Conservator Full Time

In the spirit of respect and friendship, the Bata Shoe Museum recognizes that the land on which we are situated has been the ancestral home of many nations, including the Wendat, the Anishnaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Mississaugas of the Credit, since time immemorial. Today, this area remains home to many diverse Indigenous communities, including First Nations, Inuit, and Metis peoples. As a staff, we at the Bata Shoe Museum are grateful to have the opportunity to meet, work, and learn together on this land.

Located in Toronto, Canada, the mission of the Bata Shoe Museum is to explore the social and cultural life of humanity through footwear by gathering, conserving, researching, interpreting, and exhibiting material evidence of the history of footwear and shoemaking. It is within this context that the Bata Shoe Museum invites nominations and applications for the role of Conservator, a role truly instrumental to the continued success of the museum and care of its growing collection of 15,000 objects which spans across 4,500 years of history.

The Conservator will be an integral part of the curatorial department. They will be responsible for conservation treatments and overall care of the extensive collection, made from a diverse array of materials some of which include textiles, hide, stone, glass beads, metal, and various plastics. The Conservator will write condition reports, prepare artifacts for display, manage loans, make display mounts, and collaborate on environmental controls. Additionally, the conservator will be a self-starter, agile thinker and actively engage with curiosity and enthusiasm in curatorial discussions on exhibition planning, acquisitions, and artifact care.

Qualifications
Among the qualifications being sought in candidates, the incoming leader must have a deep and abiding commitment to advancing reconciliation, equity, diversity, and inclusion in all its forms and must believe, intrinsically, in the importance of leading with curiosity and welcoming ideas that can later be synthesized and turned into possibility. While all candidates are encouraged to apply and, in so doing, share how they see themselves adding value to the Bata Shoe Museum environment, the following credentials and/or experiences are seen as possible markers of the candidates most likely to realize success in the role: A) a Master’s degree or equivalent college diploma in Conservation or a related field; B) a minimum of five years of experience in conservation C) knowledge of the Code of Ethics and Guidance for Practice of the Canadian Association for Conservation of Cultural Property (CAC) and the Canadian Association of Professional Conservators (CAPC); D) exceptional organizational and time management skills; E) participatory team player with a practical solutions focused approach; and E) experience working with three-dimensional objects and strong hand sewing skills are essential.

How to Apply

Compensation
The salary for this position is $70,000 (negotiable) depending on experience, plus employer-paid benefits, vacation, and personal days.

How to Apply
The Bata Shoe Museum condemns racism, injustice and violence. We have taken time to reflect on how we can effectively and meaningfully make change. We acknowledge that as a museum, we have a responsibility to support diversity, inclusion and accessibility through the work done within our own institution and outside our doors and are committed to this. We acknowledge that we must listen more, learn more, and engage in difficult but necessary conversations. We acknowledge that we have a responsibility to use our platform to amplify minoritized voices. We are committed to prioritizing the education of our board and staff on the issues of diversity and inclusivity. We are committed to changing our museum to be more inclusive to those who have felt marginalized and excluded from being part of a museum community. We are committed to having diverse voices be heard in our exhibitions and our programming. We are committed to providing space for community engagement. We are committed to supporting minoritized business owners. We are committed to making a difference and are actively working on a plan of action. Being silent is being complicit.

Bata Shoe Museum is partnering with BIPOC Executive Search to ensure an applicant list that is diverse and is as intersectional as possible. All interested applicants can send their résumé to Melissa Sumnauth or Laurie Toulouse by e-mailing ltoulouse@bipocsearch.com.

In accordance with the AODA Act, for applicants living with a disability accommodation will be provided throughout the search process. Should accommodations be required, please make Laurie Toulouse aware by using the above address.

We thank everyone for their expression of interest—and are truly appreciative of the time individuals put into applying—but with the limitations of time only those selected for an interview will be contacted.