PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT OFFICER

• Job ID: 57326
• Job Category: Economic Development, Arts & Culture
• Division & Section: Economic Development & Culture, EDC Museum & Heritage Services
• Work Location: Fort York National Historic Site
• Job Type & Duration: Full-time, Permanent Vacancy
• Hourly Rate: $40.69 - $44.57
• Shift Information: Mon-Fri, 35 hours per week 
• Affiliation: L79 Full-time
• Number of Positions Open: 1
• Posting Period: 25-July-2025 to 11-Aug-2025 
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About this Position

Are you a First Nations, Inuit, or Métis professional with a strong background in cultural programming and a passion for community engagement? Do you thrive in collaborative spaces that honour ancestral knowledge and support storytelling through public events and immersive experiences? This may be the opportunity for you.

As a Program Development Officer at Fort York National Historic Site, you will play a vital role in shaping inclusive, engaging, and culturally responsive public programming across Toronto History Museums. Your work will directly contribute to the City’s efforts to share diverse histories, amplify diverse voices, and create meaningful cultural experiences for Toronto residents and visitors.

Grounded in a commitment to Indigenous Reconciliation, Black and Indigenous Sovereignty, and equity-based frameworks, this role centers lived Indigenous experience as essential to applying an equitable lens to our program design and delivery. The successful candidate will help ensure our cultural initiatives reflect the priorities, histories, and needs of communities in a way that is respectful, empowering, and authentic.

In this role, you will:

• Develop and implement strategic program initiatives that align with Toronto History Museums’ values, vision, and cultural policies.
• Research, plan, and evaluate cultural and community-based programs with a focus on inclusive storytelling.
• Collaborate with museum staff, community partners, artists, and suppliers to deliver programming that resonates with diverse audiences.
• Write and produce program collateral, including speeches, presentations, web and social media content, media releases, and promotional materials.
• Monitor and manage budgets, coordinate vendors and consultants, and contribute to audience development strategies.

You’ll also maintain strong relationships across the museum network and wider community to ensure programming is impactful, accessible, and responsive to evolving cultural conversations.

Job Functions:

• Researches, plans, develops, implements and evaluates program development strategies and concepts to enhance the image of Toronto History Museums events and strategic plans and cultural policy initiatives and to expand participation in city cultural events and programs.
• Writes, researches and develops strategies for program development, audience development, merchandising, customer service as well as print design for promotional and collateral materials.
• Composes speeches, develops presentations and other correspondence.
• Writes and/or co-ordinates the research, writing, production and distribution of brochures, newsletters, media releases, flyers, key reports, web site content and other products.
• Monitors and evaluates the impact of program development programs. Recommends changes to strategy, plans and budgets.
• Monitors project expenditures and ensures cost control.
• Liaises with museum staff.
• Develops relationships for cost sharing and collaborates with business, media and community partners on programs.
• Maintains a network of contacts within the community, media, target audience groups, museum and heritage field, partners and sponsors.
• Contacts suppliers, tenders jobs, coordinates outside consultants, advertising agencies, printers, designers and suppliers ensuring adherence to agreed upon quality.
• Liaises with other units and divisions.

Key Qualifications:

Your application must describe your qualifications as they relate to:

1. Post-secondary education in a discipline pertinent to the job function (i.e. event/program management, public outreach) with broad experience in public special events programming, or an approved combination of education and experience.
2. Considerable experience in public program development with ability to recommend efficient solutions.
3. Experience in monitoring project budgets and co-ordinating suppliers and consultants.
4. Considerable experience in MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
5. Lived experience as a member of a First Nation, Inuit, or Métis community

You must also have:

• Ability to take ownerships of a project as well as being a strong team player in fulfilling the section and division’s goals.
• Ability to successfully engage in creative and strategic thinking.
• Ability to develop and monitor budgets and liaison with suppliers and consultants.
• Ability to solve problems, take initiative and work independently with minimal supervision.
• Ability to work simultaneously on a wide range of tasks with competing/tight deadlines while delivering expected outcomes and consistent creative quality.
• Ability to communicate complex messages succinctly, clearly and in manner which is understandable and engaging to a wide range of individuals.
• Ability to foster and maintain positive collaborative working relationships.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends as required to support operational requirements.
• Excellent planning and organizational skills.
• Excellent oral communication and presentation skills with the ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships with other staff, community groups, agencies, corporations and businesses in relation to Culture programs and their promotional requirements.
• Knowledge of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), Occupational Health & Safety Act and other regulations/legislation that apply to job duties.
• Flexibility to thrive in a high stress and creative environment.

NOTE TO INTERNAL FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME CITY OF TORONTO EMPLOYEES:

City of Toronto employees must apply to full-time or part-time employment opportunities posted on the City's Internal Job Posting Portal.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

The City is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to creating a workplace culture of inclusiveness that reflects the diverse residents that we serve. Learn more about the City’s commitment to employment equity.

Accommodation

The City of Toronto is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive organization. We are committed to providing barrier-free and accessible employment practices in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Should you require Code-protected accommodation through any stage of the recruitment process, please make them known when contacted and we will work with you to meet your needs. Disability-related accommodation during the application process is available upon request. Learn more about the City’s Hiring Policies and Accommodation Process.