Executive Director, Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery

Documentation of Miles Rufelds: Salvage Archives, February 8 to May 25, 2025. Curated by Darryn Doull, Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery. Photo by Toni Hafkenscheid.

Executive Director Opportunity at Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery

Application Deadline: July 10, 2026, 5pm ET
Projected Start Date: January 2, 2027. This position is vacant as of December 31, 2026.

Position Statement

The Executive Director (ED) is the chief executive of the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery and is accountable to the Board of Directors for the organization’s artistic vision, strategic leadership, operational management, financial sustainability, and community presence. The ED sets and stewards a unified vision across all departments (Curatorial, Programs, Development, Marketing and Communications, and Finance and Administration), ensuring the Gallery fulfills its mission, cares for its collection, and serves the diverse communities of Waterloo Region.

Strategic Priorities and Responsibilities

KWAG’s strategic plan is organized around six interconnected priorities. The ED defines and leads the Gallery’s progress in each area, working with the Board, staff, and the broader community.

1. Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Reconciliation

Build relationships with community partners and cultural workers, and ensure KWAG remains a welcoming, accessible space for all.
Embed EDI principles in governance, HR practices, vendor and partnership decisions, and Board recruitment.
Demonstrate a deep, lived commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation, and how these priorities apply to contemporary art institutions and public art museums.

2. Artistic Leadership

Bring experience from public art museums or galleries, and an understanding of curatorial practice, art history, museum ethics, codes of conduct, and the care and stewardship of collections.
Articulate a coherent institutional vision in grant applications, public communications, and partnerships—the kind of vision juries, funders, and peers will recognize.
Engage as a respected peer with directors and curators in the regional, provincial, and national art sectors.

3. Engaging Communities

Champion KWAG as a vital public art museum, with a commitment to art education and community-focused programming.
Develop a clear communication strategy to increase the Gallery’s profile across Waterloo Region.
Grow audiences in size, diversity, and frequency of engagement, and serve as a visible advocate.
Build relationships with municipal, regional, provincial, and federal stakeholders, and represent KWAG on panels, committees, and in the media with the Board.

4. Our People

Lead and develop a high-performing team of 10 full-time staff, fostering a positive, healthy, safe, and inclusive work environment.
Manage staffing requirements, retention, performance, and succession planning, including timely orientation and ongoing professional development.
Lead through change with care and clarity, supporting staff through evolving priorities and external pressures.
Maintain HR policies and practices, and uphold an organizational culture grounded in respect, collaboration, and accountability.

5. Financial Sustainability

Lead fundraising and development, playing an active, visible role in cultivating donors, securing major gifts, building corporate sponsorships, and growing membership.
Build relationships with current and prospective individual donors, foundations, corporate sponsors, and government and arms-length funders.
Oversee the preparation of grant applications and grant reporting, ensuring that funded work demonstrates clear institutional vision and impact.
Guide staff and the Finance Committee through the preparation, monitoring, and reporting of a comprehensive annual budget, and steward the Gallery toward long-term financial sustainability.
Ensure sound bookkeeping, accounting, and internal controls; administer funds within the authority delegated by the Board.

6. Our Places

Bring ambition for the future of KWAG and help shape the Gallery’s facilities for the long term.
Contribute to capital projects—renovations, new builds, facility planning—including the partnerships, fundraising, and stakeholder engagement they require.
Identify and evaluate facility-related risks and opportunities, ensuring compliance with health, safety, accessibility, privacy, and regulatory requirements.

Qualifications and Experience

Required

A minimum of 5 years of senior management experience in an arts, cultural, or comparable mission-driven institution.
In-depth knowledge of the visual arts sector, best practices for art gallery or museum management, including curatorial and educational programming, collection care, museum ethics, and codes of conduct.
Demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation, and an understanding of how these priorities shape contemporary art institutions.
Exceptional communication skills (interpersonal, written, public-speaking, and strategic) with a track record of raising an organization’s profile.
A track record in fundraising and donor development, including cultivating major gifts and growing membership or audience revenue.
Strong financial literacy, including the ability to read and interpret financial statements, oversee budgets, and steward an organization’s long-term financial health.
Proven leadership in team building, staff development, and conflict resolution.

Ideally

A Master’s degree in visual arts, art history, arts administration, museum studies, or a related field—or an equivalent combination of education and senior-level experience.
Experience working with a Board of Directors in a not-for-profit or charitable context.
Familiarity with the Canadian public art museum landscape and national networks
Experience with capital projects, renovations, or building expansions.
Proposal leadership experience, with an ability to lead a team to identify, strategically prepare, acquire, and report on ambitious public grants and other funding opportunities.
A clear sense of how you would integrate into the Waterloo Region community, and what support you would seek from the Board in your first 100 days.
Residence in, or willingness to relocate to, Waterloo Region.

Compensation and Benefits

This is a full-time position with an estimated salary in the range of $125,000 to $140,000. A comprehensive health benefits package is also provided.

Equity and Access

KWAG is committed to building a team reflecting the diversity of the communities we serve. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous peoples, racialized communities, persons with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, and members of other equity-deserving groups. KWAG is an accessible venue recognized with Gold Certification by the Rick Hansen Foundation. Accommodations are available throughout the recruitment process—please let us know how we can support your full participation.

How to Apply

The application process has two stages and is overseen by an arm’s-length Search Committee. Please read “Stage 1 – Request for Qualifications (RFQ)” at kwag.ca/executive-director for more information on applying to this position.

Application Deadline: July 10, 2026, 5pm ET

For more information, contact EDhiring@kwag.on.ca.

Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery
101 Queen Street North
Kitchener, ON N2H 6P7
www.kwag.ca

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