Executive Director
/Job Title:
Executive Director
Organization:
Granville Island Theatre District
Deadline:
Jun. 8, 2026
Organization Description:
The Granville Island Theatre District is a Society with a board of directors who are members of the Granville Island Cultural Partners Program, the annual presenters of Events, Festivals, and Theatre Productions on Granville Island.
Our mission is to steward the Granville Island performance venues: The Waterfront Theatre, Performance Works, and Festival House/The NEST.
Website:
Job Description:
Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director is responsible for the strategic planning, leadership of the organization including HR, financial planning and oversight, Society administration, supporting and enabling GITD staff.
Granville Island Theatre District (GITD) manages the Waterfront Theatre, Performance Works, and the Nest, and exists within a complex ecosystem, as a contributor to the identity and vibrancy of Granville Island, a partner to artists and cultural organizations, and a steward of key cultural infrastructure. The organization’s purpose thus has a place-based dimension, a community and cultural dimension, and a stewardship/ operational dimension.
Responsibilities:
Vision, Strategy, and Organizational Stewardship:
● Be a visible leader of the organization, lead the organization’s cultural shift and develop
meaningful communications and relationships with CMHC, Cultural Partners, and
stakeholders.
● Cultivate an ongoing partnership, collaboration, and relationship of trust with CMHC,
advocating for the venues and their cultural use.
● Lead governance tasks such as: AGM, Board meetings, financial reports, etc.
● Financial Oversight: budget development and maintenance, annual audit, payroll, etc.
● Identify opportunities and lead strategic planning in collaboration with the board and key
stakeholders to ensure GITD’s continued relevance and vibrancy as one of Vancouver’s
most important cultural districts.
● Plan, steward, and execute a capital improvement project across the venues.
● Strengthen the relationships and communications that are essential to GITD’s impact,
reputation, and long-term sustainability.
● Steward these public cultural spaces with care and transparency, focusing on the long-
term health of the venues and the people who use them.
● Contribute to the cultural conversations that shape Granville Island as a creative hub
destination
Cultural Safety & Inclusion:
● Foster respectful and culturally grounded environments by embedding cultural safety
and reconciliation practices across the organization’s culture, operations, and venue
experience.
● Engage technicians, renters, staff, and audiences in creating venues that feel welcoming
and inclusive.
● Represent and uplift the lived experience of arts leaders, bringing an understanding of
what it means to run arts spaces “by us for us”.
● Collaborate with cultural partners, artists, and technicians to foster a shared sense of the
venues as “our house,” grounded in strong relationships and open communication.
● Identify and remove barriers, working toward venues that are physically, financially, and
culturally accessible for artists, audiences, and community members.
Project Management: Capital Improvement Project(s):
● Ensure GITD’s venues are physically safe, technically capable, accessible, and well-
maintained to support artists, audiences, and cultural partners.
● Identify and communicate building needs through clear assessments & planning,
informed by venue audits and needs assessments done to date.
● Develop, with the board and CMHC, a capital project plan for improvements for all
venues, including venue upgrades, repairs, and seasonal maintenance.
● Project manage capital improvements project(s), ensuring budget and timeline
compliance and minimizing impact on use of the venues.
● Advocate for the appropriate use Theatre Improvement Fund (TIF) funds to strategically
address priority infrastructure and accessibility needs.
Venue Management:
● Oversee the Event Services Manager’s coordination of venue booking calendars,
contracting, and invoicing for venue rentals. This includes working with CMHC Granville
Island’s Cultural Partners, ensuring their perennial usage dates at venues, and their
perennial access to Festival House common areas.
● Actively seek out and attract new renters, prioritizing access for non-profit performing
arts groups.
● Ensure positive and consistent renter experience, including post-rental followup,
compiling renter feedback, and creating action plans for improvements of service.
Staff Management
● Ensure that all venues have appropriate staffing to ensure consistently strong, high
quality, and positive renter experiences.
● Oversee and support GITD staff, ensuring a positive work environment with strong
technician and front of house roles.
● Provide hands-on support as needed for Event Services Manager and Production and
Operations Coordinator in their roles, including annual performance evaluations.
● Manage bookkeeper and handling of accounts.
● Oversee and troubleshoot HR needs including having a strong understanding of existing
labour agreements with IATSE, and leading future labour negotiations.
● Review and update personnel policy docs as needed, and ensure that all staff and
contractors are aware of and uplifting said policies.
Fund Development
● Grant writing/fundraising: As the long-term sustainability of the GITD is dependent on a
successful proposal to the open RFP, the ability to write/shepherd a successful proposal
will be essential.
● Seek and secure funding to support collective activities, and fill gaps in funding to ensure
robust organizational strength.
● Fund development for capital projects and for cultural infrastructure projects, to augment
TIFF and other funds to ensure the vibrancy and usability of shared spaces.
Cultural Partners & Cultural Vibrancy
● Cultural vibrancy may be fostered in a variety of ways, including, but not limited to:
● Convene Cultural Partners as appropriate to foster collective goals, resource sharing,
and potential joint projects.
● Develop arts-centered activities through outreach, rentals, and partnership with CMHC
● Promote Granville Island as a cultural heart of Vancouver. This may involve marketing
efforts, working with CMHC, and tourism.
Qualifications:
● Progressive leadership experience in the arts, cultural infrastructure, or non-profit sector, with demonstrated experience in organizational management is an asset
● Ability to lead and sustain relationships with government bodies, funders, and cultural partners
● Strong financial management skills including budget development, audit processes, payroll oversight, and fund development
● Experience writing and shepherding grant proposals, including capital or infrastructure funding applications
● Demonstrated project management experience, ideally including capital improvement or facilities projects, with the ability to manage timelines, budgets, and contractor relationships
● Experience managing staff and contractors, including familiarity with unionized environments; knowledge of IATSE agreements an asset
● Deep commitment to cultural safety, reconciliation, and equity, with practical experience embedding these values into organizational culture and operations
● Experience with board governance, including AGMs, reporting, and working collaboratively with a board on strategic planning
● Strong communicator with the ability to advocate persuasively for arts spaces and the communities that use them
● Genuine understanding of the performing arts ecosystem, ideally as someone who has worked within it, not just alongside it
● Experience with venue or facilities management, including rental operations, is a strong asset
● Comfort working in a lean organization where leadership means rolling up your sleeves
How to Apply:
E-mail cover letter and resume to Dave Deveau <dave@carouseltheatre.ca>
Remuneration:
85,000
