Interpretive Planner

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Posting Date: Nov 24, 2023

Location: Edmonton, AB

Company: Government of Alberta

About Us

The Government of Alberta is committed to a diverse and inclusive public service that reflects the population we serve to best meet the needs of Albertans. Consider joining a team where diversity, inclusion and innovation are valued and supported. For more information on diversity and inclusion, please visit: https://www.alberta.ca/diversity-inclusion-policy.aspx

 

The Ministry of Arts, Culture and Status of Women improves Albertans’ quality of life through support of cultural development, historical preservation and increased gender equality. The Royal Alberta Museum (RAM) collects, preserves, researches, interprets, and exhibits objects and specimens related to the history of Alberta’s people and natural environment.

 

The Royal Alberta Museum is responsible for creating visitor experiences--primarily exhibits --for 18 of the Division's museums (including RAM), historic sites and interpretive centres. The RAM’s Visitor Experience Unit leads these projects.

 

For more information about the Royal Alberta Museum (RAM) please visit our website at: https://royalalbertamuseum.ca
 

Job Information

Job Title: Interpretive Planner 
Job Requisition ID: 39798
Ministry: Arts, Culture and Status of Women
Location: Edmonton
Full or Part-Time: Full Time
Hours of Work: 36.25 hours per week
Regular/Temporary: Permanent
Scope: Open Competition
Closing Date: Open until suitable candidate(s) selected
Classification: Subsidiary 02B 3625 Program Services 4 Market Adjustment
Salary: ​$2,757.39 to $3,604.17 bi-weekly ($71,967 - $94,068/year)

Organizational Context

In this pivotal role, you will report to the Director of Visitor Experience and develop plans for exhibits and similar visitor experiences. You will be responsible for developing the interpretive plans needed to design and produce captivating, visitor-centered exhibits. These plans will articulate the experiential goals for each exhibit, and provide a roadmap for how objects and media will be organized and presented to weave compelling narratives. You will be instrumental in ensuring that our exhibits are thought provoking and deeply engaging for its target audience.

 

Your dedication and expertise will help the Royal Alberta Museum's Visitor Experience team excel in conveying a diverse array of stories through the immersive visitor experiences we craft. We invite you to embark on this exciting endeavor, where your passion for storytelling and unwavering commitment to visitor engagement will help shape the cultural and educational landscape of Alberta.

Role

Your key duties and responsibilities will include:

  • Exhibit Concept Development – working in close collaboration with a diverse range of experts (e.g., exhibit designer, graphic designers, curators, museum educators), you will be responsible for defining and articulating the goals for proposed exhibits. You will foster an atmosphere where innovative ideas flourish.
  • Story Development – you will develop compelling storylines where objects and media (images, film and audio) from our collections are interpreted, and hands on and digital interactives are combined in a way that creates a compelling and engaging visitor experience. Your ability to tailor these approaches to suit diverse audiences will bring our exhibits to life through narratives that are both relevant and compelling.
  • Document Creation—you will craft and refine interpretive planning documents that guide our designers, curators, and other museum professionals responsible for producing and installing exhibits that fulfill the vision articulated by the interpretive plan.
  • Copywriting -- you will lead the development of text strategies, collaborating in the writing and editing for various story panels, labels and scripts for media productions and digital interactives. The strategies you deploy will prioritize readability, cultural sensitivity, and accessibility, ensuring our exhibits resonate with a broad spectrum of visitors.
  • Teamwork and collaboration -- as a dedicated team player, you will solicit your colleagues’ expertise and opinions, taking that feedback into consideration when developing the deliverables, you are responsible for. You will offer valuable support to your colleagues during the design and production phases of exhibit projects, contributing to the realization of a shared vision.
  • Agility and Creativity -- Your expertise will be vital in planning projects that encompass permanent, traveling, and in-house feature exhibitions of various sizes and scales, allowing us to provide a rich array of experiences to our valued visitors.

Minimum Recruitment Standards

Qualifications for this position include:

  • Education: University Degree in a relevant field (such as Museum Studies, Liberal Arts, Education, or Social Studies) is required.
  • Experience: A minimum of four (4) years of progressively responsible related experience is essential. While experience working as an interpretive planner for a museum is preferred, candidates with equivalent combinations of related education and experience may also be considered.

 

Equivalency: 
Directly related education or experience considered on the basis of:

  • 1 year of education for 1 year of experience; or 
  • 1 year of experience for 1 year of education.

 

Requirements:

  • Proven Track Record: Demonstrated success in leading the development of interpretive plans for interpreted experiences (ideally for exhibits in a museum setting).
  • Leadership and Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to work effectively with, and at times lead, teams comprised of both internal and external stakeholders with a variety of educational backgrounds and life experiences. This role requires a commitment to continuous learning and development in leadership behaviours.
  • Visitor Studies and Learning Theory: Knowledge of museum visitor studies and informal learning theory as applied to exhibition development, enabling you to create engaging exhibits that inspire curiosity.
  • Organizational Skills: Strong organizational skills with the ability to work on multiple projects concurrently, sometimes with competing deadlines, ensuring they are completed successfully and on schedule.
  • Copywriting: Experience in writing or editing copy for various museum audiences, ensuring readability, cultural sensitivity, and accessibility.
  • Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills to effectively convey ideas and collaborate with colleagues and stakeholders.

 

Assets:

  • Storyboard and Creative Brief development: Experience with developing storyboards and creative briefs, demonstrating your ability to visualize and communicate exhibit concepts.
  • Exhibit Design and/or Production Experience: Familiarity with the process of exhibit design and production, enhancing your ability to contribute to the successful realization of museum exhibits.

 

A cover letter outlining how your experience, skills, and knowledge relate to the qualifications of this role is required.

 

While we are seeking an experienced interpretive planner who can bring museum-related expertise to our team, we are open to candidates from analogous disciplines with experience working in multidisciplinary teams (e.g. video game narrative designers, or world designers; structural editors) who possess strong and proven skills that can contribute to the creation of immersive and educational experiences for our museum visitors.

APS Competencies

Competencies are behaviors that are essential to reach our goals in serving Albertans. We encourage you to have an in depth understanding of the competencies that are required for this opportunity and to be prepared to demonstrate them during the recruitment process.

 

This link will assist you with understanding competencies: https://www.alberta.ca/system/files/custom_downloaded_images/psc-alberta-public-service-competency-model.pdf 

 

Success in this role will depend on the following competencies

  • Creative Problem Solving: Focuses on continuous improvement and increasing breadth of insight
  • Drive for Results: Actively sets goals and remains open to advice on reaching them
  • Systems Thinking: Considers inter-relationships and emerging trends to attain goals
  • Build Collaborative Environments: Facilitates open communication and leverages team skill

Notes

Hours of work are 36.25 hours weekly. Some evening and weekend work is required, along with some overnight travel within the province of Alberta.

 

Your cover letter and resume will be used as a screening tool to assess your written communication. In your resume, please include dates (including months and years) associated with education and work experience. Also, please indicate whether your work experience is casual, part-time or full time. An additional written assignment may be used as part of the screening process.

 

Final candidates will be required to undergo a security screening.

 

What the GoA has to offer to prospective employees.

How To Apply

 

Click on the “Apply  Now” button. 

 

Candidates are required to apply for a job online. Please visit https://www.alberta.ca/job-application-resources#before for more information.

 

Current employees should access the Career tile in 1GX to submit their application in order to be recognized as an internal applicant.

 

Applicants are advised to provide information that clearly and concisely demonstrates how their qualifications meet the advertised requirements, including education, experience and relevant examples of required competencies.

 

It is recommended applicants who have completed post-secondary studies from outside of Canada obtain an evaluation of their credentials from the International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) or from recognized Canadian Credential Evaluator; please visit the Alliance of Credential Evaluation Services of Canada for more information.

 

Tips for Applicants: https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-hiring-process.aspx

Closing Statement

This competition may be used to fill future vacancies, across the Government of Alberta, at the same or lower classification level.

 

We thank all applicants for their interest. All applications will be reviewed to determine which candidates' qualifications most closely match the advertised requirements. Only individuals selected for interviews will be contacted.

 

If you require any further information on this job posting or a copy of the role profile, please contact Saren Frias at Saren.Frias@gov.ab.ca.