Edward Pon Curatorial Assistant

Job Title:

Edward Pon Curatorial Assistant

Organization:

Chinese Canadian Museum

Deadline:

Sep. 7, 2026

Organization Description:

The Chinese Canadian Museum Society of British Columbia was founded in March 2020 as an independent, non-profit society to establish and operate a public museum in British Columbia honouring Chinese Canadian history, contributions, and living heritage. The first museum of its kind in Canada, the Chinese Canadian Museum showcases arts, heritage, and cultural exhibitions that celebrate the inclusion and collaboration among Chinese Canadians, Indigenous peoples, and other communities across generations, throughout British Columbia, Canada, and the world. At the Chinese Canadian Museum, we are a fun, close-knit team that is supportive of each other’s career goals and passionate about our cultural institution and Vancouver Chinatown. Our total compensation package is designed to support our staff in achieving their goals and focusing on the things our staff love. In addition to competitive base pay, training and development opportunities, we also offer extended health plans, paid time off, a matching RRSP plan, a phone reimbursement plan, and free admission to museums in 137 countries around the world.

Website:

http://www.chinesecanadianmuseum.ca/

Job Description:

The Edward Pon Curatorial Assistant supports the research, development, coordination, and delivery of exhibitions and curatorial initiatives at the Chinese Canadian Museum (CCM). Working closely with the Exhibition team, the Curatorial Assistant contributes to all stages of exhibition development, from preliminary research and story development to production, installation, public presentation, and documentation. The position provides an opportunity for an emerging museum professional to develop curatorial experience while contributing to exhibitions that explore Chinese Canadian history, art, culture, and living heritage. The Curatorial Assistant works collaboratively across the museum and engages with artists, cultural practitioners, scholars, community members, lenders, partner institutions, and other stakeholders. The successful applicant will be highly organized, intellectually curious, and attentive to detail, with a passion for developing exhibitions that bring Chinese Canadian heritage and art to life in ways that are accessible, thought-provoking, relevant, and engaging for diverse audiences. Working in a dynamic and evolving not-for-profit museum, the successful applicant is expected to work both independently and collaboratively with the museum team, external partners, and stakeholders. This position is expected to be performed primarily in the office in Vancouver Chinatown, with expected workdays from Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm. Some off-site work and meetings may be required, as needed.

Responsibilities:

• Conduct research on Chinese Canadian heritage, history, art, artists, and cultural practices, including artworks, objects, archival records, photographs, oral histories, and other historical and cultural materials relevant to the museum’s curatorial work.
• Draft, edit, and fact-check exhibition texts, artist biographies, and other interpretive materials, and work with translators and external language specialists to support accurate and culturally sensitive translations.
• Assist with outreach and research involving artists, cultural practitioners, historians, scholars, community members, archives, collections, and other knowledge holders.
• Collaborate with exhibition designers, architects, and production teams to translate curatorial concepts into spatial and visual design, ensuring alignment with the curatorial vision.
• Assist with the coordination of exhibition production, design, fabrication, installation, and project schedules.
• Support the planning and coordination of touring exhibitions with the Exhibition Manager and partner institutions, including schedules, exhibition materials, documentation, and communication with participating venues.
• Collaborate with the Education and Public Programs team on the development and delivery of exhibition-related programs, and support the facilitation of public tours and gallery engagement activities.
• Other duties as required.

Qualifications:

• Have a recognized university degree in art history, history, museum studies, visual culture, or another relevant discipline. Have a minimum of 2 years of curatorial and exhibition-making experience within a museum, gallery, or cultural institution.
• Demonstrate knowledge of and a strong interest in Chinese Canadian heritage, history, art, and culture.
• Have experience conducting research with archival, historical, art historical, object-based, and/or community-based sources, with the ability to translate research into clear, engaging public-facing content.
• Demonstrate strong writing, editing, and fact-checking skills, with excellent attention to detail.
• Demonstrate strong organizational, project coordination, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a dynamic environment.
• Experience with exhibition production and installation is an asset.
• Have excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills in English, with proficiency in Cantonese and/or Mandarin Chinese.
• Be proficient in Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

How to Apply:

Please submit a cover letter and resume to hr@chinesecanadianmuseum.ca. The posting will remain open until the position is filled, although priority will be given to applicants who apply before 7 September 2026.

Remuneration:

$50,000 to $55,000 per annum