova Scotians
Pay Grade: PR 13
Salary Range: $2,805.63 - $3,410.48 Bi-Weekly
Employment Equity Statement: Our goal is to be a diverse workforce that is representative, at all job levels, of the citizens we serve. The Government of Nova Scotia has an Employment Equity Policy, and we welcome applications from Indigenous People, African Nova Scotians, Persons of African Descent, Racialized Persons, Persons with Disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ Persons and Women in occupations or positions where they are under-represented. If you are a member of one of these equity groups, you are encouraged to self-identify on your electronic application.
Accommodation Statement: We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. Candidates may request accommodations based on any grounds protected by the Human Rights Act. If you require an accommodation throughout the recruitment process, please contact us at competitions@novascotia.ca.
This is a bargaining unit position initially restricted to current civil service employees represented by the Nova Scotia Government Employees Union (NSGEU). If applying from outside a government office, employees must apply correctly via this link:
Failure to apply correctly means that your application will not be given first consideration as a bargaining unit applicant, and will only be included if external applications are pursued.
External applicants and current casual employees will only be considered if there are no qualified civil service bargaining unit candidates. PLEASE NOTE: Candidates will not be considered for an interview if applications are incomplete or are missing information.
If you are receiving a pension from the Nova Scotia Public Service Superannuation Plan (PSSP) or any related plans, you cannot receive pension payments while contributing to the same plan. If you accept a position that requires PSSP contributions, your pension payments must be stopped. Please contact the Nova Scotia Pension Services Corporation for more information.
Offer of employment is conditional upon the completion of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials, the results of which must be satisfactory to the employer. We thank all applicants for the interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. All questions and concerns may be directed to Competitions@novascotia.ca.
