Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

To design, develop and implement activities and programs associated with the operation of the Parliament interpretive centre and Enoch Turner Schoolhouse as public museum sites and tourism destinations, including revenue generation, business planning, fundraising, corporate sponsorships, interpretation, special events, community development and public education programs; and providing support to capital improvements, health and safety, fire prevention, security, maintenance.

Duties / Responsibilities :

Reporting to the Manager, Public Education and Community Development , the incumbent is accountable for designing, developing and implementing activities and programs at the Parliament interpretive centre and Enoch Turner Schoolhouse museum sites including:


• Developing short, medium and long-term plans for the programming, interpretation and development of the sites.


• Supervising volunteers, summer students and fixed-term contract staff, including selection, on-boarding, and training of students, volunteers and hosts and the coordination of attendance schedules.


• Designing, developing and implementing community development, public education and interpretive programs for the sites.


• Working with others in the Branch on activities associated with site interpretation, special events, research, management of the collection and exhibit, design etc.


• Generating revenue through public tours, education programs, and gift shop(s) and through lease of the sites for conferences, seminars and special events.


• Generating local/regional partnerships in support of fundraising and corporate sponsorship.


• Working with the Marketing and Communications staff of the Ontario Heritage Trust to build partnerships and capitalize on opportunities to market, promote and link programs and activities of mutual interest with community partners such as heritage organizations, business communities, tourism associations, tour operators, school boards and other interested parties in the region.


• Reporting and requesting capital improvement, maintenance and repair services to Operations staff; and, monitoring and communicating the status of work in progress.


• Working with Property Management staff to ensure compliance with provincial and local health, safety and fire legislation and regulations for the protection of customers, visitors, school groups, customers, staff, etc.


• Monitoring site operations to ensure compliance with established administrative policies and processes.


• Working with Property Management staff to provide access and ensure that the delivery of grounds keeping, maintenance and security services are in accordance with service delivery expectations.


• Recruit, on-board, train, and provide leadership to volunteers, fixed-term and summer student staff.


• Day-to-day care of the sites and their collections.


• Support for interpretive needs for Trust's Toronto properties, as required.


• Liaising with Spadina House museum.

Knowledge :

The position requires work experience in administering, operating an historic site or a museum, and designing, developing and implementing interpretation and programming. Knowledge of health, safety and fire legislation and regulations is required to ensure the health and safety of volunteers, tourists, customers, school groups and staff, etc. Knowledge of relevant OHT and ministry administrative policies and processes (e.g., purchasing, tendering of services, budgeting, etc.) is required to ensure compliance with their requirements and for the efficient, effective and accountable operation of the sites. Knowledge of the principles of project and business planning, fundraising, corporate sponsorship, budgeting and marketing is required to assist in the development and implementation of business plans; to identify and capitalize upon opportunities for corporate sponsorships and donations; to assist in the development of budgets; monitor expenditures; and, to raise the visibility of the sites. Problem-solving and decision-making skills are required to resolve issues with minimum disruption to the operations of the sites. Interpersonal skills are required to build business partnerships with community partners such as heritage organizations, tourism organizations, tour operators, business communities, school boards, funding organizations and other interested parties and to link programs and activities of mutual benefit. Marketing, promotion and conceptual skills are required to increase the visibility of the sites and to stimulate interest in them on the part of prospective customers and tourists; increase visitor attendance; and, to generate revenue through activities such as the lease of site facilities for conferences, meetings and special events. Coordinating skills are required to establish effective volunteer, summer student and fixed-term contract staff work schedules. Oral and written communication skills are required to communicate concepts, information, policies, processes, recommendations, priorities, maintenance and repair requirements to volunteers, staff, service suppliers, Manager, Public Education and Community Development and other Trust staff. Proficiency in software packages such as the full Microsoft Office Suite is required to produce correspondence, memoranda, schedules, reports, archival and research material.

Judgement :

The incumbent is granted considerable latitude to exercise independent judgment within the framework of established administrative policies, processes, guidelines and business plans. Judgement is exercised to monitor compliance with fire, health and safety regulations and legislation. It is exercised to determine if maintenance and grounds keeping services comply with service delivery expectations; to recommend capital improvements; and, to ensure the security of the sites and their collections. Judgement is required to identify and capitalize upon fundraising opportunities, secure corporate sponsorships and to effectively market and promote the sites to generate revenue through the lease of their facilities. It is exercised to identify opportunities to build visitor interest and attendance; effectively assist staff in the development and implementation of business plans; to build partnerships with community partners such as heritage organizations, business communities, tourism organizations, tour operators and other stakeholders in the region; and, to identify and develop linkages with programs of mutual benefit. The incumbent exercises judgement to effectively recruit and lead volunteers, summer students and fixed-term contract staff at all sites, and to design, develop and implement educational programming.

Accountability - Programs :

The incumbent supervises the administrative operations of the Parliament interpretive centre and Enoch Turner Schoolhouse as museum sites to recognized standards in accordance with established polices, processes and guidelines; designs, develops and implements community development and public education programs; identifies and capitalizes upon opportunities to secure donations and corporate sponsorships; builds partnerships with community partners such as heritage organizations, business communities, tourism associations, tour operators, school boards and other interested parties including linkages to programs of mutual benefit; conducts site inspections to ensure compliance to health, safety and fire prevention legislation and regulations and works with other Trust staff to identify the need for capital project work; works with Marketing and Communications staff to market and promote the sites and their facilities to increase visitor attendance and to generate revenues from conferences, meetings and special events; assists in the development and implementation of business plans; and, leads and develops volunteer programs.

Accountability – Personnel :

Administers a volunteer program, a summer student employment program and the hiring of contract staff as required including their recruitment, selection, on-boarding the development and implementation of training plans and the coordination of work schedules.

Accountability - Finance and Materials :

Assists in the development of annual operating budgets through recommendations to the Manager, Public Education and Community Development; monitors expenditures; approves certain expenditures up to prescribed limits; responsible for reconciling all purchases made by PCard and submitting itemized receipts for managers approval on a monthly basis; and, is held accountable for the security, material and collections of two heritage museum sites.

Accountability - Impact of Errors :

Failure to effectively coordinate administrative operations; identify breaches of compliance to health, safety and fire prevention legislation and regulations; and, to monitor service delivery from grounds keepers, security and maintenance firms would result in a deterioration or loss of the sites, their collections and their attraction to customers and tourists. Failure to identify, capitalize upon and secure corporate sponsorships and donations would impact upon the ability to fund and deliver programs to the communities. Loss of revenue would directly result from inefficient marketing and promotion of the site to attract bookings for conferences, special events and meetings. Lack of initiative to build partnerships with community partners such as heritage organizations, tourism and business associations, and tour operators would result in missed opportunities to link programs and initiatives of mutual benefit with interested parties.

Contact - Internal :

With the Manager, Public Education and Community Development and OHT staff as required to assist in the development and implementation of business plans; creation of program plans; provide updates and recommendations; discuss / provide updates regarding site operations and programs, the resolution of issues, fundraising and corporate sponsorship initiatives, revenue generation, marketing and promotion strategies, health, safety, fire and security issues, expenditures, visitor attendance, grounds keeping, maintenance, site collection and storage activities and issues; and, the volunteer, summer employment and educational programs. With volunteers, summer and fixed-term staff to establish work schedules and priorities, distribute work assignments and to explain programs and procedures.

Contact - External :

With community partners such as heritage organizations, school boards, business communities, tourism associations, other interested parties and volunteers to build working partnerships, linkages with programs of mutual interest and to increase visitor attendance; to secure donations through fundraising and corporate sponsorships; market and promote site conference and meeting facilities; develop and lead education and volunteer programs; and, to establish priorities and monitor the delivery of maintenance, security and grounds keeping services.