Education Specialist

At a glance

Employment: Permanent, Salaried
Hours: FT (40 hrs); occasional evenings and weekends, as required
Start Date: ASAP
Salary: $51,000 - $58,000 annually
Location: Calgary (in-person) and some off-site locations as required for meetings and events

Closing Date: March 14, 2025

Join us today and see for yourself some of the many reasons why we were voted one of Alberta's Top Employers!

To apply, send your resume and cover letter to: employment@artscommons.ca

Job Description: 

Reporting to the Associate Director, Education, the Education Specialist is a key contributor to the planning and execution of dynamic arts education programs. This role is instrumental in planning and executing engaging educational experiences, that are aligned to the teachers and leaners needs. With a keen eye for detail, the Education Specialist ensures seamless logistics for school performances and experience while fostering meaningful connections between the arts and education.

You are a passionate advocate for arts education, deeply committed to its role in learning, personal growth, and community building. You understand the transformative power of the arts and are driven to create equitable, inclusive, and inspiring educational experiences. As a creative thinker and problem solver, you excel at designing and facilitating arts-based learning opportunities that resonate with diverse audiences. Whether leading workshops, developing curriculum resources, or coordinating event logistics, you bring strong communication skills and a collaborative spirit to every aspect of your work.

You thrive in both independent and team-oriented environments, balancing planning with hands-on program delivery. Highly organized and adaptable, you navigate multiple priorities with ease, always finding innovative ways to engage and inspire students and educators. Most importantly, you find joy in empowering others-unlocking potential, fostering creativity, and making a lasting impact through arts education.

Who we are:

Arts Commons is an ecosystem inclusive of artists, resident companies, and community groups. As one of the largest performing arts centres in Canada, Arts Commons strives to break down barriers to cultural participation by providing a modern, open, and inclusive gathering space in a central location.

At Arts Commons:
Our belief

• That equitable access to the arts is a human right

Our responsibility

• To redefine a bold and adventurous Calgary by championing and investing in creativity

Our mission

• To be an inspirational force where artists, community and organizations celebrate cultural identities, experience the full breadth of human emotions, and ignite positive change

What we offer:
On top of the excitement of working with a team of committed performing and visual arts professionals at one of Canada's top performing arts facilities, Arts Commons offers:

• A collaborative, engaging and values driven work environment

• An annual salary in the range of $51,000 - $58,000

• A comprehensive health and dental benefits package, with RSP matching and access to an Employee & Family Assistance Program (EFAP)

• A positive working culture, keeping employee health and wellness a priority with generous paid time off policies and an annual lifestyle allowance

• A dynamic role that will have you engaging with the arts community in many ways

What we value:
We are looking for individuals who share our vision of building a creative and compassionate society, inspired through the arts. Our team is made up of people with a diverse range of interests - singers, actors, musicians, playwrights, coaches, teachers, gamers, bakers, photographers, athletes, dancers. People whose interests encompass the widest spectrum. We even have furry, four-legged friends in the office. We value people who strive to do the right thing, and work to be their best. People with open minds, hearts and arms.

What you will get to do here:

This position plays a vital role in leading and coordinating arts education initiatives, serving as the site coordinator and teaching artist coordinator for the ConocoPhillips Hub for Inspired Learning. In this role, you will act as the primary liaison for educators, artists, and logistics teams-ensuring smooth coordination of bussing, scheduling, supplies, and communications. Under the guidance of the Associate Director, you will design and facilitate arts-based workshops that align with curriculum objectives and provincial education goals, fostering meaningful connections between the arts and student learning.

As the performance coordinator and curriculum connector for Arts Commons Presents (ACP) Education, you will oversee the fulfillment of ACP Education performances, working closely with the box office team to manage logistics and ensure seamless event execution. You will also play a key mentorship role, supporting teaching artists in both in-class and online learning environments, while coordinating workshops, special events, and ad hoc programs that inspire creativity and engagement. Beyond program facilitation, you will take the lead in essential education administration tasks, including documentation, archiving, and collecting feedback to enhance future programming. Above all, you will be an essential part of a collaborative and dynamic team, ensuring that both teaching artists and students experience high-quality, innovative, and accessible arts education.

Strategic Objectives:

Lead and enhance Arts Commons Education programs by effectively coordinating teaching artists, performances, and curriculum connections while strengthening community ties, optimizing resources, and supporting the growth of local teaching artists to create impactful arts-based learning experiences for students and educators.

Where you fit within our ecosystem:

The Education Specialist is a member of the Arts Commons Programming team and reports to the Associate Director, Education. You will work closely with the entire Arts Commons Programming team as well as members of the Production, Development, Brand & Audience Development, Finance departments, as well as local artists, schools, teachers, students, and public participants.

You will be a great fit if you…

Must haves:

• Passion for the Arts: This isn't just a job-it's a calling. You believe in the power of the arts to educate, inspire, and transform communities.

• Education & Experience: You've got a College Diploma in Arts Administration or a bachelor's degree in fine arts-or an equally awesome combination of education and experience that has prepared you for this role.

• Arts & Education Know-How: You bring at least 5 years of experience in arts and education and 3 years of event/project coordination, box office sales, or equivalent hands-on experience-whether that's in a classroom, on a stage, or behind the scenes.

• Master Multitasker: Juggling multiple projects with overlapping deadlines? No problem! You thrive in a fast-paced, creative environment and know how to keep all the moving pieces in sync.

• Communication Pro Extraordinaire: Whether it's listening, clarifying, collaborating, or presenting, you're a pro at getting the right message across with clarity and enthusiasm.

• Data Wizardry: You can track, analyze, and report data in ways that make sense to different audiences, from spreadsheets to storytelling.

• Classroom & Workshop Rockstar: You've got experience leading engaging arts-based education programs-whether in a classroom, a community space, or a recreational setting.

• Excel Enthusiast: You're comfortable with spreadsheets, formulas, and calculations (yes, even percentages and proportions). Bonus points if you can make pivot tables exciting!

• Alberta K-12 Knowledge: You have a solid grasp of the Alberta K-12 curriculum and understand how to align arts programming with educational priorities.

• Big-Picture Thinker: You connect the dots between new information and future trends, using insights to build creative solutions.

• Time-Management Guru: Balancing admin work, teaching, and logistics doesn't scare you-you know how to prioritize and get things done efficiently.

• Vulnerable Sector Check: A must-have to ensure the safety of the communities we serve.

Nice to have:

• Previous experience with Tessitura & ArtsVision, an asset

• Valid driver's license and access to a reliable vehicle or means of transportation, as required for attending to offsite meetings

• First Aid Certification

• An artistic practice in drama, dance, visual arts or music

If you are interested in applying to this exciting opportunity, please forward your resume and cover letter in confidence to:

Human Resources
Arts Commons
205 - 8th Ave SE Calgary, Alberta T2G 0K9
Email: employment@artscommons.ca

Interviews will be conducted on an on-going basis and the job posting will officially close when a suitable candidate is found. For best consideration, please apply by the deadline date. While we hope to fill this position as earliest as possible, our commitment to finding the right candidate may require more time.

We thank all interested applicants in advance but will only be contacting those selected for an interview. If you have any specific questions to ask in relation to the role, please send them to the email address above and a member of our team will do our best to respond to you in a timely manner.

Commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA)

As part of our organization's commitment to IDEA, we work to remove barriers in collaboration with a broad range of voices. Removing these barriers begins with the hiring process. To that end, we are committed to recruiting, hiring, training, and promoting qualified people of all backgrounds, and providing accessible employment practices. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage of the recruitment process, and applicants are asked to make their accommodation needs known.

We strongly encourage applicants who identify as part of underrepresented groups, including women, people of colour and those with disabilities to apply. Even if your past experiences do not align perfectly with every qualification, we strongly encourage you to apply anyway! An excitement and passion for Arts Commons can go a long way here, whether it's in this role or another.